DVD Review: ‘American Dad! – Vol. 9’

Article first published as DVD Review: ‘American Dad! – Volume Nine’ on Blogcritics.

American Dad! is Seth MacFarlane’s funniest show, at least nowadays. Perhaps that’s because Dad, Stan (voiced by MacFarlane), has grown over the years, doesn’t always have to play the moron. Or it could be that the show’s CIA work setting allows the writers to stretch their political satire muscles. Maybe it’s the presence of the space alien, Roger (also MacFarlane), who gets to observe us humans from the (literal) beyond.  The list goes on, from sarcastic goldfish Klaus (Dee Bradley Baker) to Patrick Stewart voicing Stan’s wild boss. Whatever the reason, American Dad! is pretty consistently funny. And now season nine is available on DVD from Fox Home Video as American Dad! Volume 9. Why it’s taken so long for the 2012-2013 season to be released, I’m not sure, but at least it’s here now!

The Episodes

The best of season nine can be found in the classic episodes like “Love, American Dad Style,” finds Roger crushing on Hayley (Rachael MacFarlane), something quite unexpected. And in “American Stepdad,” Roger falls for, and marries, Stan’s mother, therefore becoming his landlord’s new daddy. Also in that installment, Steve (Scott Grimes) finds a Fast and the Furious sequel script that blows the lid off the film series.

“Blood Crieth Unto Heaven” is a parody of August: Osage County, and “For Black Eyes Only” is a James Bond knock off, an appropriate movie series for this show to tackle. “Naked to the Limit, One More Time” has Jeff (Jeff Fischer) blabbing about the alien living with the Smiths, forcing Roger to consider killing him, and actually kicks off an arc only recently completed (maybe?) in season ten.
“Lost in Space” is part of that arc, taking place entirely with Jeff on a space station. Unfortunately Jeff’s journey into space is a little disappointing because it means we see the character a lot less. But thankfully American Dad! keeps to continuity, and does check in on him from time to time, as it also deals with Hayley’s separation from her husband. Part of me wishes Jeff would come back and rejoin the ensemble, but a bigger part is just happy to see such a drawn-out story on what is ostensibly a simple cartoon series.

There are also some pretty familiar plots. In “Can I Be Frank With You,” Stan and Francine’s (Wendy Scaal) relationship is tested when he spends too much time hanging out with his work buddies. “Adventures in Hayleysitting” finds Hayley babysitting her brother, Steve, and of course she’s irresponsible and things go wrong. “Finger Lenting Good” has the family trying to give up their vices and gives Roger a Cinderella story. “Spelling Bee Baby” has Francine pushing Steve into a spelling bee. In “The Boring Identity,” Francine takes advantage of Stan’s lost memories. In “Da Flippity Flop,” Stan and Klaus switch bodies. But even these tired premises are still amusing episodes, as they maintain the style and tone that works so well on a weekly basis.

In my opinion, the weakest stuff is usually when Steve is hanging out with his friends. I just don’t like those characters, and while occasionally they may get into 80s movie-inspired stories, which is the best use of them, most of the time they are just gross and sad. Ditching them would improve the overall production greatly.

The Verdict

As with the other Fox releases I’ve covered this week, American Dad! – Volume 9 has no special features. This is frustrating and feels a bit like a rip off. But the choice is either deal with it or skip the set, and being a long-time fan of the show, the former is the slightly more appealing choice.

American Dad! – Volume 9 is available now.

American Dad! Volume 7 released on DVD

American Dad! Volume 7 is now on DVD. This three disc set contains all 19 episodes from season six, which aired during the 2010-2011 television season.  Among the episodes included in Volume 7 is the landmark 100th episode of the series.

For some time, Family Guy has been growing stale. Which makes American Dad!, Seth MacFarlane's second effort for the network, stand out even more. With sharp writing and unexpected plots, Volume 7 will prove to viewers that American Dad! should be the most celebrated part of Animation Domination, at least for now. This is truly a great batch of installments, and the show exhibits no sign of slowing. While some stories do put the parents in stereotypical sitcom situations, the gags and lengths to which things are taken set American Dad! apart from anything that has come before it. 

