Moon Over Isla Island
Encyclopedia
"Moon Over Isla Island" is the second episode of the fifth season of American Dad!
. It first aired in the United States on Fox on October 4, 2009. This episode mainly centers around Stan
, who starts takes advantage of his relationship with Roger on various occasions. Stan is later told to meet up with General Juanito Pequeño, the ambassador
of a small island nation in the Caribbean
. The ambassador suddenly dies of suffocating on a corn dog
, and Stan convinces Roger to play the role of the ambassador by telling him that they are going on a "friend's vacation". While on the island, Roger finds out that Stan has been taking advantage of him again for his own personal gain, and their friendship starts to hang in the balance.
This episode was written by Jonathan Fener and directed by Rodney Clouden. It received mostly positive response from most television critics, with much of the praise stemming from the main storyline, the jokes, and the chemistry between Stan and Roger. This episode was viewed by 6.7 million homes during its original airing, and it acquired a 3.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic. It featured guest appearances from Ricardo Montalban
and Susie Essman
, as well as several recurring voice actors and actresses for the show.
However, Roger finds out about the plot when he double checks the parchment. Tired of Stan using him and abandoning him all the time, he decides to continue posing as the general and have Stan deported. He then changes the island's name and national anthem and starts commanding the people of Isla to paint the island yellow, but is not satisfied by the time it is half done and demands it be repainted turquoise. The people of Isla grow agitated and start planning a revolution
.
As the CIA had no interest in stopping it, Stan realizes that using people is wrong and goes back to Isla to warn Roger. Unfortunately, he believes that Stan is going to use him again and throws him out of the palace, just as the revolution starts. Thinking quickly, Stan brings out the real general's corpse and calls out the rioters that their quarry is escaping. He then leaves the body in his helicopter before destroying it; Roger then realizes that Stan was right and heads right home. A new dictator is appointed (a dancing man seen earlier in the episode) and while initially loved by the people, an epilogue shows that he became known as the "Dancer of Death," and was the most brutal in the island's history.
In a B-story, while Steve and his friends act out the The Little Mermaid
, Snot appears to be drowning in the pool when he is actually portraying a character from the movie. Francine quickly jumps in and saves him, holding him close to her breasts. Snot then starts to gloat about it to his gym class, only for Steve to find out and swear to get revenge. He feigns being injured to get touched by Snot's mother. Eventually, they realize that they have gone too far after Steve touches Snot's privates, which was planned for Francine.
, and its sister shows The Cleveland Show
and Family Guy
. The episode was watched by 6.7 million homes during its initial airing, despite simultaneously airing with Desperate Housewives
on ABC
, Sunday Night Football on NBC
, and Three Rivers
on CBS
. It received a 3.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic. The episode's total viewership and ratings slightly decreased from the previous episode, "In Country...Club
", which was viewed by 7.12 million homes during its initial airing, and it garnered a 3.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic.
"Moon Over Isla Island" was met with mostly positive reception from television critics and fans alike. It currently holds an 8.3 out of 10 on TV.com
, based on 88 votes. On Internet Movie Database
, the episodes holds an average score of 7.4/10 based on 63 votes. Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
gave it a very positive review, writing, "This was pretty funny throughout. The idea of tossing Roger into the middle of a Banana Republic
and making him the dictator was inspired, especially as his personal obsessions somehow made him even more of a power-mad ruler than the old guy. American Dad’s political satire is always as broad and non-specific as possible, but this was a pretty amusing take on the U.S.’ relations with Latin American countries as well, and the attempts to tie everything in to some sort of personal story involving the characters – specifically Roger’s desire to have Stan be his best friend and go pants shopping with him – worked better than it sometimes does." He also gave the subplot of the episode a positive review, going on to write, "The plot where Steve and Snot competed to see who could get whose mom to fondle whom in the most egregious fashion was a little overly broad, to be honest, but enough of the lines were amusing that the plot worked almost in spite of itself." In conclusion of his review, VanDerWerff would write, "American Dad sometimes wins the animation week by default, but this episode was actually and genuinely a fun piece of television." He went on the give the episode an A-, the highest grade of the night, scoring higher than The Simpsons episode "Bart Gets a Z", The Cleveland Show episode "Da Doggone Daddy-Daughter Dinner Dance
", and Family Guy episode "Family Goy
".
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 in the United States on Fox on October 4, 2009. This episode mainly centers around 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 starts takes advantage of his relationship with Roger on various occasions. Stan is later told to meet up with General Juanito Pequeño, the ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
of a small island nation in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. The ambassador suddenly dies of suffocating on a corn dog
Corn dog
A corn dog is a hot dog sausage coated in a thick layer of cornmeal batter and deep fried in oil, although some are baked. Almost all corn dogs are served on wooden sticks, though some early versions had no stick.-History:...
, and Stan convinces Roger to play the role of the ambassador by telling him that they are going on a "friend's vacation". While on the island, Roger finds out that Stan has been taking advantage of him again for his own personal gain, and their friendship starts to hang in the balance.
This episode was written by Jonathan Fener and directed by Rodney Clouden. It received mostly positive response from most television critics, with much of the praise stemming from the main storyline, the jokes, and the chemistry between Stan and Roger. This episode was viewed by 6.7 million homes during its original airing, and it acquired a 3.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic. It featured guest appearances from Ricardo Montalban
Ricardo Montalbán
Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino, KSG was a Mexican radio, television, theatre and film actor. He had a career spanning six decades and many notable roles...
and Susie Essman
Susie Essman
Susan "Susie" Essman is an American stand-up comedian, actress, writer, television producer, and voice artist. She is best known for her role as Susie Greene on the HBO television sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm...
