A Piñata Named Desire
Encyclopedia
"A Piñata Named Desire" is the eleventh episode of the sixth season of the animated
comedy series
American Dad!
. It first aired on Fox
in the United States on February 13, 2011. This episode mainly centers around Roger and Stan
, who begin to experience tensions growing against each other for the dominant figure in the house. Roger becomes tired of Stan's stance as the authoritarian figure of the house, and he challenges Stan's leadership qualities. Stan insists that he is better at Roger at everything, and he tells him that he has a mission that involves acting
. Unknown to Stan, Roger spies on him, only to find out that Stan is a terrible actor. Roger later boasts to the house that he is a better actor than Stan, but he eventually teaches him to improve his acting skills. Meanwhile, Steve and his friends plan to throw their last slumber party
together.
This episode was written by Chris and Matt McKenna and directed by Bob Bowen, with Jacob Hair as the assistant director. It received highly positive reviews from television critics and fans alike upon its initial airing. The episode was viewed by over 3.94 million viewers upon its initial airing, and it garnered a 1.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic, according to the Nielson ratings. It featured guest appearances from Lucy Lawless
and Terry Crews
, as well as several recurring voice actors and actresses for the show.
of the house, and they argue at the table. Francine
bursts in anger, and wonders why everything at dinner always has to end with arguments between them. Hayley
suggest that they have sex
, saying that they are retaining sexual tension
against each other. Stan reaffirms his position to Roger as head of the house, and states that he has a mission at his workplace that involves acting
. Roger denies this, and during the time when Stan leaves to go to "the play" produced by the CIA
, Roger has snuck in the car. When they arrive in the theater, Roger discovers that Stan does in fact act. Stan as a waiter offers members of a drug cartel water. The leader thinks this is a trap causing the CIA Agents and the drug cartel members to kill each other in the gunfight. Stan's boss Avery Bullock yells at him for botching his part and Roger goes into laughing hysteria when he finds out that Stan is a terrible actor
.
The next morning, Roger boasts to the family at how much of a better actor he is when compared to Stan. Stan admits that Roger is a better actor, and Roger offers to help better his acting. After a few weeks of acting classes taught by Roger (in a Lee Strasberg-like disguise), Stan has made very little progress. He makes an emotional speech about how terrible of an actor he is, only to be met with an applause
from the other actors and actresses. At the next audition, Stan is given the main role of the play entitled "Piñata Man", much to Roger's dismay. During the premiere of the play, the supporting character for Piñata Man is nowhere to be seen, and she is subsequently replaced by Roger. The first scene starts out with Stan and Roger destroying the set, and simultaneously having a contest as to which person is the better actor. The scene closes to a standing ovation, and Stan is pleased to here the crowd cheer for him. Roger tells him that there is a romantic scene coming up, making Stan nervous. As they get to the kissing part, Stan hesitates and Roger confidently smirks at him. Stan suddenly kisses
him, leading to a chain of sexual acts between the two. Stan and Roger are later arrested for public indecency
, proving Hayley's point that they both needed to have sex to release any sexual tension between the two.
Meanwhile, Steve
and his friends plan to have a slumber party together. Vince Chung and the rest of the school students make fun of them, and Steve's friends think that they are too old to have a slumber party. Steve later suggests that this be the last sleep over that he and his friends will ever have. At a local pizzeria, Steve and his friends get into an argument over details, including a moment where Toshi tells Snot to "eat his balls" after he screams at him to learn English. At the end, they hold a sleepover at Steve's treehouse, this time all trying to achieve autofellatio
, after being reunited with the alleged fifth member of the group who had moved away years ago.
episode "Fart-break Hotel
". This episode was directed by series regular Bob Bowen, with Jacob Hair as the assistant director. This would be the third time Bowen has directed an episode for the season, having also directed season six episode "For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls
" and "White Rice
". Seth MacFarlane
, the creator and executive producer of American Dad!, as well as its sister shows Family Guy
and The Cleveland Show
, served as the executive producer
for the episode, along with series veterans Mike Barker, Rick Wiener, Matt Weitzman
, and Kenny Schwartz. Diana Retchey was the animation producer for the episode, in her seventh episode of the season. She has also been the animation producers for many Cartoon Network
shows, such as Johnny Bravo
and Samurai Jack
. Amanda Bell served as the production manager, while Michael Wittenberg would serve as the post-production supervisor for the episode. This would be Bell's eighth episode of the season where she served as the production manager, while this would be Wittenberg's ninth episode of the season as the post-production supervisor.
