GETTING ON And On And On

Article first published as GETTING ON Review Season 2 on Seat42F.

HBO’s GETTING ON is back! For those that missed the six-episode first season a year ago, feel free to jump on into season two when the premiere episode, “No Such Thing as Idealized Genitalia,” airs this weekend, no prior knowledge needed. But for fans, you’ll delight in seeing the staff of the Billy Barnes Extended Care Unit of Mt. Palms Hospital in Long Beach, California again, who are basically up to the same things they were when last seen.

Dawn Forchette (Alex Borstein) is continuing to work for Dr. Jenna James’ (Laurie Metcalf) research study. Dawn doesn’t like working for Dr. James, and why should she? Dr. James is emotionally abusive and takes advantage of Dawn whenever she can. But for Dawn, who isn’t feeling well (something explored with a very unexpected twist late in the episode, and that will extend to future installments), she’s tired of bending over backwards to fit Dr. James’ requests in with her regular work and getting absolutely no appreciation for the effort. In fact, Dr. James expresses the opposite of appreciation.

Dr. James is under a lot of stress, admittedly. She is still fighting Dr. Paul Stickley (Mark Harelik) to get her research funded, something far from a certainty in her business. She has to put up with the hospice corporate vulture she hates (Jayma Mays, Glee) trying to make inroads in the hospital (again, something that will continue throughout the season because of another beautiful twist). She is drawn into a fight with an obnoxious patient (played by a familiar face I can’t quite remember – feel free to let me know who she is in the comments) for bed space. And she has to deal with the annoyance of Nurse Patsy de la Serda’s (Mel Rodriguez) “green” program, which results in lights turning off in the bathroom after mere seconds. But does that justify her behavior towards Dawn? Nope.

Technically, GETTING ON is a comedy. The laughs come at the characters’ expense, though. Is it fun to see Dawn get dumped on my Dr. James? No, but there’s something inherently amusing in the way Borstein shows the pathos of the downtrodden character. Does one laugh at Dr. James issues in the bathroom? Of course not, but again, there are some sight gags that will elicit a smile, even as we feel sorry for her. It’s smart, slow-burn comedy.

In “No Such Thing as Idealized Genitalia,” Nurse Didi Ortley (Niecy Nash) emerges as the heart of the show. This is something she’s been seen as before, but the role is reinforced in her behavior this week. Whether it’s taking care of her family or her co-workers, whether they could actually be called friends or not, Didi is a person who has compassion for others. This, all while making next to no money, and meeting much resistance for requesting even the smallest of raises.

This hospital highlights the ridiculousness of bureaucracy and the flawed nature of human beings. It does so without judgment, reflecting familiar traits in slightly exaggerated ways. There are very few moments you’ll laugh out loud at, but you will be amused as much as depressed by the proceedings. Though a scene where the characters finally get to air some grievances will come close to getting a chuckle.

In considering quality television, GETTING ON excels. It’s an authentic piece with nuanced characters. The cast is across-the-board excellent, both the stars and the supporting players. The world is well-developed, and if anything has changed in season two, it’s that the writers know their parameters better, making for a more fully realized premise. I highly recommend checking it out.

GETTING ON airs Sundays at 10:30 p.m. ET on HBO.

DVD Review: ‘Family Guy – Volume Twelve’

Article first published as DVD Review: ‘Family Guy – Volume Twelve’ on Blogcritics.

FOX recently released Family Guy Volume Twelve on DVD. Unlike earlier sets, Family Guy is now releasing its episodes by season, though they still bear the volume moniker, probably because the season and volume numbers don’t match up. Volume Twelve has all 22 episodes that aired last year, the show’s 11th season, spread across three discs.

Over the past few seasons, Family Guy has definitely started to show its age, and overall the episodes on this release are certainly of lesser quality than those of its early years. This is actually the first Family Guy release in a long time where I can’t link to specific episodes I previously reviewed. It’s not that the batch is necessarily worse than the last couple; Family Guy has just settled into a very comfortable routine, so it’s rarely necessary to check in with it for review. I would be repeating myself a lot. That being said, the show isn’t completely without life left in it. It’s just not the must-see, oft-discussed program that it used to be.

