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Let's get started by saying I'm so happy that DVD sales resurrected this series and brought it back to television and that it's still dominating Sunday nights.  "Family Guy" is a rare gem of a cartoon that combines satire of current events and celebrities with movie homages, random flashbacks, and completely illogical bits of humor.  It is a perfect blend of high and lowbrow comedy in one animated anarchic structure.  Volume 7 of the show doesn't seem to be losing steam at all, if anything Seth MacFarlane and Company still have a lot of hilarity and "what the f*@k?" laugh-out-loud moments in their arsenal.

If you haven't seen the "Family Guy," you're missing out on one of the most random and brilliant adult cartoons out there.  Each episode sets up a main plot line that then goes haywire and ridiculous situations pile on top of more ridiculous situations with even sillier flashback moments in between.  For example in a flashback Peter tries to get back at a pigeon that crapped on his car by hiding out in a tree with his pants down and waiting to crap on its car, that's just a taste of the randomness.

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My favorite character has always been Stewie, who would have ever thought a slightly effeminate baby with a British accent would be so funny? Oh wait, everyone.  The show is awesome, but it really shines with the episodes that allow Stewie to take over.  Which brings me to my favorite episode in this set "Road to Germany" where Mort (a Jewish family friend) accidentally mistakes Stewie's time machine for a port-o-potty and gets sent back to Nazi Germany.  Stewie and Brian (the family's talking dog) go back in time to save him.  Throughout this episode there are homages to everything from "Back to the Future" to "Indiana Jones" to "Flyboys" to Stewie drawing a black magic marker mustache and impersonating Hitler to get the plutonium they need to restart the time machine.  Everything about this episode is hilarious, the pacing is great, one joke slam dunks right after another and it's a perfect example of "Family Guy" at its best.  So if you check out just one episode from this set "Road to Germany" is hilarious.

The rest of the season is very funny as well and nothing is sacred or left untouched.  Whether they are making fun of the "Oceans" movies or James Woods is trying to ruin Peter's life or Brian is trying to have sex with Louis, this season is funny.  That's right I said Brian (once again, their talking dog) in an episode falls for Louis, which is a bit weirder than usual for this show when the thought of the matriarch having sex with her dog comes in, but it has the great punch-line of her saying "I kind of figured it would be like having sex with a stuffed animal."  No actual woman on dog action happens just to be clear.  "I Dream of Jesus" is another funny episode once it gets started, there's a bit too much of Peter repeatedly singing "Bird, bird, bird, the bird is the word" to the familys' annoyance and ours.  This episode is an example of a joke that goes on a bit too long, but once Peter discovers Jesus working at a used record store the funny kicks in again and we get to see Jesus succumb to the desires of celebrity, and a rip on Dane Cook as he contorts and moves around, but doesn't actually ever tell a joke.  So even when some moments drag on a bit and lose their comedic steam, the show picks right back up and has you laughing again in no time.  I can forgive these little moments of excess for the ridiculous genius of others.

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This is a great addition to a hilarious show.

SPECIAL FEATURES

- Episode Commentaries by Seth MacFarlane, Writers, Producers, Directors, and Cast

- 3 Animatic episodes- showing the unfinished animation of the show

- Take Me Out To place Tonight- featurette on Frank Sinatra Jr.'s involvement

- Family Guy Cribz- where the writers and directors work

- Comic-Con 2008- the panel discussion for the show

- Family Guy Art Show- art inspired by Family Guy

Grade

Show- B+

Features- A