Volume 7 of American Dad! begins with an important change. "100 A.D." finds Hayley (Rachael MacFarlane) eloping with long-time, on-again off-again boyfriend Jeff (Jeff Fischer). For those who don't think cartoon characters can grow, as many similar series seem to treat the people in them as static for a show's entire run, this is a way for American Dad! to break the mold. By the time the dust settles, Hayley and Jeff are married, and Jeff moves into the Smith household, where he still remains, two seasons later.

This development is bad news at first for Steve (Scott Grimes), as in the second part of the two-part season opener, entitled "Son of Stan," Stan (Seth MacFarlane) clones Steve so that he and Francine (Wendy Schaal) can see which one of their parenting styles is better. With the responsibility of raising Hayley off of them, all of their efforts turn to the younger child. Luckily for Steve, Hayley and Jeff's eventual return to the nest does deflect some of this new found focus.

Other highlights of Volume 7 include "White Rice," where Francine recovers repressed memories and becomes a stand-up comedian; "The People Vs. Martin Sugar," in which Stan serves on a jury trial involving Roger (also MacFarlane); and "For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls," in which Santa Claus seeks revenge on the Smith family for killing him. "Fartbreak Hotel" finds Francine assuming a new identity, "School Lies" sees Roger sell a senator's daughter to a drug lord, and "Jenny Fromdablock" has Roger take Snot's (Curtis Armstrong) virginity. Finally, in "Flirting With Disaster," Francine takes a job at the CIA. Unlike Jeff and Hayley's marriage, this development does not last.

The bonus features are few, but fun. There are audio commentaries on many of the episodes and deleted scenes, too. A short portion of the American Dad! Comic Con 2010 panel is also included. Best of all is "I (Heart) Patrick Stewart," which involves a number of the cast and crew talking about cool it is to work with Patrick Stewart, who voices Stan's boss, Bullock. It is quite possible that many AD! fans are also Stewart fans, so they should delight in this.

In summary, American Dad! Volume 7 is a great collection, full of fantastic episodes and some wonderful extras. Definitely pick up a copy.

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American Dad! Volume 6 out on DVD

     FOX has just released Volume 6 of their popular animated series American Dad! on DVD. Included in this three disc set are all eighteen episodes from season six, which aired from September 2009 until May 2010. One of the longest seasons to date, season six is also the one where American Dad! replaced Family Guy as Seth MacFarlane's most consistently funny series on television. While not every episode is fantastic, American Dad! is having a resurgence creatively, and is funnier now than it was in early years. If you have not been watching the show, Volume 6 is a good place to jump in and become a fan.

     Among the episodes on this DVD release are "In Country... Club," in which Stan (MacFarlane) takes son Steve (Scott Grimes) along on a Vietnam War reenactment that turns deadly real, and "Moon Over Isla Island," where Roger (MacFarlane) becomes dictator of a Caribbean island as a favor to Stan. In "Shallow Vows," Francine (Wendy Schaal) goes ugly, and somehow it's sweet when her husband has his eyes removed so that he can stand to stay married to her. "Rapture's Delight" finds Stan and Francine, devoted Christians, left behind after Jesus raptures his followers. In the season finale, "The Great Space Roaster," Roger tries to kill the family.

     Steve, the CIA agent patriarch, and Roger, the alien that lives with the Smiths, are usually the focus of the episodes, and provide the most antics. This is the season where Stan pulls pranks like a teenager, follows a rock band on tour, opens a stripper dry cleaning business, buys a racehorse, becomes a crack addict, builds a cyborg of himself, bullies Steve to toughen him up, and turns to President Obama for help after humiliating himself in front of the neighbors. Roger, meanwhile, temporarily moves out, remakes an 80's movie, kisses Francine, reveals himself to be a steroid-using Olympic athlete, becomes a corrupt cop, and studies crime scene photography. If that sounds like a lot to cover in only eighteen half-hour episodes, wait until you watch! There's even more!

