Brian: Portrait of a Dog

The first episode of Family Guy to feature Brian as a standout character, before he was purely a voice of reason who set Peter in the right direction but from this episode onwards he's given his own personality and worldview as we see things from his perspective more often. Brian episodes always tend to be more grounded than other characters and they are usually some of my favorites and this one sets a good precedent for Brian as a character which the next few seasons would continue to develop.

A heatwave hits Quahog, and a dog show is coming to town. Peter sees an opportunity to win $500, but Brian is reluctant to help and ends up leaving home. The Griffins replace Brian with a cat, but they realize how important a part of the family he is.

A successful first series of Family Guy comes to a close. This is possibly the funniest episode in Series 1, it's an out and out classic.

It's very slick, with some great dialogue; everyone's on top form: the Griffins, Tom, and Diane. However, it's very much a Peter and Brian story. The Jessica Fletcher scene is still one of the funniest scenes to this day.

A great way to round off Series 1.

9/10.

Story: 7/10 This episode focuses on Brian's journey to find meaning in his life. After being kicked out of the Griffin family's house for attacking Stewie, Brian seeks validation through an art show, offering the show an opportunity to explore Brian's character more deeply. The story is fairly strong, and there's a decent balance between Brian's self-reflection and the show's typical humor. However, it falters when it moves toward the resolution-Brian's plotline ends on a somewhat anticlimactic note, and the subplot with Peter is more filler than anything significant.

Characters: 7/10 Brian is the standout character here, with Seth MacFarlane giving a deeper voice to the otherwise snarky dog. The episode does a great job at exploring his desire for recognition and his emotional growth throughout the episode. Peter, Lois, and Stewie take a backseat for most of the episode, leaving Brian and his journey as the main focus. While the lack of interaction with other characters helps spotlight Brian's arc, the absence of their usual antics makes the episode feel slightly unbalanced.

Humor: 7/10 The humor in this episode is fairly consistent, though it doesn't shine as brightly as some of the show's previous episodes. The jokes are still good, but they tend to be a bit more subdued, in line with the episode's more reflective tone. There are a few solid one-liners, but the humor doesn't have the same punch as it does in episodes filled with chaotic antics. The mix of humor with Brian's personal growth works, but doesn't land as memorably as it could have.

Pacing: 7/10 The pacing is slower in this episode, which works for the more introspective nature of the plot. However, the pacing does drag at times, especially during Brian's trip to the art show. The subplot with Peter, while amusing, doesn't contribute much to the main story, leaving the episode feeling somewhat unbalanced in terms of pacing.

Writing: 7/10 The writing does a good job of exploring Brian's character, giving him a more thoughtful arc than usual. The exploration of his struggle for recognition adds some depth to his character. However, the episode stumbles a bit when it comes to the overall execution of the plot. The dialogue is still sharp, but the humor sometimes feels like filler rather than pushing the story forward.

Animation: 7/10 The animation is standard Family Guy fare, with the usual bright and clean style. The art show scenes add a bit of a unique flavor to the visuals, though the animation doesn't stray far from the usual setup. There's not much in terms of visual innovation, but the animation works well for the tone of the episode.

Voice Acting: 8/10 Seth MacFarlane delivers an excellent performance as Brian, bringing a deeper, more emotional range to the character. The voice work shines during the moments when Brian is reflecting on his life and desires. The rest of the cast, while not heavily featured, also perform well in their roles. Peter's antics provide some comic relief, and the show continues to deliver solid vocal performances across the board.

Final Verdict: 7/10 Brian: Portrait of a Dog is a solid character-focused episode, with a deeper dive into Brian's emotions and desires. The humor is consistent but a bit subdued, and the pacing feels slow in parts. While the episode explores Brian's character effectively, it doesn't quite land with the same punch as other episodes in the series. Still, it's an enjoyable watch and a good exploration of Brian's character.

This is the best episode of Season 1 Family Guy. It gives a backstory to how Brain became a member of the Griffin family, and also adds insight to Brian as a character.

It's also a really great episode in general. Brian refuses to be treated like a second class citizen, and leaves the Griffins, where he can't even roam the streets on his own, and can't even walk into stores as they don't allow dogs.

There isn't just a good story, but a funny episode as well. Sadly, in the later seasons Brian gets a lot lamer and becomes more watered down as you begin to look at him with contempt. Still a great character, but... man, he got so much worse.

9/10.

Oh god. I'm not going to do this am I? There are 400+ episodes of "Family Guy" I can't be planning them all, can I? Let's find out. I rewatched season one anyway. My relationship with "Family Guy" is that I watched these, all the way back in 1999 and then bought the DVD so I have seen these particular episodes a number of times. I've drifted away from religiously watching the show though, so they'll be quite a few of the 400 I've not seen.

In Quahog, Rhode Island, the dysfunctional Griffin Family live a wacky life. Peter (Seth MacFarlane) works at a Toy Factory, but his interests are more centered on having beers with his friends. His wife, Lois (Alex Borstein) is focused on the family. His daughter Meg (Lacey Chabert) grapples with esteem issues, eldest son Chris (Seth Green) struggles academically, and with sports, but loves to draw, youngest son Stewie (MacFarlane) plans world domination from his crib and dog Brian (MacFarlane) is the most erudite member of the family.

So, it's hard with these early ones not to just compare them with what's going to come in later seasons. The biggest and most striking difference in this series to the rest of them is that Meg is voiced by Lacey Chabert, rather than Mila Kunis, and they definitely don't have the defining joke about her (that everyone hates her) down yet. That is perhaps true for several of the characters, Quagmire isn't yet a sex criminal, Cleveland is not yet his placid self and Joe Swanson only arrives in one of the episodes of this run. Visually it's a little lacking too, the character models and style is there, but occasionally the movement is lacking. I'm not sure whether that's an issue with the originals, or with the digital transfer to Disney Plus, we'll see if it continues.

Tonally though it seems pretty much there from the off, very near the knuckle from the beginning the cutaway non-sequitur styles gags are already present. It's not hilariously funny, but I did find these first seven to be reasonably amusing and that was with certain lines and gags that I remembered pretty well.

I don't know if I'm going to do all 400 episodes, but I'll certainly continue on.