“Family Guy” producers either have a grand plan to bring back Brian Griffin or are dead serious about killing off the beloved canine character. Hours after the U.S. animated sitcom aired Brian’s last episode on Sunday, a petition has been launched to demand the show to revive him. And it might just prove to be successful, if rumours that Brian is still alive and will come back are true.

On Sunday’s episode called “Life of Brian,” the Griffins’ family dog was hit by a vehicle and died later at the hospital. Just as the viewers thought that he would just spring back and continue on (because let’s face it, getting hit by a car does not even come close to the many dangers he had encountered in the show), the episode ended with a fatal finality.

The death of a beloved main character didn’t sit well with fans. An online petition was started by Aaron Thompson on Change.org, asking creator Seth MacFarlane and Fox Broadcasting Company to “Bring Brian Griffin back to Family Guy.”

“The writers of family guy didn’t just kill off one of their creations, they killed off the dog who has lived in our homes for the last 15 years. They killed the dog we all have come to love. They killed America’s dog!” (sic) the petition reads.

It needs 150,000 signatures, and currently has a little less than 76,000 as of the time of writing.

But is Brian really dead?

Unable to accept the unexpected death, grieving “Family Guy” fans are still hoping that MacFarlane is just pulling a trick on them. And to alleviate their distress, fans have gathered “proofs” and theories that show the talking pooch will be reappearing in the future episodes.

Fans note that this isn’t the first time a major character has died in the series. Lois, the matriarch of the family, was killed by her youngest child Stewie in “Stewie Kills Lois.” And in the second part of the episode called “Lois Kills Stewie,” Stewie was killed, not by Lois, but by his dad Peter. The whole episode happened in a computer simulation, though, so everyone was still alive after that.

And if MacFarlane could pull off a trick like that, then it’s possible that Brian’s death was just a dream sequence or some improbable reality that could only happen in cartoons.

Let’s also not forget that Stewie has a time machine. While it’s true that he destroyed his invention just before Brian was killed, he could always rebuild it. The parts of the machine were a problem in the episode, but that’s not an unsolvable equation.

For a one-year-old evil genius that dreams of world domination, Stewie still has a softer side when it comes to Brian. It’s also unlikely that he would give up so easily in bringing Brian back from the dead. So it’s probably safe to say that fans are counting on him to “un-kill” his canine companion.

Clues in the upcoming episodes

The upcoming episodes might offer a clue as well. TV Line thinks that the eighth episode of the season, “The Christmas Guy,” which is scheduled to air on December 15, will revolve around Stewie as he “hatches a plan to get ‘the one and only thing he wants for Christmas.’”

In October, EW reported that former “Saturday Night Live” star Maya Rudolph would be guest starring in the episode of the animated show later in the twelfth season.

According to the celebrity site, executive producer Steve Callaghan said that Rudolph will “assume the role of an avid runner who catches Brian’s eye. To win her over, he pretends to be a fellow jogger.”

Rudolph’s episode still hasn’t aired, which only means that Callaghan and the rest of the team have planned for Brian to still be alive when that time comes. Perhaps they had changed their mind and wrote a different role for Rudolph and a new storyline for the episode, but fans are still hoping that’s not the case.

Family Guy Wikia has also listed other future episodes with the titles “Brian’s a Bad Father” and “Brian the Closer.”

From the mouth of Callaghan himself

Callaghan’s exclusive interview with eonline.com gave viewers hope that Brian’s absence might just be a temporary gimmick.

“As soon as this idea came up, we started talking about what the next couple episodes could be and we got very excited about the way this change will affect the family dynamics of the characters,” he told the Web site, referring to the infamous death.

Eagle-eyed Comicbook.com readers noted that the exec producer used the words “next couple episodes,” interpreting it as just a temporary thing. It could also be that Callaghan was just referring to the adjustment period of the Griffins since they are still mourning Brian and getting used to Vinny, but optimistic viewers choose to believe otherwise.

Brian’s replacement is signed for six episodes

A month after Brian died, the Griffins thought it was best to adopt another dog to help them move on; hence, they brought home a smooth-talking dog named Vinny from the pet shop. Vinny is voiced by “Sopranos” star Tony Sirico, who, according to Deadline, is tapped for six episodes, “possibly more.”

So while Vinny’s appearance in the show is guaranteed for at least six episodes, he is still not totally on board as a regular. This might mean it’s because the producers are leaving the role of the family’s canine member open for Brian. As the fans have said, they would forgive MacFarlane for a few episodes without Brian, but not if Brian’s exit is permanent.

Brian’s Announcement

A Web site called “Brian’s Announcement” suddenly appeared online on Tuesday. The page contains a countdown clock, which was set in 10 days’ count, and promises a “special announcement from Brian” when the timer strikes zero. It includes a discrete text that reads “A Fox Production,” making visitors believe that 20th Century Fox TV has set up the site for Brian’s return.

But Fox quickly denied that the Web site came from them or from the “Family Guy” producers, calling the newly emerged page as a “hoax.” The countdown clock on the Web site is now set unmoving to zero.

#RIPBrian #familyguy pic.twitter.com/51vBZfdlhy

— Family Guy (@FamilyGuyonFOX) November 25, 2013

RELATED STORIES