I've been a reluctant fan of American Dad. I figured it was Family Guy's less funny younger cousin and often did not stay up late enough to watch the original airing of the episodes. I thought that, besides Stan and Roger, the characters were rather bland: Hayley the sexually promiscuous liberal, Francine the independent wife who didn't have the same spunk as Lois Griffin, and Steve, the geeky son, who didn't seem to fit in the family (he doesn't look a thing like his parents). Then there is Klaus, the goldfish with an East German Olympian's brain who is fixated on Francine and doesn't have the storyline importance of Brian. Those times I stayed up to watch the show, though, I found it very funny with witty political humor and numerous sexual innuendos which are even funnier when Stan has no clue what he is saying. Now that the DVD collections are more affordable, I've gotten the three volumes released so far and have enjoyed watching them, although they do not have the same re-watch ability of Family Guy and South Park.
Disc 1:
"Pilot"--Stan fixes the student body president election for his son to help him attract the lead cheerleader. Meanwhile, Roger is put on a diet and writes Hayley's paper in exchange for junk food.
"Stan Knows Best"--Fed up with her father's dictatorship, Hayley leaves home to live in her boyfriend's van and becomes a stripper. Stan--"Do I have to smell like BO and hump a redwood just to get through to her?" In his constant quest to get lucky, Steve poses Roger as his burn victim sister to get sympathy from a girl.
"Threat Levels"--Francine decides to be a real estate agent and Stan is jealous that she is making more money. He is even angrier when she sells the neighboring house to the news anchormen couple Greg and Terry of whom he disapproves because they are...uh...reporters.
"Francine's Flashback"--Stan forgets his wedding anniversary again and, to avoid the consequences, he has his wife's memory erased. The wrong turn of the dial, however, causes her memory to go back to 1985. Hayley finds out her mom was once cool and Stan tries to jog her memory by recreating the moment they fell in love. Roger makes a big time racist statement in this one.
Disc 2:
"Roger Codger"--Stan thinks he has no sissy feelings, especially not for his resident moocher alien, Roger. When he thinks Roger died, he unceremoniously chucks his body in a dumpster much to the chagrin of his family who have grown fond of the Paul Lynde wannabe, especially Steve. When Roger turns up alive and is pursued by the CIA, the alien is prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect his new earthling family and tear-like substance wells up in Stan's eyes after all. The back story of how Roger and Stan met is in this episode.
"Homeland Insecurity"--Francine organizes a neighborhood party and Stan is paranoid about the Iranian-American couple on their block. Meanwhile, Roger tries to find out his special power. Weird ending that has nothing to do with the story (is this movie reference or something?).
"Deacon Stan, Jesus Man"--Stan is in constant competition with his hot shot neighbor, Chuck White. When they both run for deacon, Stan recruits the assistance of Karl Rove and crowd-pleasing potato salad made with Roger's lactating milky mucus from his mammary glands (uh,..eeewwww). The alien looks hilarious fattened up in a milking harness. Oh, and Roger gets Steve pregnant (yes, it's that kind of episode).
"Bullocks to Stan"--Stan's daughter Hayley sleeps with his Yul Brynner-looking boss Bullock, but he can't react because he is up for promotion. Hayley's promiscuity is a little much here.
Disc 3:
"A Smith in the Hand"--Steve is about to take sexual education, so Stan takes over and teaches his son the evils of playing "a solo on the devil's clarinet." An accident down there requires Stan to apply ointment directly to the affected area and, as Stan says, it's "like God has kissed me with a mouthful of Scotch." Steve is sickeningly sweet in this one. I was waiting for him to start saying "Gee, that's swell."
"All About Steve"--Stan ditches his son because he is a not cool but then is able to use Steve's geekiness to solve the case of a mysterious cyberterrorist.
"Con Heir"--Stan has been lying about who his father is and his family resents it--well, except Roger who is taken in by the heroic new grandpa Smith. Steve makes out with an, uh, older woman.
"Stan of Arabia"--Two-parter. Stan is transferred to Saudi Arabia. While he appreciates Saudi culture so much he renounces his family's American citizenship, his independent wife and daughter, overzealous son, and alcoholic alien have trouble adjusting. The songs are a bit much, but I do like the song that makes fun of the 1950s. Roger and the Arab with the "beast with the two humps" is very funny. The second part of this episode also contains another reference to my alma mater, Chico State.
Extras--Lots of extras are included in this collection, including commentaries on most of the episodes, "All in the Family" featurette on the creation of American Dad, animatics and, my favorite, 42 deleted scenes. |
Yes, it is a "funny" series. However, it is not even close compared to Family Guy, which shares the creators with this series. The jokes are flat and if you have seen it once, you will never watch an episode again. Heck, I watched some Family Guy episodes 5 times...
Sadly, I never really got into the series and after series 1 I completely lost interest in the series. |
When this show first aired I, like many, assumed it was going to just be a lesser version of "Family Guy", and indeed the first few episodes seemed to bear this out.
I think it was somewhere around "Homeland Insecurity" and "A Smith in the Hand" that I began to change my mind on the show. That was when it began to show some real potential and begin to shine on its own, regardless of what was going on in "Family Guy".
"American Dad!" contains some of the sharpest political satire this side of Steven Colbert and John Stewart. Like Colbert is mocks the state of affairs in the nation today with an "everything is rosy!" attitude, and that's something I always enjoy. It also helps that this show can go even more over-the-top than "Family Guy" can.
Really there's not too much more I can say about this show. If you like funny, sharp, intelligent political satire, you'll get a big kick out of it. If you don't, well... you're doomed, so there. :P |
Expedited Available
"amazing quality"
""Oh, what fresh Hell is this?"---Roger "
"Will always be in the shadow of Family Guy"