What Great Advancements!
{{Infobox television episode
| series = American Dad!
| image =
| caption =
| season = 21
| episode = 22
| airdate = {{Start date|2025|03|24}}
| length =
| production = JAJN19
| writer = Brett Cawley & Robert Maitia
| director = Jennifer Graves
| music =
| guests =
| season_article = American Dad! season 21
| episode_list = List of American Dad! episodes
| prev = Guardian
| next =
| alt =
| editor =
| release_date =
}}
"What Great Advancements!" is the twenty-second episode and season finale of the twenty-first season of American Dad!, and the 388th episode overall. The episode aired on March 24, 2025, and is the final episode of the show to premiere on the television network TBS, having aired new episodes of the show since 2014 after its original run on Fox had concluded. The episode was written by Brett Cawley and Robert Maitia, and was directed by Jennifer Graves. The final episode is inspired by English filmmaker and comic actor Charlie Chaplin, in an alternate universe where Stan invents sound, but his rise to fame and success leads to rivals trying to copy his invention and eventually leading to the creation of color. The episode received positive reviews from critics.{{Cite web |last=Schwarz |first=John |date=2025-03-25 |title=Review: American Dad “What Great Advancements!” |url=https://www.bubbleblabber.com/2025/03/review-american-dad-what-great-advancements/ |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Bubbleblabber |language=en-US}}
Plot
In a Charlie Chaplin homage episode, Stan is a modest inventor who leaves his farm for the city. He has no luck selling his inventions until he invents sound, which makes him rich and famous, but his competitors copy his invention. To spite them, he next invents color, but this time is determined to keep his invention to himself.
Production
Speculation of American Dad!
Reception
= Viewing figures =
The episode's premiere gained 0.242 million viewers in its initial broadcast.{{Cite web |last=Pucci |first=Douglas |date=2025-03-26 |title=Monday Ratings: ‘The Bachelor’ Season Finale Lifts ABC to Key Demo Victory |url=https://programminginsider.com/monday-ratings-the-bachelor-season-finale-lifts-abc-to-key-demo-victory/ |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Programming Insider |language=en-US}}
= Critical reception =
John Schwarz of Bubbleblabber.com rated the episode a 9 out of 10, praising the episode's humor and style, stating "The show opens and I’m thinking “there’s no friggin’ way they are doing THIS for 22-minutes” and I was right but I was still very surprised with just how long writers Brett Cawley & Robert Maitia kept up with the throwback Fleisher Cartoons-look of the episode coupled with a silent film mystique that kept the episode voiceless for nearly two-and-a-half acts. Had the show went the entirety and just kept with the silent episode I think this could’ve been a perfect score because the BALLS these producers would have shown on the very last TBS episode to go voiceless would have been legendary. Instead, we get an almost Pleasantville meets steam punk effort that was actually supposed to be the penultimate season finale with “Guardian” debuting this week. Moreover, the episode was clearly written/produced during the time of the Hollywood strikes because you can see a number of sight gags during the crowd protests which helped make this episode extra unique and weird which is exactly the way I like my American Dad on TBS.{{Cite web |last=Schwarz |first=John |date=2025-03-25 |title=Review: American Dad “What Great Advancements!” |url=https://www.bubbleblabber.com/2025/03/review-american-dad-what-great-advancements/ |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Bubbleblabber |language=en-US}}
The Avocado reflected on the episode as a bittersweet ending to the series' 11-year long run on TBS.{{Cite web |last=rexbanner329 |date=2025-03-25 |title=American Dad! Season 21, Episode 22, “What Great Advancements!” |url=https://the-avocado.org/2025/03/25/american-dad-season-21-episode-22-what-great-advancements/ |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=The Avocado |language=en-US}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb episode|36106937|What Great Advancements!}}
{{American Dad!|1}}