Family Guy (TV Series) I Dream of Jesus (2008) User Reviews

... is the word...

[blitzany · 7/10 · 6 October 2008]

My brothers and I watched this episode last night and kept on laughing. I was wondering where "bird is the word" joke was heading and it paid off. We were laughing more often than not. The only joke I thought that was off was the "deal" Peter struck with the dude from the 50's diner for the LP. Apart from that it was pretty cool episode. Stewie was underused (again) but what gets us every time are the one-liners that are thrown in (a dog and a baby bought all 48 copies) and how they reference old throw-backs (Peter doing a detective rant to the family about the record).

Get episode, best one of this season so far...

A Unique episode

[gary-howe · 8/10 · 22 October 2008]

You know a lot of people think this one is one of the best ever episodes. I can understand why. I think it depends on your mood if you find the repetition of 'Bird is the word' hilarious or infuriating. I found it hilarious. But I can imagine people in a tired or irritable mood finding it grating. The perception of it being 'best ever' or 'worst ever' seems to hinge entirely on the opinion of the endless repetition of the song. For me the repetition goes from funny to annoying to even funnier again.

The episode is certainly one of the less 'clever' ones. Family Guy can't always be 'comedy for clever people' however. Sometimes it likes to be just flat out silly. And for sheer childish fun it is, whether for good or bad, certainly one of the most memorable episodes ever.

This was a great episode!! My rebuttal to Family Guy Slander

[hoit214 · 8/10 · 20 October 2008]

OK, so I have read the reviews that others have given so far, and many of them are biased one way or another. This was a great episode. The 50's gag leading up to the 'Bird is the Word' gag was agitating enough to be funny throughout the entire episode. It made you roll your eyes at the end of episode but still chuckle a bit. The "Office Space" gag was fantastic!! Everyone has referenced Office Space one way or another since its released but it hasn't been done in a way that made people reminisce like Seth MacFarlane was able to. He captured the Fax Machine destruction scene perfectly. He used the perfect two characters with the best chemistry on the show to perform on of the funniest moments in comedy film in the last 20 years. I give the writes a thumbs up on the idiosyncratic way they portrayed Dane Cook's comedy bit for the MTV awards show. I for one do not find that guy near as funny as most people do. I have only two negative things to say about the show. The scene in which 'the guy who can't get enough needs a distraction' really wasn't funny. The scene that probably went unnoticed, I was the only one who even heard it in my household, where they referenced Heath Ledger's death was a bit cold, however that is how Family Guy continues to dominate shock television and maintain viewers. Family Guy hasn't lost its momentum. The show has simply adapted to today's pop culture which doesn't have the shock drama of when the show first came out. People who enjoy the show will be using the 'Bird is the Word' gag to annoy their friends for months to come, which proves that the show is still hot and going strong. I am not a proprietor for defending shows on television, however when someone isn't a real fan and decides to slander something he or she knows nothing about, I will take offense. Mr. Seth MacFarlane, you are doing a terrific job with coming up with new material for the animated world which has been dominated by "The Simpsons" for 20 years. I have been a "The Simpsons" fan since its inception, it WAS the ground breaking show in animation domination. I have watched a few new episodes of "The Simpsons" over the past two years and have noticed they have changed their approach to the show to simulate some of the jokes and layouts that Family Guy uses to keep their ratings up. If you watch an episode from 15 years ago and compare it to one from the past season, there is a subtle difference from then to now. To sum the actual show, I give this episode an 8 out of 10. If you have a rebuttal to my review or rantings, please email me at [e-mail] and explain yourself.

• Joe

Absolutely & ridiculously hysterical!

[Cinema1988 · 10/10 · 18 September 2009]

-I've been watching Family Guy for a few years now and have seen a good number of early and new episodes and I had previously thought that Tan Aquatic and Barely Legal were the funniest episodes and then I saw "I dreamed of Jesus" the other night on Cartoon Network at like 3am. Holy crap...Some may think it was completely stupid or annoying, but I will tell you this I have never laughed so hard at a Family Guy episode in my life. I actually had to turn it off for a minute because I was afraid of waking up my roommates from laughing loud. It is that ridiculous. I think it was the sheer genius stupidity of the concept of simple minded Peter becoming obsessed with and incredibly insipid song and the way he prefaces his rendition of it each time in the episode. I highly recommend this episode to anyone who loves Family Guy and wants to laugh uncontrollably at the hilariously ridiculous yet lovable idiocy that is Peter Griffin. And...Haven't you heard? Bird is the word.

