 The episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics . In a 2008 review , Ahsan Haque of IGN rated the episode an 8 @.@ 9 / 10 , praising the integration of humor into the episode 's storyline . Haque noted that the episode was " a very strong start to this long running classic series , and revisiting it serves as a reminder that unlike many other television shows , there are very few awkward moments , and much of the show 's brilliance is immediately apparent . " In 2009 , the site singled out " Death Has a Shadow " as a " strong start [ to Family Guy ] " . 
