In a new Halloween special, Brian and Stewie find themselves running the underworld, and the whole thing could not be more on brand.
“Family Guy: Happy Hell-o-ween,” premiering Oct. 5 on Hulu, sends the Griffin duo to hell after getting hit by a car on their way to a Halloween masquerade ball. The special has Kieran Culkin voicing the Devil, whose casting was announced during the show’s panel at San Diego Comic-Con.
Brian and Stewie Take Over Hell
Brian and Stewie set out for a Halloween party in Quahog, only to be struck by a car along the way. They come to in hell, at once seizing control as the masters of the afterlife.
Stewie doesn’t waste any time putting new management policies into action. In the trailer, he addresses the crowd and says, “All torture is voluntary now.” The footage includes plenty of fire, classic underworld tortures and even a mariachi band.
Culkin voices The Devil, and he comes to realize the sheer volume of Griffin family antics is too much to handle — the equal of 24 seasons. It is a joke that should land with anyone who has spent time with the Griffins.
Peter Drops In, Chaos Ensues
The disorder shifts when Peter shows up without warning. Stewie sees his dad and reacts with confusion, getting a deadpan, classic answer: “In real life, I’m choking on a Now and Later that I refuse to chew. Looks like I got it down.” Then Peter vanishes from the underworld.
The brief look at what comes next makes plain that the afterlife slides into madness, and fans will not want to miss a single minute of the ensuing disorder.
Kieran Culkin as the Devil
The casting of Culkin as the Devil was announced at Comic-Con, and the teaser trailer now offers fans an early glimpse of what is to come.
The basic idea is a good one. Brian and Stewie swapping Quahog for hell is a natural step for a show that has spent years sending its characters to absurd places. The voluntary torture line works well, and the mariachi band detail adds a layer of absurdity that the show has always been comfortable with.
A joke involving a character known as the Devil’s realization that the Griffins are too much to handle is a setup that pays off the show’ succeeds only because audiences have spent decades watching these characters together.
The Afterlife Descends Into Madness
Hulu will air the special on Oct. 5, with The Walt Disney Company standing as the parent company behind both Hulu and this ABC station.
A teaser trailer offers a look at what is to come, filled with fire, classic underworld tortures and a mariachi band. The trouble reaches a new level when Peter shows up without warning.
“In real life, I’m choking on a Now and Later that I refuse to chew. Looks like I got it down.”
The show’s sense of humor is built around deadpan responses, and that line is a perfect example of one, matching the style made famous by Peter Griffin.
The special premieres Oct. 5 on Hulu.
See the a run of 17 images at ABC7 Los Angeles.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.