Great episode!!!

[FerasIASIP · 10/10 · 10 April 2020]

This is one of the best episodes in history, at the end of the episode you are going to cry of how much you're tired of listening to the song

The single best episode of Family Guy Ever

[MilkShakeDrinker08 · 10/10 · 10 December 2008]

Have you heard? Everybody's heard. Usually I reserve my comments for the message boards, but when i saw a 1 star rating comment for this episode, i had to jump in.

Jesus at the record store: pure gold. Jesus as a celebrity: Perfect satire of our twisted celebrity obsessed world.

And to bring the trashmen back into relevancy was fall over laughing hilarious. It's been a while now, but i still have fun with my wife every time i ask her is she's heard.

Your problem with the "office Space" parody seems to indicate that you just have an agenda. Perhaps that is why 66%+ of people found your comments useless. It was funny ten years ago. It's funny now because it's a parody. Different players, setting and recipient. Conjures the happy memories of original funny scene with the fun of seeing the new players. It works additionally because the recipient of the drubbing must have necessarily conjured up the requisite hatred. Only the "bird" could do that. It clearly seems to have for you.

If you hated the whole surfing bird thing that much, that would necessitate finding pleasure or at least satisfaction in the Office Space Parody. This did not happen because you have an agenda, hate the show and wanted to rant, good for you.

The bird IS the word, pass it on.

The One With Jesus...

[taylorkingston · 10/10 · 25 January 2015]

I love this episode. I love the way they use Jesus in the episode. It's just so funny.

In this episode, Peter and the rest of his family go to a '50s style diner and he hears his favorite song on the jukebox. Since the song is from the '60s, the record is going to be thrown out, so he takes it home. He plays it way too much and Stewie and Brian take the record outside and smash it to pieces in a slow-mo sequence. Peter wants to buy a new one, so he goes to a record store. Peter discovers that Jesus is living in our world and working at a that record store. He tries to find out why he is back. Is it time for the second coming of Jesus? He is here to save all of the towns people? Why is he here? Turns out, that he's just here to see what the world is currently like. He wants to keep a low profile. Also, Peter couldn't buy a new record because "a dog and a baby came and bought them all".

Overall, I give this episode a 10 out of 10.

The B plot with the Song is relatable

[celiawatsonanime · 8/10 · 13 February 2022]

That feeling when someone likes a song so much they listen to it 100+ times and it gets on your absolute last nerve.

That feeling when you don't like the song as much or even hate it.

Then when they destroy his favorite record Peter starts singing it and annoying everyone even more.

Didn't like the A plot with Jesus coming back as much but was still enjoyable.

I sure have heard

[quevaal · 14 September 2010]

I saw this episode yesterday and enjoyed it quite a lot. I've always thought Surfin' Bird was a cool song. I first heard it in a commercial for a chocolate in Norway (similar to Mars bar) then later in Full Metal Jacket. Now, here's Peter spelling it out the lyrics for me as well. I loved how he was always setting up situations where he could start singing Surfin' Bird. There's also something oddly familiar about how certain songs get to you. Honestly, I didn't tire of it and the last joke completely cracked me up. Then there's Jesus... I always enjoy a good religious satire. In this case, Jesus got off a bit lightly compared to say... James Woods, but all in all a funny episode.

Best Episode

[jakejyn · 10/10 · 15 July 2017]

The greatest episode! Loved it! So many jokes! One of my favorites was when Jesus was having dinner with the family and Peter asked Jesus to make Lois's breasts grow super large. Also, when Peter was singing the song in the restaurant. Just all in all a really, really, lovable, funny episode!!! You should watch it! Great episode!

