Review: American Dad “Fight and Flight”

Fight for your right.

Spoilers Below

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this week’s new American Dad! episode, “Fight or Flight”, but I was pleasantly surprised, and overall impressed. In my opinion, the last few weeks of new American Dad! episodes haven’t been too interesting or amusing, so I’ve been hoping for the season’s big redemption. And I really feel like this week’s episode came through and did exactly that.

From the very start of “Fight and Flight”, the writers totally nailed it with the show’s cold open. Steve and his friends are getting their tests back in class, and the entire exchange with all his friends and the teacher is UTTERLY HILARIOUS. I was laughing. And HARD. I was also laughing consistently and throughout the episode– but the cold open really set the tone. It actually started off the story, and the rest of the episode maintained the story and the laughs in a very satisfying manner.

I was thoroughly pleased tonight with the American Dad! folks. The episode continues with Stan helping Steve in what ends up being a very genuine and touching story. Sometimes you really see how much Stan cares for Steve in the more recent seasons. Steve is growing up, and instead of chastising Steve for being weak or nerdy, Stan admits that Steve is sensitive and how he wants to protect him. In this episode, he really goes too far on this tangent. But it’s cool to see. Roger’s disguise is a union guy. Maybe the weakest part of the episode, strangely.

We do get a great Hayley and Klaus side story– including a crazy song where Klaus croons about getting a body someday and clothing it. There were a few tamer moments in the middle to the end of the episode, that were more low-key than funny, but served to set up more of the story. Steve flies a plane, Stan learns an important lesson about over-parenting, and we see Francine dancing Austin Powers-style. A win-win all around.

I hope this season of American Dad! continues in the vein of episodes as good as “Fight and Flight”. I’m sure we’ll see a few more duds, as the season has just begun. However, if there are gems in the mix that are as good as this one, I’ll be happy and loving the show– just as I always have.