In 2013, “Household Man” launched maybe its most controversial episode but — no, not “Partial Phrases of Endearment,” it was “Lifetime of Brian.” After a seemingly typical opening act, the episode switched gears when Brian was hit by a automotive. There have been no jokes — the Griffins’ grief was handled with nearly whole seriousness in a method that was fairly jarring to most long-term followers of the collection. The remainder of the episode facilities across the Griffins dealing with their loss by getting a brand new canine, this one named Vinny (Tony Sirico). Stewie initially would not like this new foul-mouthed Italian canine, however he comes round to him by the tip.
Followers weren’t thrilled. Not solely does this episode kill off Brian, but it surely strikes previous him with nearly offensive pace. By the next week’s episode, “Into Concord’s Means,” the present had already embraced this new established order, having Vinny casually hang around with the household as if he is been there the whole time. Even worse was how “Lifetime of Brian” went out of its approach to make clear that point journey, a typical plot system within the collection, was now not an possibility; Stewie destroys his time machine proper earlier than Brian’s loss of life, and makes no try to rebuild it. The episode is commonly ranked among the many worst within the present, though I personally selected to not embrace it in my checklist of worst “Household Man” episodes.
To “Household Man” creator Seth MacFarlane, the outrage over Brian’s loss of life was shocking, however not essentially a foul factor. “We have been all very stunned — in a great way — that folks nonetheless cared about that character to be that indignant,” he mentioned on the time. “It did not happen to us. We thought it might possibly create a little bit little bit of a stir, however the rage was not one thing we counted on.”
Brian’s resurrection wasn’t acquired nicely both
Though “Lifetime of Brian” seemingly removed Brian for good, “Household Man” introduced him again two episodes later within the season’s Christmas episode. Stewie goes again in time to push Brian out of the automotive’s path, erasing the whole timeline of the previous two episodes and bringing all the pieces again to regular. From that time ahead, it was like Brian’s loss of life had by no means occurred; Vinny solely confirmed up a few times afterward for minor cutaways, however was largely forgotten.
After the episode aired, MacFarlane tweeted, “Thanks for caring a lot in regards to the canine Griffin, he’s overcome with gratitude,” including, “I imply, you did not actually assume we would kill off Brian, did you? Jesus, we would need to be f***ing excessive.” A variety of followers discovered the joke humorous, though loads of others discovered the whole chain of occasions irritating and even insulting. The entire thing appeared like an affordable publicity stunt; why toy with our feelings a lot if none of it truly meant something in the long run?
Nonetheless, MacFarlane thought of the stunt to be worthwhile. He advised reporters, “Primarily based on the numbers, it helped as a result of it did what it was designed to do: It reminded folks that that is nonetheless a present the place something can occur even if it has been on for some time.”
The perfect factor to come back out of this stunt was Vinny
My ideas on this entire ordeal are sophisticated. I haven’t got an issue with the present’s creatives quickly killing off Brian, however I do want they’d waited not less than just a few extra episodes earlier than bringing him again. That is as a result of new canine Vinny, together with his very Catholic and really Italian methods, was pleasant as the brand new member of the Griffin household. He did not get a ton of focus within the one regular episode earlier than “Christmas Man,” however he and Stewie nonetheless made for an enthralling duo.
Possibly it is simply because Tony Sirico’s bought the funniest voice on the planet, or as a result of I like how Vinny’s eyebrows are drawn above his head, however I’d’ve most well-liked if “Household Man” had killed off Brian within the season 12 premiere, allow us to get pleasure from the whole fall season with Vinny by Stewie’s facet, and solely then introduced Brian again. This might’ve turned season 12 into one of the vital attention-grabbing seasons of the present, even when it nonetheless most likely would not have gained the /Movie season rankings.
Do not get me fallacious, I really like Brian — even the pretentious loser model of him we bought all through the later seasons — however it might’ve been good if the present had made probably the most of Vinny earlier than bringing him again. He introduced one thing contemporary and new to the collection; for the primary time in years, it felt like “Household Man” was being considerably daring and ingenious. To reverse this new established order so rapidly positive appeared like a waste, however hey, not less than us Vinny followers will all the time have that very, very temporary interval in 2013 to fondly look again on.