You Debt Your Life
Encyclopedia
"You Debt Your Life" is the twelfth episode of the sixth season of American Dad!
. It aired on Fox
in the United States on February 20, 2011. The episode focuses on two of the show's main characters, Roger the Alien and Stan Smith
. After he saves Roger from being run over by a bus, Stan has repaid what Hayley
calls his "life debt" and subsequently disowns him. Roger moves out of the household, and Stan replaces him with Andy Dick
. Roger intuitively figures out he can get reaccepted by Stan and move back in by forcing him into a new life debt, by getting him attacked by a polar bear
at a zoo
and then saving his life at Area 51
. Meanwhile, Steve and his friends abuse the power of being public announcers at Pearl Bailey High School.
, Stan saves him from being run over on a street by an oncoming bus. The next day, Stan stresses about his suit being torn as a result, among Roger's other annoying mishaps. He questions why he even saved Roger's life last night, leading Hayley to bring up the matter of a "life debt". She retells the story—first described in "Roger Codger"—of how Roger saved Stan's life in Area 51
years ago. Since then, Stan owed Roger a life debt, which is why Roger lives with the Smiths, until now when Klaus says Stan has repaid the debt, to which Stan then disowns the alien at this point. Saddened, Roger moves out of the household and into another apartment building, at least until Francine stops by there and suggests him to try to convince Stan to accept him again. Roger agrees and moves back in, only to find out Stan has replaced him with Andy Dick
. Francine later goes to see Roger inside a men's locker room at a YMCA
and suggests him to remind Stan how they were once friends.
At a zoo, Stan insists on bringing Andy Dick with him, much to Roger's chagrin. Roger wishes the times back when Stan still owes him the life debt, so he pushes him into a pool with a polar bear
, figuring out that, when saving him from being attacked by it, he would create a new life debt for him and therefore able to live in the house again. Andy Dick jumps into the pool to save Stan, but Roger stops Andy Dick from doing so, leading to a slapfight between the two, while simultaneously the polar bear continues to attack Stan until it amputates
his legs. Instead of taking Stan to a hospital, Roger drives him on a cross-country trip to Area 51 in Nevada
. There, Roger finds his "fanny pack", which contains a salve
that regrows Stan's legs, albeit into baby-size for the first few hours, which puts Stan in a life debt again. Security guards and a scientist appear, aware that Roger is an alien despite his disguise. Escaping from them and their explosives, Stan grabs Roger and goes through a laundry chute and onto the back of a truck, evening the debt, much to Roger's dismay. After their leave, Stan finally admits to Roger that he did not remember the life debt until Hayley brought it up and that he spent time with Andy Dick only because his character resembles Roger's. He wants Roger to come back home, to which Roger is delighted to do so.
Meanwhile, Principal Lewis appoints Steve to a position as a public announcer at Pearl Bailey High School, after Steve tricks the previous announcer into shouting into the microphone whatever he says goes on in the school. Steve himself develops such a god complex
, prompting his concerned friends to use the same microphone trick on him. Snot takes over the announcer position and abuses its power as well, and Barry swears directly into the microphone, leading to Lewis kicking the entire group out of his office room and unknowingly revealing that he used to take part in Drug traficing in Peru
, forgetting that the microphone was still on.
. It is the second episode of the season Sommers and Bennett worked, the first being "Son of Stan
".
In addition to the regular cast, comedian Nick Kroll
guest starred in this episode. Recurring voice actors Curtis Armstrong
, Daisuke Suzuki
and Eddie Kaye Thomas
guest starred as Steve's friends in the episode, while Kevin Michael Richardson
would return to play his part as Principal Lewis.
, Bob's Burgers
, Family Guy
. and The Cleveland Show
. It was viewed by 4.27 million viewers upon its original airing achieved a 2.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic, according to Nielsen ratings
. Both the episode's total viewership and rating was lower than those of every other show featured in the animation television night. The episode's total viewership and ratings increased slightly from the previous episode, "A Piñata Named Desire
", which was viewed by 3.9 million viewers upon its initial airing, and garnered a 1.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic.
