You won't have to look far to find someone who can quote their favourite moment from the ubiquitous animated sitcom, Family Guy. The show has been going strong since it first aired nearly 15 years ago (A decade and a half! Let that sink in for a second...) While some may argue that the quality of the show has declined significantly over the years, it still draws in millions of viewers. Figures have dropped admittedly, but MacFarlane and crew are still pushing forward, perhaps unheeded in their attempt to literally use up every last morsel of the Family Guy teat. Along the way there have been a number of changes to the main characters. Meg Griffin was turned into a human punching bag, Stewie Griffin came more into the limelight with his pseudo-pansexual antics, and Brian became an insufferable douche-tractor. Which leads me neatly to the four reasons Brian Griffin has become the worst character on the show.
4. From Sophisticated Dry Wit, To Pretentious Rambler
Brian's an intelligent person (animal?), it's easy to see that. However, there's a fine line between showcasing your intelligence with some reserve and looking down on people who don't match your level of intellect. In the earlier seasons, Brian was a more quiet character; only popping up at the right times to deliver a neatly-coiled nugget of wit, often at the expense of Peter's buffoonery. Without so much as a thought, he could put Peter in his place with a well-timed response that was deadpan, sophisticated and ultimately funny. This made him one of the strongest characters of the whole show. He didn't need screen time for a majority of the episode, which meant the airtime he was allocated felt more special. Over the years that changed. His shift from intellectual booze hound to overly-opinionated and pretentious wino has had a sizeable impact on the fanbase, many of whom hold nothing but content for his soapbox ramblings. Many find his views on religion narrow-minded and his stance on legalising marijuana is painfully dull and not in the least bit edgy. His political views have effectively divided the fans down the middle; some of whom support his left-wing ideals, while others see him as nothing but a 'liberal douche' who tries too hard to be anti-establishment. Speaking of which: