20 TV Storylines We Can't Believe Are Real

3. Brian Dies - Family Guy

There are certain TV deaths nobody is expected to ever get over. Glenn from The Walking Dead, Opie from Sons of Anarchy, and Ben from Scrubs all hit hard because their departures reshaped the story and the characters around them. With this in mind, the deaths of these characters wouldn't work if they didn't serve a meaningful purpose.

Which brings us to the Family Guy episode, The Life of Brian. 

While playing with Stewie, Brian is hit by a car with no build-up whatsoever. He's taken to the vet, says goodbye to Peter Griffin's family before quietly dying. In their grief, the Griffins decide to adopt another dog, Vinny.

Despite the fact that Brian never shuts up about his terrible novel, Faster Than the Speed of Love, he's been a beloved character in Family Guy since the pilot. As such, it feels like he was killed off for shock value.

Adding gas to the fire, Stewie time-travels and brings Brian back several episodes later, retroactively erasing the whole storyline.

Although Seth MacFarlane's writing team intended Brian's death to be temporary, that's no reason for them to play with fans' emotions.