Review: American Dad “Jambalaya”

Overview:

Francine’s innocent interest to grow her green thumb inadvertently puts her on a collision course with Roger and one of his more eccentric culinary pursuits. Francine’s gardening skills quickly take a backseat to Roger’s invasive efforts to not just unveil his legendary jambalaya recipe, but to make it the signature dish at a new restaurant. Each successful step that Roger takes comes at the expense of Francine’s original goal.

Francine and Roger find themselves increasingly at odds, but Stan and Hayley commiserate over their shared love for a social media nobody. However, this parasocial love risks turning into abuse. 

Oh, and Klaus is really worried about making his deadline for his latest John Cena screenplay. Hollywood. You know how it is…

Our Take:

Any time that Francine develops a new passion in American Dad it’s usually cause for some exciting developments that briefly change the Smith family’s entire ecosystem. Francine’s desire to take up gardening is hardly revelatory behavior, but there are disastrous consequences once this new passion collides with an unfulfilled need in Roger. It’s not long until Francine’s gardening accomplishments are reduced to the literal ingredients for Roger’s authentic Louisiana jambalaya redemption. On that note, this blind bayou jambalaya origin story is so ridiculous and it could have sustained the majority of the episode. It’s appreciated that “Jambalaya” exhibits some restraint in this department and moves rather quickly through this heightened ‘80s flashback sequence.

”Jambalaya” isn’t necessarily unsuccessful, but it’s just such by-the-numbers Roger dominance that there’s nothing that comes as too big of a surprise here. Yes, the specifics of Julius’ Bayou Bistro are unique, but Francine spends most of the episode arguing with Roger and barely manages to get a word in while he just doubles- and triples-down on his fever dream jambalaya fantasy. It’s nothing that American Dad hasn’t done before, and albeit slightly better, even if there are still some cute elements to it all, like Julius, the alligator and namesake of Roger’s impromptu restaurant. That being said, the turn in the final act wherein Francine gives Roger a taste of his own jambalaya, so to speak, does elevate all of this to a satisfying boil. The specifics of this development aren’t anything special by American Dad’s standards, but it’s Francine’s vengeful glee and Roger’s consistent bewilderment that makes this final act betrayal a success. 

“Jambalaya” needs to find some reason for Klaus to be occupied so that he doesn’t join Francine and company for their jambalaya journey, but it’s hysterical that the solution is that he’s behind schedule on a John Cena screenplay. This C-story is completely unnecessary, but it’s treated with such earnestness that it becomes a surprise highlight to the episode. Klaus is so often the subject of mockery and yet this bizarre project of his is discussed with utter sincerity. Between the three pairings of Francine/Roger, Stan/Hayley, and Klaus/Steve, “Jambalaya” gets a lot of mileage out of these diverse, rewarding character dynamics. 

“Jambalaya” has serviceable storylines, but this is an episode that’s also just full of strong dialogue and character asides, like when Francine equates successful gardening with a superiority over God, Stan’s quick admission that Bullock is using at work, or even Klaus’ self-aware reference to the porn that Steve and Roger wrote together in season four’s “Stan Time.” It’s never very long in “Jambalaya” until something elicits laughs and Nic Wegener’s script hits all of its marks even when the episode slips into a more subdued rhythm where storytelling takes a backseat to characterization. There’s an excellent digression on “animal wallets” that’s elegantly resolved through a piece of set dressing. It’s unique touches like this where “Jambalaya” truly shine.

Like any good meal, “Jambalaya” takes a little time to come together, but once it does it results in a hearty meal that should leave its audience satisfied. It’s an episode that’s not precious with any of its storylines, which can occasionally result in frivolous installments, but “Jambalaya” effectively builds upon its chaos. “Jambalaya” gives six characters separate things to do, with Rogu also added to the mix, yet it’s an entry that never feels crowded or poorly paced. “Jambalaya” may not be destined to be a classic American Dad episode or one of this season’s best, but it’s still proof that the series can turn out winners even when they recycle old ideas.