Review: The Stanley Dynamic “The Stanley All-Nighter”

Posted on May 22, 2015September 2, 2019 by Tommy North

All-nighters can be really productive. Abandoning precious hours of sleep in order to catch up on work or maybe just have fun with friends. I’ve done plenty for all sorts of different reasons, but just like everything else in life, they don’t always go as planned. This week the Stanleys find that out the tough way!

In “The Stanley All-Nighter” Luke spends the night with friends (and Doop) playing a role-playing game. Meanwhile, mom helps Lori with her school project by camping out in the yard to do research. Finally, Larry helps dad out with an important comic strip that could propel his career to new heights. Nobody’s night goes according to plan.

This was a fun episode. The all-nighter concept is something almost everybody can relate to, but I haven’t seen it done this way on many other shows. The stress of getting a school project done or an important assignment for work. Even just relaxing and hanging out with friends. The episode gets a little outlandish at times (as it should), but the premise of the episode is something I think everybody can relate to. The episode was written well, there were some great jokes. There were some that didn’t work well, but that’s a comedy. Another good dimension of the episode was it showcased the relationships between the parents and the kids. It’s a family comedy, so anytime they have the chance to hammer that home, it’s a good thing. Luke was off with friends, but he always works best where the fun is happening. He’s a cartoon character, has him bring the fun.

Where the episode didn’t work as much was in the similarities between two of the subplots. Dad and Larry’s story seemed a lot like Mom and Lori’s. I think eliminating one of the stories and bringing the four characters together into one story to work as a unit may have worked better. It would have also freed up time to show us more of Luke’s time playing “Crypts and Labyrinths”! Another area I think could have been improved was within the idea of this being an all-nighter. Everybody seemed energetic, but I think showing signs of fatigue could have opened the floor to comedy that would coincide with the theme.

Overall, it was a good episode. The characters are starting to feel more established as the weeks go on. I think the show still has a little way to go before we really know what it will be. Will there be some coming of age elements? Will the “dynamics” of the show change in any way? It will be interesting to see unfold. But as for this episode, I think it was good for jokes, but I think it missed the mark on other areas.