Plot (Spoiler)

Another early first season classic features Meg becoming friends with a member of a cult and Peter screwing up plans for Stewie’s first birthday celebration. Two things quickly come to mind, as they have with the other classic episodes we’ve gone back to review: Stewie is a far more amusing character in these early outings, and the narratives are exceptionally creative in both presentation and how well the comedy and plot combine.

Even while the primary plot has familiar family-sitcom beats and restrictions, Stewie’s bitter malice and Peter’s wild imagination give it a new vibe. Stewie’s aggressiveness is countered with his often childlike degree of situational awareness. He believes that there is definitely some treason going on given the amount of birthday preparation going on around him and the fact that Lois is employing a “professional” to ensure everything goes smoothly. He believes the party is an elaborate ruse to return him to his mother’s “wretched womb,” and he starts formulating his own scheme right once.

Stewie plans to fly off to Nicaragua to gather an army of his own in order to defend himself against the “guy in white” who is meant to send him back to the womb. Stewart Gilligan Griffin is Stewie’s full name, which we learn when he actually makes it to the airport. We also get to watch Stewie being born, where he appears alongside a map of Europe that has bombing targets marked on it. It’s always entertaining to observe the world-dominating, mean-streaked Stewie in his wicked element; in this episode, he not only callously carbonizes the helpful airport security guard but also vaporizes the party’s cult leader.

In this episode, Meg’s lack of social skills is made abundantly clear as she fails to make the cheerleading squad and returns home in tears. She eventually becomes friends with Jennifer, a member of the cult. She decides not to attend Stewie’s birthday party in favor of Jennifer’s “Kool-Aid” drinking party, but Peter accidentally saves her just in time for her to return to Peter’s celebration.

In this episode, Peter attempts to explain to Lois why he cancelled the reservation and went to Cheesie Charlie’s, and he has a terrific moment doing so. He makes an effort to persuade her that Cheesie Charlie’s captors were Nazi demons and that he was only able to escape because of his ability to transform into the Incredible Hulk. Peter does atone for missing the party by arranging for a circus company to bypass the Griffin residence.

Chris also had some funny quips, including how he was impressed by an arcade game where “if you put in a $1, you receive back 4 quarters.” He gloats that he consistently prevails.

“Chitty Chitty Death Bang” has many memorable scenes, but more significantly, it has a well-written plotline that neatly ties up all the plot strands, even though it isn’t an instant classic like the episode before.