Family Guy, like The Simpsons, had a few romantic tales for Valentine's Day. The holiday is just too good to skip over for TV and create a funny love story or two. And if you know Family Guy, then there's going to be some grotesque humor stylings blended in.
As Valentine's Day is less than a week away, I thought it would be fun to sneak in Peter's versions of what he calls "love" and "romance" in a few episodes. His views might not be orthodox, as they'd be considered "weird," But in Family Guy's quirky spirit, the patriarch's visions work for the show, so I've no judgment on his perspective. I will say this: the man is hilarious and might not be the best example of a role model, but he loves his wife, Lois. That's all that matters in the situation.
To celebrate Valentine's Day and Peter's love life, here are five episodes dedicated to the holiday in some instances, as they're not arrowed directly to it.
5 Family Guy episodes to celebrate a 'freakin' sweet' Valentine's Day
"Meet the Quagmires"
Season 5
Death takes Peter back to the 1980s when he and Lois first met and fell in love. However, following Peter's mishap by skipping their date night, Lois changes her mind about him and shifts her feelings toward Quagmire. It's surreal, as the next-door neighbor always thirsted after his best friend's wife, and he marries her in a new reality. This doesn't sit well with Peter; he and Death keep returning to the past to correct the mistake. Once they do, everything falls back to normal and the Griffin family is complete again.
"Meet the Quagmires" is a parody of the 1985 sci-fi adventure Back to the Future. Brian even sings and swings with a cover of Rick Astley's hit tune, "Never Gonna Give You Up."
"Valentine's Day In Quahog"
Season 11
If you saw the 2010 movie, then you know the inspiration behind this episode. Much like the movie, which starred Taylor Swift by the way, Quahog residents experience their relationships. For Brian, it's that he faults at them; Stewie trips to the 1960s where he meets a pretty girl, but she's not just any girl; Quagmire's viewed as a woman; and so many more romantic flings happen.
The opening is pretty cool too, as it's a ontag of Quahog and its citizens enjoying the holiday.
"Valentine's Day in Quahog" is the only installment thus far that's dedicated to Valentine's Day.
"Candy Quahog Marshmallow"
Season 14
Peter, Cleveland, Joe, and Quagmire travel to Seoul, South Korea, to see if they can find the last and lost episode of the soap Winter Summer, where the latter starred back in the 1980s. He became almost like a celebrity in the Asian country, as there was an app named after his Winter Summer character, American Johnny.
The guys did find the episode, thanks Sujin, the actress who starred as American Johnny's girlfriend on the soap. A it turns out, Quagmire and Sujin were a couple when they filmed Winter Summer, and their reunion (and cats) rekindled their love. He decided to stay in South Korea, despite his friends' objections.
Peter becomes immersed in the K-Pop craze, and makes a colorful music video with Cleveland and Joe to try to coerce Quagmire to change his mind. Their method doesn't work, but Quagmire does change his mind when Sunjin's entire family comes to live with them.
"Candy Quahog Marshmallow" did offer a softer side to Quagmire, as he wasn't as "giggity."
"Heart Burn"
Season 18
Three tales of Romeo and Juliet, ancient Greek mythology, and a spin on the film Fatal Attraction are unveiled in this episode. Peter and Lois are at the exotic bookstore, each orating their favorite romance piece. Sure, why not at the bookstore for storytime?
Each story has its own Family Guy humor plugged in while capturing the essence of its original plotlines. I love old literature and Greek history, so I appreciated the writers' reimagining of them.
"Love Story Guy"
Season 21
"Love Story Guy" has Peter and the guys sitting at their booth at The Clam, each sharing their favorite romance anecdotes. Dirty Dancing, Meg Ryan rom-coms, and Cast Away are spoofed, with some other pop culture references thrown in. While it's challenging to picture why the characters would fantasize about love and all that soft stuff, as they're pretty straightforward in their personal ideals, it's humorous nonetheless.