10 best American Dad! episodes of all time, ranked

American Dad! has placed itself highly in the pop cultural scene with its remarkable animation and offbeat plots and storytelling. The siblings, Family Guy, also had its own appeal, but what sets American Dad! apart is its will to experiment with challenging themes and absurd narrative.

Created by Seth MacFarlane, the show revolved around Smiths, a family consisting of weirdly dysfunctional parents (Stan and Francine) and their children (Hayley and Steve), a pet fish named Klaus, and lastly, an alien being, Roger.

The show has aired 21 seasons to this day and has consistently entertained viewers with space adventures and apocalyptic chaos, without compromising on its key appeal.

So, here are 10 of the best American Dad! episodes, ranked according to each brilliant showcasing

Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. Readers’ discretion is advised.

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10 best American Dad! episodes of all time, ranked

10. Great Space Roaster (Season 5, Episode 9)

Roger’s birthday is perhaps one of the wildest episodes of American Dad! His birthday turns chaotic when the Smith family’s brutal roast hurts his feelings more than viewers could expect.

But this comic roast does not stay contained. It spirals headfirst into revenge plots, death traps, and guess what? Space travel!

Roger, with a fragile ego and a keen penchant for overreaction, shines bright but is the quintessential American Dad! Chaos is ever reigning in this episode.

9. In Country...Club (Season 6, Episode 1)

Steve is unable to sing aloud the national anthem with as much conviction, and later, Stan signs him up for a Vietnam War reenactment.

Unexpectedly, Steve emerges from the episode victoriously and delivers a performance that makes him come off as a real veteran.

This satirical episode plunges into sudden, unexpected emotional depth. It’s a darkly comic critique of military patriotism but disguised as a father-son story.

8. Dope and Faith (Season 3, Episode 3)

Stan, the ever devoted zealot, becomes friends with an atheist and tries to save his life. What makes this comic is how every time he tried to save him, he ended up nearly killing him.

Steve joins a Harry Potter-themed gang, and his actions offer a sharp yet ridiculous critique of complete and blind faith. The episode capitalizes on a snapshot of Stan’s well-intentioned but disastrous interventions.

7. The Vacation Goo (Season 3, Episode 1)

Francine is struck by a realization: Stan is placing everyone in virtual reality pods filled with "goo" and is thus taking vacations.

When they go for a real trip, things don't go as planned. Eventually the episode spirals into cannibalism and what not. This is the hallmark ‘bizarre’ that American Dad! can pull off, but it is entertaining at the same time.

6. Lost in Space (Season 9, Episode 18)

Jeff Fischer gets trapped inside a spaceship maintained and owned by Roger’s species. He tries hard to make sense of the strange universe and navigate his way back to Haylay.

In this process, the viewers see emotional growth and a journey. This rare sci-fi adventure is funny, but it shines bright in its treatment: The episode is very stylized, cinematic, and a standout among the show's more character-oriented plots.

5. Tearjerker (Season 4, Episode 10)

Tearjerker is arguably the funniest James Bond parody in an animated series. In this episode, Stan has to defeat the evil producer Roger, who makes robotic actors replace celebrities. The result? The entire world is in despair, seeing the bad acting.

Again, this episode is stylish, pop-culturally packed. This spoof is further polished by the spy-thriller treatment and the fun of watching characters like Francine as Sexpun T’Come, Steve as the gadget guy, and Klaus as the villain’s sidekick.

4. For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls (Season 6, Episode 8)

Stan and Steve go full-on chaotic in this episode. They try to bond by shooting randomly, and in the process, they accidentally kill Santa. After this, a vengeful Claus returns.

As bizarre as the plot sounds, viewers are offered even more strangeness with scenes of bloodshed, casual holiday violence. But the episode has an emotional moment where Stan finally accepts Jeff as part of the family, making this one of the most iconic episodes of American Dad!

3. The Two Hundred (Season 13, Episode 10)

This one is a post-apocalyptic drama that takes us wandering to a desolate world after 'The Blast.' Stan tries hard to navigate his way in this strange and lonely world, and he narrates the journey through his tattoos.

The episode delves into a non-linear narrative and deep character revelations, making it a top-tier tonal experiment within the show.

2. Rabbit Ears (Season 14, Episode 4)

Stan buys an old TV with weird rabbit-ear antennas with a strange 1960s black-and-white show running in it. He soon becomes very obsessed, and the thin line between reality and fiction starts to blur.

He gets pulled deeper into the broadcast while Roger becomes a giant, crybaby. It is a blend between psychological horror and media satire, echoing The Twilight Zone and The Truman Show. The episode also offered a clever commentary on screen addiction.

1. Rapture’s Delight (Season 6, Episode 9)

During the great Rapture, Stan is stuck in a post-apocalyptic world where he fights alongside Jesus. The mission? To defeat Anti-Christ and win back Francine.

The episode begins as a Christmas saga and soon spirals into action drama. Besides the biblical madness, this episode is Stan’s redemption arc. He grows into a partner and a believer.

Cinematic visuals and narrative experimentation make Rapture’s Delight an American Dad!

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Some honorable mentions

These 10 entries, as mentioned in the list, are fun, electric, and chaotic in their hallmark ways, but here are some honorable mentions that deserve a mention:

1. The Wondercabinet (Season 18 Episode 6): Steve tries to overcome his existential angst in school by delving into new age mysticism.
2. May the Best Stan Win (Season 5 Episode 12): In this strange crossover between Terminator and Valentine's Day, a cyborg appears with a heavy, mixed accent when Francine feels neglected on the day of love.
3. 300 (Season 17 Episode 21): This episode marks the 300th episode milestone for the show while also offering a fun closing to the Golden Turd joke that has been running in the show frequently for many episodes.

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