Brian's a Bad Father (Family Guy)
Recommended reading on this subject: Suicide Prevention Resources
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 This is 3 episodes after Brian was brought back by the way.
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Brian's a Bad Father is the eleventh episode of the twelfth season of Family Guy and the 221th episode altogether. It originally aired on Fox on April 6, 2014, and was written by Chris Seridan and directed by Jerry Langford.
Plot
Brian tries to use Dylan's television connections to further his career.
Why Brian Really Is a Bad Father
- Brian is extremely unlikable here. As he manipulates his son, Dylan to further his writing career.
- Peter is not any better as he shoots Quagmire despite him reminding him about his safety being on/off, and Joe doesn't even try to arrest him even though he's a "cop".
- The subplot tries to make you feel bad for Peter despite shooting his best friend for no good reason, which is the main reason as to why it feels lackluster.
- Some scenes are extremely offensive to some people, such as:
- The infamous scene where Peter asks Lois how to "kill himself" with Meg giving out the tips.
- The ending where it makes fun of Mentally Handicapped people.
- Brian was so much of a bad father in the episode that even the title says so itself. Like Party Pooper Pants, the title gave away what the plot was going to be about, hence makes this episode predictable
- The one fourth wall break where they assume you to be 14 for not knowing who Joe Pesci is, even though there might be some teens knowing who he is, along with adults unaware of who he is.
- Speaking of the "joke", it was explained by Peter. Making it no longer a joke.
- The "Family Guy, We've been on for years!" fourth wall break can be seen as insulting.
- The unsettling moment when Quagmire blows Peter's brain off, although it was deserved.
- Dylan was truly never seen again after this episode.
Redeeming Qualities
- Stewie, Meg, Dylan, Lois, Chris, Quagmire, and Joe are the only likable characters. The same thing could go for the side characters.
- Some jokes are funny. Such as the Joe Pesci Joke (despite being ruined), Brian taking the party food, etc.
- At least Peter got his comeuppance, as he lost his friends and was shot in the head.
- Quagmire got his revenge, although it was disturbing.
- The scenes where Dylan tries to reconcile with Brian via Stewie was wholesome.
- There was also a deleted scene where Brian ACTUALLY spends some daddy time with Dylan, before being cut for stupid reasons.
- Good Ending: Ignoring the insulting "joke" and Dylan never being seen again, Brian and Dylan make up. Ditto for Peter, Quagmire and Joe as Lois talked it out with them.
Reception
While "Brian's a Bad Father" is rated 6.1/10 on IMDB, it has received mostly negative reviews. It was first on PhantomStrider's 2015 worst Family Guy episode list, and William Angell gave it a 0/5 in his Family Guy season 12 review, the second episode he had seen when reviewing every episode to get that score, with The Simpsons episode "Every Man's Dream" being the first to achieve that rating. Some critics considered the "Suicide Joke" to be the worst in the series, with the episode considered as one of the worst in the show.
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