Review: American Dad “The Longest Distance Relationship”

Spoilers Below

This is the end of the line, ladies & gentlemen. It’s been an interesting season of American Dad, but we have finally come to the final episode of not only this season, but the last that will ever air on Fox. The show will find new life this coming Fall on TBS for it’s eleventh season.

In “The Longest Relationship”, we find that Hayley is mourning the loss of Jeff (he was sent into space by Roger). She refuses to leave her room and she won’t eat. After the Smith’s home burns down in a “controlled fire”, Hayley meets a new man at the hospital named Millionaire Matt Davis. He is wealthy, handsome, and lives life to the fullest. Just when Hayley thinks that she is ready to move on from Jeff, she learns from Steve’s radio communicator that Jeff is still alive in space and is looking for a way home with the Ghost of Sinbad… the comedian not the sailor. Now Hayley is stuck between two loves and must make a difficult decision.

“The Longest Relationship” was a surprisingly touching season finale. Finales usually try to leave an impression on the viewer and I think it did just that. These characters were developed for a comedic purpose, so when they actually start making you feel things besides happiness and laughter it means something. The relationship between Jeff and Hayley has always seemed silly, but in this episode you really get a sense of how much these characters care for one another.

This episode was also very funny. I found myself laughing at the majority of the jokes, particularly a bit that was a nod to the “Planet of the Apes”. Every character seemed to shine this episode. We saw Steve still on the hunt to lose his virginity, Roger up to his craziness, Stan doing whatever he wants to do, and so on. All the elements that make each character who they are were present in last night’s finale. Even Sinbad’s ghost was really funny. Say what you will about the man himself, but the ghost of Sinbad flying through space in a rocket ship is funny on it’s own, everything else is just gravy.

Something I didn’t enjoy about this episode was the character of Millionaire Matt Davis. While he himself was pretty entertaining, I wish he was introduced a little earlier in the season. He is a millionaire and Stan adores him. I feel like they could have had some more funny moments together. I also feel like that would have made the story of Jeff and Hayley be more interesting. If the viewers got invested in a new character throughout this season, and suddenly Jeff returns, I think that would have gave this episode a special feeling you wouldn’t expect from an animated comedy. Not really a complaint, more of a recommendation. That’s really all that disappointed me about this episode. In my opinion this is American Dad at it’s best.

Overall, excellent episode. I was laughing, I was feeling, and I just had a lot of fun. I’m going to miss this show over the Summer! I’m excited that American Dad is still alive in well, but a part of me still feels sad that Animation Domination is going to be a thing of the past. It was nice having a block on prime time dedicated to something we love here at BubbleBlabber. But, that’s television! Just have to be happy there are new episodes still on the way.

I’d like to thank those of you who have read my American Dad reviews over the past six months or so. I had a lot of fun sharing my thoughts with you and be sure to check out my full season review of American Dad! It should be up really soon for you guys. Cheers!