, as well as several recurring voice actors and actresses for the show.
Plot
Stan constantly makes promises to hang out with Roger but never fulfills his end of the bargain. Soon, he is assigned by the CIA to convince General Juanito Pequeño the dictator of Isla Island to sign a treaty in order to get a promotion at work (and a helicopter) and allow the US to mine the island's oil reserves. When Stan meets the general and accidentally kills him by telling him to eat his corndog whole, only to fall down an upwards escalator and die, he gets Roger to pose as the leader of the small island nation, leading to believe that they are staying at a hotel. Unfortunately, Roger's criticisms of certain things like the food or dusty floors ends up getting the servants killed, forcing Stan to trick Roger into signing the treaty pre-emptively.However, Roger finds out about the plot when he double checks the parchment. Tired of Stan using him and abandoning him all the time, he decides to continue posing as the general and have Stan deported. He then changes the island's name and national anthem and starts commanding the people of Isla to paint the island yellow, but is not satisfied by the time it is half done and demands it be repainted turquoise. The people of Isla grow agitated and start planning a revolution
Revolution
A revolution is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.Aristotle described two types of political revolution:...
.
As the CIA had no interest in stopping it, Stan realizes that using people is wrong and goes back to Isla to warn Roger. Unfortunately, he believes that Stan is going to use him again and throws him out of the palace, just as the revolution starts. Thinking quickly, Stan brings out the real general's corpse and calls out the rioters that their quarry is escaping. He then leaves the body in his helicopter before destroying it; Roger then realizes that Stan was right and heads right home. A new dictator is appointed (a dancing man seen earlier in the episode) and while initially loved by the people, an epilogue shows that he became known as the "Dancer of Death," and was the most brutal in the island's history.
In a B-story, while Steve and his friends act out the The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid (1989 film)
The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of the same name. Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, the film was originally released to theaters on November 14, 1989 and is the twenty-eighth film in...
, Snot appears to be drowning in the pool when he is actually portraying a character from the movie. Francine quickly jumps in and saves him, holding him close to her breasts. Snot then starts to gloat about it to his gym class, only for Steve to find out and swear to get revenge. He feigns being injured to get touched by Snot's mother. Eventually, they realize that they have gone too far after Steve touches Snot's privates, which was planned for Francine.
Reception
"Moon Over Isla Island" was broadcast on October 4, 2009 as part of the animated television block on Fox. It was preceded 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...
, and its sister shows 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...
and 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...
. The episode was watched by 6.7 million homes during its initial airing, despite simultaneously airing with Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
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...
, Sunday Night Football 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...
, and Three Rivers
Three Rivers
- Geography :in Australia:*Three Rivers Station, a pastoral lease in the Mid West of Western Australiain Brazil:*Três Rios, a municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiroin Canada:*Trois-Rivières, a city formerly called Three Rivers...
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...
. It received a 3.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic. The episode's total viewership and ratings slightly decreased from the previous episode, "In Country...Club
In Country...Club
"In Country...Club" is the season premiere of the fifth season of American Dad!. It premiered on September 27, 2009, on Fox. The episode was watched by 7.12 million viewers.-Plot:Steve has been chosen to sing the national anthem at the veteran's fair...
", which was viewed by 7.12 million homes during its initial airing, and it garnered a 3.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic.
"Moon Over Isla Island" was met with mostly positive reception from television critics and fans alike. It currently holds an 8.3 out of 10 on TV.com
TV.com
TV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
, based on 88 votes. On Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
, the episodes holds an average score of 7.4/10 based on 63 votes. Todd VanDerWerff 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 it a very positive review, writing, "This was pretty funny throughout. The idea of tossing Roger into the middle of a Banana Republic
Banana Republic
Banana Republic is an American clothing brand founded by Mel and Patricia Ziegler in 1978 as a travel-themed clothing company; it has subsequently largely eliminated this tropical or travel-related theme. The company was bought by Gap in 1983...
and making him the dictator was inspired, especially as his personal obsessions somehow made him even more of a power-mad ruler than the old guy. American Dad’s political satire is always as broad and non-specific as possible, but this was a pretty amusing take on the U.S.’ relations with Latin American countries as well, and the attempts to tie everything in to some sort of personal story involving the characters – specifically Roger’s desire to have Stan be his best friend and go pants shopping with him – worked better than it sometimes does." He also gave the subplot of the episode a positive review, going on to write, "The plot where Steve and Snot competed to see who could get whose mom to fondle whom in the most egregious fashion was a little overly broad, to be honest, but enough of the lines were amusing that the plot worked almost in spite of itself." In conclusion of his review, VanDerWerff would write, "American Dad sometimes wins the animation week by default, but this episode was actually and genuinely a fun piece of television." He went on the give the episode an A-, the highest grade of the night, scoring higher than The Simpsons episode "Bart Gets a Z", The Cleveland Show episode "Da Doggone Daddy-Daughter Dinner Dance
Da Doggone Daddy-Daughter Dinner Dance
"Da Doggone Daddy-Daughter Dinner Dance" is the second episode of The Cleveland Show. The episode aired on October 4, 2009 on Fox. In the episode, Cleveland tries to make inroads with his new stepdaughter Roberta by asking her to accompany him to the school’s father/daughter dance.The episode was...
", and Family Guy episode "Family Goy
Family Goy
"Family Goy" is the second episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on October 4, 2009. The episode features Irish Catholic Peter after his wife, Lois, discovers that her mother is Jewish, and begins her struggle to adapt...
".