Review: American Dad “A Donkey’s Shame”
Overview:
American Dad recently returned from hiatus just in time for Father’s Day with a two-parter. Ending out the night is “A Donkey’s Shame,” which sees Stan and Francine head off to Las Vegas.
Our Take:
After Francine gets injured helping Stan at work (he forgot it was his day to bring snacks), she starts hearing mysterious radio signals from singer John Mayer. Steve, not wanting to admit that something’s wrong, decides to go along with it, even when she wants to head all the way to Las Vegas to confront the singer.
One thing that really makes the episode is that it is a star-studded event. While in Vegas, Wayne Newton, and Stan’s love of donkeys, inspire him to fight for Francine when it seems that all hope is lost. RuPaul also steals the show as a Las Vegas concierge.
Of course, the underlying question of the episode is if Francine is right about the voices in her head. It turns out she is right. Mayer had been trying to contact her through radio signals and she was the only one, meaning Francine actually gets to play the hero and save him from an obsessed fan, one who Stan and Francine already know.
The episode is somewhat familiar. The main plot is similar to “Tears of a Clooney,” where Stan and Francine teamed up to take down George Clooney. The twist, that Stan and Francine’s therapist turns out to be less rational than she appears, brings to mind “Wife Insurance,” where the family’s seemingly normal dentist turned out to secretly be obsessed with Stan. Still, it would be sad if the show didn’t give Stan and Fran more colorful adventures.
This episode was the second half of a two-parter which also came out on Father’s Day. It was also the only regular animated feature of the night. Overall, it was a good way to end the night, especially as Francine tells Stan that she loves their crazy life. Ultimately, it will truly leave viewers feeling the opposite of “donkey shame” for following the Smith family all this time. And, truly, that is “horse proud.”
And don’t worry. No donkeys were shamed in the making of the episode. It’s all just a pun on Newton’s famous song, “Danke Schoen?” Happy Father’s Day, and have a beautiful time!
