10 TV Shows That Went Too Far (In Completely Unexpected Ways)
4. That (Surprisingly Solid) Anorexia Episode - American Dad
Another appearance for one of Seth MacFarlane’s never-ending franchises on this list, although as has been the case for much of American Dad’s history, this one received significantly better reception than its Quahog counterpart. Despite the ironic title “The American Dad After School Special”, an early episode of the darkly comic sitcom focused on the ever-relevant issues of body image and eating disorders, and managed to do surprisingly sensitive and solid job of it.
When nerdy son Steve brings home a heavier love interest than his dad had anticipated, it sends family patriarch/ uber-conservative CIA operative Stan into a self-conscious spiral. The protagonist starts focusing obsessively on his health, over-exercising and undereating yet seeing no results.
That is, until the shocking reveal, not played for laughs, that he’s suffering anorexia and has a wildly distorted self-image. The sight of a gaunt, hysterical Stan was jarring to say the least for fans of the typically irreverent and cynical show, and the episode was lauded for addressing a difficult problem with grace.
Despite this relative success, it’s doubtful that anyone expected something so dark and sincerely serious from the show, and the episode was amongst few times that the long-running series attempted such a feat.