Plot
A flashback to Stan’s high school years shows he promised to go to the Homecoming Dance with the Homecoming Queen. However, boys from his school drop pigs on him by mistake, originally intended to drop pig’s blood, forcing Stan to leave. Stan swears that one day he will come back with his own Homecoming Queen. As things shift back to the present, Stan is shooting close-eyed, accidentally shooting Jackson, though it was actually his double, just as they were prepared to go on a dangerous mission to Pakistan.
In the present, Stan is close to realizing his dream as Francine was voted Homecoming Queen of her school winning by one vote; they missed his Homecoming. Stan proudly attends Francine’s reunion, where various items from their high-school years are brought out of storage. Among them is the Homecoming ballot box, which contains two previously uncounted votes for Francine’s opponent, Betty Sue. It turns out that Francine had lost the Homecoming vote by one vote. Francine graciously concedes victory and gives her crown to the new queen but Stan is furious to have his dream of going to a high-school reunion with the Homecoming Queen taken away from him.
Francine is annoyed at Stan’s reaction and sarcastically suggests that he should take the real Homecoming Queen to the reunion instead of her. Unfortunately for her, Stan takes her seriously. Francine is angry at him so, to save his marriage, Stan sends his CIA double Bill to take her out to dinner while he goes to the dance with the Queen. But he then realizes his pride has overcome him and goes to reunite with his wife. The plan backfires when Francine decides to go to the reunion with the double. While she is there she catches Stan’s double making out with Betty Sue but thinks it is Stan. When she finds the two Stans and learns of the plan, she becomes furious and steals Stan’s gun. However, she is unable to tell the two Stans apart. One of them tries to calm her by apologizing and telling her he loves her, so Francine assumes the other Stan is the real one and shoots him. But it turns out that the apologizing Stan was the real Stan and Francine is so touched by the unexpected display of emotion that she forgives him.
In the meantime, Steve and Roger use Stan’s mortar to play water balloon pranks. However, a charismatic philosopher pizza man, Mitch, who is implied to be Jesus Christ, isn’t fazed. Steve demands to know why he isn’t reacting; Mitch says that he is only pranking for the pain that was inflicted on him; Steve admits that’s true. Unfortunately, Roger accidentally destroys Mitch’s car with a real rocket so they borrow Hayley’s keys to the other car as she, Klaus and Jeff are high on marijuana brownies.
The show has hinted at it before, but this episode seems to truly center on what I consider to be Stan’s core characteristic beneath his patriotism, machismo, temper, and conservative views: his deep-seated insecurity. This vulnerability is the real Stan, masked by his other, more overt traits. His insecurities touch on every aspect of his life—from his marriage and personal abilities to his looks, much of which is traced back to his high school days as an outsider (though his parental issues play a significant role, which this episode doesn’t explore). As is common in “Stan is insecure” storylines, his insecurities lead him to act selfishly towards Francine, treating her more as a trophy than a partner. Despite this, the episode is engaging. It’s acceptable for the protagonist to act out, provided it aligns with their character and they experience some growth, which ‘It’s Good to Be Queen’ manages to do.
The episode stretches believability with Stan eager to flaunt his Homecoming Queen wife at Francine’s reunion rather than his own, a point Francine astutely notes. Yet, given Stan’s uniquely skewed logic, this leap is not out of character. The narrative requires the setting of Francine’s reunion to reveal her accidental win, pushing the story into a somewhat cliché sitcom scenario by the third act, involving Stan and a body double to manage simultaneous engagements. This plot device feels overdone, yet “American Dad” cleverly lays the groundwork early on, avoiding the sense of a last-minute contrivance but still leading to a somewhat cluttered finale.
The conclusion, where Francine attempts to shoot Stan, followed by a tender moment between them, should feel off-putting. Yet, it doesn’t. The Smith family dynamic doesn’t aspire to the wholesome bond of the Simpsons; they navigate a spectrum ranging from mildly objectionable to borderline villainous behaviors. This extreme dysfunction is part of the show’s charm, and there’s no need for Stan to embody the quintessential good guy. His flawed nature, alongside Seth MacFarlane’s stellar voice work, adds depth and entertainment value to the series. The ending scene of Stan and Francine dancing, while no “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” moment from “The Simpsons,” fits the darker, more cynical humor of “American Dad.” The backdrop of potential serious consequences for an innocent bystander underscores the show’s edgy comedic style, which I find compelling.