In which Stan tries to become the greatest inventor ever and we say goodbye to an Era…
Well, Dadders, we’ve reached the end of this particular iteration of American Dad! and it goes out on a weird note. A blend of old time cartoon nostalgia transitioning into a madcap futurism world. It’s non-canon but it’s the type of story that this show does so well. It wasn’t perfect but certainly emblematic of the TBS era. It’s also apropos that a story about nostalgia and changing eras is the last thing we see on TBS.
We pick up on a silent cartoon with Stan and his mom on a farm. Stan wants to be an inventor and move to the big city. Betty is obviously disapproving because he has so many chores to do around the house. He tries to invent things to help around the house but none of it really helps. Betty eventually realizes that he needs to go to the city and sells her only heirloom to buy him a donkey to ride to the city.
Stan’s ideas get rejected all over town and has to settle for a job in Bullock’s factory. The factory is unsafe and Stan is in a lot of peril and filth. But the filth actually gives him an idea for his greatest invention. He invents a mechanical bug that actually allows people to talk! This makes him rich but brings up bitter rivalries with Roger and Bullock as well as striking workers. He wants to corner the entire market and is ready to unveil his greatest invention.
It’s a device that turns everything from black and white to color. But only Stan wants the invention for himself so that everyone will look up to him as a god. Eventually things turn bad with Bullock and Francine trying to steal the invention as well as Roger. Stan makes chase in a zeppelin. Steve and Hayley get a hold of the device and turn everything to color. This ruins Stan for some reason but Betty comes to get him and brings him back to the farm where he realizes everything is beautiful.
Stray Observations
- As we say goodbye to the TBS era, we should welcome back the neo-Fox era. Sound off in the comments if you think it will be good bad or indifferent that the show is still around and back on Fox
Final Thoughts: What a weird, wonderful way for the TBS era to go out on. I enjoyed it a lot and if we never get this type of weird again with this show be thankful we got this and a whole lot of other stand outs.