8 TV Moments That Didn't Live Up To The Hype
3. When Family Guy Killed Off A Major Character
As season 12 of Family Guy was going on, the producers of the show promised to kill off a major character, and when that kind of thing happens, the hype becomes almost palpable. The Internet was abuzz with discussions of who it might be, and while it could have been anyone, it turned out to be Brian.
The family's beloved anthropomorphic dog was taken out in a way that many a family pet has gone; he was hit by a car. The episode was incredibly sad, and the reaction of the other characters made the audience feel the loss, so in some ways, it did live up to the hype.
For a couple of episodes, it looked like Brian was truly dead, and wouldn't be coming back, which made his death meaningful. Then, a few episodes after it happened, the whole thing was undone, and Brian was brought back to life.
This effectively obliterated the hype that the event created. In retrospect, Seth MacFarlane admitted he hadn't anticipated the fan's reaction to the ole' switcharoo, as many of them were furious. "It didn't occur to us. We thought it would maybe create a little bit of a stir, but the rage was not something we counted on."