Besides the overlong conversations/gags and the abuncence of the same kind of joke in each show, I noticed another obvious downer in Family Guy is the lack of any kind of beievable character emotion: I mean for the most part the Griffins are a bunch of a**holes (except perhaps Brian and Meg, which is the reason they get dumped on the most) except for the very unbelievable plot contrivances where they learn a lesson/help out a family member/give a piece of advice. And it dosen't even feel like it's in character for them to do it. It just feels like it's... there to move the plot along. Thus why I couldn't believe in Chris's attempt to get back Meg's job or even Stewie trying to lay out Brian's problem with a comitted relationship with Jillian (Which is probaby the only honest emotion of this episode. Brian obviously didn't see Jillian as anything but a temporary girlfriend until they broke up. And even then I doubt he would of been happy with her. She's probably better off with Adam West anyway. They seem to be on the same page). I suppose because of how the plots can be so interchangeable and the characters are really there to sell the jokes but it really comes off as flat on screen. Espically when a lot of the jokes don't carry the story. For example, there's nothing wrong with long movie references, or H. Jon Benjamin getting a chance to rant. However when you pretty much just sum up the plot of a movie with generic sex jokes it's not really anything too funny. (To Family Guy writing staff: If you ever want Benjamin to rant with someone again on your show, watch Home Movies first and see the right way to do it). Thus why the entire Chris suplot fizziled after a good joke on Stewie knocking down the magazine rack. Meanwhile after it became about gay parties and Brian bashing, the whole Brian/Jillian plot didn't really have anything in it. I guess there were some good jokes with Peter and Jillian talking, Stewie as the Paperboy (finally a good funny use of Herbet, though it would of been funnier if Stewie mentioned cutting him down ala last week's Star Wars special) and the Disney on Ice mention (as well as Lois dissing Brian's novel since it isn't admittingly much). Otherwise just more long drawn out meh jokes. It averages out to be better then the Simpsons this week (IMHO) but not really by much.
As for the whole Simpsons/Family Guy scene: I thought it was pretty good actually. Kind of disturbing but really you should never be afraid of going too far for a joke, espically just a show crossover joke. Maybe at the end it should of revealed the Simpsons were still alive and took vengence on Quagmire or something if everyone has a problem with him just murdering them in the second part of the joke.