User Reviews

Francine-centric episodes are usually hit or miss and this was just kind of there. Some funny parts, but not the strongest storyline nor the best Roger character.

The Stan and nail bit was good. Klaus quickly diminishing Jeff thinking his nail gave him powers too was the highlight.

Before watching this hilarious episode, you HAVE to watch the incredibly relevant episode of the series "Chef's Table" on Netflix. Specifically, the the 3rd episode of the series (Vol1, Episode3). It features the famous chef, Francis Mallmann.

Francis Mallmann is an esteemed, eccentric, and perhaps rightfully egocentric chef, restaurant owner, and author of the book "Seven Fires: Cooking the Argentine Way". The entire episode is basically one big parody of the episode of "Chef's Table"... and it's absolutely brilliant. Even the way the cartoonists shoot the landscape of Argentina before his cooking scenes is exactly like the Chef's Table episode. And I absolutely lost it with the sabring of the nebuchadnezzar, poncho-adoring, and insistence of sprinkling of dirt on the food. And don't even get me started on the spatchcocking. While subtle, my favorite scene is when he is so full of himself that he thinks the bears have recognized him as famous and admits "yes it's me" only to then get mauled. Just the timing, Roger's wry smile, and the jab at Mallmann is beautiful and struck a chord with me. Also, in the final scenes, while they are panning between scenes of Stan's performance and Francine finally overcoming her fear of failure, Roger breaks the fourth wall and says he "had a lemon". I mean it's just really well orchestrated. The whole timing and execution of the episode plays like a beautiful sonata on the theme of an overtly arrogant celebrity chef. I don't know film or television well, but to me it seems award-worthy.

I personally loved the side stories, and especially the artful way they used Stan's savant piano playing to complement the dramatic finale. The second movement of Beethoven's Sonata Pathetique plays beautifully while the store manager rants about his success of his coat sales to a brain-damaged Stan.

Seth MacFarlane, as Roger, floats the episode, no question. HOWEVER, as someone who has seen every episode of the series several times and has come to appreciate the character development and personality of Francine. In concert with smart writing, I found Wendy Schaal's execution to be a real winner in this episode. Her confident (hilariously incorrect) whispers that she knows what spatchcocking is, is an example of the type of jokes I've come to love from Francine. Her and Roger's social dynamic might make this one of my favorite episodes.

While the episode features the standard hit or miss dumb jokes, it also features a lot of intelligent jokes, creative writing, and dedicated, genius-level parodying.

This episode is Season 5-level good. It showcases why the show has lasted and continues to connect with viewers. It is one of the only episodes that addresses the reality that Roger is moving between roles rapidly to remain a prominent part of the family's lives. Also showcasing a theme of family, the opening scenes feature the family hiding in the crawl space, all to spare Francine's feelings. This is the sort of thing that sets this series apart from other series. It's not just idiotic jokes. It's (often) heart-warming, relatable, and intelligent.