Family Guy EPs Discuss Stewie's 'First' Words: What Is He in Denial About?

Andy Swift
·2 min read

Sunday’s Family Guy premiere attempted to answer a question fans have been asking since 1999: Who can understand Stewie?

The issue arose after Stewie loudly dropped the F-bomb in the middle of church. It was a natural response to hearing that Chewy Chips Ahoy cookies weren’t being served at coffee hour, but the time and place (and pretty much everything else) made it a less-than-ideal first word.

Upon realizing that she was the one who taught Stewie that word in the first place, Lois went on a journey of self-reflection — but we’re a little more concerned with the how of it all. As Brian asked his young companion, “I don’t get it, Stewie, you’ve been talking forever. Why did everyone suddenly understand you now?” It’s a fair question, but as the show’s executive producers explain, it’s probably not worth much thought.

“This episode showcases Stewie’s first word in the traditional sense that parents always document: the first word they understand,” EPs Rich Appel and Alec Sulkin tell TVLine. “Otherwise, yes, it’s Stewie’s 1,345,693th word.”

Following the F-bomb debacle, Stewie uttered his second word: “Mommy!” And although he wasn’t willing to perform like a trained seal for Lois’ “friends” on Instagram, the moment suggested that Stewie might not hate his mother as much as he once did.

“Like most of the big babies who write for Family Guy, Stewie is in denial about how much his mommy means to him,” Appel and Sulkin explain. “Please don’t tell our mommies.”

Sunday’s premiere also featured a delightfully twisted throughline about Caillou, brought on by Lois bingeing the French-Canadian cartoon in the hopes of proving that it taught Stewie how to swear. Giving all the credit to writer Patrick Meighan, the EPs tell us, “You can always tell whose kids on staff force them to watch cartoons that… try their patience.”

Did Sunday’s premiere answer your question(s) about Stewie, or did it just leave you more confused than ever? Grade the episode below, then drop a comment with your full review.

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