Review: American Dad “Dancin’ A-With My Cell”

Overview:

American Dad is full of passionate characters, which can sometimes produce volatile situations when these many personalities come together for a common goal. “Dancin’ A-With My Cell” unites Stan and his family for what should be a perfectly innocent competitive exercise in alternative furniture racing, but growing frustrations push Stan to elaborate measures that make it easier to work with his family, but also seriously stretches the definition of what still qualifies as his “family.” Stan’s effort to have more of himself rub off on his family spirals out of control and it’s not long before all of Langley Falls finds itself in hot genetic water.

Not everyone in Langley Falls is interested in playing God, but Roger, Jeff, and Principal Lewis’ attempt to relax and hit the slopes comes with its own share of unexpected complications.

Our Take:

“Dancin’ A-With My Cell” is a compelling episode of American Dad because it teases a lot of familiar themes and in many ways it even feels like the type of story that would appear in the series’ first two seasons where there’s more of a focus on CIA science juxtaposed with Stan’s quaint family life. American Dad has given this CIA material enough of a breather in recent seasons that an episode like this ends up feeling quite refreshing, even if riffs on some of American Dad’s greatest hits.

There’s a solid premise in this idea and “Dancin’ A-With My Cell” subverts expectations whenever it feels like the episode is about to shift into predictable territory. The “Stanpocalypse” that occurs when Stan’s DNA overtakes Langley Falls is full of some great visual gags and the joke that the flagpole outside CIA headquarters is littered with crashed cars is almost funny enough to justify this entire plot. The same can be said for the wordplay surrounding Chimdale and it’s possible that over a decade of storytelling was just meant to service this ridiculous joke. As fun as this is, there are still a few moments in this city-wide metamorphosis that ring a little hollow. Passionate tongue-heavy make outs or a zest for Married with Children are bizarre character traits for Stan that feel like they’re merely there to give his “dopplegangers” more to do. They’re not that distracting, but they feel like weak links in an episode that could push parts of its premise even further.

Another detail that really helps “Dancin’ A-With My Cell” is that the big crown jewel that triggers all of this chaos for Stan is an absurd bed race that’s going on in the community. This strange competition is completely irrelevant with minimal stakes and it’s unclear if there’s even a prize that’s involved, but this race becomes this shining beacon that makes Stan feel justified to mutate his family in this manner. The random nature of the bed race would work even if it didn’t get any extra attention, but it doesn’t hurt that the episode’s final act includes a ridiculously fun action sequence where Langley’s best bed racers give it their best. Similarly, it feels like unnecessary to go so far to bring back the genetically-enhanced mosquitoes and succinctly tie everything together, but it’s a testament to the episode’s writing and just how much thought has gone into the structure and plotting of this episode. 

It’s always a lot of fun to see these heightened characters in panic mode and there are some great visuals that accompany this storyline, such as a car on skis or the grim hallucinatory note that it ends on. This story works and reaches a modest resolution, but it also feels like it could be considerably crazier based on the three characters involved. It even feels like their wildest antics happen before their car crashes. Rogu makes a small cameo at the start of the episode, but perhaps his presence could have given this side story the extra ingredient that it lacks.

There’s a lot of broad nonsense to wade through in “Dancin’ A-With My Cell,” but the episode’s genuinely sweet conclusion is the perfect way to bring this madness to an end. Stan’s reckless actions provoke a larger discussion on nature versus nurture and how his family is the secret ingredient that makes him tolerable and smooths out his rough edges, unlike the genetically-altered sycophants that roam the streets. It’s a lesson that’s surprisingly sweet and doesn’t feel manufactured in the least, plus it reunites the Smiths in a natural way. “Dancin’ A-With My Cell” isn’t a stone cold classic like the season’s last two episodes, but it’s still a very satisfying entry that reflects the best elements of American Dad’s past and present.