Let's be real. Family Guy has done some incredibly weird stuff over the last few decades, but "The Fat Guy Strangler" occupies a very specific, greasy corner of the show's history. It’s the fourth episode of season four. Originally airing in 2005, it didn't just give us another Peter Griffin mishap; it introduced a lore-heavy, semi-disturbing character that felt like a fever dream. Patrick Pewterschmidt. Lois’s long-lost, institutionalized brother who happens to have a murderous vendetta against anyone with a high body mass index.
It’s dark. Honestly, it's darker than the usual "Peter fights a giant chicken" trope.
The episode starts with a health scare. Peter gets a physical, realizes he's obese, and decides to start a support group for "fat guys." This is classic Seth MacFarlane era writing—finding a relatable insecurity and then inflating it until it pops. But the real meat of the story kicks in when Lois discovers she has a brother her parents hidden away for decades. Why? Because he caught her mother, Babs, in bed with Jackie Gleason. The trauma snapped him. He didn't just become a recluse; he became a serial killer with a specific "type."
The Origin of the Family Guy Fat Guy Strangler
Patrick Pewterschmidt isn't your typical Family Guy villain. He’s voiced by Robert Downey Jr., which is a wild fact that people often forget. At the time, RDJ was just starting his massive career comeback. He actually called the producers and asked to do a voice because his son was a fan of the show. He brings this eerie, soft-spoken calmness to Patrick that makes the "strangling" bit feel surprisingly tense for a cartoon.
When Lois goes to the mental asylum to find him, she thinks she’s doing a good deed. She’s being the "moral center" of the show. She brings him home. She ignores the red flags. Even when news reports start coming out about overweight men being murdered in Quahog, Lois stays in denial. It’s a perfect satire of family loyalty blinded by guilt.
Peter, meanwhile, is at his most oblivious. He’s basically bait. He’s founded the National Association for the Advancement of Fat People (NAAFP), and he’s surrounding himself with Patrick’s favorite targets. The tension builds in that weirdly specific Family Guy way where you’re laughing at a cutaway gag one second and then watching a skinny guy in a suit slowly approach a heavy-set man with a wire the next.
Why Patrick Pewterschmidt Worked (And Why He Didn't Return Much)
Most Family Guy characters are recycled until they’re bone dry. Look at the Giant Chicken or the Greased-up Deaf Guy. But Patrick? He’s rare. He reappeared briefly in "Killer Queen" years later, but he never became a staple.
Maybe it’s because the premise is inherently limited. Once the "secret brother" reveal is over, he’s just a guy who hates fat people. There isn't much room for growth there. However, the 2005 episode remains a high-water mark for the series because it balanced the surrealism of the Pewterschmidt family's wealth with genuine slasher-movie tropes.
The scene where Patrick tries to strangle Brian (who is wearing a "fat suit" of sorts) is a masterclass in the show's mid-2000s timing. It’s fast. It’s violent. It’s absurd.
The Cultural Impact of Fat Guy Strangler and That "Milkshake" Scene
You can’t talk about this episode without mentioning the "Milkshake" scene. You know the one. Peter is trying to "blend in" or hide, and it turns into a bizarre, rhythmic sequence. It's one of those moments that went viral before "going viral" was a formalized marketing strategy.
It highlights the era of the show where the writers were pushing the boundaries of how long they could hold a joke. They wanted to see if the audience would get bored, then annoyed, then find it funny again. Usually, it worked. In this episode, it served to highlight the total disconnect between Peter’s buffoonery and the actual life-and-death stakes of having a serial killer in the guest room.
The Psychology of the Pewterschmidts
If you look at the broader Family Guy lore, this episode added a lot of layers to Carter and Babs. It established that they aren't just cold, old-money elitists; they are genuinely traumatized and perhaps a bit evil. They didn't just put Patrick in a home; they erased him. They pretended he didn't exist to maintain their social standing.
- Carter’s Denial: He refuses to acknowledge Patrick’s existence even when confronted.
- Babs’s Guilt: The affair with Jackie Gleason is treated as a joke, but it’s the literal catalyst for a man’s psychological collapse.
- Lois’s Naivety: This episode is a rare moment where Lois’s desire to be "the good person" actually puts everyone in mortal danger.
Honestly, it makes the Griffin family look functional by comparison. Sorta.
How to Watch and What to Look For
If you’re revisiting the Family Guy Fat Guy Strangler episode today, pay attention to the background details in the asylum. The show’s animators often snuck in references to famous cinematic psychopaths. It’s also worth noting the animation style. Season four was the first season after the show was brought back from cancellation. The lines are cleaner, the colors are more vibrant, but the "edge" was sharper because the creators felt they had nothing to lose.
They had been cancelled and brought back by popular demand. They were untouchable. This episode reflects that "we can do whatever we want" energy. They turned a guest spot by a future Marvel superstar into a story about a man strangling fat people with piano wire.
✨ Don't miss: Billy Crystal and Robin Williams: Why This Friendship Still Matters
Final Takeaways on Patrick Pewterschmidt
The episode "The Fat Guy Strangler" (officially titled "The Fat Guy Strangler," obviously) remains a fan favorite because it’s a tight, focused narrative that doesn't rely too heavily on cutaways. It has a beginning, a middle, and a very creepy end.
If you're looking for more Family Guy deep cuts or want to understand the history of the show's most underrated villains, start here.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Re-watch Season 4, Episode 17: See if you can spot the Robert Downey Jr. nuances in Patrick's voice acting.
- Compare to "Killer Queen": Watch the Season 10 episode to see how the writers brought Patrick back and if he kept that same eerie energy.
- Check the Credits: Look at the writing staff for this era; many of them went on to head their own major network shows, which explains why the pacing here feels so much tighter than modern seasons.
The "Fat Guy Strangler" isn't just a gag; it's a reminder of when Family Guy was willing to be a little bit truly scary between the fart jokes.