The Cleveland Show Family Guy American Dad Hurricane Episodes

Seth McFarlane's trilogy about a hurricane doesn't quite manage to be special but has some interesting points.
The creator of the better part of animation domination certainly knows how to make special episodes. He either keeps a death count leading up to hundred or locks two characters up in a safe. But for the much talked about hurricane cross-over, McFarlane doesn't have a whole lot up his sleeve.

The most disappointing part of it all, in my opinion, is that there's little cross-over happening. I'm talking even less than on the CSI-franchise. Sure, there are a few mentions and there's that ending that happened but the episodes of the different shows stood very well alone. In fact, they were quite good independently, touching upon several subjects that were not only interesting, but deserve some more attention on TV.
The Cleveland Show was by far the most controversial. And I say that with the deepest love for America. Yet, it feels like if you even say the word "atheist" a SWAT team will come pick you up and burn you on a stake publicly. The conversation the family had was with the same ironic tones McFarlane is known for but they contained the subtle honesty the creator implements on many of his standout works. A religious discussion isn't held often on national television (the last one I recall was from Glee a year ago) even though it is a huge part of Western civilization.
At least, not any less than drugs, which was the topic of the Family Guy episode. I have to say, the show that started it all has slipped pretty far from quality in comparison to its spin-offs. Half of the episode was spend with Brian who did mushrooms. Super vague, super forgettable. I don't know why we had to watch it or what we even watched but it was not necessary for us to see. Luckily the episode improved slightly, with Meg stepping up and releasing some family tension. As a fan of Meg-punning jokes I fondly remember the episode in which she stepped up and touched upon the family's disrespect. I have no idea why it needed to happen again. In fact, that story line, as awesome as it was, has already been wrapped. No clue why it came back.
Lastly, American Dad! topped off the night with some actual hurricane action. The Smiths' house was floating and Stan was killing people. The show is so good when it goes all out and with sharks, bears and an annoying girlfriend, it did. It proves that McFarlane is capable of many things, including mixing subtlety with over-the-top humor and some sincere character development. Unfortunately, that only happens once every three shows.