The songs were a definite highlight this week. "The Boys in the Band," whether intentional or not, felt like an apology for that episode. One of the reasons the Season 14 finale, "Road to India," was so disappointing was the lack of musical numbers that are usually so prominent in the "Road to." episodes.
Musical numbers are often where Family Guy stands out the most. It definitely helped that this latest scheme involved forming a Wiggles-esque band called "Red Shirt, Blue Shirt" and going on tour. Less "Stewie making nonstop homosexual passes at Brian" and "Brian being a pompous know-it-all" and more of the two simply hanging out and hatching a new scheme together. The pairing worked in this case because the characterization was a little less extreme than it's tended to be in recent seasons. Like so many episodes before it, this one hinged heavily on the Stewie/Brian dynamic. Typically lousy cutaway humor aside, "The Boys in the Band" turned out to be a pretty enjoyable start to the new season. Luckily, that gag wasn't indicative of the episode's overall quality. That initial cutaway gag, with Willy Wonka making inappropriate overtures to young Charlie Bucket, is exactly the sort of cheap, shock-driven humor this show relies on far too often. Family Guy shares the message that Christmas isn’t about just getting presents but also the spirit of giving.The opening moments of "The Boys in the Band" didn't exactly fill me with hope for Family Guy's 15th season. They decide to only ask for one thing and Santa is saved. “Road to the North Pole” still ends happily as the whole world realizes they are asking for too much for Christmas and greed is beginning to take over. What happens to Santa could be what would happen if he were real as he tries to keep up with the demands of over 7 billion people. This episode serves as a reflection of what Christmas has become, with attacks on commercialism and greed. However, it’s still very funny, especially when Stewie and Brian have to take over as Santa Claus and it’s a complete disaster. There are even two musical numbers, “All I Really Want For Christmas” and “Christmas Time is Killing Us.” This is a rather dark episode as it shows Santa nearly dying along with murderous reindeer who eat the elves. This is easily the most ambitious Christmas episode Family Guy has done as it’s about 45 minutes long. He can’t keep up with everyone’s gift lists and the elves and reindeers are beginning to mutate due to horrible conditions. However, when they get there, they find out that Santa is living a horrible life. In another “Road to” episode, Stewie and Brian travel to the North Pole to find Santa Claus. Lois tends to have a tough time during the holidays but this episode features her at her absolute breaking point. This includes her pushing George Bailey from It’s A Wonderful Lifeoff a bridge and lighting Frosty the Snowman on fire. However, the highlight of the episode is when Lois goes on a rampage after everything goes horribly wrong. There is even a fake special within this special where the band Kiss saves Santa from dinosaurs. This episode has many clever ideas, especially with Stewie, as it’s interesting to see a child’s perspective where they think Santa is actually evil instead of jolly and kind. Lois is trying to get everything ready, Peter is out getting drunk, and Stewie becomes frightened by the idea that Santa is always watching. “A Very Special Family Guy Freakin’ Christmas” simply follows the Griffin family as they try to have the best Christmas possible. The animation isn’t as refined yet but the jokes are still there. This first Christmas special from Family Guy comes from Season 3.
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