Fart-Break Hotel
Encyclopedia
"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 the house, the family moves into a luxury hotel for a week. While there, Francine decides to assume the identity and life of a familyless career woman, the CEO of a concrete company.
The episode was written by Chris and Matt McKenna, and directed by Rodney Clouden. It received mixed reception among television critics upon its release, with many going on to criticize the main storyline. It was viewed by 3.58 million homes upon its original airing. The episode features a guest appearance from Héctor Elizondo
, as well as several recurring guest voice actors for the series.
. Francine decides to give up her former life and her family to pursue a new life as Sarah.
Meanwhile, at the hotel, Steve becomes drawn to a Patrick Nagel
painting of a woman and the concierge, Héctor Elizondo
, explains that the portrait was painted in 1981 at the hotel. Steve is disappointed that he cannot meet the woman in the portrait, but Héctor tells him that if he uses the power of his mind, he can will himself to travel back in time to meet his dream girl. He successfully travels though time and meets Nagel. However, Nagel drugs his champagne. He awakens naked on the bed and sees the painting of the woman. Nagel explains that he painted Steve, revealing that Steve himself is the woman in the painting
and the shock returns him to his own time.
Ten years in the future, after having accepted the CEO position, Francine is a successful but lonely old woman. On her way to another convention, she visits her old house and sees that Stan and Steve have moved on with their lives, (Stan married another woman). She returns to the hotel for another convention and admits to Héctor that she regrets her decision to change her life and abandon her family. Héctor tells her that with the power of her mind she can also travel back in time and stop herself. She does so and arrives in the present, telling present-Francine not to accept the job and convincing her to stay with her current life with her family. Francine returns to her life as usual, but decides to make every Thursday her personal day away from her usual routine.
, Bob's Burgers
, and its sister shows Family Guy
, and The Cleveland Show
. It was on a new timeslot of 7:30, as opposed to be the last episode in the Fox Animation Domination line-up. It was watched by 3.58 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings
, despite airing simultaneously with America's Funniest Home Videos
on ABC
, the 2011 NFL playoffs on CBS
and the Golden Globe Awards
on NBC
. The episode also acquired a 1.7 rating in the 18–49 demographic, the lowest rating of the line-up, in addition to having significantly lower ratings in total viewership. The episode's ratings decreased significantly from the previous episode.
"Fart-Break Hotel" was met with mixed response from most television critics. Rowan Kaiser of The A.V. Club
wrote, "There are some conceptual jokes that inspire smiles, like the magical, Platonic concierge, and a few good lines but not much beyond that to salvage a tired premise." However, Kaiser made some positive comments on the opening scene of the episode. He went on to give the episode a C, scoring lower than The Simpsons episode "Flaming Moe
", tying with The Cleveland Show episode "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Roberta?
", and Bob's Burgers episode "Crawl Space", while scoring higher than the Family Guy episode "And I'm Joyce Kinney
". Critics on Daemon's TV gave it a more positive review, saying, "Overall, this episode of American Dad was not a bad start for its new spot on the Fox Animation Domination lineup. Whatever I was missing in character development was made up for with good humor that I think will continue to deliver to American Dad fans as it always has." Jason Hughes of the TV Squad also gave it a slightly more positive review, going on to praise the side story. He wrote, "The side story featuring Steve traveling back to 1981 was clever, if not terribly original. It seemed to have elements of Hot Tub Time Machine
and Back to the Future
and probably some others I'm not remembering, and culminated in the anticlimax of Steve being the model in the painting he so admired." However, he was more critical on the main plot, writing, "Francine's journey wasn't terribly unique either, and again it was odd seeing Roger stand in as the voice of reason. It's as if all the elements that make the Smith family who they are were switched around, and the show wasn't made better because of it."
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 originally 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 January 16, 2011. The episode follows housewife 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:...
as she becomes frustrated and bored with her daily routine of taking care of her family. Due to an accident at the house, the family moves into a luxury hotel for a week. While there, Francine decides to assume the identity and life of a familyless career woman, the CEO of a concrete company.
The episode was written by Chris and Matt McKenna, and directed by Rodney Clouden. It received mixed reception among television critics upon its release, with many going on to criticize the main storyline. It was viewed by 3.58 million homes upon its original airing. The episode features a guest appearance from Héctor Elizondo
Hector Elizondo
Héctor Elizondo is an American actor. Elizondo's first major role was that of "God" in the play Steambath, for which he won an Obie Award...
, as well as several recurring guest voice actors for the series.
Plot
Francine's daily routine starts to get to her when the family complains about dinner being prepared on the wrong day. She imagines herself killing the family in revenge: she stabs Roger in the neck with a knife, causing him to bleed to death, decapitates Stan with a butcher knife and finishes by breaking Steve's neck. After Francine threatens them, they agree to eat it anyway. Despite his warnings, Roger has a bad reaction to the food and farts a lethal gas during the middle of the night, prompting the family to leave their residence and stay at a hotel for a week. Discovering that she has never taken the time to get in touch with herself, Francine decides to spend the day assuming the identity of a recently deceased concrete saleswoman, Sarah Blanch. At the work convention in the hotel, Francine becomes more and more impressed with the exciting life she has fabricated for Sarah and fully assumes her identity, demonstrating business prowess that lands her a CEO job in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Francine decides to give up her former life and her family to pursue a new life as Sarah.
