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All The 'Family Guy' Parody Episodes, Ranked  

Zack Howe
585 votes 94 voters 2.5k views 18 items

List Rules Vote up the outrageous parody episodes that expertly skewer their source material.

There are countless examples of times Family Guy ripped off movies, but some of the best episodes of Seth MacFarlane's long-running show are those that aim to pay subtle homage to - rather than lampoon - them. Family Guy parodies started in earnest with "Blue Harvest," the first of the extra-long Star Wars trilogy parodies, but there are even a couple that predate that (though they arguably were still honing their craft back then).

Still, it was with this first Star Wars spoof that MacFarlane and crew realized they had something great, so they continued the tradition, moving on to parody not just movies, but also literature and even plays. Like a monarch butterfly emerging from a chrysalis, some of the smartest Family Guy jokes have been reborn through this winning formula, which has grown into something of an art form in its own right. 

Looking back on all of the show's parody episodes, it's easy to see why there are so many Family Guy fan theories online. After all, Peter and the gang are always up to something wacky. 

Something, Something, Somethin... is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list All The 'Family Guy' Parody Episodes, Ranked
Photo:  Fox

"Something, Something, Something, Dark Side" is the second installment in the Star Wars parody trilogy, and like its predecessor, it follows the plot of The Empire Strikes Back faithfully, with the caveat that all the characters are Family Guy regulars. We get to see a few new Star Wars faces: Mort is Lando, the Giant Chicken is Boba Fett, and Yoda is essentially Carl the clerk. 

Meg gets a bigger role (literally) as she plays the giant asteroid worm that Han, Leia, and Chewie land inside, a very similar role to the one she plays in the final installment. One of the more memorable moments is Han's response to Leia's "I love you" before he's frozen in carbonite; instead of his unforgettable "I know," he perhaps more straightforwardly responds, "F*ck off." To be fair, this response kind of matches the level of contempt Harrison Ford displays with his improvised line, it's just not as thinly veiled. 

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Blue Harvest is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list All The 'Family Guy' Parody Episodes, Ranked
Photo:  Fox

There's no longer a question of whether Han fired first - he definitely did. In large part, this section of "Blue Harvest" is pretty much a scene-by-scene homage to A New Hope (with a squirt of Family Guy humor injected into each scene), so not much changes from a storytelling standpoint. Peter plays Han Solo, Brian is Chewie, Lois is Leia, Chris is Luke, Cleveland is R2, Quagmire is C3P0, and Stewie is Vader.

The scene in which the crew escapes on the Falcon amid a barrage of blaster fire that never comes close to threatening them is brilliantly spoofed with the addition of Han and Chewie pilfering a couch, taking nearly a full minute to try and maneuver it onto the ship while hapless stormtroopers repeatedly miss their stationary targets. 

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And Then There Were Fewer is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list All The 'Family Guy' Parody Episodes, Ranked
Photo:  Fox

Agatha Christie's mystery story And Then There Were None is the basis for this parody, and it's a rather inspired one. A large cast of both Family Guy regulars and irregulars make up this one, which revolves around a dinner party inside a mansion that goes awry after a lifeless body is found. Whodunnit goofs ensue, like Peter's giant magnifying glass that makes his eye look huge as the dwindling cast of characters try to discover the identity of the perp while they're picked off one by one.

It turns out Tom Tucker's co-anchor Diane is responsible for the deeds, and she's about to take out Lois, who's uncovered the truth, only to be taken down by Stewie. Since the cast are all still Family Guy characters (as opposed to being Christie characters played by those of Family Guy), it's difficult to say what's borrowed and what's changed from the novel; essentially, the whole plot is different, but there are a few specific references to the original tale.

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It's a Trap! is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list All The 'Family Guy' Parody Episodes, Ranked
Photo:  Fox

"It's a Trap!" is the Return of the Jedi parody fans of both Star Wars and Family Guy were waiting for. MacFarlane reached even further into his cartoon universes to bring in a couple characters from both American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, as well. Like the previous two installments, this parody is a scene-by-scene rehash of the source material, with Meg now playing the Sarlacc that Boba Fett (AKA the Giant Chicken) gets knocked into after a classic Family Guy "too-long" joke, this time involving a series of head nods between good guy conspirators in preparation for the Jabba Party Barge takeover.

There are also cultural references made outside the Star Wars universe - even Captain Picard makes an appearance at one point. Oh, and Rush Limbaugh is the Rancor, whatever that's supposed to imply. 

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