This episode featured a guest appearance from Lucy Lawless
, who provided the voice for Stacy. Recurring voice actors Curtis Armstrong
, Daisuke Suzuki
and Eddie Kaye Thomas
guest starred as Steve's friends in the episode. Armstrong previously reprised his role in "Stan's Food Restaurant
", while Suzuki and Thomas reprised their roles in "Best Little Horror House in Langley Falls
".
, Bob's Burgers
, and its sister shows Family Guy
and The Cleveland Show
. It was viewed by 3.94 million viewers upon its original airing, despite airing simultaneously with Dateline
on NBC
, 60 Minutes
on CBS
, and America's Funniest Home Videos
on ABC
. It achieved a 1.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic, the lowest rating of the line up. The episode's total viewership and ratings were significantly down from the previous episode, "Stanny Boy and Frantastic
", which was viewed by 4.80 million viewers upon its initial airing, and garnered a 2.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic.
"A Piñata Named Desire" was met with highly positive reception by television critics and fans alike upon its initial release. Rowan Kaiser of The A.V. Club
gave the episode a very positive review, saying the show is "is back in fine form tonight, something notable from the start when they bypass a full credit sequence in favor of a simple title card." Kaiser highly praised the main plot, calling the interaction between Stan and Roger "fantastic throughout." However, he wrote a mixed review about the secondary plot of the episode, suggesting that Steve's idea to plan a "sleepover to end all sleepovers" with his friends is a "a pretty typical sitcom plot for adolescents
". Furthermore, "American Dad adds nothing new except more self-blowjob-attempt jokes. It's not terrible, and if nothing else, it highlights just how good the Roger/Stan [...] storyline is. Despite his criticisms, he rated the episode an A-, the highest grade of the night, scoring higher than The Simpsons episode "The Blue and the Gray
", the Bob's Burgers episode "Sexy Dance Fighting", the Family Guy episode "Friends of Peter G.
, and The Cleveland Show episode "A Short Story and a Tall Tale". Dyanamaria of Daemon's TV gave the episode a positive review, writing that even though "[a]t times the episode felt a little bit slow, [...] having Roger in the main plot around to frequently interject his random humor helped to pick up the pacing". She mentions the episode overall "maintained a good balance of strong laughs and gags in the main storyline" and its subplot "was strong on it’s own." Jason Hughes of TV Squad also gave the episode a positive review, calling it "funny". He praised the main plot, find it hilarious when "seeing Stan completely screw up a mission because he's not as good at acting as Roger is." As for Roger's acting in the episode, he says "it should have been obvious that he's a natural," especially when "he even has boobs when he plays women."
The Parents Television Council
, a television watchdog
group and a regular critic of American Dad! and other Seth MacFarlane
-created and produced shows, named the episode the "Worst TV Show of the Week" during the week of February 18, 2011. The PTC specifically criticized the climatic scene where Stan and Roger attempt to one-up each other during a kissing scene in a community theater production. In conclusion of their review, the Parents Television Council wrote, "It seems as if every week, MacFarlane’s three shows [...] attempt to one-up each other on the offensiveness scale. If one show is relatively tame, it’s a safe bet that the other two will pick up the slack."
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
comedy series
Television comedy
Television comedy had a presence from the earliest days of broadcasting. Among the earliest BBC television programmes in the 1930s was Starlight, which offered a series of guests from the music hall era — singers and comedians amongst them...
American Dad!
