After watching Family Guy’s 2011 Thanksgiving episode, I found myself feeling very thankful for continuity.  I am always praising Family Guy for the random references, musical numbers, and about a million other things; however, continuity is the real reason I love Family Guy.  So imagine my surprise when the “dead” son of Joe and Bonnie turns up for Thanksgiving dinner.

In Case You Forgot

Anyone who started watching Family Guy last season, or during season eight, might not have known who Kevin Swanson was.  Why would no one remember the son of a major character?  Well, the last time Kevin was mentioned was during season 7 when Joe briefly mentioned his son was dead.  I remember that statement because I watch more Family Guy than is probably good for me, and I always wondered what happened to Meg’s love interest. So, if you were watching the Thanksgiving episode and couldn’t figure out where the adult son of two characters came from don’t feel bad.  You weren’t the only one who was confused.

The Explanation

Family Guy always offers an explanation when the show contradicts statements made by characters in earlier episodes.  Fortunately, Family Guy did not attempt to pass off the reappearance of Kevin as part of an unrelated story line.  Kevin was in fact in the military and stationed in Iraq (as Joe stated many moons ago), but he really faked his own death. 

The Reaction

I for one was completely underwhelmed by the reappearance of Kevin.  During Season 2 and Season 3 of Family Guy he was presented as a love interest for Meg.  He later disappears for about four seasons before being referenced in an offhanded way after Joe and Bonnie have another baby. After getting rid of a character in such a half-hearted manner (the show did a great job of getting rid of characters during the Season 9 premiere), bringing him back for a Thanksgiving special was a bit lame. 

I will always adore Family Guy, and can’t wait to watch the next new episode, but Thanksgiving would have been a lot more enjoyable without the Kevin Swanson driven plot.