Death Has a Shadow

Story: 7/10 The premise is simple but effective: Peter loses his job, lies about it, and ends up collecting a hilariously massive welfare check. Chaos follows, of course. It's a solid setup for the show's mix of satire, absurdity, and family dysfunction. The story has a clear structure, even if the logic goes out the window pretty fast.

Characters: 7/10 All the core characters are here, though some are still in beta mode. Peter is already a lovable idiot, Lois is the concerned wife, and baby Stewie is fully in "evil genius" mode. Brian's more of a regular dog than he'll later become, but the foundation is set.

Humor: 7.5/10 There are some genuinely funny moments, especially for 1999. The cutaway gags are already in full force, with the infamous "Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm-Flailing Tube Man" ad standing out. Some jokes miss the mark or feel dated now, but the comedic tone is confident from the jump.

Pacing: 7/10 The episode moves quickly, jumping from unemployment to welfare fraud to televised courtroom chaos. It doesn't waste time, though the transitions can feel sudden or forced.

Writing: 6.5/10 The jokes are uneven, and some character dynamics feel undercooked. But there's cleverness here, even if it's rough around the edges. You can tell the writers are going for both smart and stupid humor in equal measure.

Animation: 6/10 Let's be real-it's janky. The animation is basic, stiff, and a bit ugly by today's standards. But there's charm in the roughness, and it gets the job done for a pilot.

Voice Acting: 8/10 Seth MacFarlane hits the ground running, voicing half the cast with impressive range. Even this early on, Stewie's voice is iconic and Brian's dry delivery works well.

Family Guy is perhaps the most offensive animated series on network television when this first aired. But the show is a hilarious satire on the classic American way of life and I love how brutal some pop culture media are depicted. This came out right after the Super Bowl in 1999 and apparently lots of people enjoyed it.

This first episode, "Death Has a Shadow" is a good kickoff. We meet the Griffin family led by the patriarch, Peter. We meet the typical housewife, Lois, daughter Meg, son Greg, talking dog Brian, and diabolical baby Stewie. Peter loses his job after sleeping at work, but he decides to go on welfare to support his family. But of course, the law will catch up.

This show came out when Seth McFarlane wasn't even famous yet, but of course this show gave him headlines. He is a very talented voice actor. I love how he doesn't allow mercy. He made some pretty funny but offensive references to Adolf Hitler, the film "Philadelphia", and "Casablanca." But, the jokes were pretty darn funny. All in all, this is a good first episode. I rate it 9/10.

Did a good job at introducing the characters Peter a lovable idiot, Lois a housewife that cares for her family,Brian the voice of reason,Stewie is evil, Meg a teenage girl and Chris a teenage boy also had a good story and some funny laughs.

Watching this again makes me ache for old Family Guy! I only wish this show had stuck with its roots. These older episodes have aged like fine wine.

"Hey man, your clock won't flush!"

This test pilot is awesome because it's very nostalgic and creative.