Review: American Dad “American Dad Graffito”

Overview: 

Stan’s misguided obsession to save a nostalgia-themed restaurant puts him at odds with Hayley, who tries to take a sincere step forward into adulthood. As father and daughter are pushed into conflict with each other, Stan’s strategy to accomplish his goal puts all of Langley at risk through his destructive attempts to revive the glorious 1950s.

Oh, and Francine has Hepatitis C. Proceed with caution…

Our Take:

Now this is why I watch American Dad!

American Dad is often either at its best or its worst when Stan’s manic impulses are fully in swing and being enabled by himself and others. This mentality isn’t a far stretch from what drove the story forward in last week’s mediocre “Epic Powder Dump,” but it’s put to much better use in this episode as Stan single-handedly attempts to revive the good old times in Langley via “Operation 50’s Fever.” Stan’s ludicrous multi-faceted plan to prove that a bygone era is still alive and well is deeply insane from the very first moment that the germ of this idea is born, but that’s exactly what makes the odd trajectory of “American Dad Graffito” work. Stan’s ultimate goal is so much smaller and more humble than the grandiose means in which he commandeers the entire town to make it a reality. “American Dad Graffito” is a thoroughly out of control endeavor, but it’s also one of the best episodes of this season.

A lot of American Dad’s episodes from the past few seasons where Hayley and Stan are at odds involve Hayley’s lack of drive and Stan’s desire to motivate her in a professional capacity. “American Dad Graffito” doesn’t feel like it retreads old territory and what’s so effective about this episode is that Hayley takes Stan’s advice and does better herself at Sub Hub, but Stan is too far down his 50s rabbit hole to recognize Hayley’s growth. Hayley’s genuine quest to motivate herself at work directly steamrolls Stan’s plans to keep Johnny 50’s alive. The two are forced into competition and Stan decides to champion a bad restaurant and an irrelevant decade rather than his own daughter, who’s actually followed his advice for once. 

One of the greatest joys of American Dad’s post-FOX seasons is that there have been some creative animation flourishes that allow the art department to really go above and beyond with their creations. This habit has only become more pronounced over the past few seasons and episodes like “Mused and Abused” or “Family Time” are actively improved by these artistic experiments that break from American Dad’s standard style. One of the strongest running gags in “American Dad Graffito” involves a lavish set of concept art sketches. 

These meticulous drawings immediately stand out and are the type of material that begs the audience to pause the episode. However, American Dad is fully aware of how strange and entertaining these sketches are and the character’s become increasingly obsessed with this unnecessary accouterments. Each glimpse of new concept art delivers and the most satisfying example involves Stan laboriously breaking down the image’s obvious humor. It’s unclear why exactly this element works so well in “American Dad Graffito,” but it’s these unexpected bursts of odd comedy that continue to make American Dad a treat week-in and week-out.

This year of American Dad has been somewhat hit or miss, but “American Dad Graffito” is exactly the sort of content that works for the series and it contains some of the season’s biggest laughs. Every character is in fine form, even if they’re only around as a fleeting presence, and the episode’s story achieves the right balance between character-driven emotion and unpredictable absurdity. There’s a lot to enjoy in this episode and subsequent viewings are full of additional quirks to appreciate. The excellence of “American Dad Graffito” makes an even greater impression since the episode is scripted by American Dad newcomer, Kevin Tyler. It’s always exciting when fresh blood is immediately on the series’ wavelength and this is a very promising start from Tyler that hopefully leads to a rich run of episodes.

Not enough bells, indeed.