The Griffins family continues to thrill viewers with the animated series as Peter and Lois go on a second honeymoon, Brian is now a substitute teacher at Chris' school and Meg gets a transformation in appearance just to boost her confidence.
Family Guy, despite some initial missteps at the beginning of its new season, shows signs of regaining its admirable mix of niche nostalgia and hysterical characterizations.
The time off and the series' subsequent success on DVD and cable has given creator Seth MacFarlane more time to work on character dynamics and sub-references.
This kind of material would wear thin after a while if the characters weren't as distinct and endearing as they are, most notably Stewie, the wrathful infant.
