15 Best Animated TV Moments Of 2018

Seth MacFarlane has always relied on pop culture references, so much so that Family Guy frequently breaks the fourth wall to mock him for it. They tend to be so rapid-fire that a lot miss the target, but with this Oregon Trail reference he hit the bullseye.

While playing through the seminal game would probably help you enjoy the episode more, it’s not necessarily a requirement. Because Roger has no experience of it, the show quickly explains the setup. You need to help a family of pilgrims survive all the way to Oregon, and it’s bloody hard to keep them all alive.

Roger ends up trapping the Smith family inside his computer, forcing them to play through the game over and over again. We see some nice animation sequences as the family are pixelated on the screen, then a ton of sight gags as the family dies in a range of Oregon Trail ways. Francine, in particular, is terrible at the game, drinking swamp water and contracting dysentery repeatedly.

American Dad! has run for long enough now that the show can break away from its usual formula. More little breakaways like this are crucial as it moves forward.