When You Wish Upon a Weinstein

Peter's Misguided Quest: 7/10 "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein" tackles a sensitive topic by following Peter as he tries to make Chris smarter by organizing a Bar Mitzvah, based on his misguided belief that a Jewish accountant will fix all his problems. While Peter's antics are as absurd as ever, the episode wades into potentially controversial waters with its exploration of religion. The humor isn't as sharp or well-balanced as in some other episodes, but there's still some decent satirical content here. The way the show navigates these topics might be off-putting to some, but it still carries that characteristic Family Guy blend of irreverence.

Chris and the Bar Mitzvah: 6/10 Chris's Bar Mitzvah storyline is a bit of a mixed bag. While it has its moments of levity, it doesn't dive deep enough to make it truly memorable. The humor around Chris's transformation is passable, but the plot doesn't feel as fleshed out as it could have been. It's fun seeing Peter's over-the-top approach to parenting, but there are a few moments where the jokes land flat and the pace slows down. The subplot about Chris becoming "smarter" for his Bar Mitzvah is amusing but never quite hits the emotional depth it could have.

The Catholic Plot: 7/10 The subplot involving angry Catholics hunting down Peter adds a secondary layer of humor, but it feels a bit tacked on compared to the main storyline. The satire surrounding religion in this segment is certainly bold, but it doesn't come off as well-executed as some of the other religious humor Family Guy has done. It's entertaining in a goofy, slapstick way, but doesn't have much substance behind it. The over-the-top nature of the Catholics' pursuit of Peter is funny at first, but it drags on a bit, making the overall pacing feel a bit uneven.

Final Thoughts: 7/10 While "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein" delivers some classic Family Guy humor, it doesn't reach the heights of some other episodes. The handling of sensitive topics around religion is daring, but it doesn't quite deliver as cleverly or smoothly as expected. The central idea of Peter's misadventures to make Chris smarter is somewhat funny, but the execution falters a little bit in parts. The episode still holds its own with some good moments, but overall, it's an example of how Family Guy can be hit-or-miss when it takes on more controversial subject matter.

I wish, perhaps, I hadn't started to try and review these seasons of "Family Guy". There's several reasons for it, Because I'm generally only watching one or two a week, it's taking me months to get through these seasons and I'm struggling already to remember which episode were in this season. It's all so similar too, that comparing the seasons is proving difficult.

Season three of "Family Guy" sees the family move to south in Witness Protection. Peter (Seth MacFarlane) discover his secret black heritage. Brian (Seth MacFarlane) and Stewie (Seth MacFarlane) head on a road trip to England, whilst Peter and Lois (Alex Borstein) follow KISS on tour. Peter discovers that the solution to all his life problems is a Jewish accountant.

The show was cancelled again prior to the release of this season, so for a while it looked like this would be all she wrote for what would become a long running show. The healthy DVD sales and repeat viewing figures on adult swim would save the show though. The season also includes to previous banned "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein" episode - which doesn't actually seem that controversial, when you actually see it. It also has a return for the "Road to" concept, which again sees a musical adventure for Brian and Stewie.

Again, there's no obvious downturn in quality for these epsiodes. I laughed a few times across the run and was generally amused by them throughout. I'm going to keep going on to season four.

This was another episode honing in on some stereotypes surrounding a certain group of people, and I remember plenty finding it to be offensive.

This was a great episode, but so, so bittersweet. It was the last to be aired before the cancellation which would leave us without new Family Guy episodes for almost two years. Sad, indeed.

I won't say that I hate the next few seasons of Family Guy, but to say they only pale in comparison would be a massive understatement. The original feel, the tone, was gone; gone forever.

This is the final one to retain that feel.

Savor it.