Review: American Dad “The Pleasanting at Smith House”

Overview:

Klaus and Jeff’s freewheeling friendship pushes both individuals to be their best selves and open up to the other in rare, genuine ways. Jeff is ready to help Klaus make his dreams a reality, but their idyllic future is jeopardized when their duet turns into a trio. Klaus’ unconventional girlfriend disrupts the breezy status quo that Jeff has learned to love and he soon begins to worry if his best friend is gone for good.

And a new sandwich shop in town causes Stan to go down a painful, prideful journey.

Our Take:

American Dad is a comedy with an alien and a talking goldfish in its main cast and so heightened episodes, whether related to Halloween, Christmas or otherwise, when supernatural creatures enter the picture are very par for the course. In this sense, “somebody dates a Wraith” js hardly unprecedented territory for American Dad, but what does come as a shock is that this girlfriend ghoul is a catalyst to an emotional story between Jeff and Klaus. The story that’s told in “The Pleasanting at Smith House” works better as a random episode where paranormal entities invade instead of couching it within Halloween. This all hits a little harder as a result since these events are not contingent on any holiday season and are instead a reflection of Langley’s tenuous relationship with reality, life, and death. 

Klaus and Jeff aren’t American Dad’s most popular characters, but they’ve both found their ways in the show’s later seasons. Jeff and Klaus don’t always get to share a story, but “The Pleasanting at Smith House” highlights the natural chemistry between these two and how fun they can be together. American Dad could definitely stand to see more of this and regularly return to this pairing based off of how well it works here. It’s satisfying to see Klaus and Jeff effortlessly fall into the rhythm of an old retired couple. It’s actually the perfect speed for these two and it’s a bit of a shock that the show hasn’t previously explored this dynamic. The super-sweet friendship that permeates between Jeff and Klaus makes the horror genre tonal shift hit with even greater intensity as the audience knows that danger–perhaps even death–awaits Jeff, Klaus and their pleasant afternoons.

American Dad opts to take a rather simplistic depiction of its wraith, who mostly screams in anguish rather than engage in dialogue (until the episode’s final minutes). It’s an angle that works for the episode even if it’s not always the most exciting direction. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if this wraith engages in lengthy monologues or mono-syllabic wails because it’s her mere presence and Klaus’ infatuation with her that leaves Jeff feeling threatened. Admittedly, this does leave Klaus’ character feeling a little weak since there’s not much for him to grab onto when it comes to why he’s even attracted to this wraith in the first place other than just “reasons.” However, it’s plausible enough to believe that this entity has Klaus lost in some supernatural glamor-hold. Klaus has also previously been led in the wrong direction by love so all of this is still consistent characterization even if it’s still quite broad. 

This episode really digs into the nature of Jeff and Klaus’ relationship and what it means to be a friend, but “The Pleasanting at Smith House” is more focused on Jeff’s complex feelings over being edged out than it’s interested in Klaus’ lovey dovey romance. Hayley’s presence would only muddle all of this and so it’s smart that this episode doesn’t just keep Hayley out of the picture, but actively occupy her with her own trouble so that she and Jeff have minimal interactions and are forced to work out their issues on their own, without their partner’s help.

“The Pleasanting at Smith House” is a sweet, silly American Dad episode that’s occasionally clunky, but it has its heart in the right place. The installment could have leaned a little harder into the horror genre, but this episode isn’t designed to scare, it’s meant to soothe. The work that’s done with Jeff and Klaus, while somewhat abrupt, feels so natural and it’s easy to already forecast dozens of future double headers with these two. “The Pleasanting at Smith House” is full of eventful accomplishments for its characters, which helps tie this episode together even when it feels somewhat disconnected. The weirdest American Dad episodes are the ones that mix together the uncanny with the emotional and “The Pleasanting at Smith House” does this to hilarious effect.