Apologies for this review being a day late. There was a really threatening looking postman at the door, and he just wouldn't take the cheeseburger over the wood chipper. I'm here now though, so let's talk home security.
"Funnyish Games" is a very centered episode of American Dad, a much needed break from the really over the top episodes this season has provided. After hearing about a home invasion on Facebook, Stan and Francine decide to install extra security for their house(RIP Stick). They install TBD Security, but Stan wants to prove to his wife that the system isn't enough, and invades at night, threatening to murder everyone. It's just the type of dumbass thing Stan would think of, but rather than putting Stan and Francine in direct conflict, Francine goes along, requesting Stan to protect the house instead. This is a really smart direction for the episode to take, giving us a more interesting look at their relationship rather than just forcing them to fight. Stan installs his own personal S.T.A.A.N system, which actually works quite effectively. But a terrified Francine abuses the system, and ends up retreating into a panic room.
The final act of the episode sees the S.T.A.A.N system detect Stan as the biggest threat to Francine's safety, which is accurate. But Francine knows that whilst Stan's actions can appear dangerous, he does truly care about her and wants to keep her safe. She escapes the panic room, and there's a very good joke as she can't remember the home address, which the show changes frequently. In the end, Francine is more than capable of taking care of herself, and mopping the floor with jokers from Home Depot. Everything about this storyline is brilliant, a more nuanced take on Stan and Francine drama that didn't require big fights, arguments or pose-offs. There's also a ton of fantastic jokes scattered throughout the episode, from the untimely demise of Stick(again, RIP) to Roger's reveal as a STARZ man.
The interesting family interactions don't stop there, as in the background, Steve takes an architecture course at Groff Community College. There, he runs into Hayley, who's taken the class six times but still hangs around for some reason. Steve's attempt to better his sister's scores by emulating her leads to his decision to just cheat, but Hayley ends up taking the fall. The Smith Family is at their best in this episode, and help turn it into a classic.
9/10
A slower pace with more methodical storytelling and nuanced character writing makes "Funnyish Games" one of the best episodes of the season. After all these years, American Dad knows it's characters well, and deploys that understanding to great effect. Now if you'll excuse me, PREPARE TO DIE! Shit, wrong chatroom.
"Funnyish Games" is a very centered episode of American Dad, a much needed break from the really over the top episodes this season has provided. After hearing about a home invasion on Facebook, Stan and Francine decide to install extra security for their house(RIP Stick). They install TBD Security, but Stan wants to prove to his wife that the system isn't enough, and invades at night, threatening to murder everyone. It's just the type of dumbass thing Stan would think of, but rather than putting Stan and Francine in direct conflict, Francine goes along, requesting Stan to protect the house instead. This is a really smart direction for the episode to take, giving us a more interesting look at their relationship rather than just forcing them to fight. Stan installs his own personal S.T.A.A.N system, which actually works quite effectively. But a terrified Francine abuses the system, and ends up retreating into a panic room.
The final act of the episode sees the S.T.A.A.N system detect Stan as the biggest threat to Francine's safety, which is accurate. But Francine knows that whilst Stan's actions can appear dangerous, he does truly care about her and wants to keep her safe. She escapes the panic room, and there's a very good joke as she can't remember the home address, which the show changes frequently. In the end, Francine is more than capable of taking care of herself, and mopping the floor with jokers from Home Depot. Everything about this storyline is brilliant, a more nuanced take on Stan and Francine drama that didn't require big fights, arguments or pose-offs. There's also a ton of fantastic jokes scattered throughout the episode, from the untimely demise of Stick(again, RIP) to Roger's reveal as a STARZ man.
The interesting family interactions don't stop there, as in the background, Steve takes an architecture course at Groff Community College. There, he runs into Hayley, who's taken the class six times but still hangs around for some reason. Steve's attempt to better his sister's scores by emulating her leads to his decision to just cheat, but Hayley ends up taking the fall. The Smith Family is at their best in this episode, and help turn it into a classic.
9/10
A slower pace with more methodical storytelling and nuanced character writing makes "Funnyish Games" one of the best episodes of the season. After all these years, American Dad knows it's characters well, and deploys that understanding to great effect. Now if you'll excuse me, PREPARE TO DIE! Shit, wrong chatroom.
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