Where Did Family Guy's Ernie the Giant Chicken Go?

Well, it finally happened: after 23 seasons of turning Peter Griffin into a Looney Tunes ragdoll, Ernie the Giant Chicken is officially, permanently dead. Yes, really.

So... the chicken is really gone

Executive producer Alec Sulkin told TVLine that Ernie is not coming back. Translation: this isn't a Brian situation. The creatives feel like they squeezed everything they could out of the bit, and those city-levelling brawls were getting tougher to top — and tougher on the team making them.

"I think that the chicken has gone the way of all flesh. Honestly, I feel like we got so many great set pieces out of the giant chicken fighting with Peter that they became hard to top. It's a lot to ask of our production crew, and we may have just gotten the best out of that character."

That's some inside baseball you don't usually hear: those throwdowns are cool on screen, but a massive lift behind the scenes. So the decision wasn't just story — it was practicality.

What actually happens in the episode

Ernie meets his end in Season 23, Episode 5, "The Chicken or the Meg." The title isn't a metaphor — it's literally Meg's episode.

• Meg starts dating Nugget, who happens to be Ernie's teenage son.
• Despite the decades of mayhem with Peter, Ernie initially plays nice and welcomes Meg.
• Then he flips the switch: he tells Meg to pick a side — her dad or his kid.
• Meg decides she's not playing that game and concludes Ernie's just as bad as Peter (maybe worse).
• She decapitates him in his front yard. His body staggers around for a moment and collapses. That's it. Game over.

A 23-season bit, bookended

Ernie crash-landed into Family Guy back in Season 2, Episode 3 ("Da Boom"), and the running gag has been part of the show's DNA ever since — the kind of set piece that could chew up an entire act. Ending it now is a big swing, especially for a series that's not shy about undoing deaths. (Brian, we're looking at you.)

But Sulkin says this one is for keeps. That puts Ernie on a very short list of characters the show has truly retired. The most recent example: Doug, Stewie's pint-sized nemesis, who died off-screen in Season 21 in a commuter plane crash. So yeah, it does happen — just not often.

What's next for Family Guy

If you're wondering when the next era begins: Season 24 is set to hit Fox in 2026. In the meantime, there's a fresh Halloween special out now (released October 6). It's a full episode with an original story — Brian and Stewie decide the world is low on quality Halloween songs and try to write a hit, while Peter and the guys get themselves into trouble after lying about their trick-or-treating exploits. A Christmas special is on the way soon, too.

Family Guy streams on Hulu in the US.

As for Ernie: after two decades of property damage and poultry-based vendetta, the show finally slammed the door. Honestly, probably the right call — those fights peaked ages ago — but it's still wild to type the words "the chicken is dead."