Everyone was pretty much astounded when “Family Guy” killed off Brian. When he was first killed off, the show’s executive producer, Steve Callaghan, said it would be a “fun way to shake things up” on the popular FOX animated show. However, “fun” is not how a lot of people felt, both diehards and former fans alike. I think it’s safe to say that Brian is everyone’s favorite character on “Family Guy”–he’s the heart and soul of that show, the only person (or, dog, since that’s what he is) that actually acts like a human being.

But anyway, “Family Guy” creator MacFarlane has finally broken his silence as to how he handled the reaction to Brian’s death, according to Entertainment Weekly. “It surprised all of us,” he said to reporters at his Television Critics Association press tour panel Monday for his upcoming FOX documentary “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.” “We were all very surprised, in a good way, that people still cared enough about that character to be angry. We thought it would create a little bit of a stir, but the rage wasn’t something we counted on.”

Thankfully, Brian’s death was only temporary, and the character is back with us once again. However, as to what the show accomplished with his death remains uncertain. Did it accomplish anything except make people angry? If you’ve got an idea as to why Brian’s death was a good storytelling strategy, talk about it in the comments section!