TVSquad

(S06E03) After six years in a wheelchair, Joe Swanson regains his ability to walk. In character, he then decides to go into extreme sports. I've always liked Joe and I think Patrick Warburton's voice makes the character. It's similar to his character on Adult Swim's The Venture Bros. Maybe he only has one character.

The show has apparently gone back to the constant cut-away references. At least they're being self-referential about it with Cleveland's line "I hate shows that cut away from the story for some bull crap".

The self-referential nature of the show doesn't stop there. There was a conversation between Joe's doctor and Peter's father-in-law on the fact that they were voiced by the same actor.

The episode had the prerequisite song and dance number. It wouldn't surprise that if there ended up being a Family Guy movie, it would be a musical.

The ending was somewhat predictable. I figured Joe's wife Bonnie was going to cripple him again, although I laughed at the preceding fight scene. That fight could have passed for one of those M-rated video games. Bonnie is still pregnant in this episode, but I believe she'll be giving birth this season. A seven-year pregnancy. Phew.

The two best creations of this show, Stewie and Brian, were barely seen in this episode. Each had one or two scenes. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing but it's something I noticed.

Things I liked in the episode: the irony of Joe having to leave the hospital in a wheelchair after he's been given his legs. The Spider-Man appearance. The fact that the Quahog Men's Club looked a lot like the He-Man Woman Hater's Club from The Little Rascals. E-rock-tion. Judas and Pontius Pilate walking into the distance to the sounds of The Brady Bunch. When Stewie killed Colin Farrell with a futuristic ray-gun (hopefully the character will go back to being a mad scientist-in-training. I liked that character more).

I did like the episode better than last week's. Family Guy is starting to stick to what it does best, even if the creators of other shows comment on their style of humor. The show is even self-referential about that when Peter makes an illogical cut-away reference and tells Lois "Don't call me on this stuff".