The 2024Family Guyholiday special, “The Gift of the White Guy,” delivers the same irreverent comedy the show has become known for, with nothing very special about it. That is not to say the episode is bad, it has several laugh-out-loud moments, but in a series with well over 400 episodes, it becomes a challenge just to improve on itself. And with plenty of holiday specials in the past 25 years, this episode doesn’t break the mold.
Family Guy
Cast
Family Guy is an animated series following the eccentric Griffin family. Led by bumbling patriarch Peter and long-suffering Lois, the family includes the sadistic baby Stewie, unpopular teenager Meg, dim-witted Chris, and Brian, their talking dog. The show explores their outlandish adventures in the fictional town of Quahog.
In “The Gift of the White Guy,” Peter picks a gift for his office’s white elephant, a Christmas brooch that has deep sentimental value for his wife, Lois. Of course, when Lois discovers her brooch missing, Peter is forced to try and recover the brooch. Meanwhile, Stewie discovers he is still on Santa’s naughty list and he sets off to make things right.
The Family Guy 2024 Holiday Special Isn’t All That Special
Family Guyhas become famous for its brand of off-beat adult comedy. TheGriffin family are prone to disaster, and there is always something strange going on in Quahog. However, this means the show needs to put in a lot of effort to make an episode stand out. In the typical weekly releases, it’s no big deal, because the sitcom format is forgiving when episodes vary in terms of quality, but the holiday specials are intended to reach a wider audience than normal.
It’s funny, the animation is solid, and the narrative is complete, but it just doesn’t stand out.
Knowing that more people may tune in for the episode, it’s a chance to win back old viewers and get some new fans, but “The Gift of the White Guy” doesn’t stand out from the rest of the season. Yes, the episode revolves around an office Christmas party and Stewie’s attempts to get on Santa’s nice list, but the hijinks don’t feel notable in any way. However, none of this is to say that the episode is not entertaining. It’s funny, the animation is solid, and the narrative is complete, but it just isn’t memorable.
On top of that, this episode is the 25th Anniversary of the show, but the episode has a standard 22-minute runtime. Unlike earlier episodes that extended the runtime, came in two parts, or parodied popular Christmas stories, “The Gift of the White Guy” feels a little lacking. It’s slightly disappointing for a show that thrives on creativity and innovation for this episode to feel plain and run-of-the-mill.
Family Guy Is Capable Of More
In an animated format, there is a huge degree of flexibility and with a talented cast including thecreator of the show, Seth MacFarlane, the possibilities are endless. This has led to incredibly clever and hilarious flashbacks to pivotal moments and characters in history in absurd situations. “The Gift of the White Guy” uses this tactic well, in addition to cutting to the North Pole and Santa’s Workshop. These brief scenes add texture to the episode and provide clever skits.
Unlike some holiday specials, it’s unlikely to get the audience into the Christmas spirit, because it feels superficially connected to the holiday.
Additionally, the story sees Stewie experience real growth in a way that feels satisfying. The episode also pushes the comedy at every opportunity, ensuring that there is some gag every minute. But even with all of this, the episode feels lacking. There are sparks that fly when aFamily Guyepisode is really strong, but that’s totally absent here. Instead, it just feels like one of the less solid episodes of season 22.
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However, more than 400 episodes in,Family Guycontinues to deliver strong episodesthat are outrageously funny, topical, and willing to push boundaries. It just feels like “The Gift of the White Guy” is somewhere in the middle of the pack. Not a great episode, and not a bad episode. And unlike some holiday specials, it’s unlikely to get the audience into the Christmas spirit because it feels superficially connected to the holiday. MaybeFamily Guywill do better in 2025 or avoid the holiday special altogether if the idea isn’t quite strong enough.
Family Guy, The Gift of the White Guy," will be available to stream exclusively on Hulu from November 25.