The episode was met with mixed reviews from critics. In a simultaneous review with The Simpsons
, Bob's Burgers
, Family Guy
, and The Cleveland Show
, Rowan Kaiser of The A.V. Club
gave a generally negative review to the episode. He stated its situations "were properly built for comedy, but the jokes just didn't land." Kaiser further suggested the scene when Roger devises a plan to save Stan at Area 51 was anticlimatic, saying after "some weird stuff happens, the reset button gets hit, the end." He also criticized the episode's subplot featuring Steve and his friends, saying "it's not very funny", and concerns about Hayley's cameo appearance in this episode despite her status as a main character. Kaiser concluded the entire episode was forgettable and rated it a C-, scoring higher than Family Guy episode "German Guy" but lower than The Simpsons episode "Angry Dad: The Movie
", Bob's Burgers episode "Hamburger Dinner Theater
", and The Cleveland Show episode "Terry Unmarried
". On the other hand, Jason Hughes of TV Squad provided a positive review to the episode. Firstly, he praised on how Andy Dick managed to visually replace Roger. Hughes also enjoyed seeing Roger trying to save Stan's life just so Roger can move back in the household, as well as the salve in Roger's fanny pack giving Stan baby legs. Dyana Maria of Daemon's TV also reacted positively to the episode. She enjoys Roger's hilarious character, saying Roger's shenanigans of living by himself "were definitely at their best". Furthermore, Maria praised the physical gags between Stan and Andy Dick, suggesting they were "totally ridiculous" in a good way, while she called the episode's subplot featuring Steve and his friends "simple but still funny". Conclusively, Maria suggested all of these put together created "a really strong and well balanced episode".
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 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 20, 2011. The episode focuses on two of the show's main characters, Roger the Alien and Stan Smith
Stan Smith (American Dad!)
Stan Smith is a character from the animated television series American Dad!. Stan is a Central Intelligence Agency officer. Although once a case officer, he is now a weapons expert. Stan is voiced by the series' creator and executive producer, Seth MacFarlane.-Summary:Stan Smith born 12 February,...
. After he saves Roger from being run over by a bus, Stan has repaid what 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....
calls his "life debt" and subsequently disowns him. Roger moves out of the household, and Stan replaces him with Andy Dick
Andy Dick
Andrew R. "Andy" Dick is an American comedian, actor, musician and television/film producer. His first regular television role was on the short-lived but highly influential Ben Stiller Show. In the mid-1990s, he had a long-running stint on NBC's NewsRadio...
. Roger intuitively figures out he can get reaccepted by Stan and move back in by forcing him into a new life debt, by getting him attacked by a polar bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
at a zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
and then saving his life at Area 51
Area 51
Area 51 is a military base, and a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base. It is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, 83 miles north-northwest of downtown Las Vegas. Situated at its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield...
. Meanwhile, Steve and his friends abuse the power of being public announcers at Pearl Bailey High School.
Plot
After Roger runs outside a barBar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
, Stan saves him from being run over on a street by an oncoming bus. The next day, Stan stresses about his suit being torn as a result, among Roger's other annoying mishaps. He questions why he even saved Roger's life last night, leading Hayley to bring up the matter of a "life debt". She retells the story—first described in "Roger Codger"—of how Roger saved Stan's life in Area 51
Area 51
Area 51 is a military base, and a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base. It is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, 83 miles north-northwest of downtown Las Vegas. Situated at its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield...
years ago. Since then, Stan owed Roger a life debt, which is why Roger lives with the Smiths, until now when Klaus says Stan has repaid the debt, to which Stan then disowns the alien at this point. Saddened, Roger moves out of the household and into another apartment building, at least until Francine stops by there and suggests him to try to convince Stan to accept him again. Roger agrees and moves back in, only to find out Stan has replaced him with Andy Dick
Andy Dick
Andrew R. "Andy" Dick is an American comedian, actor, musician and television/film producer. His first regular television role was on the short-lived but highly influential Ben Stiller Show. In the mid-1990s, he had a long-running stint on NBC's NewsRadio...
. Francine later goes to see Roger inside a men's locker room at a YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
and suggests him to remind Stan how they were once friends.
At a zoo, Stan insists on bringing Andy Dick with him, much to Roger's chagrin. Roger wishes the times back when Stan still owes him the life debt, so he pushes him into a pool with a polar bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
, figuring out that, when saving him from being attacked by it, he would create a new life debt for him and therefore able to live in the house again. Andy Dick jumps into the pool to save Stan, but Roger stops Andy Dick from doing so, leading to a slapfight between the two, while simultaneously the polar bear continues to attack Stan until it amputates
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
his legs. Instead of taking Stan to a hospital, Roger drives him on a cross-country trip to Area 51 in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. There, Roger finds his "fanny pack", which contains a salve
Salve
A salve is a medical ointment used to soothe the head or other body surface. A popular eye medicine known as "Phrygian powder" was one of Laodicea's sources of wealth...
that regrows Stan's legs, albeit into baby-size for the first few hours, which puts Stan in a life debt again. Security guards and a scientist appear, aware that Roger is an alien despite his disguise. Escaping from them and their explosives, Stan grabs Roger and goes through a laundry chute and onto the back of a truck, evening the debt, much to Roger's dismay. After their leave, Stan finally admits to Roger that he did not remember the life debt until Hayley brought it up and that he spent time with Andy Dick only because his character resembles Roger's. He wants Roger to come back home, to which Roger is delighted to do so.