One of the worst episodes but underrated

[gangstahippie · 7/10 · 6 October 2008]

I dream of Jesus was the latest episode of Family Guy.I decided to review this because a lot of people seem to hate it.I would say Family Guy is my second favorite TV show.It can be very funny, creative and original.This episode was not very great but it was not the worst episode ever like most people are saying.Peter basically hears the song "Surfin Bird" by the Trashmen, gets the record and plays it 24/7.It annoys Brian and Stewie and in a spoof of Office Space, the break the record.Peter goes around looking for another one and finds Jesus.After befriending him, Peter decides to make him famous.He does but Jesus is living an immature celebrity lifestyle and decides to go back to heaven.Now, this episode did not have much of a plot, but there were a few bits in the episode where I was laughing out loud! Office Space is one of my favorite movies, and the spoof was hilarious and interesting to watch, even though it is almost the same as the movie.The song "Surfin Bird" might have annoyed people with it's constant play throughout the episode.It was the first time I heard the song(I have seen Platoon and Full Metal Jacket but do not remember this song playing) and now I can't get it out of my head! So, yeah it's one of the worst episodes, but it does have some funny and great moments!

Good episode

[halldorandresson · 8/10 · 21 December 2022]

While dining at the Nifty Fifties Diner, a 1950s-themed restaurant, Peter Griffin hears his favorite song, "Surfin' Bird" by The Trashmen," on the jukebox. One of the employees removes the record because it's a 1960s song and thus wouldn't exist in the '50s, so Peter offers to trade Meg for sex in exchange for it. He begins driving everyone crazy by endlessly playing and singing to it, and even squanders the family's savings to make a public service announcement where he can do so on TV. Before they completely lose their minds, Stewie and Brian steal the record in Peter's sleep. The next morning, Peter blames the family for the record's disappearance Stewie and Brian had smashed it à la Office Space before going out in an attempt to buy another copy. The clerk at the Dead Format Records store tells Peter they have sold all 63 copies at once to "a dog and a baby" before Peter notices that the clerk looks familiar, ultimately realizing he is Jesus Christ.

The word that Jesus has returned begins spreading when he starts appearing on The Tonight Show and the MTV Music Video Awards, and he becomes a celebrity. He is caught up in his new-found popularity that he begins to neglect his friendship with Peter, sending all his cell phone calls to voice mail, prompting Peter to use Lois' cell phone to complain. Soon Jesus gets arrested after a drinking binge and ending up unconscious at Mary-Kate Olsen's house before making Antisemitic comments. Jesus asks Peter for bail; Peter only heads over to the police station when Jesus makes a lamp in Peter's living room smash into Peter's head. With Jesus in disrepute, he decides that maybe he wasn't mature enough to return to the world, but Peter remarks that the maturity of his statement might mean the day he'll be ready may not be too far off. Before he leaves this world, Jesus gives Peter a present of another record of "Surfin' Bird" to annoy his family with.

I almost feel sorry for it

[sephirizzle · 1/10 · 6 October 2008]

Absolutely awful episode. Not funny, bad gags, stupid (more than usual) plot. Stay away.

I thought that when "Love Blactually" sucked, it was just a fluke, but now, season 7 is 0 for 2. Come on, Seth MacFarlane! Write some decent material for once, this year! The show needs more pop culture references, less Brian (The worst, most annoying, and least likable character on the show, even more so than Meg), and MUCH less overused gags. The whole thing about "Surfin' Bird" was perhaps the worst running joke of all time.

I'll forgive this episode assuming the next ones are better than these, or at least as good as seasons 4 and 5 (The best).

shades of "cartoon wars"

[Seanh76 · 29 November 2008]

Family guy is a guilty pleasure at best, the writers obviously suffer from ADD, which partly makes the show watchable. A couple years ago, South Park aired an episode ripping Family Guy and writers/manatees("Cartoon Wars"). In a rather odd form of flattery, Family Guy has since replied by airing remakes of South Park shows. This show where Jesus becomes a celebrity is bordering plagiarism against South Park episodes, particularly "Mexican Staring Frog of Sri Lanka", in which 'Jesus and Pals' plays for ratings sweeps. The surfing bird is just overkilled to being sickening. Repeating something stupid can be funny, if given the proper timing. If it goes too short, the joke is not understood, if it goes too long, it overplays its humor. I would think this is an elementary rule that any television writer would understand. But I obviously overestimate the ADD manatees!

Worst episode ever.....

