In which American Dad! tries to deepen its roster of characters…
As we approach 20 years of American Dad!, we’ve reviewed how they have run the gamut in their stories, doing things like traveling to foreign lands to fighting Santa (a lot). One thing that makes the world of American Dad! so rich, a quality it shares with similar long running program The Simpsons, is its deep roster of characters. Early seasons introduced us to mainstays like Principal Lewis and Jeff. As the show gets up their in age and certain people cannot or will not come back to the show, writers have to invent new characters and new storylines. That’s where Trish and Suze (aka The Sizzle) come in. An obvious reference to Hoda Kotb and Kathy Lee Gifford of Today Show fame, the two characters have been part of the TBS background roster for years. And today they finally get a spotlight episode giving backstories to these background characters
We open the show on the show within a show Morning Mimosa with Trish and Suze. We learn the reason for this open is because Hayley has gotten an internship at the show. She’s eager to get involved in journalism but the producer squashes that quick, saying that this is not that type of show. It’s entertainment and Hayley quickly learns that she is a nobody. She tries to approach the duo, but it doesn’t go well. She is put through a lot of crap until a note drops in her lap saying Todd Fox, the morning guest, murdered his wife.
She tries to bring this to the girls but is initially blocked. She makes her case eventually, but Trish and Suze aren’t responsive. But then Suze finds Hayley in the bathroom. They decide to confront Todd Fox on the show, and it goes as bad as you expect. The producer is going to just air re-runs when the show goes back on the air, but Hayley says she will eat crow on air. Trish and Suze are going to apologize to Todd Fox but then realize that it was his octopus was actually the killer. A confrontation ensues and ultimately the octopus is killed. Trish and Suze are impressed with Hayley but ultimately go back to not knowing her because they were black out drunk but had a great show.
Over in the B-plot the rest of the Smiths are all suffering from food poisoning after eating some bad squid ink paella. They desperately send Jeff out for some Gatorade who isn’t sick yet. They recover in the meantime and want to eat the Paella and get violently sick again. Jeff rushes back in but it’s too late. A slight story that doesn’t detract from a busy A-plot
Stray Observations
- Mayor Garfield will be on later for a game of Suck and Blow
- If each season of the show counted as a year, Hayley would be 38. not far off from 35 that Trish thinks she is
- Do we remember that Stan actually created Morning Mimosa to distract Francine from the world?
- The churrodillo is awesome.
Final Thoughts. Solid episode that gives us unexplored depth (that’s wiped away thanks to the status quo) on two characters we never thought much about before.