American Dad!
American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television...
. It first aired on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States on February 13, 2011. This episode mainly centers around Roger and Stan
Stan Smith
Stanley Roger "Stan" Smith is a former American tennis player and two time Grand Slam singles champion who also, with his partner Bob Lutz, formed one of the most successful doubles teams of all time. Together, they won many major titles all over the world...
, who begin to experience tensions growing against each other for the dominant figure in the house. Roger becomes tired of Stan's stance as the authoritarian figure of the house, and he challenges Stan's leadership qualities. Stan insists that he is better at Roger at everything, and he tells him that he has a mission that involves acting
Acting
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
. Unknown to Stan, Roger spies on him, only to find out that Stan is a terrible actor. Roger later boasts to the house that he is a better actor than Stan, but he eventually teaches him to improve his acting skills. Meanwhile, Steve and his friends plan to throw their last slumber party
Slumber Party
Slumber Party is an indie rock band from Detroit, Michigan. In 2000, 2 years after the band's formation, they signed to Kill Rock Stars.-Albums:*Slumber Party - Kill Rock Stars *Psychedelicate -Kill Rock Stars...
together.
This episode was written by Chris and Matt McKenna and directed by Bob Bowen, with Jacob Hair as the assistant director. It received highly positive reviews from television critics and fans alike upon its initial airing. The episode was viewed by over 3.94 million viewers upon its initial airing, and it garnered a 1.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic, according to the Nielson ratings. It featured guest appearances from Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless, MNZM is a New Zealander actress and singer best known for playing the title character of the internationally successful television series Xena: Warrior Princess....
and Terry Crews
Terry Crews
Terrence Alan "Terry" Crews is an American actor, comedian, voice artist and a former player in the National Football League....
, as well as several recurring voice actors and actresses for the show.
Plot
Roger auditions for a role in a play, in which he ultimately is given the part. At the dinner table, he interrupts Stan about the news of him receiving the part in the play. Stan gets frustrated, and insists that he is better than Roger at everything. Roger gets tired of Stan's stance as the authoritarian figureAuthoritarianism
Authoritarianism is a form of social organization characterized by submission to authority. It is usually opposed to individualism and democracy...
of the house, and they argue at the table. Francine
Francine Smith
Francine Smith is a fictional character on the animated television series American Dad!. She is the wife of Stan Smith and the mother of Steve and Hayley. Francine is voiced by Wendy Schaal.-Fictional character biography:...
bursts in anger, and wonders why everything at dinner always has to end with arguments between them. Hayley
Hayley Smith (American Dad!)
Hayley Dreamsmasher Smith Fischer is a character from the animated television series American Dad!. She is voiced by Rachael MacFarlane, the younger sister of one of the series co-creators, Seth MacFarlane....
suggest that they have sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
, saying that they are retaining sexual tension
Sexual tension
Sexual tension is a social phenomenon that occurs when two people interact and one or both feel sexual desire, but the consummation is postponed or never happens....
against each other. Stan reaffirms his position to Roger as head of the house, and states that he has a mission at his workplace that involves acting
Acting
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
. Roger denies this, and during the time when Stan leaves to go to "the play" produced by the CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
, Roger has snuck in the car. When they arrive in the theater, Roger discovers that Stan does in fact act. Stan as a waiter offers members of a drug cartel water. The leader thinks this is a trap causing the CIA Agents and the drug cartel members to kill each other in the gunfight. Stan's boss Avery Bullock yells at him for botching his part and Roger goes into laughing hysteria when he finds out that Stan is a terrible actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
The next morning, Roger boasts to the family at how much of a better actor he is when compared to Stan. Stan admits that Roger is a better actor, and Roger offers to help better his acting. After a few weeks of acting classes taught by Roger (in a Lee Strasberg-like disguise), Stan has made very little progress. He makes an emotional speech about how terrible of an actor he is, only to be met with an applause
Applause
Applause is primarily the expression of approval by the act of clapping, or striking the palms of the hands together, in order to create noise. Audiences are usually expected to applaud after a performance, such as a musical concert, speech, or play...
