With Family Guy recently premiering its 21st season, the main characters of Family Guy have grown while remaining mostly consistent with their core personalities. That being said, as with many shows that have been in syndication this long, even the main characters begin to stray from their true selves once in a while.
Fans of the Griffin family always express their issues regarding how some of the main cast has changed since the show's initial 3-season run. Still, plenty of quotes from the show highlight how each character has moved forward or backward in development.
"Lois, I Was Wrong About You. You're My Everything."
Stewie Griffin - Season 5, Episode 1
If there was one thing that Stewie was mainly known for in the early seasons of Family Guy, it was his excessive hatred for his mother, Lois. Whether it is because she always gets in the way of his plans, she can never understand what he wants, or because she makes foolish mistakes, Stewie just doesn't get on with her.
That was why it was so bizarre to see him act with more affection towards her in the season 5 premiere "Stewie Loves Lois." Not only did he become a lot more dependent on Lois, demanding her attention, but he also became quite dependent on her. Nevertheless, while it was certainly out of character, fans really enjoyed seeing this side of Stewie as it added a new sort of depth.
"The 'Family Band'? You Know, Maybe You Haven't Noticed, Lois, But I Am The Band."
Meg Griffin - Season 4, Episode 4
In recent seasons, the writers of Family Guy have made Meg the show's punching bag. Fans of the show can't even recall iconic Meg quotes because she is so commonly associated with Peter's "Shut up, Meg." However, despite the mistreatment she experiences at the hands of her family, Meg usually doesn't retaliate and still treats that with kindness.
That's why it's such a surprise to see that it is not always the case. As seen in season 4 episode, "Don't Make Me Over," viewers saw a more confident Meg in action. However, with this change, a few negative traits were brought to the surface as she became a lot more arrogant and rude. While viewers do like to see Meg's more confident side come out, they wish that it didn't have to come at the cost of her kindness.
"I Decided It's Time I Got Some Friends More Suited To My Status."
Joe Swanson - Season 6, Episode 3
Since his first appearance in Season 1's "A Hero Sits Next Door," Joe Swanson has been a mainstay in Peter's group of friends. As the seasons progress, it has become clear that they treat him more as the butt of the joke rather than an essential character with room to grow. That being said, Season 6's "Believe It Or Not, Joe's Walking On Air" is one of the best Family Guy episodes that focuses on Peter and the guys, but also the first episode that showed Joe's aggressive, narcissistic side.
When Joe decides to get a procedure that allows him to walk again, it leads to him drastically changing his personality. He felt his friends and Bonnie wouldn't be able to keep up with him, and even said this to their faces. It was a side that fans really didn't want to see again.
"Ever Since She Left, I've Been Chasing Girls To Fill The Hole She Made When She Walked Out, And Now I'm Forever Lost."
Glenn Quagmire - Season 8, Episode 7
When it comes to Quagmire, many viewers would associate him with his sleazy bachelor lifestyle and obscene jokes. He wasn't the type of person who showed a lot of emotional depth since the writers tended to use him as comic relief. However, this all changed once his popularity grew.
As seen in the season 8 episode, "Jerome Is The New Black," the viewers got a glimpse into Quagmire's emotional state as it seemed like he wanted to be in a committed relationship. What's more, he also began confiding in other characters about the pain he had been keeping locked down. It was certainly something the old Quagmire wouldn't have done, but fans would have been glad to see this side of him more.
"Look, I Have Written A Best-Selling Phenomenon! I Should Be Sitting In The Front Damn Room!"
Brian Griffin - Season 9, Episode 6
There have been plenty of jokes about Brian's novel in Family Guy, most of which are made by Stewie. In this episode, Brian answers the door to a delivery driver who delivers boxes of unsold copies of Brian's book. When Brian and Stewie discover that bestselling books are motivational, he decides to write one out of spite, leading Brian to become a bestselling author.
Stewie decides to be Brian's agent, but Brian's arrogance becomes an issue. He became a completely different person, even firing Stewie before his panel with Bill Maher. Brian's behavior in this episode showed how easily this newfound fame corrupted him and made him forget why he wanted to be a writer in the first place.
"If You Don't Want To Run With The Wild Horses, Then Go Back To The Barn And Go To Bed."
Lois Griffin - Season 11, Episode 6
Lois doesn't usually go off the deep end in Family Guy. She usually serves as the voice of reason in the Griffin family. However, season 11's "Lois Comes Out Of Her Shell" may be one of the best Family Guy episodes as it was her first drastic personality change.
While Peter makes a speech at Lois' birthday party about how much she has aged, she storms out of the house and doesn't return until the next morning, sporting a new hairstyle, clothes, and a brand-new Jeep. While Lois was understandably upset at Peter's speech (whch is why she changed), fans would have preferred to have seen a much more relaxed Lois under better circumstances since it would have provided more entertaining storylines.
"My Brain Is Awash With Theorems And Profundity, And Abstractions That I Can Pontificate On At Length."
Peter Griffin - Season 12, Episode 17
There have been various episodes of Family Guy that explore Peter's intelligence (or lack thereof). However, not many episodes have shown Peter as an intellectual - that was until season 12's "The Most Interesting Man In The World."
This episode sees Peter as he sets out to prove to Lois that he could be intelligent. When he returns home from a business trip to Chicago, his mannerisms change drastically. He begins acting differently and constantly insults the rest of the family's intelligence. Although this is initially what Lois wants, she realizes that she loved Peter the way he was.
"I Can Do Whatever I Want. I've Been Acknowledged By My Peers As Their Superior."
Chris Griffin - Season 14, Episode 19
Chris Griffin has a reputation for being one of Family Guy's most hated characters because his character's personality is all over the place. That being said, it is rare to see Chris as arrogant. Typically, he keeps to himself at school and around the family, but season 14's "Run, Chris, Run" saw a radical change in Chris' behavior.
When he is elected homecoming king, Brian and Stewie wonder if the kids at school are playing a prank on him. Chris is oblivious that there is anything amiss and believes he was elected on his own merits. Over time, he becomes full of himself and begins talking down to the family (Brian and Stewie in particular), a side of Chris rarely seen. While viewers didn't mind watching this aspect for him, they do tend to prefer his kinder and more oblivious attitude.