Seth MacFarlane’s decidedly adult-oriented animated series Family Guy doesn’t tell stories like other sitcoms. The writers often deviate wildly from storylines with non-sequiturs and cutaway gags, and if there’s a good opportunity for a joke, they ignore TV’s unwritten rule that every plot thread needs to be resolved before the end credits.
However, the show does adhere to a few traditions of TV comedy. Its episodes usually have an A-plot and a supporting B-plot like other sitcoms. In some cases, the B-plot ends up being even more memorable than the A-plot.
Peter, Chris, And Meg Write A TV Pilot (Fox-y Lady)
When Lois starts working at Fox as a news anchor in “Fox-y Lady,” Peter sees an opportunity to get his own scripted series off the ground. He, Chris, and Meg brainstorm an animated show about a group of disabled ducks called Handi-Quacks.
This episode hilariously plays on Peter liking Chris more than Meg. Whenever Chris comes up with an idea for the script, Peter declares it to be genius. Whenever Meg comes up with an idea, Peter takes Chris into the kitchen for a private conference about whether she can stay on the team.
Brian Gets A Hummer (Girl, Internetted)
When the Griffins visit a convention full of YouTubers in “Girl, Internetted,” Meg ends up becoming an internet star and Brian ends up totaling his Prius in a car accident. While it’s being repaired, he’s given a Hummer as a temporary replacement.
At first, as an environmentally conscious liberal, he’s appalled by the gargantuan gas-guzzler. However, before too long, he’s the world’s biggest Hummer fan. This B-plot is filled with hysterically absurdist gags about the Hummer, like the Sam Elliott voiceover that accompanies it and the fact that every radio station plays “Lick It Up” by Kiss.
Chris’ Talking Pimple (Brian The Bachelor)
Brian becomes a contestant on The Bachelor in “Brian the Bachelor.” In the B-plot, Chris gets a giant pimple on his face and names it “Doug.” Doug starts talking to Chris and becomes a bad influence as it manipulates him into pulling a bunch of pranks around town.
Doug the pimple was voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson, who has provided the voices for a number of characters across the MacFarlane-verse, including The Cleveland Show’s Cleveland, Jr. and American Dad!’s Principal Lewis.
The Griffins Get A New Staircase (The Blind Side)
The B-plot in “The Blind Side” is simplistic, but unforgettable. While Brian is trying to woo a blind woman who hates dogs, Lois gets a new staircase installed in the house after Stewie gets a splinter.
Every time Peter tries to use these stairs, he slips and horrifically injures himself. Peter swears so much whenever he slips down the stairs that, on regular TV, it’s just one long continuous bleep. He eventually decides to just live upstairs forever, with hilarious results.
Brian Works For Stewie (Model Misbehavior)
While Lois restarts her modeling career in “Model Misbehavior,” Stewie starts up his own pyramid scheme with a company called Cash$cam. He sets up an office in his room and Brian reluctantly takes a job there to pay for his worms medication.
As one would expect, Stewie turns out to be an interminable boss. He institutes “Wacky Tacky Tie Day” to boost office morale, reprimands Brian for his mildly offensive “Life’s a Beach” mug, and ultimately ends up firing him.
Peter Joins The Police Force (Barely Legal)
Meg becomes infatuated with Brian after he takes her to a school dance out of pity in “Barely Legal,” but the B-plot has such a juicy premise that it could be an A-plot of its own. After Adam West sends most of Quahog’s cops into the jungle to save a fictional character, the town’s police department is desperate for new recruits.
Peter, Quagmire, and Cleveland take the opportunity to race through police academy training and join Joe on the force. As anyone would expect, Peter Griffin doesn’t make a very effective police officer.
Stewie Creates An Evil Clone Of Himself (The Hand That Rocks The Wheelchair)
Family Guy’s writers took a meta look at Stewie’s recharacterization in “The Hand That Rocks the Wheelchair.” While Meg is falling for Joe in the A-plot, Brian tells Stewie that he’s nowhere near as diabolical as he used to be. Stewie invents a machine to bring back his old matricidal nature, but it doesn’t appear to work as he remains unchanged.
However, as it turns out, it did kind of work – it just channeled all the diabolical energy into creating an evil clone of Stewie. This clone goes on a blood-soaked rampage filled with dark laughs like cutting off Brian’s tail and smashing the Kool-Aid Man.
Chris Becomes Popular At School (Stew-Roids)
Stewie takes steroids and becomes obsessed with weights training in “Stew-Roids,” and while that provides a lot of fun, it’s pretty one-note. The B-plot is much more compelling and well-rounded.
After dating every popular guy in school, Connie D’Amico decides to take the most unpopular guy in school (who turns out to be Chris) and make him cool. As soon as Chris is popular, he becomes the same kind of jerk that used to make fun of him. This episode is a poignant commentary on the corrupting power of popularity.
Peter And His Friends Become A Real-Life A-Team (Brian Goes Back To College)
The main storyline in “Brian Goes Back to College” sees Brian returning to higher education after dropping out early the first time. In the B-plot, Peter and the guys win a costume contest by cosplaying as the cast of The A-Team. They decide to keep wearing the costumes and helping the community as a true-to-life A-Team.
This is one of the rare cases of Family Guy dovetailing the A-plot and B-plot, as Brian needs the real-life A-Team’s help to get to his final exam on time.
Stewie And Brian Babysit Meg And Chris (North By North Quahog)
The season 4 premiere “North by North Quahog” was Family Guy’s first episode back on the airwaves after being prematurely cancelled by Fox. The A-plot concerns Peter and Lois going on a second honeymoon to spice up their marriage, but they set up the B-plot by leaving Brian in charge of the kids.
It instantly becomes apparent that Brian isn’t cut out to be a caregiver, so Stewie gives him a hand disciplining Chris and Meg. Before too long, they’re a bickering married couple.