Review: American Dad “Henderson”

Overview:

Another complicated piece of Stan Smith’s life falls into place when an unexpected face from Stan’s past–his imaginary friend, Henderson–shows up with a lengthy score to settle. The biggest problem about Henderson’s arrival is that he’s not as imaginary as Stan’s father led his son to believe back during his childhood, which turns into a problem for Francine more than it does for Stan. The return of Stan’s imaginary friend triggers some very real issues that cannot be ignored and neglectful parenting methods become the least of their concerns. 

And look out ladies because Klaus has a date with Danuta, which means that the frantic fish’s classic bowl goes through a serious upgrade so that he’s able to successfully pull in some tail/fin.

Our Take:

The emotionally stunted nature of Stan Smith is almost as integral to his brazen character as his staunch patriotism. A lot of the episodes of American Dad that attempt to peel back Stan’s layers involve some level of reflection to his past, usually with the involvement of his parents. This has become slightly more difficult for the series after the passing of Stan’s father, yet this is an episode that digs deep into Stan’s regression tactics and provides him with a pseudo father figure even though Jack is dead. It’s a challenging task, but “Henderson” makes it work in a storyline that could feel manufactured or extraneous in a less thoughtful script. “Henderson” doesn’t only have something to say, but it’s also extremely funny and contains some of the season’s most memorable set pieces.

There are a few moments in “Henderson” that make allusions to fairy tales and so it’s appropriate that this crude character that enters the lives of the Smith family has a very Rumpelstiltskin quality to him. Francine brokers a precarious deal with him and this is the right angle to explore this unusual subject matter. This tightrope walk of honesty balloons in a way where Francine metaphorically becomes Stan’s father by how she fills the same role that he did and for the same selfish purposes that position Stan as a living pawn.

The supporting storyline in “Henderson” is also very pleasant and occupies completely different territory than Stan and Francine’s dilemma. The revelation of Jeff’s glass blowing skills is really nice and for a while the episode hits a really comfortable rhythm where I’d have been fine if there was zero conflict and the two characters just chilled out together. The “Hot in Here” transition that’s used works a lot better than it deserves to and is the perfect song to accentuate the strangeness of both plots in this moment. It’s a fun, full story that gets the most out of both characters, who often aren’t even together in any capacity. It’s a smart expansion to what the series has done with both Klaus and Jeff in the most recent seasons.

Also, in what’s some extremely fortunate timing, American Dad technically-maybe-kind-of engages in a Rick and Morty crossover on the same night that the Adult Swim series’ season premiere also temporarily airs on TBS. Pickle Rick may only be present in a blown glass capacity, but he gets plenty of screen time alongside Klaus. Klaus’ bowl drama dabbles in some surprisingly grim territory, but “Henderson” realistically grounds itself and pulls back several times when things are about to go too far. It’s an interesting level of restraint in an episode that allows itself to go wild in many other areas. Along these lines, there’s an extended joke where medics are called to get paper off a character’s face. It’s one of many of the absurdist gags that come out of this episode, which hit harder in contrast to an “imaginary friend” storyline that should be fantastical.

It initially feels unusual that the character that helps Francine emotionally mature and get out of her funk is a completely random grief counsellor as opposed to Stan or someone that she cares about. However, the entire construct of “Coach Cathy” becomes more fuel for this dark entry, which manages to teach some important lessons, albeit in a highly shocking manner. “Henderson” is already an excellent episode, but the revelation that Cathy is a figment of Francine’s imagination–her own imaginary friend and a product of trauma–pushes it over the top and makes it a classic. It’s well-handled and technically means that Francine is the one that helps herself grow in the end, even if she doesn’t realize it. It’s a brilliant way to use imaginary friends as a thematic device that ties everything together and becomes genuinely poignant when analyzed. It’s an incredibly smart resolution.

“Henderson” is another weird, emotional, impressive episode of American Dad that begins in a modest place, but goes on to turn into one of the season’s best installments. Both plots progress in very fulfilling ways that accomplish a lot in a brief amount of time. In addition to its effective structure and storytelling there are also certain elements that are pulled off in an exceptional, ambitious manner. Henderson’s windshield sight gag had me laugh for several minutes and the twist ending literally made me shout. “Henderson” is some of American Dad at its very best and it’s solid proof that this new season doesn’t mess around. It wants to break expectations and please fans in bold ways.