History Recap / FamilyGuyS12E6LifeOfBrian

* [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes Even Jerkasses Have Loved Ones]]: Stewie really shows he loves Brian (as do the rest of the Griffins).

* AntagonistInMourning: Inverted with Quagmire--he doesn't cry or show remorse for Brian, as he's too busy watching a video on his cell phone. Because of this, some fans believe that Quagmire could have been the unseen driver who hit Brian in the first place.

* BitingTheHandHumor: At ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' [=DVDs=] being packages out of season order and being labelled as "Volumes" rather than "Seasons".

* TakeThat[=/=]BitingTheHandHumor: At ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' [=DVDs=] being packages out of season order and being labelled as "Volumes" rather than "Seasons".

** While at the vet waiting on Brian's surgery, Peter talks with a chicken who had his head cut off. The chicken tells him he doesn't want to talk with him because he has a bad reputation with the chicken community.

* AccidentalTruth: While Joe questions how the black woman hitting him with a purse knew Brian at his funeral, the woman is technically right to chide Joe on finding out who did this. [KarmaHoudini The man who ran Brian down was never caught]], and no one seemed to be looking into that.

* EverybodyCries: Occurs when Brian dies, particularly during the scene where the rest of the Griffins are with Brian during his final moments alive.

* PleaseDontLeaveMe: Stewie to Brian. [[TearJerker/FamilyGuy And it just pulls at the heart]].

* AntagonistInMourning: Inverted with Quagmire--he doesn't cry or show remorse for Brian, as he's too busy watching a video on his cell phone. Because of this, some fans believe that Quagmire could have been the unseen driver who hit Brian and caused this whole thing in the first place.
* BittersweetEnding: Although some see this as a DownerEnding--at least until the ChristmasEpisode where Stewie goes back in time to prevent Brian's death from ever happening.

* ContinuityNod: While at the vet waiting on Brian's surgery, Peter talks with a chicken who had his head cut off. The chicken tells him he doesn't want to talk with him because he has a bad reputation with the chicken community.
** Also, when Vinny asks Stewie about the vomit smell in the living room carpet (a reference to the infamous "ipecac vomiting sequence" from season 4's "Eight Simple Rules for Buying My Teenaged Daughter")

* DownerEnding: Many fans, especially those of Brian, consider it this.

* KnightOfCerebus: Whoever originally did, and now has tried, to run over Brian definitely qualifies.

* ShoutOut: To "Swan Song," the Season 8 finale of ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' [[note]](the season finale that led to the SoapOpera's "dream season," which ended with the infamous "shower scene")[[/note]], where Bobby Ewing is struck by a car and dies of his injuries [[note]](although the circumstances are vastly different; Brian and Stewie were stupidly playing street hockey whereas [[IfICantHaveYou Bobby was struck by a motorist who was obsessively stalking him]])[[/note]]. Both the scene where Brian is gravely injured and the follow-up scene at the hospital – a barely coherent Brian is saying his goodbyes to the family, who are tearfully gathered around his bedside – are borrowed heavily from the ending to said ''Dallas'' episode.

* TakeThat / BitingTheHandHumor: At ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' [=DVDs=] being packages out of season order and being labelled as "Volumes" rather than "Seasons".
* TheEndOrIsIt: Brian doesn't return at the end. And even though he has since, it's believed he might die for real later.

* WalkingSpoiler
* WhamEpisode: Brian dies but this is prevented from ever happening in the Christmas episode.
* WhatNowEnding: Sort of.

* DespairEventHorizon: Most fans consider this it for the series.

* SoWhatDoWeDoNow: Pretty much what all the fans thought (until the episode "Christmas Guy").

* InternalRetcon: As of "Christmas Guy", the majority of this episode--as well as the majority of "Christmas Guy" and possibly "Into Harmony's Way"--never happened.

* PleaseDontLeaveMe: Stewie to Brian. [[TearJerker And it just pulls at the heart]].

** Also, when Vinnie asks Stewie about the vomit smell in the living room carpet (a reference to the infamous "ipecac vomiting sequence" from season 4's "Eight Simple Rules for Buying My Teenaged Daughter")

* {{Retcon}}: As of "Christmas Guy", the majority of this episode--as well as the majority of "Christmas Guy" and possibly "Into Harmony's Way"--never happened.

* ShoutOut: To "Swan Song," the Season 8 finale of ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' [[note]](the season finale that led to the CBS soap opera's "dream season," which ended with the infamous "shower scene")[[/note]], where Bobby Ewing is struck by a car and dies of his injuries [[note]](although the circumstances are vastly different; Brian and Stewie were stuidly playing street hockey whereas [[IfICantHaveYou Bobby was struck by a motorist who was obsessively stalking him]])[[/note]]. Both the scene where Brian is gravely injured and the follow-up scene at the hospital – a barely coherent Brian is saying his goodbyes to the family, who are tearfully gathered around his bedside – are borrowed heavily from the ending to said ''Dallas'' episode.
* ShownTheirWork: The cutaway with women voting is actually on the nose: Warren G. Harding was able to win the woman vote because he was considered very handsome.

* FamousLastWords: "You've given me a wonderful life...I love you all."

* DiabolusExMachina: Brian's death comes out of absolutely nowhere, no jokes are said, and no elaboration is done on the driver who ran him over. His death is forced to be played seriously throughout the whole episode.

* ShoutOut: To "Swan Song," the Season 8 finale of ''Series/Dallas'' [[note]](the season finale that led to the CBS soap opera's "dream season," which ended with the infamous "shower scene")[[/note]], where Bobby Ewing is struck by a car and dies of his injuries [[note]](although the circumstances are vastly different; Brian and Stewie were stuidly playing street hockey whereas [[IfICantHaveYou Bobby was struck by a motorist who was obsessively stalking him]])[[/note]]. Both the scene where Brian is gravely injured and the follow-up scene at the hospital – a barely coherent Brian is saying his goodbyes to the family, who are tearfully gathered around his bedside – are borrowed heavily from the ending to said ''Dallas'' episode.

* ShoutOut: To "Swan Song," the Season 8 finale of ''Series/Dallas'' [[note]](the season finale that led to the CBS soap opera's "dream season," which ended with the infamous "shower scene")[[/note]], where Bobby Ewing is struck by a car and dies of his injuries [[note/]](although the circumstances are vastly different; Brian and Stewie were stuidly playing street hockey whereas [[IfICantHaveYou Bobby was struck by a motorist who was obsessively stalking him]])[[/note]]. Both the scene where Brian is gravely injured and the follow-up scene at the hospital – a barely coherent Brian is saying his goodbyes to the family, who are tearfully gathered around his bedside – are borrowed heavily from the ending to said ''Dallas'' episode.

* ChekhovsGun: Stewie mentions a seemingly unassuming incident about traveling forward in time to beat the rush for new Christmas toys. Two episodes later, he and Vinnie spot that exact Stewie doing that, which allows present-Stewie to borrow his return pad and go back to save Brian.

* FamousLastWords: [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming "You've given me a wonderful life...I love you all."]]