Fittingly, this weekend’s new episode of Family Guy goes by the title “V is for Mystery.” According to a brief teaser printed on Futon Critic, it will be another one of the recurring Brian-Stewie Griffin adventures, this time with a classic 19th-century Great Britain backdrop.
Little else is known going in, except how hard it will be to return to recurring patterns in the persistent afterglow of this past Sunday’s bombshell. With “Send in Stewie, Please,” Family Guy demonstrated pleasantly surprising deftness. It addressed what most loyal followers already had an informed hunch about. Yet it also pulled out unexpected revelations that could extend the show’s shelf life for a while to come.
This episode revealed new information about one of the most recognizable animated characters. Yet as much as the audience learned about Stewie, ample mysteries certainly remain.
Stewie’s enigmatic character, not the laughs, distinguishes this episode from an otherwise dull period in the show’s run of 16 nonconsecutive seasons.
Many episodes this year have failed to stand out. None of the program’s characteristic throwaway jokes can garner more than a chuckle. The days of referencing old Family Guy episodes through chicken fights or twists on the Star Wars franchise seemed to be over.
And then “Send in Stewie, Please” happened. When its premiere airing began, you could tell that this episode would take on a different flair. That notion hit no later than the moment Dr. Cecil Pritchfield (voiced by Sir Ian McKellan) invited Stewie into the psychologist’s office.
The episode as a whole aired with limited commercial interruption. And now, as of this writing, it is one of only two Season 16 episodes with a standalone Wikipedia page. The other is the season premiere, “Emmy-Winning Episode.” The 10 premiering in between, and those still to come, have no hyperlink to their title.
Over the course of 26 minutes, Stewie reveals more about himself than he has in any previous episode.
At first, Stewie deflects attention away from himself. He is there for having pushed a classmate down the stairs. But instead of discussing that incident, he elects to predict Dr. Pritchfield’s life from a few photographs of him and his boyfriend. He uses this tactic to figure out Dr. Pritchfield’s authentic self.
As the episode progresses, Stewie reveals that he has always been afraid of letting others see who he really is. Even his voice is a façade, as he starts speaking with an American accent, rather than his trademark Rex Harrison-like British tone.
While that revelation was shocking enough, the more interesting one naturally centered on Stewie’s sexuality. Many have speculated that he was either gay or bisexual based on references peppered throughout the show’s history. He almost came out to his family one Thanksgiving and often sees his teddy bear, Rupert, as a life partner.
Surprisingly, Stewie does not explicitly answer this mystery. He does tell Dr. Pritchfield, “I am not gay. This whole thing isn’t because I’m gay, so calm down. I can already see you licking your chops. I’m sure you live for the coming-out sessions. If anything, I’m less gay than I used to be, not that anybody at school would care.”
With Stewie’s repressed identity, it is no wonder he often talks about world domination or hurting his mother. Or that he only hangs out with Brian, the family dog. Until this episode, he had never felt comfortable enough sharing his true self.
While this statement surely sparks attention, it was never meant to be a full revelation of Stewie’s sexuality. Show writer Gary Janetti spoke the reasoning behind this decision.
“The intention for Stewie is never to come out as gay or not gay,” said Janetti to Entertainment Weekly. “He will be forever in this state of confusion, as you would be when you’re that age. Ultimately, it’s more interesting to dig deeper than that.”
Producer Rich Appel also discussed a conversation with show creator Seth MacFarlane about this ambitious episode.
“He’s still a baby,” MacFarlane told Appel. He doesn’t know yet, and sexuality is a very fluid matter. It’s better to keep that as something that’s not determined yet.”
With Stewie’s repressed identity, it is no wonder he often talks about world domination or hurting his mother. Or that he only hangs out with Brian, the family dog.
Without spoiling the episode’s ending, it will be interesting to see what Family Guy does next with Stewie’s complex character. He does not share anything with Brian about his visit to the psychologist’s office. He seems to once again retreat from his true self and embrace his artificial persona.
This decision could lead one to assume these revelations will go untouched for another long stretch. But the show would serve itself better by returning to these questions. “Send in Stewie, Please” was a refreshing twist by every definition.
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