from the other actors and actresses. At the next audition, Stan is given the main role of the play entitled "Piñata Man", much to Roger's dismay. During the premiere of the play, the supporting character for Piñata Man is nowhere to be seen, and she is subsequently replaced by Roger. The first scene starts out with Stan and Roger destroying the set, and simultaneously having a contest as to which person is the better actor. The scene closes to a standing ovation, and Stan is pleased to here the crowd cheer for him. Roger tells him that there is a romantic scene coming up, making Stan nervous. As they get to the kissing part, Stan hesitates and Roger confidently smirks at him. Stan suddenly kisses
Kisses
Kisses is a 2008 Irish drama film directed by Lance Daly. The film is a coming of age drama about two ragamuffin preadolescents, next door neighbors each from dysfunctional families living in a poor area in the outskirts of Dublin, Ireland, who run away together one Christmas holiday.-Plot:Early in...
him, leading to a chain of sexual acts between the two. Stan and Roger are later arrested for public indecency
Public indecency
Public indecency refers to conduct undertaken in a non-private or publicly-viewable location, which are deemed indecent in nature, such as indecent exposure and sexual intercourse or masturbation in public view. Such activity is often illegal...
, proving Hayley's point that they both needed to have sex to release any sexual tension between the two.
Meanwhile, Steve
Steve Smith (American Dad!)
Steven Anita “Steve” Smith is a character from the animated television series American Dad!. He is Stan and Francine Smith's only son and Hayley's younger brother as well as the youngest of the series' 6 main characters. Steve is voiced by Scott Grimes.According to TVTDB.com, Steve's original...
and his friends plan to have a slumber party together. Vince Chung and the rest of the school students make fun of them, and Steve's friends think that they are too old to have a slumber party. Steve later suggests that this be the last sleep over that he and his friends will ever have. At a local pizzeria, Steve and his friends get into an argument over details, including a moment where Toshi tells Snot to "eat his balls" after he screams at him to learn English. At the end, they hold a sleepover at Steve's treehouse, this time all trying to achieve autofellatio
Autofellatio
Autofellatio is the act of oral stimulation of one's own penis as a form of masturbation. It is physically possible for men who have sufficient flexibility, penis size or a combination of the two to perform autofellatio...
, after being reunited with the alleged fifth member of the group who had moved away years ago.
Production
"A Piñata Named Desire" was written by series regulars Chris and Matt McKenna, in their second episode of the season. This would be the first episode that both writers would write since the season sixAmerican Dad! (season 6)
American Dad!'s sixth season began airing on October 3, 2010. and ended after 19 episodes on May 22, 2011. Guest stars of this season include Jason Alexander, Sarah Chalke, Hector Elizondo, Anthony Michael Hall, Hayden Panettiere, Lou Diamond Phillips and Burt Reynolds.-Episodes:-External links:* ...
episode "Fart-break Hotel
Fart-Break Hotel
"Fart-Break Hotel" is the ninth episode of the sixth season of American Dad!. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 16, 2011. The episode follows housewife Francine as she becomes frustrated and bored with her daily routine of taking care of her family. Due to an accident at...
". This episode was directed by series regular Bob Bowen, with Jacob Hair as the assistant director. This would be the third time Bowen has directed an episode for the season, having also directed season six episode "For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls
For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls
"For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls" is the eighth episode of the sixth season of American Dad! It originally aired on Fox in the United States on December 12, 2010. The episode follows the events caused by Stan Smith, as he gives his son Steve a machine gun for Christmas, even though his wife Francine...
" and "White Rice
White Rice (American Dad!)
"White Rice" is the fifth episode of the sixth season of American Dad!. It first aired in the United States on Fox on November 21, 2010. This episode mostly centers around Francine, who has consistently been involved in various arguments with Stan about her bringing her parents into their home...
". Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
, the creator and executive producer of American Dad!, as well as its sister shows Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
and The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show is an American animated television series that premiered on September 27, 2009, as a part of the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox in the United States...
, served as the executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
for the episode, along with series veterans Mike Barker, Rick Wiener, Matt Weitzman
Matt Weitzman
Matt Weitzman is one of the creators of American Dad!, and one of the original writers of Family Guy. Matt has written on twelve television shows including Daddy Dearest, Off Centre and Damon. He has also written several films including Freebie.Matt Weitzman was born in Los Angeles, California...
, and Kenny Schwartz. Diana Retchey was the animation producer for the episode, in her seventh episode of the season. She has also been the animation producers for many Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
shows, such as Johnny Bravo
Johnny Bravo
Johnny Bravo is an American animated television series created by Van Partible for Cartoon Network. The series stars a muscular beefcake young man named Johnny Bravo who dons a pompadour hairstyle and an Elvis Presley-like voice and has a forward, woman-chasing personality...
and Samurai Jack
Samurai Jack
Samurai Jack is an American animated television series created by animator Genndy Tartakovsky that aired on both Cartoon Network and Toonami from 2001 to 2004. It is noted for its highly detailed, outline-free, masking-based animation, as well as for its cinematic style and pacing...
. Amanda Bell served as the production manager, while Michael Wittenberg would serve as the post-production supervisor for the episode. This would be Bell's eighth episode of the season where she served as the production manager, while this would be Wittenberg's ninth episode of the season as the post-production supervisor.
This episode featured a guest appearance from Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless, MNZM is a New Zealander actress and singer best known for playing the title character of the internationally successful television series Xena: Warrior Princess....
, who provided the voice for Stacy. Recurring voice actors Curtis Armstrong
Curtis Armstrong
Curtis Armstrong is an American actor best known for his portrayal as Booger in the Revenge of the Nerds movies, as Herbert Viola on Moonlighting, and as famed record producer Ahmet Ertegün in the film Ray.-Early life:...
, Daisuke Suzuki
Daisuke Suzuki
is the songwriter of J-Pop group Girl Next Door.He debuted as Rubii in 1998. He is also the voice of Toshii on American Dad....
and Eddie Kaye Thomas
Eddie Kaye Thomas
Eddie Kaye Thomas is an American film, television, and stage actor who rose to prominence in 1999 as Paul Finch in the American Pie film series.-Early life:Thomas was born in Staten Island, NY...
guest starred as Steve's friends in the episode. Armstrong previously reprised his role in "Stan's Food Restaurant
Stan's Food Restaurant
"Stan's Food Restaurant" is the fourth episode of the sixth season of American Dad!. It aired on Fox on November 14, 2010. This episode — which focused on Stan's dream of opening his own restaurant — is the 100th broadcast episode of American Dad!, an accolade currently bestowed on 100 A.D. for...
", while Suzuki and Thomas reprised their roles in "Best Little Horror House in Langley Falls
Best Little Horror House in Langley Falls
"Best Little Horror House in Langley Falls" is the third episode of sixth season of the animated comedy series American Dad! It originally aired on Fox in the United States on November 7, 2010. The episode follows Stan as his title of having the best haunted house is threatened by a neighbor. To...
".
Reception
"A Piñata Named Desire" was broadcast on February 13, 2011 as part of the animation television night on Fox. The show started off the line up, the third consecutive week that American Dad started off Fox's "Animation Domination" block. It was followed by The SimpsonsThe Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, Bob's Burgers
Bob's Burgers
Bob's Burgers is an American animated television sitcom, which premiered on January 9, 2011 on the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series was created by Loren Bouchard and focuses on the Belcher family, who runs a hamburger restaurant. On April 7, 2011, Bob's Burgers was renewed for a second season...
, and its sister shows Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
and The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show is an American animated television series that premiered on September 27, 2009, as a part of the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox in the United States...