[fredageK · 1/10 · 10 December 2008]

I totally agree!! I've seen and own every Fam Guy episode from the first five years. This is absolutely the worst ever!! And it's not even close!! Written by a guy that has Simpsons credits, and you would think would have a pretty good grip on comedy. How did the Fam Guy team let this one slip through to production? The only part that was funny was when Jay Leno announces Jesus on the Tonight Show as being "from the Bible", as is done in real life on most shows to "dumb down" content. And the Jay Leno impression was horrible. Doesn't' Frank Calendo still work for FOX? Couldn't they have gotten him for the J. Leno impression? That still wouldn't have saved the show. "Turd is the Wurd" for this episode.

Fine line between edgy and just offensive.

[pilgrimworker · 2/10 · 8 October 2008]

I've watched Family Guy for years and have almost always found it outrageously funny. This season, though, really isn't going well. The first episode was a simple miss, but this one is truly horrid.

The Surf'n Bird gags were actually humorous for a while, but got old real quick. The Office Space clip was worth a chuckle. The Jay Leno bit, while I saw what they were trying to do, just fell flat.

The worst part was how offensive this episode was. Granted, it is Family Guy, you are expecting a certain amount of edgy humor. This went well beyond edgy. Over the top mocking God and Jesus, an antisemitic crack, and a tasteless joke about River Phoenix were unfunny and repugnant.

One of the worst episodes of anything, ever.

[adamnutley2 · 1/10 · 2 October 2010]

Dear oh dear. This is the episode that convinced me that it's time for Family Guy to be taken off air for good, as the writers have clearly run out of ideas. This episode is effectively a two-parter with no connection between the two halves. Part 1 consists of one recurring joke that failed to be funny first time round, let alone when you've heard it for the 16th time in 10 minutes. This tenuously links in to the second half of the episode that, for some reason, sees Jesus working in a second hand record store, before going on to some contrived and utterly obvious social commentary about the "perils of fame".

The lack of any decent plot could be forgiven if there were some decent jokes thrown in to make up for it, but there were none. Even in the worst episodes of Family Guy before this one, there' be a couple of moments that would raise a snigger, but this episode got no reaction from me whatsoever - the biggest failing a comedy programme can have.

Quite frankly, ever since South Park nailed Family Guy in "Cartoon Wars", it's been very difficult to watch it in the same light. The first couple of seasons (say 1-3) are still classic, but it's been on a long downward slope ever since, and it's quite clear that they'll never come close to hitting the heights of "Death is a Bitch" or "Road to Rhode Island/Europe" again. Time to give it up guys!

Been better, Guy

[fayezs · 4/10 · 16 October 2008]

I thought Love Blactually was pretty funny, but this one was a stinker. I for one think we need more Brian, and more Stewie. The Surfin' Bird shtick was lame, at best. And FG REALLY needs to take a breather on the Jesus. Like, no Jesus for the whole season, seriously. It's overdone. The Jesus-Peter dynamic felt tired, a Jesus-Brian thing or even Jesus-Stewie would be far more interesting. Heck you did better in American Dad's "Tears of a Clooney" with Stan-Clooney. Let's have more current stuff like the election(SARAH PALIN), America's image in the world, reality shows like the hills, ya know...new stuff. I liked the Office Space style destruction but it was overlong, and again, it's been done guys.

What Happened?

[goalie5382 · 1/10 · 10 October 2008]

Just plain awful. This was the worst episode of Family Guy ever aired, and I have seen them all many times. The repetition of the the "Bird is the Word" song and gag screams make it clear that the effort put into writing has hit an all time low. Essentially, they took seven or eight minutes of material stretched it out to the full length episode. I am all for taking several minutes to introduce an unrelated main plot, but this stretched on far too long and when the plot (Peter meets Jesus at a record store?) was finally introduced, it was a huge let down.

These last two episodes have made it clear that Family Guy is not what it once was and is no longer a must watch show.

it's OK

[djskagnetti · 20 December 2008]

First of all, Seth McF is one of the highest paid producers on TV. I wonder why? Second of all, F South Park. Family Guy is an IQ test, those that fail go watch South Park because there they can get their fill of wiener jokes and fart gags. Third, this episode is great for 4 reasons. First, they slaughter Dane Cook. Second, they get Linsay Lohan good as well. Third, Jesus's reference to the Jews starting all wars, a riff on Mel Gibson I think. And last, when Brian and Stewie beat up the record like they do the printer in Office Space. OK, 5 things: when Peter whispers in Jesus's ear and all of a sudden Lois's boobs get gigantic. Beyond that, there are way better episodes.