Review: Family Guy “Bookie of the Year”

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Spoilers Below

The new Family Guy episode “Bookie of the Year” was a strange one. It started out with a weird Italian intro piece, kind of using the same kinds of stereotypes it always does.

And there was this really long extended joke sequence I didn’t get– movie reference maybe? They did it twice, too– beginning and end. That’s the thing with Family Guy. It’s always all about the references and cutaways- and although that’s the format, it can get stale and overly random.

Sometimes I imagine the Family Guy writers’ room– not even just manatees stringing together ideas like South Park suggested– but just guys in a room like “What this week?” “Italians?” “Okay.” I have no idea. Anyway, kinda weak intro.

But then we segue into a Frank Sinatra Junior story again, with Brian and Stewie, and Chris gets noticed for having a great pitching arm. So, another “Chris is inexplicably good at something” episode. Art, music.. now baseball. Because of his… extracurricular activities.

And Peter and friends bet on the games. As Frank, Brian and Stewie start a restaurant. More Italian stuff.

Don’t get me wrong, there were some REALLY funny laugh out loud jokes. And the song Frank, Brian and Stewie sing– brilliant!! There are always good spots. Even in episodes that I feel like the story falls kinda flat and are duds.

This week, The Simpsons was kind of the gem, story-wise– but to be fair, I think there were way more belly laughs in Family Guy. Many weeks, it’s the other way around. But I’m really psyched Family Guy is still on the air. It injects a much-needed dose of absurdism and nihilism into an otherwise overly serious world.

Looking forward to next week.