Everybody knows Family Guy is a show that aims to make audiences laugh as long and hard as possible. It's tough to find a moment of sincerity or genuine warmth because even these are often used as setup timers to create another quick-witted gag that spoils to moment.
Still, the show isn't devoid of heartwarming moments that make fans smile. For all the times the characters do each other harm, this acts as an amplifier for those few times when they say or do sweet things. These are rare moments in Family Guy, but that's what makes them so treasured.
10 The McRib Brings Them Together
Peter is driving on the road one day when he sees a sign that says the McRib is back. Many families go wild for the delicious McDonald's item that appears less than seasonally but the Griffins take it to a different level entirely.
He drives home and tells the kids to get into the car, as they had been practicing for. Meg tells her father that she loves him and Peter replies, "I love you too, sweetheart. None of the past matters." While this doesn't forgive Peter's abuse as Meg might suggest, it's nice to see them getting along for a brief moment.
9 Meg And Peter Are Secret Best Friends
As Peter and Meg spend more time together, Peter comes to realize that he loves his daughter and enjoys spending time with her. Of course, that would ruin the dynamic of the show, so he reminds her that he will still have to be awful to her to keep up appearances.
But he does tell Meg that they'll be secret best friends. Peter chucks a glass of lemonade at her when Lois enters the scene but, before he goes back inside, Peter winks at meg to confirm that the cruel ploy hides his true feelings and she smiles sweetly.
8 Brian And Stewie Finally Say "I Love You"
Familiarity breeds contempt and after seasons full of journeys through space and time all over the planet, Stewie and Brian are about as familiar as two characters can be. They see the worst in each other and oftentimes that "worst" is directed at each other.
The love might have been assumed but it remained unspoken for a long time. However, after discovering that Brian had plans in place to kill himself, Stewie decides that's it's not good enough for Brian to guess that he loves him. They say "I love you" to each other out loud in a tender but important moment.
7 Meg Stands Up To Karen
Nobody knows what it's like to get bullied like Meg Griffin. She was considered a disappointment since her literal birth and life hasn't gotten much better. When she's not getting trashed at home, she's being hounded in school.
But it's this experience that allowed her to pick up on what was happening to Peter when his older sister Karen came to town. Although Meg would be perfectly justified in letting Karen carry out revenge on her behalf, she steps in to put an end to Peter's misery.
6 Mayor West Still Watches Over His Constituents
When Adam West passed away, he received a brief comedic bit with a bloody baseball bat that can hardly be considered heartwarming. Playing himself as Adam West, the mayor was eventually replaced by his fictitious cousin, Wild West.
But fans didn't get that sweet moment immediately which made Mayor West's reappearance all the more beautiful. As Quagmire and Brian plummet to certain doom, the angelic figure of Mayor West still watches over the citizens of Quahog and catches them.
5 Peter And Lois Caught Dancing
In one of the most unprovoked moments in the series, Meg comes home early to discover her parents slow dancing in the dark in some candlelight. After years of seeing the Griffins barely staving off divorce (sometimes even hinting they'll get one eventually), seeing them in a romantic scene is a shocker.
Peter suggests to Meg that marriages don't just automatically work and they need a lot of work. He's right, of course, and it's nice to see the couple doing the work to stay together instead of at each other's throats for once.
4 "Heaven Has Gained A Princess"
Many franchises were heartbroken when Carrie Fisher passed away. For Family Guy fans, she was the voice of Angela, Peter's boss. Instead of having her go away, the writers decided to have a full-fledged funeral for the character that had touched so many.
Peter's eulogy is full of jokes and comedic bits, as can be expected. But instead of wrapping up with a zinger, Peter gives Carrie Fisher a line that would become the most iconic send-off for the legendary actress: "I may have lost a boss, but heaven has gained a princess."
3 Quagmire's Letter To Brenda
At first, Brenda's intervention goes badly south. Although the characters want her to leave her blatantly abusive boyfriend, they stumble over themselves with Joe calling Chris "Caleb" and Peter trying to find the time to work in his bit about cigarettes.
He stresses that women are strong and his beloved sister has forfeited the ability to call herself a woman because she's allowed herself to become a punching bag. Anybody that has had a loved one stuck in an abusive relationship feels for Quagmire at this moment and can't help but sympathize with him.
2 Dr. Hartman Saves The Day
When Peter has his kidneys failing, Brian agrees to give his life so they can harvest his organs and save Peter's life. Fans are left heartbroken as Stewie holds Brian in tears, pleading, "I don't want to lose anybody."
Thankfully, Dr. Hartman steps in to save the day, reminding them that the surgery likely would have killed both Stewie and Peter. It turns out the doctor's own kidneys are a match for Peter and there is a better and more qualified surgeon than himself who can perform the procedure.
1 Vinny's Sacrifice
Brian's death is the opposite of heartwarming. It's violent, sudden, and soul-shattering. After some attempts to save him, Stewie finally accepts that Brian is gone and develops a friendship with another dog who was looking for love after a heartbreak of his own.
However, in a chance encounter, Stewie has an opportunity to go back in time and save Brian and he needs Vinny's help. The catch is that this means that the Griffins will have never met Vinny and Vinny will have never met the Griffins. Despite this, he reunites Brian and Stewie in a powerful moment that won't soon be forgotten by any true Family Guy fans.