What we think happened...
Okay, my friends and I have thought about just when the show was doomed to be canned by network television. Far beyond its audiences tolerance we think we have figured it out.
First off, the original episodes had only pilot and season numbers assigned to them, upon completing season 1 the names take on a bizarre change... the pilot became "Death has a shadow" as if the producers were poking fun at their inevitable end, followed by "I never Met the Dead Man" then "Chitty Chitty Death Bang" where the 'death cut-scene' occurred (explained below) and then followed by "Mind over Murder"... the acceptance of their censorship and destiny to be removed from network funding. No other episodes have this cryptic naming after that episode.
In the original airing of "Chitty Chitty Death Bang" Stewie is asked what he wants for his first birthday, he imagines leading army of goose stepping Stewie worshiping nazi-modeled army through Europe as a map of Europe fills with bloody ink. Stewie is inthralled. Since that airing the episode simly has Stewie imagine the sounds of war and combat with a smile.
It is our belief that this nazi-centered joke set is what eventually sent the critics of the show to scream so loud that Fox and Family Guy had to cry uncle.
Any other theories?