. It was viewed by 3.94 million viewers upon its original airing, despite airing simultaneously with Dateline
Dateline
A dateline is a brief piece of text included in news articles that describes where and when the story occurred, or was written or filed, though the date is often omitted. In the case of articles reprinted from wire services, the distributing organization is also included...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, and America's Funniest Home Videos
America's Funniest Home Videos
America's Funniest Home Videos is an American reality television program on ABC in which viewers are able to send in humorous homemade videotapes. The most common videos usually feature slapstick physical comedy arising from incidents, accidents and mishaps...
on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. It achieved a 1.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic, the lowest rating of the line up. The episode's total viewership and ratings were significantly down from the previous episode, "Stanny Boy and Frantastic
Stanny Boy and Frantastic
"Stanny Boy and Frantastic" is the tenth episode of the sixth season of American Dad!. It aired on Fox in the United States on January 23, 2011. This episode centers around the couple of Stan and Francine, who are bored with their lives. In a desperate attempt to get out of the house, Stan and...
", which was viewed by 4.80 million viewers upon its initial airing, and garnered a 2.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic.
"A Piñata Named Desire" was met with highly positive reception by television critics and fans alike upon its initial release. Rowan Kaiser of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
gave the episode a very positive review, saying the show is "is back in fine form tonight, something notable from the start when they bypass a full credit sequence in favor of a simple title card." Kaiser highly praised the main plot, calling the interaction between Stan and Roger "fantastic throughout." However, he wrote a mixed review about the secondary plot of the episode, suggesting that Steve's idea to plan a "sleepover to end all sleepovers" with his friends is a "a pretty typical sitcom plot for adolescents
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
". Furthermore, "American Dad adds nothing new except more self-blowjob-attempt jokes. It's not terrible, and if nothing else, it highlights just how good the Roger/Stan [...] storyline is. Despite his criticisms, he rated the episode an A-, the highest grade of the night, scoring higher than The Simpsons episode "The Blue and the Gray
The Blue and the Gray (The Simpsons)
"The Blue and the Gray" is the thirteenth episode of the twenty-second season of the animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 13, 2011.-Plot:...
", the Bob's Burgers episode "Sexy Dance Fighting", the Family Guy episode "Friends of Peter G.
Friends of Peter G.
"Friends of Peter G." is the tenth episode of the ninth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It aired on Fox in the United States on February 13, 2011. The episode follows Peter and Brian as they are forced to join Alcoholics Anonymous, due to their excessive drinking, much to their...
, and The Cleveland Show episode "A Short Story and a Tall Tale". Dyanamaria of Daemon's TV gave the episode a positive review, writing that even though "[a]t times the episode felt a little bit slow, [...] having Roger in the main plot around to frequently interject his random humor helped to pick up the pacing". She mentions the episode overall "maintained a good balance of strong laughs and gags in the main storyline" and its subplot "was strong on it’s own." Jason Hughes of TV Squad also gave the episode a positive review, calling it "funny". He praised the main plot, find it hilarious when "seeing Stan completely screw up a mission because he's not as good at acting as Roger is." As for Roger's acting in the episode, he says "it should have been obvious that he's a natural," especially when "he even has boobs when he plays women."
The Parents Television Council
Parents Television Council
The Parents Television Council is a U.S. based advocacy group founded by conservative activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995 using the National Legion of Decency as a model...
, a television watchdog
Watchdog journalism
Watchdog journalism aims to hold accountable public personalities and institutions, whose functions impact social and political life. The term "lapdog journalism", for journalism biased in favour of personalities and institutions, is sometimes used as a conceptual opposite to watchdog...
group and a regular critic of American Dad! and other Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
-created and produced shows, named the episode the "Worst TV Show of the Week" during the week of February 18, 2011. The PTC specifically criticized the climatic scene where Stan and Roger attempt to one-up each other during a kissing scene in a community theater production. In conclusion of their review, the Parents Television Council wrote, "It seems as if every week, MacFarlane’s three shows [...] attempt to one-up each other on the offensiveness scale. If one show is relatively tame, it’s a safe bet that the other two will pick up the slack."