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| "You Debt Your Life" | |
|---|---|
| American Dad! episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 6 Episode 12 |
| Directed by | Chris Bennett |
| Written by | Erik Sommers |
| Production code | 5AJN09 |
| Original air date | February 20, 2011 |
| Guest appearance | |
"You Debt Your Life" is the twelfth episode of the seventh 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", which forces Roger to moving 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.
Roger is dancing drunk in a dive bar next to the pinball machines dressed as Jodie Foster from The Accused , asking if any of the clientele want to take him against his will. After punching a kindly old man and splashing a drink on a bouncer, Roger runs out into the street, into the path of a bus. Roger's life flashes before his eyes: protesting against the integration of The University of Alabama by knocking the books out of Vivian Malone's hand in front of her military escorts, getting Captain Joseph Hazelwood drunk as he steers The Exxon Valdez into an iceberg, and getting his artwork for Jar Jar Binks approved by George Lucas. Just before Roger gets hit, Stan dives in and saves him, having responded to a voicemail Roger made 45 minutes ago telling Stan to pick him up because he's drunk and about to be raped at the bar.
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, leading Stan to disown Roger. Saddened, Roger moves out of the household and into an apartment, at least until Francine stops by and suggests he 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 (who, like Roger, is described as a "fey, pansexual, alcoholic non-human"). Francine later goes to see Roger inside a men's locker room at a YMCA (as the YMCA stopped renting out rooms to the homeless 30 years ago) and suggests he 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 Stan still owed 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 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, which Roger is delighted to do. As Roger and Stan drive away (after tricking Andy Dick to chase after a bottle of fake drugs), the two worry that Andy Dick is coming after them, only to be relieved when they see him rob a roadside pharmacy.
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, claiming people always forget the microphone is still on. Steve himself develops such a God complex (or as Principal Lewis calls it, "getting drunk on the mike"), prompting his concerned friends to use the same microphone trick on him. Snot takes over the announcer position and abuses its power as well. When Barry is appointed, he immediately swears directly into the microphone, leading to Lewis to kick the entire group out of his office. Principal Lewis, however, gets in trouble when he forgets the microphone is on while vocally reminiscing about his shady days as a cocaine trafficker and sex offender in Peru (first mentioned in "Iced, Iced Babies").
This episode was written by Erik Sommers and directed by Chris Bennett, before the conclusion of Season 6. 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.
"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 Simpsons , 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. [1] Both the episode's total viewership and rating was lower than those of every other show featured in the animation television night. [1] 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. [2]
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." [3] Kaiser further suggested the scene when Roger devises a plan to save Stan at Area 51 was anticlimactic, saying after "some weird stuff happens, the reset button gets hit, the end." [3] 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. [3] 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". [3] 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. [4] 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. [4]
"Stannie Get Your Gun" is the seventh episode of the second season and the fourteenth overall episode of the animated comedy series American Dad!. It aired on Fox in the United States on November 20, 2005, and is written by Brian Boyle and directed by John Aoshima.
"Pulling Double Booty" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of the animated comedy series American Dad!. The episode was originally produced for Season 3. It first aired in the United States on Fox on November 16, 2008. This story centers around Hayley, who goes on a rampage shortly after Jeff breaks up with her. Stan and Francine try to help their daughter get through the grief, and Hayley begins dating Bill, Stan's body-double and doppelgänger.
Meanwhile, Roger and Steve get summer jobs determining the sex of baby chicks in a factory, but Steve steals several specimens to rear in safety after learning their fate. Angered at their ruined summer, Roger steals the chickens to make money off of chicken fights.
"G-String Circus" is the eighth episode of the sixth season of American Dad!. It aired on November 29, 2009, on Fox. This episode mainly centers on Stan, who is saddened by the fact that Hayley refuses to take any advice from him. Stan goes to a strip club with his CIA co-workers, where he meets a stripper named Tanqueray. Plagued with a leg cramp, he suggests that she eat a banana because of its level of potassium. Her cramps go away, which drives Stan to prove his daughter wrong and that she should take his advice. His plan for a dry-cleaning business ultimately fails, and in order to pay off the debt, Stan becomes a stripper. With the large amount of money he receives from stripping, Stan tries to hide away the fact that he is stripping in order to prove Hayley wrong.
"Rapture's Delight" is the ninth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series American Dad!. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on December 13, 2009. This episode centers around Stan and Francine's life after the vast majority of the church, including Hayley and Steve, are raptured. When Stan begins to blame Francine for not getting into heaven, Francine ends their relationship and befriends a man whom she later finds out to be Jesus. Francine becomes his bride, leaving Stan behind to participate in the armageddon.
"Bully for Steve" is the sixteenth episode of the fifth season of the animated comedy series American Dad!
"Best Little Horror House in Langley Falls" is the third episode of the sixth season of the animated comedy series American Dad! It originally aired on Fox in the United States on November 7, 2010. The episode follows Stan as his title of having the best haunted house is threatened by a neighbor. To tempt people to come to his house, he uses serial killers as the house's main attraction. Meanwhile, Steve falls in love with Toshi's sister Akiko as they go trick-or-treating.
