Review: American Dad “Productive Panic”

Overview:

A social pressure cooker at the Yoshida household pushes Francine to come out of her shell. Her humble zest for homemade pottery catches the eye of an eccentric art aficionado who wants to champion Francine. Francine puts her trust in this risky endeavor, which might be the best or worst thing that’s ever happened to her. 

Our Take:

American Dad has an excellent cast of characters that doesn’t have any weak links. It’s easy to celebrate the Roger- and Stan-centric episodes since they’re usually the most ego-driven and outrageous. However, time after time there’s proof that Francine Smith is low-key American Dad’s strongest character and an exceptional agent of chaos. When Francine episodes work, they’re untouchable, but there have also been some misses. “Productive Panic” is another episode that outlines Francine’s need for a purpose outside of her family and an impressive hobby to call her own. She’s surrounded by others who seem to have found “their thing,” even if these things are problems disguised as passions. “Productive Panic” sends Francine on a journey for fulfillment that’s as heavy in amusement as it is in musings.

Some of American Dad’s strongest episodes are Francine stories and “Productive Panic” really lets the character breathe and have some fun. Francine’s full spectrum is on display here and her panicked antics get to bounce off of Klaus for the majority of the episode. American Dad has figured out how to play Klaus to the character’s strengths (there’s even a Jurgen shout-out here!) and he’s routinely a great foil for Francine. “Productive Panic” is no exception and there’s some true depth to what both characters experience as Klaus enters as a fellow outcast with a kind ear and morphs into Francine’s fame-driven manager. 

“Productive Panic” directs a lot of its energy to a lampoon of the art world. This results in a fairly general criticism that initially falls flat and doesn’t have much to say beyond the broad gags that are typically made about this creative niche. This evolves into slightly more nuanced territory that’s more of a condemnation of society’s sheep-like nature and their desire to glom onto the latest trend that’s pushed on them, even when it’s ludicrous. Francine’s feelings of fear and her need for validation that surround her art world contributions are much more interesting than the art itself and the gags that accompany its setting. This material is definitely the weakest part of “Productive Panic,” but it still has its occasional highlights, like a callback to Jasperterian, who painted Francine’s vagina nearly 150 episodes ago all the way back in 2016. Attention to detail and continuity like this helps “Productive Panic” connect even when it’s wading through weaker ideas and comedy.

“Productive Panic” has a lot to say and it’s one of the more successful Francine-centric installments. However, this episode also just excels on a dialogue and joke level. There’s a major laugh within every few minutes and Nicole Shabtai’s script layers ideas so that they pay off later and hit even harder. The use of peacocks at the Yoshida household as a fear trigger for Stan becomes an excellent way to punctuate many scenes that are already funny. Stan’s pride over his book of nonsensical witticisms also turns into a really smart piece of writing where Roger later casually reveals that he’s ghostwriting a book of witticisms. It’s the perfect distillation of both of these characters and that Stan’s major source of pride at the moment is something that he’s outsourced to someone else that becomes an opportunity for Roger to be manipulative. Stan’s trash witticisms also make a lot more sense when they’re viewed as Roger’s ramblings. Roger’s shock that somehow he’s not the famous art mogul, Gary Gogo, is also an effective way for American Dad to bring up and knock down its standard tropes. Jokes are so densely packed into the episode’s dialogue and there’s never a wasted word. 

American Dad’s “Productive Panic” is a successful episode that dares to go to both silly and psychological places while it finds the right balance for these extremes. It’s a bold episode that unnecessarily goes the extra mile in many regards during a time in the series’ life where it’d be so easy to coast. There’s a stylized electronic musical score through the episode’s first act that’s such a nice, unusual touch to accompany the heightened chaos at hand. A similar approach is taken during its final act when more sinister musical stylings take over to push the growing Twilight Zone sensibility. “Productive Panic” isn’t a revelatory episode and it’s likely not distinct enough to be anyone’s favorite, but it does everything right while it goes above and beyond in a manner that does make it feel special. Episodes like “Productive Panic” continue to prove that Francine Smith remains American Dad’s secret weapon.

Oh, and apparently Toshi now has an adopted five-year-old sibling. Let’s see if that further develops.