Review: Family Guy “A Few More Ways to Die in the West”

Overview:

Family Guy decides to head to the Wild West during its first Season 24 episode after the hiatus, all the while paying homage to A Million Ways to Die in the West.

Our Take:

Peter and his pals are reimagined as Wild West hired guns who help Carter, here reimagined as “Viviene,” which is a man’s name in this time period, transfer money. Unfortunately, they must venture onto “Golden Stream” after their train gets robbed. In this new town, Peter, or “Quiet Burp,” befriends the local school marm, “Lucy,” played by Lois, without knowing that she’s really the thief.

Lucy assures Quiet Burp that Viviene is the real bad guy in all of this. However, his friends aren’t happy. Not because he’s betraying their mission, but because they were supposed to have the best summer ever.

Meanwhile, Brian and Stewie are actors trying to take their show on the road to distance themselves away from that whole John Wilkes Booth thing. Their plans to put on Shakespeare for the locals backfire when Stewie’s Richard III, with added nudity fails to impress when the audience just wants Yellowstone. His James Garfield impression lands a bit better. After all, he sure does love his lasagna. Despite this, the two pursue a bunch of failed business ventures until they finally struck gold.

Peter and Lois’ storyline really picks up when the two have to go on the run from his former friends. Admittedly, the final showdown, in which “Viviene” comes back into the picture, is quickly resolved, but at least it doesn’t drag on too much. It’s actually touching to see Peter and Lois get a nice love story in one of these alternate universes, which makes the episode a highlight.

Another highlight of the episode is the opening theme in which the various residents of the Wild West, who seem based on the showrunners, die in different ways. It would make some Southern cousin of Edward Gorey proud.

Stewie and Brian’s storyline is admittedly a bit all over the place. It probably would’ve worked better if they searched for gold from the start. Or continued with that touring improv group. You just can’t beat a good Garfield joke.

The only real complaint, overall, which the episode itself admits to, is that it could have used some more Mayor Wild West.