My roommate is still constantly surprised by this fact, but, here goes: I love Family Guy. Like, a lot. I have absolutely no idea why. It's maybe my favorite television show, a fact of which I should probably be a little ashamed, but I'm really not. I love this show. It might be my ever abiding love for Seth MacFarlane, the full orchestra that accompanies every episode, or the off-collar humor that makes me laugh no matter what. I laugh at dumb jokes, actual funny jokes, and most things in the episodes. There's something heartwarming about the whole thing. I don't care what people say about it being 'inappropriate' or 'stupid', it's really freaking hilarious and for a young person who sometimes needs a lift in her day or month, it is sometimes the only thing that will do that.
So, without further ado, here are my ten favorite Family Guy episodes:
1. "And Then There Were None" Parts 1 and 2: This is beautiful animation, stunning score, and a really fun parody of a murder mystery with a turn you would never expect.
2. "Laugh It Up, Fuzzball": The Family Guy Trilogy: That's right, the Star Wars parody to end all Star Wars parodies. "Blue Harvest", "Something, Something, Dark Side", and "It's a Trap." Honest, hilarious, and perfect.
3. "Into Harmony's Way": 'Have You Ever Put Butter On a Pop-Tart?" is a damn fine song. 'Nuf said. Peter and Quagmire make a terrible decision to become a Simon and Garfunkel-esque duo. Some of the funniest comedy I've ever seen ensues.
4. "European Road Show": (also known as "Road to Europe") Really, all of the Brian and Stewie episodes are some of the greatest pieces of cartoon television I've ever seen. It's based on the 1942 Bob Hope and Bing Crosby musical film, "Road to Morocco". This is a great piece of television, period.
5. "Road to the North Pole" Parts 1 and 2: This is another great Brian and Stewie episode that is actually quite heartwarming. Also, the songs 'All I Really Want for Christmas This Year' and 'Christmastime is Killing Us' are just wonderful.
6. "Go, Stewie, Go": Okay, I cannot even begin to describe how brilliant this episode is. This is a parody of the film 'Tootsie' and it is just incredible. If you watch any episode, go watch this one.
7. "Tiegs for Two": This is just a random episode about the hatred between Brian and Quagmire. Quagmire teaches a class about picking up women in hilariously terrible ways, which obviously ends awfully. There's a random joke in here about lighting beacons like in medieval times that is absolutely hilarious.
8. "Play It Again, Brian": Number one reason to watch the episode is the song 'The Spirit of Massachusetts', but it's also just hilarious as usual. Brian tells Lois he loves her and hilarity ensues, as Peter discovers the magic of Nantucket.
9. "Meet the Quagmires": IMPORTANT- this episode's use of '80s music is tops class. 'Mr. Night' by Kenny Loggins and 'Never Gonna Give You Up' by Rick Astley make an appearance in a Back to the Future parody for the ages.
10. "North by North Quahog": This episode was Family Guy's big return to Fox after being canceled. It poked fun at itself plenty, finally finding its own fine line of self-deprecation and the absolutely hilarious idea that Family Guy is like any other sitcom with actors who are doing a show on television. The most brilliant thing about the episode was the pairing of Brian and Stewie- this was where their material began to really soar- and also Peter's passionate wars against celebrities (in this case, Mel Gibson).
I really cannot even tell you why I love this show, but I absolutely do. While there are many, many more episodes I could add to this list, these are just a few to get you started on the great train that is Family Guy.