Review: American Dad “400?!” ; “Tales from the Outer Frontier”
Overview
“American Dad “400?!”
Stan nearly dies on his 400th mission and returns home to realize the CIA’s secret clone program has already replaced him.
“Tales from the Outer Frontier”
In this three-part anthology of self-contained tales, the Smiths take on new roles across the harsh frontier of space, confronting mortality, purpose, and that relentless Mars dust.
Our Take
In what I guess is the pre-game before FOX kicks off it’s Fall AniDom schedule on September 27th, we’re treated to a pivotal moment in animation history…the 400th episode of American Dad. Wow, it seems like just yesterday when FOX cancelled the series, went to TBS, then returned to FOX though even the show admits the numbering of American Dad episodes can be a confusing discussion when one digs into the show’s mythos.
But that’s part of the minutia of American Dad’s nearly three-decade run, the fact that people are STILL discussing this show and with good reason. Long gone are the days where American Dad was negatively compared to Family Guy and now we are in an era both shows are counterpoints to arguments of superiority. Both are among Hulu’s most-watched series and that doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon.
Most readers know that when I review anthology episodes I usually do so negatively, mostly because I think the lot of them are unoriginal, but the third act of “Tales from the Outer Frontier” left a nice chew to think about due to the clever premise which helped offset the episode’s other two bits that I neither cared for or wish to revisit anytime soon.
What MAY be revisiting for a few more times the epic Clone Wars “400?!” episode, most noticeably the epic climax that featured a crazy ass battle featuring mutated Stan clones that were so well done I just want to go back and watch that scene again and again. The variety of characters, the plot, really everything about the 400th episode of American Dad!, in my opinion, puts it as one of THE top five episodes of American Dad! of all-time and should be required watching for casual and hardcore fans alike.
