Why Family Guy Accused Rick & Morty Of Copying It (What Did It Steal?)

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Family Guy has never shied away from making jokes at the expense of others, from politicians to other TV shows to its own cast members, but in season 19, it surprisingly took a shot at fellow animated series Ricky and Morty. In Family Guy season 19, episode 13, “PeTerminator,” Stewie cracks a joke aimed at the other super successful TV show, and it felt a little more personal than usual. Stewie and Brian are on a mission to discover who sent a Terminator — modeled on Peter — back in time and to do so, they use Rick’s portal gun from Rick and Morty. Stewie quips, “I stole it from Rick and Morty–they borrowed plenty from us.” It comes across as a pointed shot, and there are several reasons why the creators of Family Guy could be accusing Rick and Morty of copying them.

Family Guy is no stranger to rivalry. The now infamous double episode in South Park season 10, “Cartoonwars,” deconstructed Family Guy’s entire approach to joke writing andFamily Guy has since poked fun at South Park’s animation style. Family Guy has mocked the Simpsons several times, including in season 7, episode 9, “The Juice is Loose” when Mayor Adam West says to Homer, "We don’t love ya’ like we did in 1993." The showrunners have even taken shots at spinoff series The Cleveland Show and its eventual cancellation.Despite this, Family Guy has mostly steered clear of criticizing Rick and Morty, which made the accusation of copying even more surprising.

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While Family Guy continues to be an undeniable success, its viewers have been steadily dropping off. It started off strong, with 22 million viewers for season 1,