The episodes are stand-alones, and although the series has always had some serial elements to it, only rare episodes really changing anything for the characters. Some of the inclusions on Volume Twelve include: “Into Fat Air,” in which Peter (Seth MacFarlane) jealously forces the family to compete with Lois’s ex-boyfriend’s clan while climbing Mt. Everest; “Ratings Guy,” a fun lambasting of the Nielsen rating system, on which the longevity of TV shows is (some would argue unfairly) decided; “Yug Ylimaf,” the 200th episode, where Brian (also MacFarlane) tampers with time and Stewie (MacFarlane again) is never born; “The Giggity Wife,” in which Quagmire (um, MacFarlane), the ultimate bachelor, gets married; “Turban Cowboy,” where Peter accidentally becomes a Muslim terrorist, and yes, you read that correctly; and “Roads to Vegas,” in which Stewie and Brian are copied and the two versions have very different vacations in Law Vegas.

“Roads to Vegas” and “Ratings Guy” are my favorite inclusions, for completely different reasons. Family Guy is best when it ventures into satire, and their commentary on the way renewals are decided is way more witty than most of the other installments. “Roads to Vegas” is the latest in a recurring road trip series, a la the old Bob Hope-Bing Crosby films, always much more enjoyable than when the show parodies more modern movies, as it does in a couple of episodes on this set that I didn’t mention above.

It’s interesting that a quick rundown of the episodes I best remember all feature characters MacFarlane voices. One might think, looking at that list, he’s the only actor in the show. There are actually a number of other very talented performers in Family Guy including Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Mila Kunis, Patrick Warburton, and Mike Henry. This season, more than most, made Peter, Brian, and Stewie the center of it all, though. They are popular and reliable characters, but it would be nice to see the others get some more screen time.

There are decent extras included on Volume Twelve. “200 Episodes Later” is the special that aired in conjunction with the 200th episode. There’s also a table read from that installment, as well a portion of the show’s 2012 Comic-Con panel, always enjoyable. Deleted scenes, animatics, and audio commentaries are present for select episodes.

At the end of the day, Family Guy Volume Twelve is a very average release of what has become a very average show. But if you need some mindless laughs, Family Guy still delivers those pretty consistently, like The Simpsons, so it’s reliable for that. If you’re someone that only picks up an occasional Family Guy DVD, this one might not be at the top of the list of those recommended, but if you’re a completionist or an irregular viewer who’d like to catch a few fresh entries, then Volume Twelve should satisfy.

Family Guy Volume Twelve is available now.

Got to be GETTING ON

Article first published as GETTING ON Review on Seat42F.


HBO’s GETTING ON, premiering this week, is a very dark comedy. So dark you might not realize you’re supposed to be laughing until late in the episode. Based on the British series of the same name, and running only six episodes (at least for now), it follows the doctors and nurses in the elderly care wing of a hospital that’s having hard times. Their jobs suck, they are forced to do things they don’t like, and they are neither the brightest nor the most compassionate people in the industry, jaded and exhausted.

This actually gives it a feel of realism. We’re used to our doctors being beautiful and energetic and our nurses being sexy and sassy on the small screen. GETTING ON actually downplays the looks of its cast. Not that anyone on the series is ugly at all, but they come across as regular people, concerned with real things. This label applies to both the hospital’s staff and its patients, though the former get much more of the focus.

As the pilot, “Born On the Fourth of July,” begins, it’s Independence Day and Doctor Jenna James (Laurie Metcalf, The Big Bang Theory, Roseanne) is stuck running the wing again. She doesn’t consider this duty part of her “real” job, but it’s been three months since the department lost its overseer, and she’s frequently been forced to pull shifts here.

Also working the floor are Nurse Dawn (Alex Borstein, Family Guy), a by-the-book suck-up and coward, new staff member Nurse DiDi (Niecy Nash, Reno 911!), who is caring and has sense, and Beverly (Telma Hopkins, Family Matters), who does not get along well with Jenna at all. By the end of the day, this beleaguered crew of four will be down to three, though that is just as depressing as everything else going on.

Yet, as sad as the lives presented are, there is something humorous behind the events of “Born On the Fourth of July.” It may be misunderstandings, or debates over meaningless things, or the way you just know things are going to get worse before they get better, but there’s a constant flow of energy that will amuse.

