I Am the Walrus (American Dad!)

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I Am the Walrus is the 13th episode of American Dad! season 7. It aired on March 27, 2011. The episode was directed by Tim Parsons, written by Keith Heisler, with co-director Jennifer Graves. Guest voices include Jeff Fischer and other recurring actors.

Plot
Stan and his son Steve compete to be the boss of the house. Steve finishes his dinner first, which makes Stan worry he’s losing his alpha role. Stan marks his territory by peeing on the couch, which upsets Steve. Steve talks to Stan and openly challenges him. Steve can do a lot of things better than Stan, so Stan watches a walrus documentary and decides to prove he’s still a man by trying to have sex. Steve asks Roger for help and goes to a party to “lose his virginity,” but the plans go wrong. Roger explains that there’s no real threat to Stan, and Stan ultimately apologizes to Steve, admitting he failed as a father.

Meanwhile, Hayley and Jeff go to marriage counseling after more fights. They meet a very odd counselor, Principal Lewis, whose house is a mess. The counseling session gets chaotic, and Jeff and Hayley end up trying to escape with a rare Mickey Mouse watch. The counselor causes more chaos, and Roger (in disguise as Ace Chapman) drags him away. The main story ends with Stan realizing Steve is growing up and trying to be a better father.

Production notes
The episode was directed by Tim Parsons and co-directed by Jennifer Graves, written by Keith Heisler. It features appearances by Jeff Fischer and other regular voice actors. The show includes several pop culture references, including the title’s nod to The Beatles’ song “I Am the Walrus,” a gag echoing a Family Guy moment, and references to Airplane! and the Ginuwine song “Pony.”

Reception and ratings
I Am the Walrus drew about 4.9 million viewers and a 3.0 rating in the 18–49 demo. Critics largely liked it. The A.V. Club praised the Stan–Steve confrontation and gave the episode an A−. TV Squad liked Roger and Steve’s parts but felt the Hayley–Jeff subplot was weaker. Overall, the episode was well received and considered a strong entry in the season.