The upcoming 24th season of “Family Guy” will kick off with a moment fans have waited 450 episodes to see.
Airing Sunday, Feb. 15 (Fox, 9:30 p.m.), the show’s 450th installment finds Lois suddenly able to understand Stewie, thanks to some herbal assistance — as you can tell from their bloodshot eyes in TVLine’s exclusive first-look photo above.
“They talk about the stuff that fans would want them to talk about — the history of their relationship, Stewie’s desire to kill her, his opinion of her, hers of him, their approach to life, and similarities they might have that we couldn’t touch on between two characters who don’t speak to each other,” executive producer Richard Appel tells TVLine. “The third act is basically a two-character play.”
Executive producer Alec Sulkin goes as far as to say that it’s “one of my favorite episodes,” adding that “the audience went crazy for it” during a live table read at Los Angeles’ Kodak Theatre.
Why Family Guy waited this long for Lois and Stewie to communicate
To many fans, it might seem that this moment is long overdue, but according to the show’s EPs, it’s coming along at exactly the right time.
“It’s so much more satisfying that we didn’t do this in Season 3 or 4,” Appel tells TVLine. “We’ve had 449 episodes to establish all the intricacies and realities of Lois and Stewie’s relationship, resentments, and past experiences that it gives us so much to work with.”
So, how do Stewie and Lois get stoned in the first place? It probably won’t surprise you to hear that the Griffins’ beloved pet is to blame: “The episode starts with Brian going to a [dispensary] and bringing home gummies,” Sulkin explains. “Stewie thinks they’re candy, so he gets into them, and Lois is deemed an unfit parent.” This results in Stewie being placed in temporary foster care with the Swansons.
“That’s the other thing that’s fun about being both in Season 24 and on an animated show that has the luxury of having a cast of 50 characters we know,” Sulkin adds. “There’s always these interesting pairings that you hadn’t thought of before, to see how they play out.”
Are you excited to see what Lois and Stewie finally have to say to one another? Drop a comment with your thoughts on the show’s milestone episode below.