I credit this to the performers. Sure, the writing has to be excellent to make this all come together right, but if the actresses were dropping the ball even a little, or not so darned talented at punching up small things in sly ways, it also wouldn’t flow. A look or a mannerism has as much to do with the humor of GETTING ON as a line of dialogue does.

Not that GETTING ON is terribly complex. One might read much into it and come up with an in-depth explanation, but the surface is enough because it’s a layered, nuanced surface. The characters are weird, but familiar. It’s very accessible, and while not everyone will laugh out loud while watching it, most people should find something to connect to.

There are some poop jokes at the very beginning, if you’re into that sort of thing, which I’m not. But thankfully, the rest of the comedy tends to skew a bit smarter, including the continuing use of the fecal situation for comic effect, which goes on for quite some time, but develops in more interesting ways than first expected.

Honestly, I find it hard to pinpoint exactly what the best elements of “Born On the Fourth of July” are. But I know I liked it, and I know I want to watch more. And I also smell some Emmy bait in a short-season dramedy sure to set itself apart from the competition and showcase the amazing skills of some wonderful ladies.

GETTING ON premieres Sunday at 10 p.m. ET on HBO.

DVD Review: ‘Family Guy – Volume Eleven’

Article first published as DVD Review: ‘Family Guy – Volume Eleven’ on Blogcritics.

Ever since its third release, the first after the reboot, Family Guy has shied away from releasing complete seasons, always giving batches of episodes instead, frequently with less than a year’s worth at a time. That changes with the latest DVD, Volume Eleven, which is actually the complete 10th season. These installments aired from September 2011 through May 2012, so it’s not the most recent season that passed, but the one before it, with 23 episodes on three discs.

Now, overall, the quality of Family Guy has declined over the seasons. However, there are a handful of installments in Volume Eleven that really stand out as memorable. Among the highlights of this disc:

• “Lottery Fever” – Peter (Seth MacFarlane) buys over 200,000 lottery tickets, winning a jackpot. Of course, he gets too big for his britches, in a homage to many a classic tale, and there are wonderful bits like a signed-song and Peter making his brood check fake tickets.
• “Seahorse Seashell Party” – The middle of a three-part Animation Domination crossover, in which a hurricane threatens the trio of FOX animated comedies created by MacFarlane, all airing on the same night. Meg (Mila Kunis) finally stands up for herself, but the family can’t survive without a scapegoat, and thus she throws off the dynamics of the show. Temporarily, obviously.
• “Thanksgiving” – Kevin Swanson (Scott Grimes), who was presumed dead by his family and friends, returns home from Iraq.
• “Meg and Quagmire” – Meg turns eighteen and Quagmire (MacFarlane) sees an opportunity. This sends Peter through the roof. As lecherous as Quagmire is, this episode is the one where Peter and Lois (Alex Borstein) finally pay attention to, and look out for, their daughter.
• “Tom Tucker: A Man and His Dream” – Peter becomes Tom Tucker’s (MacFarlane again) agent, and the two go to Hollywood. There’s a great callback when they learn James Woods (himself) is somehow still alive, but even better is the subplot in which Chris (Seth Green) begins dating a girl (Juno‘s Ellen Page) who looks like his mother.
• “Leggo My Meg-O” – A parody of Taken, with Brian and Stewie heading to Europe to rescue a kidnapped Meg.
• “Tea Peter” – Peter joins the Tea Party, they successfully shut down the local government and all hell breaks loose. Current Congressman and women: pay attention!
• “Internal Affairs” – Peter has another epic fight with the giant chicken. Plus, Joe (Patrick Warburton) considers a one-night stand with a co-worker (Anna Kendrick, Pitch Perfect) to get even with his wife for her own infidelity.
• (the best of the set) “Back to the Pilot” – Stewie (MacFarlane) takes Brian (also MacFarlane) back in time to find his lost tennis ball, and they relive the events of the first episode of the series, complete with inferior animation, a different actress voicing Meg (Lacey Chabert), and altered character personalities. However, Brian, in his arrogance, can’t resist preventing 9/11, which means that when they return to the future, America has changed and is in the midst of a Civil War. Hilarity ensues as they attempt to fix everything that is wrong and just keep making things worse. Awesome for being a tribute to the show’s origins, and a fun time-travel twist, as well as yet another journey for the series’ best couple.

