Somehow Better As A Play

American Dad, S08E10

The show was presented as if it were a play.  Francine threw Stan a birthday party, not realizing the dark family secrets the celebration would bring up.  Hayley was keeping a secret from Avery who slept with the family maid, Edna, in his heartbroken state.

This isn't the first time I've seen a cartoon do something like this, but every time I have seen it, I remember enjoying it.  This episode was no different.  I liked all the touches they added to make it feel like you were in the audience watching a play, such as the lighting and someone coughing being shushed.  I really liked how they did the lighting for when Stan's car was coming and going from the house, in particular.  Another thing I enjoyed a lot was them substituting glitter or confetti for the splashing water and for the blood.  It was also cute to see them use the pool, which was just made out of cardboard or something.  It was little things like that that made me like this story even more.

The stories were pretty dramatic, but I did find a few things to laugh about.  One of such was when Stan was brought home for driving recklessly by a police officer:

He was eating crab and driving.  He'd be spending the night in the cooler if there was anything illegal about what he was doing.

That was my favorite line.  I just liked that he got pulled over in the first place while he was sobbing and stuffing his face with crab legs.  Somehow it seemed like he was going to be arrested for something that silly.

I also found the end to the Hayley story to be unexpectedly funny.  I mean, it was terrible that Edna had suffocated a baby right when Avery and Hayley had gotten back together, but their reaction to the baby's death was so over the top with anguish.  The lighting went red, they were screaming, and they ripped out their hair and clothes.  It was definitely one of those times I didn't want to laugh, but I just couldn't help myself.  They were doing a great job of bad acting.

There was one other thing that wasn't quite funny, but mentionable.  When Francine tried to keep the party going with their guests, she had someone start a record of Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit."  Her songs are not anything you want to play at a party unless it's a drinking-out-of-sadness sort of affair.  I just liked the irony of that moment.

Oh, and it was so weird to me that I happened to fall asleep a little before Stan went outside to find his father and son swimming in the pool.  When I woke up again, Patrick Stewart was pretending to be asleep himself and the episode was pretty much over.  The timing of that was hilarious to me, although it was just because I randomly dozed off.  Patrick Stewart was sort of amusing as the host of this play.  Even when he was making cheesy puns of "Act Two" with a sneezing sound.

I really liked this episode, even though the stories were pretty sad overall.  I liked how Stan was misinformed about his broken family and in the end he started one of his own by ending his life.  Despite the dark nature of the story, I enjoyed that it came full circle.  The story about Avery, Hayley, and Edna was equally tragic in nature, but the little time we spent on them allowed me to find a little humor in the grandness of the emotional conclusion.  I couldn't say anything that bothered me in this episode.  Wish they would do more like this one!

The Wesen Walk Among Us

Grimm, S01E21

After some people were killed in the woods by a wild Wesen, Nick and the others had to find the killer before the media exploded with stories about a Bigfoot attack.  Larry, the culprit, was a friend of Monroe's and sought shelter at his house.  Larry was stuck in a half-creature mode and wounded, and Monroe asked Nick to help him, but Larry soon died after the two hid him from the police catching his trail with dogs.  They found a suspicious drug-pumping device on his neck that was found on other Wesen who were killed (or died) before they went berserk as well.  The device was traced back to a Wesen therapist who was trying to perfect a "cure" to the Wesen's inability to control their darker or animal sides.  Nick and Hank had to ultimately chase down and shoot the therapist when he, too, lost control and rampaged in a theater.

There were a few interesting things in this episode (unlike most).  One was the idea of a therapist existing for Wesen who had problems controlling themselves and conforming to the human world.  It shouldn't be so surprising to imagine that even Wesen need some counseling, but the idea that there are many who actively try to correct themselves so they can live peaceful lives isn't what I expected.  I liked knowing that Monroe wasn't so special after all and many people share his sort of problem.  He even was part of a support group and seemed to have a significant bond with those in his circle, Larry included.  I had always wondered how he managed to keep straight on his own, but obviously he's had help.

Even though the therapist was a bit unbalanced, wanting to completely shut off a Wesen's "dark" side with drugs, he was right about Nick having little time left before his double life came to light.  After all, Juliette's investigation of Larry's hair basically gave her evidence that Wesen exist.  She may not see the whole picture yet (and truly, does even Nick?) but she's way beyond Nick being able to fool her with casual brushoffs of strange events.  I can't believe after her lab findings and the whole "Bigfoot" incident that he wouldn't just tell her the truth!  Instead, he makes her sound a little crazy for starting to believe that there are creatures in the world beyond what is written in books (at least human books).  Of course, worse than that Nick decided to make Hank appear as if he was hallucinating when he saw the therapist change from beast to human right before their eyes.  I don't know if he wants to protect Hank or if he's trying to protect himself.  What an awful thing to do to your partner and friend.  Hank's been through enough that I feel like he's earned the right to a little truth.  Instead, I'm sure that Hank is going to doubt his sanity from now on.  I just wish Hank would be smart enough to start doubting Nick and pay closer attention to what his partner is doing behind his back. 

Another thing I found interesting was that Wesen's true form can be seen by humans other than Grimms.  I thought that it was a special skill that Nick was able to do, but I guess if they don't "retract" then even someone like Hank can see them as they are.  It's not the first time that one of them has given us a glimpse of their true face during one of Nick's investigations, but I thought no one else reacted because they were unable to see, not just because they weren't paying close enough attention.  It's weird that there are so many people in the dark.  I just don't buy that with so many Wesen around people wouldn't catch a glimpse of their change and not just write it off as their imagination.  Then again, people do want to see only what they want to.  It might be denial of a world that they can't understand.

I feel like the cat's out the bag at this point.  A large number of people saw a mixture of animal and man attack them in a theater.  I don't know how it's possible for them to cover that up.  A woman was kidnapped, after all, and people were killed by the other "Bigfoot" characters running around.  If Nick values the relationships he has with Juliette and Hank, he will spill the beans right away.  He's already risked their lives by not letting them know, so I think that there can't be any harm in them knowing now.  I suspect that the Wesen like keeping themselves hidden from humans (with good reason like Monroe suggested), so maybe Nick will have to help their society remain in the shadows before some kind of hunt for their kind begins.  I would enjoy that kind of development more than the "mysterious" Wesen murders that unfold in most episodes.  The season is almost over and only about now do I feel like it's giving me more than anger about all the unanswered questions.