Meanwhile, Principal Lewis appoints Steve to a position as a public announcer at Pearl Bailey High School, after Steve tricks the previous announcer into shouting into the microphone whatever he says goes on in the school. Steve himself develops such a god complex
God complex
A god complex is an unshakable belief characterized by consistently inflated feelings of personal ability, privilege, or infallibility. A person with a god complex may refuse to admit the possibility of error or failure, even in the face of complex or intractable problems or difficult or impossible...
, prompting his concerned friends to use the same microphone trick on him. Snot takes over the announcer position and abuses its power as well, and Barry swears directly into the microphone, leading to Lewis kicking the entire group out of his office room and unknowingly revealing that he used to take part in Drug traficing in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, forgetting that the microphone was still on.
Production
This episode was written by Erik Sommers and directed by Chris Bennett, before the conclusion of Season 6American 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:* ...
. It is the second episode of the season Sommers and Bennett worked, the first being "Son of Stan
American 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:* ...
".
In addition to the regular cast, comedian Nick Kroll
Nick Kroll
Nick Kroll is an American actor and comedian best known for appearing in television shows such as Best Week Ever, Cavemen and Sit Down, Shut Up. He co-stars in the shows The Life & Times of Tim and The League....
guest starred in this episode. 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, while Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...
would return to play his part as Principal Lewis.
Reception
"You Debt Your Life" was first broadcast on February 20, 2011 as part of the animation television night on Fox. 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...
, 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 4.27 million viewers upon its original airing achieved a 2.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic, 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...
. Both the episode's total viewership and rating was lower than those of every other show featured in the animation television night. The episode's total viewership and ratings increased slightly from the previous episode, "A Piñata Named Desire
A Piñata Named Desire
"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...
", which was viewed by 3.9 million viewers upon its initial airing, and garnered a 1.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic.
The episode was met with mixed reviews from critics. In a simultaneous review with The Simpsons
The 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...
, 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...
, 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 a generally negative review to the episode. He stated its situations "were properly built for comedy, but the jokes just didn't land." Kaiser further suggested the scene when Roger devises a plan to save Stan at Area 51 was anticlimatic, saying after "some weird stuff happens, the reset button gets hit, the end." He also criticized the episode's subplot featuring Steve and his friends, saying "it's not very funny", and concerns about Hayley's cameo appearance in this episode despite her status as a main character. Kaiser concluded the entire episode was forgettable and rated it a C-, scoring higher than Family Guy episode "German Guy" but lower than The Simpsons episode "Angry Dad: The Movie
Angry Dad: The Movie
"Angry Dad: The Movie" is the fourteenth episode of The Simpsons twenty-second season. It aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 20, 2011...
", Bob's Burgers episode "Hamburger Dinner Theater
Hamburger Dinner Theater
"Hamburger Dinner Theater" is the fifth episode of the first season of the animated television series Bob's Burgers. "Hamburger Dinner Theater" originally aired on the Fox Network in the United States on February 20, 2011....
", and The Cleveland Show episode "Terry Unmarried
Terry Unmarried
"Terry Unmarried" is the fourteenth episode of the second season of the American TV series The Cleveland Show. It aired on Fox on February 20, 2011...
". On the other hand, Jason Hughes of TV Squad provided a positive review to the episode. Firstly, he praised on how Andy Dick managed to visually replace Roger. Hughes also enjoyed seeing Roger trying to save Stan's life just so Roger can move back in the household, as well as the salve in Roger's fanny pack giving Stan baby legs. Dyana Maria of Daemon's TV also reacted positively to the episode. She enjoys Roger's hilarious character, saying Roger's shenanigans of living by himself "were definitely at their best". Furthermore, Maria praised the physical gags between Stan and Andy Dick, suggesting they were "totally ridiculous" in a good way, while she called the episode's subplot featuring Steve and his friends "simple but still funny". Conclusively, Maria suggested all of these put together created "a really strong and well balanced episode".