And there are 14 additional episodes, mostly typical, stand-alone comedic entries with a few good jokes, but not being particularly memorable even only a couple of years after they air. Is it time for Family Guy to retire? Probably. Though, I’m glad to have the installments mentioned above, some of which will definitely make the short list of must-see episodes.

As far a special features go, there are audio commentaries on some of the half-hours, as well as select scene animatics and deleted scenes. The episodes are “uncensored,” but that doesn’t make a big difference. Some outtakes with Ricky Gervais from his guest role are amusing, and Ron MacFarlane reads some viewer mail. My favorite inclusion is “Looking Back to the Pilot,” something that seems appropriate to do ten years in, especially with the tribute episode included in this set.

Overall, I would rank Volume Eleven as better than the Volume Ten release (and Nine and Eight…), though not as good as some of the earlier ones. If you’re a Family Guy fan who doesn’t regularly watch anymore, this might be a good set to catch up casually with a taste of what it’s being made now.

Family Guy: Volume Eleven is available now.

Family Guy back for another bout with Volume Ten

Volume Ten of FOX's Family Guy has now been released on DVD. The three-disc set picks up from where Volume 9 left off. The 14 installments begin with the fourth episode of season nine, which aired during the 2010-2011 season, and end just before the season nine finale, which happens to be the show's third Star Wars parody, already available on a separate DVD release.

Family Guy's quality has been going down for a couple of years now, so fans might find Volume Ten a bit inferior to other sets. Overall, it just doesn't feel as fresh or original anymore, and other series have taken the edgy humor, a hallmark of early Family Guy, further than this show can on a network station. But it still is pretty entertaining, and this DVD contains a number of enjoyable episodes. Among the highlights:

• "Halloween on Spooner Street" Peter (Seth MacFarlane) and Joe (Patrick Warburton) plays trick on the neighbors. Needless to say, it does not go well.
• "Brian Writes a Bestseller" Brian (also MacFarlane) writes a book that winds up on the bestseller list. This goes to his head, until Bill Maher (himself) lies the smack down. Back in Quahog, Lois (Alex Borstein) banishes Peter to a separate bed. Unable to sleep alone, Peter looks for a new buddy to cuddle with at night.
• "Road to the North Pole" The latest of the periodic Bing Crosby-Bob Hope tribute episodes, Brian and Stewie (also MacFarlane) travel to the North Pole so that Stewie can teach the infamous fat man a lesson.
• "Friends of Peter G." Peter and Brian are sentenced to join Alcoholics Anonymous, which they manages to turn into a big, drunken party. After Joe busts the celebration, Peter turns against booze in a big, long musical number.
• "The Hand that Rocks the Wheelchair" Meg (Mila Kunis) falls for Joe when taking care of him while his wife, Bonnie (Jennifer Tilly), is out of town. Stewie creates a clone that escapes and wrecks havoc.
• "Brothers & Sisters" Lois's sister, Carol (Julie Hagerty, Airplane!), comes to town and falls for Mayor West (Adam West).
• "The Big Bang Theory" Betram (Wallace Shawn) returns and leads Stewie and Brian on a chase through time, as Betram plans on murdering Leonardo da Vinci. The cover art for Volume Ten comes from this episode.

Now, those are all pretty decent episodes, but none of them stand out as making a Top Episodes of Family Guy list. Rather than breaking new ground, they parody familiar sitcom concepts and revisit already established Family Guy formulas. Are they worth a half hour of your time? Sure. But would you cancel your plans to make a viewing appointment? Nope.

The nice part about Volume Ten is that it contains enough extras to satisfy fans, making up somewhat for the lackluster installments. Many of the episodes are extended and uncensored, providing a bit more than what airs on television. Six of the fourteen episodes have audio commentary. There are deleted scenes, and the "German Guy" fight sequence gets a featurette. Three scene animatics break down interesting sequences in the show. The music of "Road to the North Pole" is singled out. Finally, footage from Adam West's star ceremony is included.

