5. Surro-Gate S3E07
This episode wastes no time before homophobic nonsense starts spewing out of the usual culprit, Stan Smith of course. And yes, we're all aware that it is the usual satirical tactic of the show. They make Stan spout illogical, unreasonable and politically incorrect stuff so the rest of the characters can point out how stupid and bigoted he is. But this episode goes way too overboard and the resolution is far too shallow for it to be classed as one of their better attempts at political satire. Greg and Terry decide they are ready to have a baby which they share with Stan and Francine and Francine ends up being their surrogate. Stan gets genuinely outraged because after he 'let' them be gay, they have the cheek to try and procreate. Stan condemns IVF as sci-fi nonsense, describes Terry and Greg's relationship as an abomination and diminishes their natural paternal instincts as just wanting to dress something up and suggests they dress their dog up instead. Eventually he pretends he's on board with the surrogacy but only so he can kidnap the baby and take it to Nebraska where gay parents have no legal rights. Suddenly a point to all this bigotry starts to take shape. As Stan nears Nebraska, he accidentally totals the car trying to escape the rainbow trucker brigade but is offered help from a woman on a quad bike. The woman turns out to have some great kids which Stan admires, that is until he learns that both the parents are women. So of course, he must kidnap these kids as well. The only thing that changes his mind is that the kids argue just like his kids. So they must be normal and therefore their parents must be ok. After all the hate and his firm position that gay parents are against nature, his mind changes in a flash and it feels a little too easy for the writers. So rather than trying make a point, it feels more like they were just poking fun at some pretty serious issues in America (and globally) and skirts the edges of recklessness. Funny? At times. Irresponsible? Yes.