With Halloween just around the corner, now is an excellent time to look at the funny side of things that go bump in the night. So, where better to look than the hit animated comedy series Family Guy? Sure, The Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror" episodes seem to have cornered the All Hallows Eve viewership, but Fox's other long-running animated sitcom definitely deserves its due.
Although Family Guy has been on the air for a little over two decades, there are only a handful of Halloween-specific episodes. That doesn't mean the series hasn't brought its share of thrills, chills and suspense over the past 21 seasons and counting. In fact, Peter Griffin and his family have gone through plenty of hair-raising adventures that are absolutely Halloween-worthy.
10 If I'm Dyin', I'm Lyin'
Season 2, Episode 9
When their favorite TV show gets canceled, Peter claims that Chris is dying in order to enlist the aid of a Make-a-Wish style organization to get it back on the air. In order to get out of having to provide proof of Chris' death, Peter compounds his claims with more lies about being a healer and eventually finds himself worshiped as a god. This doesn't go over well with the almighty, and soon the Griffins are visited by biblical plagues.
While neither strictly a Halloween episode nor even a horror story, "If I'm Dyin', I'm Lyin'" is a perfect example of the perils of the supernatural in Family Guy. Peter's lies unleash the wrath of God on his family and his house. Horrific powers beyond their control threaten to destroy the Griffins in a way that would frighten the worst horror movie monsters.
9 Death Lives
Season 3, Episode 6
In "Death Lives," the hooded personification of mortality makes his first return appearance on Family Guy. Though he initially appears to Peter to teach him a lesson during a near-death experience, the Grim Reaper winds up taking dating advice from him instead. Though Death gets the date with the girl of his dreams, he soon realizes that she's not right for him, and he ends their evening as only he can.
With Halloween being the precursor to holidays celebrating the dearly departed, "Death Lives" is an episode worth watching for those who could use a good laugh while contemplating their mortality. Dark jokes abound in this episode as Peter gets a look under Death's hood and wishes he hadn't, and the Reaper's home life (he lives with his mother) is exposed.
8 Must Love Dogs
Season 20, Episode 3
"Must Love Dogs" centers around Quagmire's attempts to woo a woman he meets on Halloween night, convincing her that he loves canines (he doesn't). He enlists the help of Brian (whom he despises) in order to win her over. Meanwhile, Stewie discovers that his Halloween candy has been stolen, and he and Chris team up against their father.
It turns out that Peter's been stealing his children's Halloween candy since Chris was little. While Quagmire and Brian's story is thoroughly entertaining, it's the B-plot about Stewie and Chris trying to take down their father that makes it a Halloween episode. The twist at the end makes the whole story worthwhile.
7 Happy Holo-ween
Season 21, Episode 6
In "Happy Holo-ween," Peter Griffin is confronted by the greatest fear of every writer working in Hollywood: being replaced by artificial intelligence. True to his character, Peter creates the problem himself when he programs a hologram to take over all the domestic responsibilities he wants to avoid.
When the projection decides that it likes his life, it tries to replace Peter permanently. As a frightening allegory for changing times, "Happy Holo-ween" plays like a Twilight Zone episode. Playing frightening moments for laughs as always, the episode is worth checking out as All Hallow's Eve creeps ever closer.
6 Death is a Bitch
Season 2, Episode 6
In his first appearance on Family Guy, Death injures himself on the Griffins' front step when he comes to collect Peter's soul after he marks himself as dead to avoid paying a bill. Spooky hilarity ensues when it turns out that, with Death out of commission, no one can die. When Peter lets the proverbial cat out of the bag, the world is thrown into chaos.
Not only is the episode notable for being the first time Death appears in the series, but it's also the first time that supernatural forces are unleashed simply because Peter told a lie. It's also worth a Halloween viewing just to see Stewie gush over death like an obsessed fan and come closer to killing Lois than ever -- back when he still did that kind of thing.
5 Three Kings
Season 7, Episode 15
Near the end of Season 7, the series decided to parody the master of horror. In a typical Family Guy twist, however, they decided to spoof the film adaptations of Stephen King's stories Stand by Me, Misery and The Shawshank Redemption, three of his best known non-horror works.
Family Guy may have chosen three stories without supernatural elements to lampoon for this episode, but the Misery segment is a perfect parody of the film with Stewie in the Kathy Bates role. With a hilarious recreation of Bates' obsessed fan and a surprise cameo from the author himself, the second act is like a Halloween episode unto itself.
4 Peternormal Activity
Season 14, Episode 4
Every year when October comes around, new horror movies hit the big screen. Naturally, Family Guy had to take a closer look at the genre. After Peter and his friends are disappointed in a horror sequel, they decide to write their own horror film. Things get dicey when they accidentally commit manslaughter and find themselves in an I Know What You Did Last Summer situation.
The Jennifer Love Hewitt horror vehicle isn't the only premise that "Peternormal Activity" takes on, however. From the unimaginative sequel that sets them off on their journey to the stories they try to craft in a coffee shop, the episode creates multiple horror movie parodies. Anyone wanting to save time this Halloween could easily skip most of the thrillers on TV and just watch this episode.
3 And Then There Were Fewer
Season 9, Episode 1
For spine-tingling chills, there are few stories that compare to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. Family Guy chose to put their own spin on the thriller at the start of their ninth season. Bringing the residents of Quahog to his sprawling mansion to make amends, James Woods is almost immediately killed. What follows is a send-up of murder mysteries worthy of the 1985 classic comedy Clue as side characters are picked off one-by-one and Peter takes charge of the investigation.
"And Then There Were Fewer" was a sprawling full hour episode that enjoyed high ratings when it first aired. With its themes of mystery, suspense and death, the Season 9 premiere makes for perfect viewing during the spookiest time of the year. It's also one of the cleverest episodes in the show's history.
2 Halloween on Spooner Street
Season 9, Episode 4
Capturing the modern spirit of Halloween, this Season 9 offering features Stewie's first time trick-or-treating. With Brian by his side, the youngest of the Griffins learns the ins and outs of the annual childhood tradition. Peter and Joe torment Quagmire with relentless pranks and Meg and Chris attend a Halloween party.
Less focused on frights than modern traditions, "Halloween on Spooner Street" is a parodic slice of Americana comparable to It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The episode perfectly encapsulates what Halloween means to the audience throughout the different stages of life from early childhood, through adolescence to adulthood.
1 Petergeist
Season 4, Episode 26
Family Guy's spookiest episode by far came near the end of Season 4. When Peter finds the skull of a native person in his backyard, rather than put it back, he proceeds to treat it like a plaything, setting off a chain of supernatural events that endanger his family.
With plenty of nods and winks to the 1982 horror film Poltergeist, the episode takes the Griffins on a paranormal adventure that's perfect for spooky season. With sufficient pop culture references to other horror and fantasy films, "Petergeist" is a must for Halloween viewing.