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American Dad! Season 8 Episode 4

The Worst Stan

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7.0

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 11/13/11

Stan convinces Principal Lewis to marry the school superintendent in order to be the Best Man at their wedding.

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (5)

Stan asks Principal Lewis to be the best man.

4.5

By fsaenz0125, Dec 02, 2011

This was really not my favorite episode of American Dad. I don't know why, but that Tracy dude made my score low. He was annoying and Stancould havekilled him. But then he came back. That's why I didn't enjoyed the episode that much. Brian Lewis did save the episode and as usual, he made me laugh so hard especially the dog part. Roger's plot...it was alright, but it should have more humor in it. Overall, not much of a good episode. I could have enjoyed it if Tracy (Lewis' gay friend) didn't ruins it. Without him, my score would have been decent/good. But, myofficialscore will be a 4.5.moreless
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6.5

By thefanof, Nov 22, 2011

"The Worst Stan" was not one of the better episodes this season, but there were still some very enjoyable moments here tonight. Principal Lewis and Stan is a relationship that is not often examined often and it worked today, they had some good chemistry, but the episode as a whole was built on a dumb premise and that can only take you so far.

Just an average show for me.
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Thumbs down this review if you want to BUT this is my honest opinion on this episode

1.5

By tigerdude22, Nov 18, 2011

Stan convinces Principal Lewis to marry the school superintendent in order to be the Best Man at their wedding. I'm so sorry "American Dad" fans but this episode was not good or even okay... not even close. I know I'm gonna get a lot of thumbs down on this review. It's okay if you guys thumbs me down because I know everyone has their own opinions and it wouldn't make me happy to see everyone not thumbs down my review because they think it would hurt my feelings. Guys, if I really didn't want to have thumbs down on my reviews... I wouldn't even join this website in the first place. Okay, I took up half of the review doing that because I have nothing much to say about this episode except for the fact that it was awful. Worst episode of this season... sorry if you guys don't agree with me though. I really didn't like that Tracy character, she was probably the worst part of this episode. The Roger plot was hard to look at, it's just awful. Also, the black-talk jokes in this episode were just bad and so dragged. My score is a tiny bit high because Francine's stab scenes were a tiny bit funny but they even got old which lowers up to a 1.1 but the other funny part that raised up to 1.5 was Principal Lewis and that dog fighting at the end of the episode... only kinda huge laugh I got. Overall, despite that one tiny bit funny Francine stab scene and the rest being old after that and that one kinda hugely funny scene, this episode of "American Dad" was just awful and the worst of the season. 1.5/10moreless
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Superb

9.0

By jmbsonic555, Nov 16, 2011

When Stan realizes that he might never fulfill his dream of becoming a Best Man, he convinces his last single friend, Principal Lewis to marry the school's Superintendent and to choose him as his Best Man. Stan invites Lewis' old friend from prison to the wedding, only to discover a secret that could prevent the wedding from happening at all. Meanwhile, Roger finds the perfect pair of shorts, and an encounter with Ricky Martin makes him question his self-confidence.

What lowerewd my score was Tracy, but Francine's stab scenes were funny

9 out of 10moreless
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American Dad is really hitting Principal Lewis hard, huh?

7.0

By colten97, Nov 14, 2011

I've mentioned my enjoyment of the character several times, but he isn't exactly deep, and it's hard to have a character like that as the central figure of an episode without it wearing a little thing. He kind of reminds me of Chief Wiggum from The Simpsons, who is almost always excellent dropping in for a line, but you don't want a whole lot more than that.

Lewis's limitations are fairly apparent in this episode, which takes a moderately interesting premise – Stan helps him get married so Stan can be the Best Man and live his dream – and fulfills it moderately well. Lewis's psychosis is on display multiple times in the best parts of the episode, as he either gives in to it totally or fights it when trying to be a better man. The dog-punching thing is a good example of the MacFarlane brand of weird/shock humor working. Stan's fervent desire to be a Best Man is also quite good, and while it's a bit out of nowhere, it's fits nicely with his personality generally.

The problems come from elsewhere. The B-plot, involving Roger finding a magical pair of shorts and hooking up with Ricky Martin in Miami, goes nowhere. There's a self-referential gag about the comparative realism of American Dad and Family Guy, a couple gay jokes, and a few cute little montages showing how good Roger looks. I guess the fact that it was actually Ricky Martin saying "But Roger, it's time for butt play!" makes it a little bit funnier, but the whole thing generally felt more Family Guy-style "funny" than the more natural American Dad form.

The bulk of the story involved Lewis's relationship with his former prison cell-mate, Tracy. There seems to be a general rule of comedy that prison rape is inherently funny, and while American Dad doesn't quite go so far as to say that the prison sex Brian and Tracy engaged in was rape, the whole concept of "prison wife" and distribution of "bitches" are built on that foundation. But hey, I wouldn't be reviewing any MacFarlane show if I had such a thin skin as to say that Lewis having a prison wife would never be funny. But the episode never really does anything to change my mind. Tracy is funniest when he's more separated from the prison wife conceit and the show combines his semi-gangsta persona with his domestic urges. Stan supposedly drags him away to Brian's house and he yells "First thing I'm gonna do is plant some heirloom tomatoes up in here!"

So while certainly not a terrible episode of American Dad, I'd have to say this is something of a missed opportunity on multiple levels. Prison rape, gorgeous Roger, overly gay Ricky Martin, Diff'rent Strokes references and Anjelica Huston just didn't add up to a coherent whole.moreless
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