Would I recommend this DVD set? Well, for fans of Family Guy who can't get enough, or those who are completionists in collecting all of the DVDs in the set, absolutely. But if you're looking for a handful of episodes to play at parties or while hanging out with your friends, I'd recommend selecting an earlier volume.

Family Guy Volume Ten is available now on DVD.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Article first published as DVD Review: Family Guy Volume Ten on Blogcritics.

Robot Chicken flies high

In the season six premiere of Adult Swim's Robot Chicken, the show honors the DC Comic Universe, much in the way it has previously done for Star Wars. It's an interesting choice, given how DC's competitor, Marvel, is dominating the theaters right now. Perhaps it was hard to get the rights to Marvel, or maybe the Robot Chicken guys just saw more potential in characters that haven't been played with on screen as much lately. Or perhaps they thought that honoring DC in this way might drum up more interest in DC movies. Whatever the reason, the result is a very funny half hour using many familiar heroes and villains from the comic book pages.

The main group parodied are the Justice League, including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and their counterparts, The Legion of Doom, which is led by Lex Luthor. Neither side is presented as very intelligent or successful, in true Robot Chicken fashion. The good guys act like jerks, and the bad guys are sympathetic, more complex characters. They do battle with each other, but other than the big confrontation at the climax, the best parts are just when the characters hang out among their own, ripping on each other. It makes them relatable, like old friends.

Some of the chosen targets are pretty easy. Aquaman has long been lampooned, and rather than take a different approach, Robot Chicken goes after him with aplomb, making him central to the larger arc in the episode. However, they do it in a way that still feels fresh, rather than using the same stale stuff (mostly). Watching him jump onto an "invisible jet," only to realize he is being tricked by his friends, is very amusing.

Another running gag is Batman getting his back broken by Darkseid. Many might show the bit three times, following the general rule of humor. Robot Chicken takes it the unexpected step further and does it a fourth. What sells this rule breaking is then the characters acknowledge that they are straying from the accepted path. Somehow, that makes the fourth go-round even better than the first three!

Much of the DC episode has a central story, unlike most Robot Chicken episodes, which thrives in the small bits. This may provide less laughs overall, but when going for a full half hour, it seems necessary and right that scenes go on for more than twenty seconds. In this, the show makes the wise choice.

The stars turned up in spades to lend their voices to this episode. Many of them have guest starred on the series before, but it's cool to hear them all together, and many lend some geek cred. There's Nathan Fillion (Castle, Firefly), Alex Borstein (Family Guy), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Megan Fox (Transformers), Alfred Molina (Spiderman II), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), Paul Reubens (Pee-wee Herman himself), and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith lends some vocals.

But besides the big names and big characters the episode is playing off of, Robot Chicken also stays true to itself by tossing its own recurring characters into the mix, like the humping robot, and using may of the regular voice actors like Abraham Benrubi, Tom Root, Breckin Meyer (Franklin & Bash), and the creative team of Seth Green, Matthew Senreich, Zeb Wells, and Kevin Shinick. Green even tosses a bit to his wife, Clare Grant. This shows the heart and dedication of those making the show.

All in all, while maybe not as memorable as the Star Wars tributes, Robot Chicken does a good job with the DC universe. Who might they target next?

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing

Family Guy travels "Back to the Pilot"

     This week's episode of FOX's Family Guy, "Back to the Pilot," finds Brian (Seth MacFarlane) sad over a lost tennis ball. Stewie (also MacFarlane) takes Brian back in time to find it, and they end up seeing a handful of events from Family Guy's very first episode, "Death Has a Shadow," which aired in the coveted post-Superbowl slot. Unfortunately, Brian cannot pass up the opportunity to prevent 9/11, casting himself as a hero. The pair discover, when they get back to the present, that this means that America is in the midst of a Civil War and life is horrible. So they must fix their mistake, which takes many tries.

     Ten years in, it's a fun, nostalgic device to revisit the very first episode. Staying true to the original pilot, the animation is crude, and presented in 4:3 instead of 16:9 aspect ratio. Brian and Stewie retain their 2011 look, providing contrast, and even comment on their earlier selves. Although how Stewie remains one year old for a decade is not addressed, it's fun to remember that Stewie used to be obsessed with killing Lois (Alex Borstein), and has gadgets to accomplish this task, which Stewie gives up on long before "Back to the Pilot." Also, great joke about the different sounding Meg, as the charcter is voiced by Lacey Chabert (Party of Five, The Wild Thornberrys) in "Death Has a Shadow," but Mila Kunis takes over the role by episode thirteen. Equally hilarious: Stewie and Brian watching cut scenes from the outside.

