The episode introduces the Griffin family as archetypes that have evolved significantly over twenty years.
"Death Has a Shadow" isn't the funniest episode in the series' history, but it is one of the most important. It took the tropes of the 1950s family sitcom and smashed them against the nihilism of the late 90s. By the time Peter is sentenced to prison only to be saved by Stewie’s mind-control ray, the audience is given a clear warning: in Quahog, logic is secondary to the joke. Death Has a ShadowFamily Guy : Season 1 Episode 1
The hallmark of Family Guy —the "cutaway gag"—is present from the start. Whether it’s Peter’s flashback to a traumatic game of Peek-a-Boo or historical parodies, the episode signals that the narrative is merely a skeleton meant to support rapid-fire non-sequiturs. This was a radical departure from the more linear storytelling of The Simpsons and paved the way for a generation of "ADHD-style" comedy. Conclusion The episode introduces the Griffin family as archetypes
