Review: American Dad “Bazooka Steve”

Let’s blow the whole thing open.

Spoilers Below

You kids remember when arena football was popular? Oh, I do, about 10 years ago, probably even longer. It wasn’t bad either, team owners of NFL franchises invested in teams that eventually became “part-time football” and saw the likes of John Elway eventually gain enough experience to become NFL executives themselves.

Apparently, Langley Falls, Virginia friggin’ loves arena football, not unlike how much most of Texas likes their football…all the time. But when Steve convinces the star QB of local team the Sharks to retire as a result of too many concussions, he becomes the town pariah to the entire city, even gaining the ire of his parents. It gets so bad that Steve has himself shipped to a remote island where the local inhabitants show Steve why sports is important to the common working man.

Speaking of working, Hayley becomes a cab driver…yep that’s pretty much everything that has to do with the side plot.

Our Take

I love sports comedies that see an area so enamored with their teams that they go homicidal with my favorite example of this being the movie comedy Celtic Pride where the city of Boston turns on Louis Scott (played By Damon Wayans) in an attempt to win an NBA championship.

Similarily, Langley Falls’ ardent support for a sport that is all but dead (arena football) is hilarious in it of itself. The best part of the show is when even Fran and Stan turn on their own child, all in the name of sports.

Unfortunately, being shipped to another country is a concept that was seen in Family Guy when Chris moved to an island in an attempt to both get away from the constant harassment of being seen as a “freshman” and be with the love of his life in the episode “Jungle Love”. Moreover, the side plot with Hayley was lame.

Fortunately, there’s enough here for a passing grade. Langley Falls slowly turning on Steve was a fun trip, and the producers made sure to reflect upon a real crisis when it comes to head injuries in sports and the value we place on human life in exchange for entertainment.