Stan's old KGB rival, Sergei Kruglov, moves into the neighborhood with ulterior motives. Meanwhile, Roger and Klaus go on a trip to Europe.
Tropes
- Aborted Arc: Sergei promises a very long-ended scheme to get his revenge on Stan, but aside from a speaking appearance in "Roy Rogers McFreely," he rarely appears after this episode.
- The Backwards Я: Both averted and inverted. A wide shot of one of Steve's propaganda posters reads ВЕΛИКИХ РАБОТ (correct Cyrillic), but close-ups replace it with BEANKNX PAGOT (similar-looking Latin gibberish).
- Bait-and-Switch: Stan rushes into Steve's room, only to find it is now filled with communist posters, flags, and busts. However, he's more shocked to see a photo of Steve meeting Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon.
- Chummy Commies: Even though the Cold War is long over, Sergei still believes in communism, but is affable with the Smiths.
- Easy Evangelism: Spending a few days with Sergei is enough for Steve to become a devoted communist. The fact Stan, at that time, barely gave a passing glance towards either Steve or the rocket, made it all the more easier.
- Establishing Character Moment: This is the first episode to more or less make Roger pansexual rather than simply Camp Gay as he and Klaus decide to go to Schaffhausen to chase two German girls on bikes.Roger: Do I even like girls? I must like girls.
- Hard-Work Montage: Stan puts in the money and effort to help build a rocket with - and be there for - his son, set to the song "(You Can Still) Rock in America" by Night Rangers.
- Heel–Face Revolving Door: Steve initially becomes a communist after spending time with Sergei at the end of the second act, only to revert back during the third act.
- Insane Troll Logic: Stan splurges money to build a rocket for Steve, which explodes after takeoff. When Francine points out that he spent all their savings, Stan replies that you need to spend money to make money. She says he didn't make any money, to which he says that by that logic, he didn't spend any money.
- Meaningful Name: Sergei shares his full name with Sergei Kruglov, who was the head of the Soviet Union's internal security forces between 1946 and 1953.
- Mother Russia Makes You Strong: Sergei teaches this to Steve as he helps him build a rocket."If you want to win contest, your mind must be hard and joyless, like Russian turnip!"
- No Ending: The European trip subplot involving Roger and Klaus stops after they drive to Schaffhausen.
- Oh, No... Not Again!: In the flashback, the American soldiers groan in frustration when Stan is recaptured by the Russians.
- One Dialogue, Two Conversations: Roger and Klaus comment on the bravery of the young men who fought on D-Day, until Roger is caught off guard when Klaus mentions that they were "trying to fight off an American invasion".
- Prisoner Exchange: A flashback shows Stan and Sergei being exchanged during the 1980s. However, while Sergei extolled the virtues of communism, he walked Stan right back into the hands of the Russian guards.
- Red Baron: Sergei's nickname during the Cold War was "the Wolf of Leningrad."
- Shout-Out: The title is a combination of Red October (the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution) and October Sky.
- Shown Their Work: Roger and Klaus get lost in the Alps trying to find Winterthur and instead decide to follow some girls to Schaffhausen. Both are real neighboring towns in Switzerland.
- Smooch of Victory: Two Tech Support guys kiss each other following a successful test rocket launch.
- The Stinger: Sergei shows up at the Smith's household, revealing that he fiddled with the shower's pulse setting, before handing important mail meant for the Smiths to Stan.
- Take That!: Sergei describes the time he worked at Moscow's first Hardee's as a dark period of his post-communist career.
- Vacation Episode: Roger and Klaus go on a tour of Europe, visiting Italy, France, and Switzerland.