     Brian and Stewie episodes are always a bit fun. The two characters have fantastic chemistry, and "Back to the Pilot" expands on that once more. Stewie has grown less set in his ways over the years, being adaptable, and no longer psychiotic. Brian does the opposite, definitely much more stubbon, pretentious liberal than in the beginning. Yet, their partnership works just as well as it did previously, and watching their rapport is very entertaining. Seeing Brian paint himself as a 9/11 hero is fun, if a bit over the top.

     In reference to the slight controversry this episode garnered with Stewie and Brian high fiving for saving 9/11, it's unfair to get upset. The characters even mention that, take out of context, their celebration will seem strange. And it surely does. But in the context of the Family Guy story, restoring 9/11 means saving America from being led into a second civil war by one-term president George W. Bush, so they are only happy that a very bad thing was preserved in lieu of something much worse.

     Perhaps because Brian and Stewie have messed with the past before, "Back to the Pilot" seeks to address time paradox with many Brian and Stewies ending up all together outside the pilot-era house. It's a confusing, zany scene that gets worse and worse, until finally Stewie calls for a halt and makes everyone leave. Then he uses a gun to force the original time travelers to never meddle. It's really the only solution. Though on question is never answered: does Brian get his tennis ball?

     Watch Family Guy Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on FOX.

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Family Guy presents "Episode VI: It's a Trap"

     FOX's Family Guy parodies Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, so it is inevitable that a version of Return of the Jedi follows. Last night's ninth season finale brings "Episode VI: It's a Trap," the awaited Jedi knockoff, which is actually already out on DVD, and has been since December. If you've seen the original movie, the plot is familiar, if condensed to around forty-four minutes. Luke / Chris (Seth Green) rescues Leia / Lois (Alex Borstein) and Han / Peter (Seth MacFarlane) from Jabba the Hut / Joe (Patrick Warburton). From there, they travel to a planet near the still-under-construction new Death Star. Luke visits his father, Darth Vader / Stewie (MacFarlane), on the thing, and together they defeat the Emperor / Carter (MacFarlane). On the planet below, Han, Leia, Chewbacca / Brian (MacFarlane), and the other rebels take out a shield, so that Lando / Mort (John G. Brennan) can destroy the Death Star. The rebels party with the Ewoks.
 
     While the basic plot does follow the George Lucas movie, what makes Family Guy's version different, besides casting familiar characters in the roles, is all of the jokes sandwiched in. For instance, The Emperor and Darth Vader bait Luke by commenting how Seth Green is a terrible actor. For viewers in on the joke that Green voices Chris, it is highly amusing to watch the tension build in Luke / Chris until he erupts. To be fair, after the Jedi parody is complete, the Griffins do have a debate as to whether Seth Green or Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane is a bigger douche. For fans of meta humor, this conversation may be the funniest thing in the entire hour.

     Another memorable joke in this episode is a live action sock puppet standing in for the additional creatures added to Jabba's palace in the special edition of the movie. The Rancor that Luke fights in Jabba's pit is replaced with conservative talk radio pundit Rush Limbaugh. Meg (Mila Kunis), who is often teased as the most ugly, disliked character on the show, is the Sarlacc monster. Above the Sarlacc pit, there is an extended sequence of characters glancing at each other. On Endor, the stormtroopers use actual bicycles, which upsets Pee Wee Herman when his is stolen.

     Apparently Family Guy, despite its extensive cast, has run out of characters to stand in for the Star Wars people, as MacFarlane draws upon his other TV shows in this special. Both Klaus (Dee Bradley Baker) and Roger (MacFarlane) from American Dad! are cast as Admiral Akbar and a Death Star officer, respectively, while Tim the Bear (MacFarlane) from The Cleveland Show is, appropriately, an Ewok, and Rallo (Mike Henry) is Wedge Antilles. It is lucky for MacFarlane that he has other TV shows to draw from, since the Star Wars franchise has so many characters.

