Family Guy Six Packs Season 2 Episode 1 Death Has a Shadow
- TV-14
- January 31, 1999
- 22 min
In the first episode of Family Guy's second season, titled "Death Has a Shadow," viewers are introduced to the Griffin family, who reside in the town of Quahog, Rhode Island. The patriarch of the family is Peter Griffin, a bumbling and often clueless man who struggles to connect with his wife Lois, his teenage daughter Meg, and his young sons Chris and Stewie.
As the episode opens, Peter is fired from his job at the Happy Go Lucky Toy Factory, leaving him feeling desperate and hopeless. He decides to apply for welfare, but when he is denied, he comes up with a plan to claim that one of his children is disabled in order to receive benefits.
Peter's plan is set in motion when he attends Meg's high school talent show and sees her performing a terrible rendition of "Zippity-Doo-Dah." He decides that Meg will be the perfect candidate for his scheme and proceeds to put laxatives in her food in order to make her appear sickly and weak.
The plan works, and Meg is declared disabled by a welfare inspector. However, things quickly spiral out of control when the inspector realizes that Peter has been scamming the system. Peter is forced to go on the run and ends up taking shelter with a group of homeless people.
Meanwhile, Lois is left to take care of the children on her own and struggles to make ends meet. Stewie, the family's youngest member, proves to be a handful as he plots to kill Lois and take over the world with his diabolical inventions.
As the episode reaches its climax, Peter realizes that he needs to come clean about his scheme and face the consequences. He turns himself in to the authorities and is given a second chance to make things right.
"Death Has a Shadow" is a classic example of Family Guy's irreverent humor and sharp social commentary. The episode tackles issues like welfare fraud, homelessness, and disability in a way that is both hilarious and thought-provoking. It also introduces viewers to the Griffin family and sets the stage for the many zany adventures to come in future episodes.