Brian Griffin isn’t actually dead after all

Many Family Guy viewers were devastated the show’s writers decided to kill off Brian Griffin, the Griffin family’s dog, on November 24th. Viewers were outraged, and created online petitions demanding Brian’s return. We even wrote him a very heartfelt obituary, since he was once a Brown student, after all.

In yesterday’s episode, however, Stewie was able to travel back in time and save Brian just before he was struck by the car that killed him in the previous episode. Some people on the internet are attributing the Brian’s revival to demands and petitions from Family Guy‘s pissed-off audience. But Family Guy episodes take months to make, which means that the writers always had the intention of bringing Brian back.

RISD alum and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane addressed the situation on Twitter:

And thus endeth our warm, fuzzy holiday lesson: Never take those you love for granted, for they can be gone in a flash.

— Seth MacFarlane (@SethMacFarlane) December 16, 2013

I mean, you didn’t really think we’d kill off Brian, did you? Jesus, we’d have to be fucking high.
— Seth MacFarlane (@SethMacFarlane) December 16, 2013

Oh and hey… thanks for caring so much about the canine Griffin. He is overcome with gratitude.
— Seth MacFarlane (@SethMacFarlane) December 16, 2013

We’re relieved that this situation is over, even though we’re guessing that the real explanation is that notorious character murder George R.R. Martin hijacked the writers’ room last month and killed Brian. Keep the Red Weddings for HBO, George.

Bad George R.R. Martin! Stay out of our favorite cartoons!

Now, let us all go home this break and give our pets an extra big hug.