     Season six is the last season in which Hayley (Rachael MacFarlane) is single. While all of MacFarlane's series do show some degree of character development over the years, in living situation, if not personality, it is rare that a main character would get hitched, making their spouse an important part of the show from then on. Hayley spends much of volume six interested in a koala bear named Reginald (Erik Durbin), but her stoner ex, Jeff (Jeff Fischer), does eventually return to win her back, sowing the seeds for their marriage early in season seven.

     Interestingly, season six is also when the show went from digital to high definition. This DVD set gives you the ability to compare directly, as the first half of the season is still full frame and low quality, while the second set of nine episodes goes widescreen and enhances clarity. Also, episodes are uncensored, so bleeps and black boxes are removed. Viewers have been warned.

     Like most MacFarlane releases, there are tons of extras on the discs. A number of episodes have commentary, though MacFarlane himself does not participate. Luckily, Matt Weitzman, Mike Barker, Matt Fusfeld, Jordan Blum, Wendy Schall, and lots of others are more than knowledgeable enough to take his place. Two commentaries feature The Interdisciplinary Collective for American Dad Studies, which rather than spoil what that is, I'll let you find the treat on your own. Most episodes have deleted scenes, even if they are brief.

     "Rapture's Delight" gets special treatment, with a "Making Of" special and the broadcast script. This is a favorite episode of the staff, as well as viewers, and not just because religious people may consider it blasphemous. Rounding out the extras is a tribute short honoring all of the various animals that have met their end on the series. It's darkly hilarious, so if you're not easily offended, check it out.

     American Dad Volume 6 is already in stores, so please go pick up a copy at your earlier convenience.

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Article first published as DVD Review: American Dad! Volume 6 on Blogcritics.

American Dad celebrates 100th episode in season premiere

     Seth MacFarlane teased us.  When last night's season premiere of American Dad began on FOX, Roger (voiced by MacFarlane) stepped in front of a curtain and told the viewers that since it was the 100th episode, 100 beloved characters would die in the episode.  Now, for a twenty-plus-minute animated show, that seemed unrealistic, so I didn't really buy into the whole premise.  Especially when I made it through the first half with no deaths.  But the fact that there was not one single recognizable character that died (96 of the 100 perished in a three-second-long fiery traffic accident) was a bit disappointing.

     That being said, it was a good, solid episode in the American Dad story.  Daughter Hayley (Rachael MacFarlane, Seth's sister) decided to run away with her ex-boyfriend, Jeff (Jeff Fischer), and get married.  Hayley's father, Stan (MacFarlane), and mother, Francine (Wendy Schaal) are furious.  Stan offers, on television, a $50,000 reward to anyone that can stop the marriage, the $50K being what he had saved up for Hayley's wedding.  In homage to at least one old movie, as many of MacFarlane's episodes of all of his television shows are, Jeff and Hayley concoct a plan wherein Jeff offers to dump her in return for the money, and then the couple escape much richer to begin their future together.  Next week will be a sort of part two, as Roger goes to Thailand to track down the couple.

     This is a bit of a make-or-break moment for American Dad.  While MacFarlane's first show, Family Guy, occasionally advances a serial plot, most animated shows do not.  So far Dad hasn't brought about any big, lasting changes.  Hayley, a member of the central family, getting married would certainly do that.  It would also end a season-long competition between Jeff and koala bear Reginald (Erik Durbin) for Hayley's affections.  Dad has been consistently funnier than Family Guy the last couple of years, and so I am hoping that the show allows a bit of growth and change.  It would really push the series up a couple of notches, and may earn it some deserved recognition.

      The second possible serial moment would involve Principal Lewis (Kevin Michael Richardson), who, in pursuit of the reward money, spectacularly quit his job and stole a police car.  Surely, Lewis cannot return to the school and his old occupation.  Even in a cartoon, that would push the believability boundry way too far.  I hope that Dad chooses a new principal the next time we see the school.  Principal Lewis has appeared in fifteen episodes, so he's sort of important, though this episode was probably the most focus he's gotten to date.
 
     To find out if American Dad will allow the changes to stick, tune in Sunday nights at 9:30pm on FOX.

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