Review: American Dad “Lumberjerk”
Overview:
Stan’s passion du jour, lumberjacking, happens to coincide with the stubborn individual’s yearly plans/punishment with Jeff. Stan can’t help but pout over how Jeff will be dead weight and embarrass him around the impressive lumberjack folk, but it’s not long before he realizes that he’s his own worst enemy when it comes to this act of outdoor athleticism. As Stan flounders in his favored field, Jeff rises as a natural savant when it comes to the art of hacking an axe at wood. However, this skewed power dynamic between father and son-in-law only creates greater tension between the two and it begins to seem impossible for them to bury the hatchet.
Stan and Jeff’s arrangement grows more volatile, but Francine and Steve’s efforts to win a vintage pickup truck ignites their competitive nature and leaves them unsure who to trust and what is real in their pursuit for vehicular dominance.
Our Take:
American Dad’s slow indoctrination of Jeff into their core cast has been beautifully handled. The series has never been afraid to push Jeff’s character to unexpected places, whether that’s marriage or even the recesses of outer space alongside a ghostly Sinbad. This particular season of American Dad has made strong use of Jeff and it’s helped establish a level of excitement that accompanies the episodes where he’s allowed to step into the spotlight. Jeff is often at his best when he’s used as a foil to other characters in the Smith family and one of the most rewarding combinations is when American Dad examines the temperamental bond between Jeff and his father-in-law, Stan.
American Dad is well-versed in unconventional endings, especially ones that cram a lot into a condensed time frame, or even just entirely throw logic out the window for a satisfying gag. The ending to “Lumberjerk” is one of American Dad’s most unusual conclusions and its blunt nature damages the episode’s message. There are plenty of American Dad installments where characters learn to appreciate each other, only for them to be at odds again with one another in the very next episode. However, it’s frustrating when Stan completely regresses and diminishes Jeff’s accomplishments. What’s even more surprising is that the typically lackadaisical Jeff seriously resents this treatment and the episode goes out on him harshly cursing out Stan. Nothing is learned here and the characters are actually in an unhealthier place than when the episode began.
Granted, if the rest of the season examined this fissure between Stan and Jeff then this ending would actually be really powerful and an appreciated change of pace. I don’t expect that to happen and it feels more like this clash of egos is meant to be a dark joke that the episode goes out on. Some may view “Lumberjerk’s” conclusion in this light, but it’s strangely dismissive of everything that’s gone on.
It’s nice to see Jeff get a backbone, but it’s at the cost of so much else and it doesn’t feel right that he should hate Stan even though he has every right to do so. This is not the strangest American Dad ending in terms of content, but tonally, it certainly stands out and it weakens what could have been a sweet bonding experience between these two. This perspective might dig too deep and get defensive, but there are other ways to pull off a similar conclusion that don’t invoke such tonal whiplash. Jeff deserves a win and this episode turns him into more of a punchline than a hero.
Oh, and there are yetis out there in Alaska. Be careful…