     At the very end of this episode, the characters avow that they will not be doing the prequel Star Wars films, and Peter says that he thinks The Cleveland Show will be handling them. Is this a joke, or true? Three major characters from The Cleveland Show already appear in the Family Guy Star Wars parodies, but might they be recast for another trilogy of special episodes? It is hard to imagine how the spinoff cast would be appropriate for such a series, but MacFarlane may be daring enough to give it a try. Or it could just be an offhand comment, a slight insult to a sister series.

     "Episode VI: It's a Trap" lives up to the previous two installments. Whether MacFarlane does any more Star Wars parodies or not, he has finished a great feat with humor and excitement. Fans of both Family Guy and Star Wars should be left satisfied.

     Family Guy has been picked up for a tenth season, and will return to FOX next fall.

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Article first published as TV Review: Family Guy - "Episode VI: It's a Trap" on Blogcritics.

Family Guy "And Then There Were Fewer"

     FOX's Family Guy began their fall season last week with a one hour special episode, "And Then There Were Fewer".  Spoofing a number of old movies, the traditional theme song was ditched in favor of more mood appropriate music as the Griffin family traveled in their car over many miles up to an old mansion, where they had been invitied to a dinner in their honor.  Turns out, many of the neighbors received the same invitation, and so there is quite a crowd at the destination.  They soon learn they have been invited by nemesis to all, James Woods (voiced by James Woods, Shark), who has become a born-again Christian, and wants to make amends with the citizens of Quahog.  Then he (and others) are murdered, and the race is on to find the killer before everyone dies.

     This episode brought back a number of familiar faces, pitting a bunch of the beloved characters against each other in an interesting setting.  The entire Griffin family was there: father Peter (creator of the show, Seth MacFarlane), his wife Lois (Alex Borstein, MADtv), son Chris (Seth Green, Robot Chicken, Austin Powers), daughter Meg (Mila Kunis, That '70s Show, Forgetting Sarah Marshall), infant-evil genius Stewie (MacFarlane), and dog Brian (MacFarlane).  Quagmire (MacFarlane) brought his overweight, annoying 'girlfriend' that he had been hiding from everyone.  Brian's ex, Jillian (Drew Barrymore) brought along her new beau, Derek (John Viener).  Joe (Patrick Warburton, Seinfeld, Rules of Engagement) and Bonnie (Jennifer Tilly) came, along with newscasters Tom Tucker (MacFarlane) and Diane Simmons (Lori Alan, Southland).  Suspected ephebophile, Herbert (the title character in The Cleveland Show, Mike Henry), the Griffin's former maid, Consuela (also Henry), Dr. Hartman (MacFarlane), the pirate with four wooden limbs, Seamus (MacFarlane), Carl (H. John Benjamin, Archer) and Jewish couple Mort (John G. Brennan) and Muriel Goldman (Nicole Sullivan, $#*! My Dad Says, Rita Rocks, MADtv) were also in attendance, as was Mayor Adam West (Batman's Adam West).  It provided some zany humor, and each member of this large cast got in a few jokes.

     I always enjoy when Family Guy does something different, and this episode was no exception.  Not only was it funny, but it didn't venture too far into the crass, or do too many pop culture side-scenes, as the series is sometimes want to do.  It was intelligently written.  I, for one, did not know who the actual murderer was until the end, though I quickly guessed correctly who took down the killer.  It was an example of what FG can be when it's not trying to be everything people expect it to be.  So, a great, classic episode for MacFarlen and company.

     What I wonder is, will the developments shown in this episode by permanent?  Family Guy has allowed change before, such as when Cleveland Brown (Henry) got divorced, and then awhile later, moved away for his spinoff.  Brian dated Jillian for a large part of the season, and when she returns, they still reference that old relationship.  This episode allowed the deaths of James Woods, Muriel Goldman, and Diane Simmons, as well as a couple just-introduced characters.  Does that mean Tom Tucker will have a new co-anchor whenever they show the news clips?  Is Mort now a widower?  I hope that they do go down that path, rather than reverting to everything back to normal next week.  If Diane shows up again, without some elaborate explanation, it will definitely cheapen this hour of television for me.

     Family Guy continues it's 9th season tonight at 9pm on FOX.