Review: American Dad “A Little Mystery”

Overview:

An innocent desire for Jeff to expand his friend circle (from zero to any) turns into a dangerous game of deception with an ever-mounting body count. Honesty and acceptance may be the keys to a successful relationship. However, Hayley worries that her beau may be a barbarian and that she might somehow be next on the chopping clock.

Meanwhile, Francine tries to gross her way into the record books, but her “accomplishment” reads more like an abomination.

Our Take:

Intimacy is far more than being physically close with someone, as paradoxical as that may seem. American Dad’s Hayley and Jeff are hardly a picture perfect couple, but they’re there for each other when it counts and they don’t necessarily suffer from the same blindspots that plague Stan and Francine. Jeff and Hayley routinely make time for each other and even have a steady date night. However, Hayley has grown increasingly frustrated over Jeff’s inability to truly open up about himself and bare his soul. He’s instead just a repository of random National Geographic Teen facts and ancillary events that have happened to him–most of which Hayley has been present for–rather than being cognizant of anything substantial about him. This cyclical pattern prompts Hayley to push Jeff out of his comfort zone as she urges him to find a new friend who is someone that’s just for him and not another extension of their time together. 

Hayley and Jeff relationship stories have become increasingly prevalent during American Dad’s TBS seasons. However, what’s so interesting about “A Little Mystery” is that it’s one of the first stories between these two that could ostensibly be a Stan and Francine plot. American Dad has periodically held up a mirror to Hayley and Jeff’s relationship and if they’re destined to grow into a variation on Stan and Francine. There are extreme differences between these two couples that make them all quite unique, yet their emotional flaws and insecurities share a great deal of overlap. 

Jeff and Hayley’s murder saga dominates the majority of “A Little Mystery,” but the episode still finds the perfect way to let Francine’s freak flag fly in the form of poorly-manicured mania. Francine’s quest to get into Guinness World Records barely amounts to a story and Roger’s ever-changing wig woes come across as more significant storytelling. There’s a way to do this plot right if it were the episode’s focus and “A Little Mystery” would work just as well without any B-story at all. That being said, it’s still something fun for American Dad to occasionally cut to every so often whenever Hayley’s paranoia gets stretched a little too thin. There’s also a severe lack of Stan and Steve in “A Little Mystery,” but it never feels like they’re necessarily missed during these proceedings. It’s a whole lot better than them being messily shoehorned into a story where they don’t belong. 

“A Little Mystery” is written by Laura Beason, who’s scripted a handful of American Dad episodes that reflect comparable themes, whether it’s “An Irish Goodbye” where Hayley and Francine seek freedom and independence away from their partners or “Please Please Jeff,” where Jeff’s people-pleasing nature causes a rift between him and Hayley. Beason is clearly the right person to pen such a story and this episode is right in the pocket for her. There are shades of these past entries in “A Little Mystery,” but Beason manages to make it feel like an evolution of these themes instead of just a retread of past premises. 

Hayley and Jeff’s reconciliation is quite hackneyed in its construction. However, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s still genuinely heartwarming to see these two reconnect and for Hayley to re-experience what made her fall in love with Jeff in the first place. It’s a long walk to get to this point–nearly as long as Francine’s gross fingernails–but “A Little Mystery” concludes with Jeff and Hayley closer than ever and confirmation that mystery and distance isn’t always a good thing. These two learn a valuable lesson in how to let each other exist as individuals even if they agree that they’re much better as a team. “A Little Mystery” sticks the landing and stands out as one of the more successful Hayley and Jeff stories. A little murder doesn’t stand a chance against a lot of love.