I Never Met the Dead Man

By the second episode of season one it was clear that Family Guy would cement itself as not only being raunchily hilarious but also wittily in tune to social commentary, like being addicted to the TV set (or, nowadays, social media and cellphones).

Story: 7/10 Peter accidentally drives his car into a satellite dish, causing the family to lose television. In the absence of their usual distractions, they explore their lives in other ways, leading to more wacky situations. The central story is simple and relatable, but it also gives the characters a chance to flex in their personal development. The secondary subplot of Peter going through withdrawal from TV is a bit absurd but fits the show's tone.

Characters: 7.5/10 The characters start to show more individuality. Peter's dumb but well-meaning, Lois is the practical and loving wife, and Stewie is already gleefully evil in his schemes. This episode adds some quirks to their personalities, especially Peter, who finds an unexpected hobby-ironic in a show about pop culture obsession. The characters feel more grounded here, making them easier to connect with.

Humor: 7.5/10 The humor is on a solid upswing in this episode, with a mix of slapstick, absurdity, and satirical references. The cutaway gags are sharper, and the show's unique brand of irreverence is starting to stick. Some jokes still miss, but there are more laughs this time around, especially with the television withdrawal theme.

Pacing: 7/10 The pacing flows better than the pilot, with scenes that feel less rushed. There's more room for the characters to breathe, and the transitions between storylines are smoother. However, it still feels a bit disjointed at times, with some sections dragging while others zip by too quickly.

Writing: 7/10 The writing here feels a bit more polished than the pilot, but it still leans heavily on absurd humor. There's a fair amount of cultural references, some of which are dated but still clever. The dialogue has moments of wit, and the characters' interactions start to gel a bit more.

Animation: 6.5/10 The animation is still rough around the edges, and the background art feels even more sparse than in the first episode. It's clear the show is working with a tight budget, but there's still a charming simplicity to the early animation style. The cutaway gags are more visually dynamic this time.

Voice Acting: 8/10 Seth MacFarlane's voice work is still impressive here, especially as Peter, Stewie, and Brian. The rest of the cast is finding their rhythm too, with Lois' voice growing more distinct. MacFarlane's vocal range is what really brings the characters to life in these early days.

Final Verdict: 7/10 "I Never Met the Dead Man" improves on the pilot in terms of character development and humor. It's not a perfect episode, but it solidifies Family Guy's brand of quirky, satirical comedy. The show is still finding its footing, but this episode is a solid step forward.

I think this episode is great, and definetly better than the first one. It has an awesome use of irony, stupidity, insanity and the use of skits. I especially love the Stewie arc and his diabolical intelligence. Not a lot to say about it except that it is a pretty solid episode that will definitely make you laugh out loud a few times.

Season 1, Episode 2 of Family Guy already shows how strong the foundation of the show was. It's honestly hard to believe the series was cancelled shortly after, considering how well it worked even this early on.

Sure, many of the character dynamics we now love - like the Stewie and Brian duo - didn't fully develop until around Season 3. And key characters like Quagmire, Cleveland, and Joe weren't fully introduced yet. But even so, the humor, tone, and potential were already clearly present.

An underrated episode that proves Family Guy had something special from the start.

The second episode of Family Guy builds on the pilot and gives us a clearer sense of the show's style. Peter is forced to give up TV after crashing his car while trying to teach Meg to drive, and the result is chaos as he struggles to function without his beloved shows. The subplot with Stewie trying to build a mind-control device to take over the world is hilarious, and Brian gets more chances to shine with his sarcastic remarks.

The cutaway gags start to feel sharper here, and the pacing is smoother than the pilot. That said, the humor is still hit-or-miss at times, and Meg's storyline doesn't get much attention. It's a funny, enjoyable episode that shows the potential of the series but still feels like it's finding its footing.