Meanwhile, at the hotel, Steve becomes drawn to a Patrick Nagel
Patrick Nagel
Patrick Nagel was an American artist. He created popular illustrations on board, paper, and canvas, most of which emphasize the simple grace of and beauty of the female form, in a distinctive style descended from Art Deco...
painting of a woman and the concierge, Héctor Elizondo
Hector Elizondo
Héctor Elizondo is an American actor. Elizondo's first major role was that of "God" in the play Steambath, for which he won an Obie Award...
, explains that the portrait was painted in 1981 at the hotel. Steve is disappointed that he cannot meet the woman in the portrait, but Héctor tells him that if he uses the power of his mind, he can will himself to travel back in time to meet his dream girl. He successfully travels though time and meets Nagel. However, Nagel drugs his champagne. He awakens naked on the bed and sees the painting of the woman. Nagel explains that he painted Steve, revealing that Steve himself is the woman in the painting
Predestination paradox
A predestination paradox is a paradox of time travel that is often used as a convention in science fiction. It exists when a time traveller is caught in a loop of events that "predestines" or "predates" them to travel back in time...
and the shock returns him to his own time.
Ten years in the future, after having accepted the CEO position, Francine is a successful but lonely old woman. On her way to another convention, she visits her old house and sees that Stan and Steve have moved on with their lives, (Stan married another woman). She returns to the hotel for another convention and admits to Héctor that she regrets her decision to change her life and abandon her family. Héctor tells her that with the power of her mind she can also travel back in time and stop herself. She does so and arrives in the present, telling present-Francine not to accept the job and convincing her to stay with her current life with her family. Francine returns to her life as usual, but decides to make every Thursday her personal day away from her usual routine.
Reception
"Fart-Break Hotel" was broadcast on January 16, 2011, as a part of an animated television night on Fox, and was the first show on the line-up, 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 on a new timeslot of 7:30, as opposed to be the last episode in the Fox Animation Domination line-up. It was watched by 3.58 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, despite airing simultaneously with 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...
, the 2011 NFL playoffs 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 the Golden Globe Awards
68th Golden Globe Awards
The 68th Golden Globe Awards was broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on January 16, 2011, by NBC. The host was Ricky Gervais....
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...
. The episode also acquired a 1.7 rating in the 18–49 demographic, the lowest rating of the line-up, in addition to having significantly lower ratings in total viewership. The episode's ratings decreased significantly from the previous episode.
"Fart-Break Hotel" was met with mixed response from most television critics. 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...
wrote, "There are some conceptual jokes that inspire smiles, like the magical, Platonic concierge, and a few good lines but not much beyond that to salvage a tired premise." However, Kaiser made some positive comments on the opening scene of the episode. He went on to give the episode a C, scoring lower than The Simpsons episode "Flaming Moe
Flaming Moe
"Flaming Moe" is the eleventh episode of The Simpsons twenty second season and aired on January 16, 2011 on the Fox Network. It follows the efforts of Waylon Smithers to earn Mr. Burns' respect by turning Moe's Tavern into a successful gay bar, leading Moe becoming more popular as a gay man than...
", tying with The Cleveland Show episode "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Roberta?
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Roberta?
"How Do You Solve a Problem Like Roberta?" is the eleventh episode of the second season of the American animated television sitcom The Cleveland Show. It aired on Fox in the United States on January 16, 2011...
", and Bob's Burgers episode "Crawl Space", while scoring higher than the Family Guy episode "And I'm Joyce Kinney
And I'm Joyce Kinney
"And I'm Joyce Kinney" is the ninth episode of the ninth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 16, 2011. The episode follows housewife Lois after she becomes close friends with the local news anchor Joyce Kinney. In an attempt to...
". Critics on Daemon's TV gave it a more positive review, saying, "Overall, this episode of American Dad was not a bad start for its new spot on the Fox Animation Domination lineup. Whatever I was missing in character development was made up for with good humor that I think will continue to deliver to American Dad fans as it always has." Jason Hughes of the TV Squad also gave it a slightly more positive review, going on to praise the side story. He wrote, "The side story featuring Steve traveling back to 1981 was clever, if not terribly original. It seemed to have elements of Hot Tub Time Machine
Hot Tub Time Machine
Hot Tub Time Machine is a 2010 American science fiction adult comedy film directed by Steve Pink. Four men, all of them bored with their adult lives, travel back to their 1980s teen-hood, courtesy of a time-shifting hot tub. It stars John Cusack, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Kellee Stewart, Rob...
and Back to the Future
Back to the Future
Back to the Future is a 1985 American science-fiction adventure film. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson. The film tells the story of...
and probably some others I'm not remembering, and culminated in the anticlimax of Steve being the model in the painting he so admired." However, he was more critical on the main plot, writing, "Francine's journey wasn't terribly unique either, and again it was odd seeing Roger stand in as the voice of reason. It's as if all the elements that make the Smith family who they are were switched around, and the show wasn't made better because of it."