I came to the Seth MacFarlane animated shows late in the game. I never really watched “Family Guy” until its fourth season, and I didn’t even see “American Dad!” until the first volume was released on DVD last year.

However, after getting a chance to sample these shows, I have to say that I am now a huge fan. Seth MacFarlane is a genius, and he’s doing more for grown-up animation than Matt Groening ever did. (Yes, “The Simpsons” is great, but “Futurama” was only so-so.)

I loved the first volume of “American Dad!” on DVD. As I’ve said before, I lean right in my political beliefs. Let’s get that out on the table right away. However, just because I’m more conservative than many in the film review industry – and yes, I did vote for W... twice – that doesn’t mean I don’t have a sense of humor.

Even with my political leaning, I love this show. It’s hard-hitting humor in a somewhat mundane set-up. The supporting characters are the best – namely Roger the Alien who doesn’t get nearly enough screen time this year. Klaus the Fish is also a treat, and in this volume he gets a chance to live outside of his goldfish bowl for a change.

This new season reaches close to the same level, poking fun at both politics and pop culture. The only stumbling block is that it has developed a sense of self-importance and doesn’t always keep the political humor neutral, which was done pretty effectively in the first season. Instead of slamming everyone, the writers seem to feel a responsibility to slam only those with whom they disagree.

Here’s a case in point from the political angle. One episode of the show deals with homophobia both from Stan and Republicans at large. It’s brought to light by a Republican convention keeping gays from being involved in the party. It takes some jabs at the right – both fair and unfair. However, it really doesn’t take jabs at the left.

I’ll be the first to admit that many conservatives are a bit overzealous when it comes to the subject of homosexuality. When it comes to policymaking, it’s a matter of opinion. However, there are those out there that believe it’s a sin and people are going to rot in hell for this (like they have a say in it).

But on the other hand, the gay rights movement has some absolutely crazy elements too. If you don’t believe me, Google the gay rights activist Luke Sissyfag and do some reading. He’s a pretty funny guy. Yet, MacFarlane and company don’t unload on this side at all.

It comes to light in the behind-the-scenes footage from the show as some of the story directors talk about taking a political stand in some episodes. And here is the danger the show puts itself in. Now that they’ve realized that they can make a political point, they will. But that’s not why people watch the show. They watch the show to laugh – at both sides, most likely.

So the bottom line for this show is that it’s still funny. More Roger would be nice, and I’d love to see a more tempered approach to the politics. I know all the folks making the show lean to the left, but the country doesn’t always agree. I’d rather see “American Dad!” continue on the “South Park” route and just make fun of everyone, ‘cause we all deserve it after all.

Still, this second volume is definitely worth checking out. There’s plenty of commentaries on the episodes, oodles of deleted scenes, a tutorial on how to draw Roger, a retrospective on the show, plus a behind the scenes look at the series which includes how the animators developed the video game episodes “Dungeons and Wagons.”



Specifications: Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound. Fullscreen (1.33:1). French and Spanish subtitles. English language subtitles for the hearing impaired.