"Stanny Boy and Frantastic" is the tenth episode of the seventh season of American Dad!. It aired on Fox in the United States on January 23, 2011. This episode centers around the couple of Stan and Francine, who are bored with their lives. In a desperate attempt to get out of the house, Stan and Francine take Hayley's tickets to a circus in order to invite and bond with a couple. While at the show, they both meet Tom and Cami, a young couple. All four go out on various outings, and Stan and Francine begin to have trouble keeping up with the fast-paced lifestyle of Cami and Tom.
"A Piñata Named Desire" is the eleventh episode of the seventh 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 on Roger and Stan, who begin to experience tensions growing against each other for the dominant figure in the house. Roger becomes tired of Stan's stance as the authoritarian figure of the house, and he challenges Stan's leadership qualities. Stan insists that he is better than Roger at everything, and he tells him that he has a mission that involves acting. Unknown to Stan, Roger spies on him, only to find out that Stan is a terrible actor. Roger later boasts to the house that he is a better actor than Stan, but he eventually teaches him to improve his acting skills. Meanwhile, Steve and his friends plan to throw their last slumber party together.
"I Am the Walrus" is the thirteenth episode of the Seventh season of American Dad!, first airing on Fox in the United States on March 27, 2011. It mainly centers around Stan and his son Steve, who are both competing for the dominant role of the house. Steve is the first person to finish his meal, much to Stan's dismay. Stan becomes intimidated by his son, and he is afraid that he will lose his status of alpha male. Meanwhile, Hayley and Jeff are suffering marital relationship problems, so they seek marriage counseling.
"Jenny Fromdabloc" is the sixteenth episode of the sixth season of the animated comedy series American Dad!. It first aired on Fox in the United States on April 17, 2011. This episode mainly centers around Steve, who tries to comfort his friend, Snot, after facing rejection from Hayley. Snot goes into a deep state of depression after realizing that Hayley does not have any feelings for him. Steve devises a plan that requires Roger to impersonate a teenage girl from New Jersey. Roger ends up developing a deeper relationship with Snot, much to the frustration of Steve. He begins to feel threatened, as Snot develops into a charismatic and arrogant individual that Steve's friends look up to. Meanwhile, Stan wishes to live a more urbane lifestyle and starts drinking martinis, but his low alcohol tolerance causes him to pass out on several occasions and run around Langley Falls in a drunk tangent.
"Hurricane!" is the second episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series American Dad!. It first aired on Fox in the United States on October 2, 2011. The episode's plot mainly revolves around the Smith family, who prepare for evacuation in response to an oncoming hurricane. Reluctant to leave his home, Stan encourages his family to ride out the storm in their house with him. The hurricane sends a flood to the city of Langley Falls, which puts the entire family in danger.
"Home Wrecker" is the seventeenth episode of the sixth season American Dad!. It aired on Fox in the United States on May 8, 2011. This episode mainly centers around the couple of Stan and Francine, whom become divided over the architectural style wanted for the renovation of their kitchen. Greg and Terry, the Smiths' gay neighbors, intervene in the situation. Greg and Terry criticize the strength of Stan and Francine's marriage, much to their frustration. A bet is made in regard to the Smiths' rocky relationship: if Terry and Greg were to win the bet, they would receive the marriage license of Stan and Francine. Meanwhile, Steve, his friends, and Principal Lewis take advantage of Barry's proficient ability to count cards; however things become awry when they try to remove Lewis of his cut.
"Flirting with Disaster" is the eighteenth episode of the seventh season and the 114th overall episode of the animated comedy series American Dad!. It aired on Fox in the United States on May 15, 2011, and is written by Keith Heisler and directed by Pam Cooke.
"A Ward Show" is the third episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series American Dad! It aired on Fox in the United States on November 6, 2011. The episode's plot mainly revolves around Roger becoming Steve's legal guardian, but he gets a little overzealous in the parenting department. Meanwhile, Stan and Francine decide to go on a vacation to Flash Flood Acres, The Largest Water Park in the Universe. But after spending two hours there they go on every ride, so they decide to get a refund from the manager, but fail when they learn he would not be back until Thursday.
"Virtual In-Stanity" is the fifth episode of the seventh season of the animated comedy series American Dad!. It aired on Fox in the United States on November 20, 2011. The episode plot mainly revolves around Stan making a desperate attempt to bond with his son, Steve by creating an avatar in the form of a teenage girl.
"The Scarlett Getter" is the sixth episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series American Dad!. It aired on Fox in the United States on November 27, 2011. The episode plot mainly revolves around Francine, who accidentally leads Roger to a dangerous alien hunter while trying to get revenge on Stan.
"The Missing Kink" is the fifteenth episode of the ninth season and the 148th overall episode of the animated comedy series American Dad!. It aired on Fox in the United States on April 14, 2013, and is written by Jeff Chiang and Eric Ziobrowski and directed by Pam Cooke and Valerie Fletcher.
"Minstrel Krampus" is the eighth episode of the ninth season and the 160th overall episode of the animated comedy series American Dad!. It aired on Fox in the United States on December 15, 2013, and is written by Murray Miller and Judah Miller and directed by Josue Cervantes. The title of the episode is a play on words, being similar to the syndrome menstrual cramps.
The pilot episode of American Dad! originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 6, 2005, just after Super Bowl XXXIX. The episode was written by series co-creators Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman. The episode was leaked onto the internet before its supposed premiere on FOX. The episode features a guest appearance by Carmen Electra.