At first glance, Francine fulfills the role of the stereotypical trophy wife on American Dad!. As a result, her family often underestimates her. But beneath the housewife cliché, there is a confident, determined woman who is capable of reaching great success when given the opportunity. She also has a shocking dark side that has a penchant for getting her into trouble.
There are a lot of Stan and Francine episodes, but, unfortunately, Francine-centric episodes are a bit lacking. While she might not get as much time in the spotlight as Stan, her character's complexities make those episodes some of American Dad!'s best.
One of the earliest Francine-centric episodes in American Dad! is Season 1, Episode 4, "Francine's Flashback." After Stan forgets his wedding anniversary again, he uses CIA technology to erase the last 20 hours of Francine's memory. The issue: he accidentally erases 20 years. Not only does Francine think it's 1985, but she also forgets Stan and her kids. With Hayley posing as her roommate, Stan goes to great lengths to restore Francine's memory and rekindle their love.
"Francine's Flashback" often makes the cut of best American Dad! episode lists. Considering its placement in Season 1, it showcased a novel side of Francine. Although her "bad girl" side is often the subject of future episodes, this was one of the first times audiences saw Francine trade in her housewife persona for a partying rebel.
Season 6, Episode 18 finds Francine working as a secretary in Stan's CIA office. Stan fears her presence will interfere with his good-natured flirting with his co-workers, but Francine insists she doesn't mind. In fact, she gets in on the action and ends up being the most popular woman in the office, much to the dismay of Stan.
Not only is the episode a parody of the NBC series The Office, but it concludes with a sweet moment between Stan and Francine, proving, despite his often cold and selfish demeanor, he really does care about his wife.
Season 6, Episode 9 follows the Smith family after they are evacuated to a hotel because Roger passed lethal gas in the house. While there, Francine finds herself at a concrete convention where she is mistaken for a woman killed on the way to the hotel. Feeling like her family no longer needs her, Francine assumes this woman's identity and discovers she is quite good at it.
What makes "Fatbreak Hotel" unique is it's one of the few episodes where Francine has a job -- even if she stole it -- and proves to be extremely successful. Plus, it's pretty funny to watch Roger and Francine team up, with her essentially copying the alien's idea of using personas. However, Francine must choose between her family or success, making for one of the show's most bittersweet moments that highlights everything she's had to give up for her family.
In Season 2, Episode 18, Francine, dissatisfied with just being a housewife, opens a kiosk at the Langley Falls Mall to sell her muffins. Despite Stan's objections, her business is a hit. However, she must also contend with Klaus, who managed to get inside a human body and tries to seduce her.
"Finances With Wolves" became a sleeper hit. It was met with negative criticism upon its original premiere, with many critics angered by the misogynistic theme. Cinamblend specifically cited the line, "What kind of businesswoman forgets to make dinner for her husband?" as problematic. However, it can be argued some of these reviewers missed the point. While it's true "Finances With Wolves" spotlights Stan's misogyny, the episode's real appeal is watching Francine rise above it and take charge of her dream despite his disapproval.
Season 1, Episode 23 is another early Francine-centric episode that reveals Francine hates George Clooney for stealing her big moment and becoming a famous actor instead of her. She confesses to Stan her ultimate dream is to kill Clooney -- or at least make him cry. Despite thinking it's a crazy idea, the two set out to find Clooney.
"Tears of a Clooney" is worth watching just for the bonkers plot. The episode begins on Francine's 39th birthday and ends on her 40th, meaning Francine and Stan left their kids behind for a year to seek revenge in a ridiculously elaborate manner.
Season 9, Episode 2 delves into Francine and Stan's sex life. Francine's dissatisfaction in the bedroom develops into a haunting. The ghost feeds on Francine's unhappiness and will only disappear if she is fully satisfied by Stan, who struggles to slow things down during foreplay.
Aside from a good amount of laughs, horror fans will be delighted with the episode's homage to 1982's Poltergeist. There are many nods to the classic horror film, including Roger's psychic persona Ruby Zeldastein, who concludes the episodes with the iconic line, "This house is clean."
Season 5, Episode 6 starts with Stan and Francine planning to renew their wedding vows, but things go wrong when Stan admits he only likes Francine for her looks. To teach him a lesson, Francine stops trying to look pretty to test their love. While Stan's disgust initially insults her, she concludes she's just as petty as Stan. By the episode's conclusion, she confesses she doesn't want to have to take care of her husband -- he should provide for her.
While "Shallow Vows" shows a unique side of Francine, it's arguably Roger's wedding planning persona that really steals the show. If Francine and Stan's shallow bickering doesn't generate some chuckles, Roger's Jeanie Gold surely will.
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