The plot of "Animal Frat" is loosely based on in incident that actually occurred on an American university campus. A bombing occurred in Sterling Hall on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison on August 24, 1970. It was committed by four young people as a protest against the university's research connections with the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. The bombing resulted in the death of a university physics researcher and injuries to three other people.
In the original history, Knute "Wild Thing" Wileton became a quadriplegic after breaking his neck on October 21, 1967.
The plot is similar to Running on Empty (1988), where a couple are on the run because they blew up a building that they incorrectly thought was unoccupied, causing permanent injury to the victim.
This episode takes place in Meeks College, California from October 19 to October 21, 1967.