Since 1999, Family Guy has been one of the most beloved animated sitcoms on TV, bringing viewers the hilarious mishaps of the Griffin family. However, almost consistently since around the show’s eleventh season, the series has been noticeably different from its earlier heyday – and not in a good way. While the animation may be better, and the voice actors are comfortable with their roles, some signs suggest the series is in its twilight years.
Inevitably, any series that lasts over two decades will eventually lose its edge and become less popular with its fandom. After all, very few scripted TV series make it as far as a twentieth season, and certainly not that far without a notable decline in quality, viewers, or both. Although there may be some fight left in the show, it has started to exhibit key signs of a show in its waning stages.
10/10 Family Guy’s Overuse Of Current Politics Makes Newer Episodes Instantly Dated
Family Guy has always used political and social commentary to crack jokes and make statements, sometimes intentionally poking fun at major figures. But the frequency of modern political references and statements on current issues can make episodes feel immediately dated.
Politics alone isn’t an issue, and can lead to some especially funny moments, as it has in Family Guy’s past seasons. But at a certain point, the recurring jokes with the same punchline often end up feeling like the writers are kicking a dead horse.
9/10 Family Guy Traditions Have Fallen By The Wayside
Family Guy created a few beloved traditions that lasted for much of the series’ heyday. These included “Road to” episodes, which would see Brian and Stewie go on long and dangerous road trips together to find a way home, as well as the infamous chicken fights.
Recently, the “Road to” episodes have completely ended, the last being 2016’s mediocre “Road to India” episode. The running jokes that had endured for the bulk of the show’s runtime have been reduced to self-commentary callbacks, with no sincerity left in them.
8/10 Family Guy Still Has Scenes That Trail On For No Reason Other Than Filler
One of Family Guy’s running jokes from its earliest days was random filler moments. The Al Harrington cutaways and Conway Twitty songs were among the funniest. But recent seasons have inserted these more often, but without the amusing gimmick to help make it charming.
Scenes such as Brian and Stewie spending almost a full minute to say a character’s full name for a mildly amusing joke just don’t land, and fans can sense the filler. Naturally, the filler problem could be less of an issue with more substantial subplots to help move the episode along.
7/10 Family Guy Has Become Too Self-Referential
One of the most irritating habits of Family Guy’s later seasons has been a tendency to make self-commentary episodes. These episodes feel less like a genuine attempt to entertain and more like the showrunners venting to their faithful audience about their own frustrations.
The issue with these episodes is they can signal disinterest from the very people in charge of the series, which rubs off on fans too. The occasional bit of meta-comedy can be great, but entire episodes dedicated to self-commentary feel dull or pretentious.
6/10 American Dad Has Eclipsed Family Guy In Quality
Shortly after Family Guy debuted (and was initially canceled), Seth MacFarlane created American Dad, a series that copied the formula with the Smiths. It has been an open secret among MacFarlane fans that American Dad has eclipsed its predecessor in quality and comedy.
American Dad used to be relatively obscure compared to Family Guy, slowly building up an audience rivaling the latter. As of the last few seasons of either show, American Dad has maintained its comedy much better than Family Guy, and has even won over some of its audience.
5/10 The B-Plot Has Been Weakening Every Season
Family Guy has been renowned for its ability to balance two – or more – simultaneous plot threads in a single episode, maintaining interest in both. An episode used to consist of Peter and his friends doing one thing while Brian and Stewie went on an adventure.
The two-plot strategy was never the entirety of the series, but it was more prominent in the beginning than it has been recently. Ideally, Family Guy should be a mix in order to maintain interest in all its characters. The decline of compelling B-plots suggests the writers have lost interest in what fans love.
4/10 Trying Too Hard To Insert New Characters Isn’t A Good Sign
Family Guy has attempted to introduce numerous new characters as of late. This has been spurred by the unfortunate passings of mainstay voice actors such as Adam West and Carrie Fisher. As a result, the supporting cast has been left with a noticeable loss.
However, the new characters, such as Doug, Preston, and Mayor West, can feel as though they’re being inserted too soon and close together. Asking fans to accept several new mainstay characters at once can feel a bit much, and give the impression of significant changes to the show.
3/10 The Griffin Marriage Feels All But Dead
The relationship between Peter and Lois has always been tumultuous, with the couple having no shortage of things to fight over. But fans have been more concerned for the future of the Griffin marriage as an increasing number of episodes have featured themes of cheating and references to divorce.
Lois especially had been shown to have led a wild life before meeting Peter, but their marriage has changed from shaky to outright broken. The current state of Family Guy has left fans somewhat on edge, hoping either for a big reconciliation episode or fearing divorce.
2/10 Too Much Dependence On Gimmick Episodes
Family Guy had always been great at its signature style of gimmicks, from the cutaways to its movie parody episodes. But in recent years, the show has come to depend on these gimmicks, with some episodes barely even having any jokes, notably “Send In Stewie, Please.”
The gimmicky episodes are a great way to bring something new to a season, but some seasons have felt oversaturated by episodes that deviate from the show’s formula. Fans have two decades of consistency to expect, and the growing shift away has been noticed.
1/10 The Characters Have Become Unlikable Copies Of Their Original Selves
When Family Guy debuted, its leading characters – the Griffins – were all fairly relatable character types. Whether it was the working suburban dad of Peter, the frustrated homemaker of Lois, or the angsty teens in Chris and Meg, each family member felt recognizable.
However, in recent seasons, the Griffin family has slowly become thoroughly dislikable people, even abandoning who they were before. Brian went from the smart voice of reason to a pretentious idiot, Lois became cold towards others, and Peter went from silly to self-centered. All of which bodes poorly for the series’ future success.
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