Review: Family Guy “Family Cat”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

The Griffins adopted a stray cat and named it Pouncy. However, Brian doesn’t take a liking to the newest member of the family. When he discovers Pouncy’s true intentions, Brian attempts to convince the others about her evil side.

Our Take:

We’re only one week away from reaching the show’s 19th season finale. So it seems fitting for it to include a new member of the Griffin family to spice things up a bit. But, unfortunately, Brian wasn’t so keen on this idea, especially if the new member is a stray cat with a dark side.

Admittedly, the episode started things off well with a brief home renovation segment featuring Peter and his friends. After watching an HGTV show that combines home renovation with Game of Thrones characters, Peter and the others decided to make their own renovation show. It didn’t appear to last very long since all they’re doing is turn every room into a kitchen, including the bathroom. I don’t think everyone wants to do their business on the sink.  

The comedy involving that segment had some gags that were actually quite funny, including the Five Front Doors jingle. Seriously, try to get that jingle out of your head after watching it. It’s a pretty humorous way to start the main plot, which pits a loyal dog against a devious stray cat for a family’s love.

This episode poked fun at how people see cats as jerks. They’re nice to cuddle with, but they can also be a pain with their claws and their constant desire to make messes. The jokes were hit-and-miss in terms of its concept, although I thought the cat at the computer repair store gag was surprisingly clever. However, they’re not as pain-inducing as the comedy from last week’s episode, so I can take what I can get.  

This is another episode where the show transforms an ordinary day for the Griffins into a far-fetched adventure. This time, Pouncy was plotting to transform Meg into a cat lady by enslaving her. This forced Brian to fight off Pouncy and her army of cats with cat tools, ranging from cat toys to spray bottles, to save her. Like the “PeTerminator” episode, the story took its unlikely scenario and made it somewhat enjoyable. Not only that, but it also provided a small dash of depth into the relationship between Brian and Meg.

It turned out that Meg felt that Brian wasn’t always there for her whenever she’s being ridiculed. She wanted a pet she can rely on when times get hard on her. It’s too bad that she chose a pet that was one step closer to performing bestiality on her. That would’ve gotten the show off the air faster than Superman if it went down that path. Remind me why the writers consider that as comedy? The bond between Meg and Brian reflects how dogs and cats are different when it comes to loyalty. They have different ways of comforting their owners, and in the end, it’s safe to say that dogs handled those methods better than cats. It’s moments like this that represent how tolerable an episode can be when it balances comedy with heart.  

The “Family Cat” episode of Family Guy is an enjoyable take on the battle between a cat and a dog. Some of the jokes here were pretty humorous, while the others were questionable, most notably Pouncy dancing sexually with Meg. Plus, the Meg and Brian moments helped make the episode a bit more entertaining than the moment when Meg goes off to college. With the finale approaching, we can only hope that this latest season will end on a positive note.