South Park - General Discussion

[DoctorAtomic]

On 11/14/2019 at 10:16 PM, rmontro said:

Admittedly, part of the reason I liked it is because Randy Savage was my favorite wrestler and I thought it was hilarious. 

This begs the question of Strong Woman's taste in men to go from Savage to PC Principal. 

Was there no episode last week? I watch on Hulu and there was nothing listed. 

[OnceSane]

10 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

Was there no episode last week? I watch on Hulu and there was nothing listed. 

Nope, no new episode last week.

[Female83]

I wonder why they're airing a new ep this week when Parker and Stone never release one Thanksgiving week. 

[rmontro]

22 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

This begs the question of Strong Woman's taste in men to go from Savage to PC Principal. 

Well, they're both ripped.  A strong woman needs a strong man.  I guess Savage's reputation isn't very PC though.  Hey, she's progressing.  

I like that PC stands for "Peter Charles".  

[ICantDoThatDave]

If the girls are supposed to know & follow all the rules to the games then surely two newly introduced characters wouldn't be allowed to join an existing battlefield, just teleport up to the main adversary who they know nothing about (which one's "the Druid"?), & cast Vampiric Touch, which as the name implies is a "touch" spell.

My suspension of disbelief for the episode was very nearly destroyed at that point.

[Galileo908]

The episode opens with a lady-centric intro and Sheila vomiting and crapping everywhere. And then stealing poop (especially Tom Brady's) turned into The Spice a la Dune. God bless this show. Yes, the procedure Sheila had done is real and gross.

"Talk about anal retentive." Ha.

Happy Thanksgiving! We ruined turkey basters for everyone! Yeah, eww. This was easily the grossest episode maybe ever? But this has to be my favorite of the season.

[Spartan Girl]

So now the ladies get their own spin off and it's the grossest episode since Randy breaking the shit record. Still laughed my ass off.

Who will get the episode next week?

Edited November 28, 2019 by Spartan Girl

[SeanC]

The episode randomly turning into an extended parody of David Lynch's Dune was the sort of thing I like best about this show.

[Lantern7]

The episode worked. Yeah, it did combine familiar tropes like "Shit In The Main Plot" ("Red Hot Catholic Love," "More Crap"), "Boys Will Do Anything Involving Video Games: ("Towelie," the "Go God Go" and "Black Friday" arcs) and "Kyle Steps Beyond Reality" ("The Tooth Fairy Tats 2000"), but it was pretty good. I'm just thinking that I was right in saying the episode would be best viewed after Thanksgiving.

With a plot centered on the women of South Park, of course there would be one A-lister there in Sheila. No Sharon, Liane, Strong Woman . . . but we got Mintberry Crunch's mom! Aso funny: Ike suffering a thousand deaths at the supermarket, climaxing with him emptying a bag of chips and putting it over his head in a suicide attempt.

I never read or watched Dune. All I know is that the Eighties movie is about ten hours long, and pre-TNG Patrick Stewart is in there. But I knew the "spice" reference, so I was good with the reference and how it related to Tom Brady. Not as funny as Cartman channeling Edward James Olmos in Stand and Deliver and teaching the gospel of Bill Bellichek, but still funny.

[rmontro]

15 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Ike suffering a thousand deaths at the supermarket, climaxing with him emptying a bag of chips and putting it over his head in a suicide attempt.

I thought he was just hiding his face in embarassment.  It's an old cliche to wear a bag over your head to hide your humiliation.  But you could be right.

I saw Tom Brady on TV today, and the first thing I thought was "Ah, the spice, the spice melange".

[DoctorAtomic]

No, Ike put the bag on his head to hide his humiliation. Because he had just said, 'oh god dammit' when Sheila started on with the transplant.

I lost my shit (heh) when the doctor started the inner monologue about the Spice and then Makay did it.

[Lantern7]

From the press release for “Basic Cable”:

Quote

NEW YORK, December 2, 2019 – Scott Malkinson is desperate to impress the new girl in his class the an all-new episode titled, “Basic Cable” airing on Wednesday, December 4th at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on Comedy Central.

Scott Malkinson’s future with the new girl in his class depends on him getting the latest and greatest streaming platform. Scott’s dad works for the local cable company and refuses to move beyond basic cable.

[benteen]

I really enjoyed this episode, it was a very old school South Park.  I never saw Dune but was quickly able to pick up the references, which were well-done.  Always appreciate when they have Kenny appear "normally."

It seems as if the joke this season is that South Park has been canceled and these episodes are basically "spinoffs."

Edited December 2, 2019 by benteen

[OnceSane]

Episode 9:

Quote

"Basic Cable"

Scott Malkinson’s future with the new girl in his class depends on him getting the latest and greatest streaming platform. Scott’s dad works for the local cable company and refuses to move beyond basic cable.

Airs December 4, 2019.

[DoctorAtomic]

I think the only thing people might not have gotten who hadn't seen Dune was the blue eyes and the prescience (seeing the bookcase), but I think it still worked on its own within the context of the show. 

The inner monologues was a feature of the book, but they played it well for laughs here. 

[Spartan Girl]

So Scott Malkinson is the next one to get a spinoff!

[kittykat]

I just about died when the inner monologues and the Dune references kicked in, especially when Kyle's eyes went blue.  Agreed that this definitely had a more old school feel too.  I did love Ike's embarrassment in the supermarket but I also loved that Sheila was in no way ashamed of it.

Looking forward to Scott Malkinson's episode.  I'm guessing the next streaming service will be a parody of Disney+ even though Mickey already made an appearance earlier in the season.

Any ideas on what the final spin off will be?  I'm guessing either Jimmy/Timmy, Goth kids, or Trump Garrison given all the impeachment stuff.

[rmontro]

15 minutes ago, kittykat said:

Any ideas on what the final spin off will be?  I'm guessing either Jimmy/Timmy, Goth kids, or Trump Garrison given all the impeachment stuff.

Or maybe an episode of South Park?

[Spartan Girl]

Add Scott's dad to the list of terrible parents on this show. 

LOL at the spin-off of the Blacks and Whites. And CRAB PEOPLE!

Wow, all the guys were into Sophie. That hasn't happened since Bebe's boobs. Loved Sophie telling them off at the end. And Scott got a break, finally.

[Galileo908]

That Saul Bass-style intro was great. I loved that the entire episode was scored like a Bond flick.

The new girl is cute, likes The Mandalorian, and has diabetes?! She's perfect for Scott. I should've known Disney+ was gonna be involved as soon as I saw the title of the episode. Couldn't believe I was seeing the Baby Yoda Soup meme. These guys work quick.

Loved the Cable guys doing everything but their jobs. Yeah, it's the streaming services killing cable with their programming.

I was dying at Canada Ploos, and all the other characters getting their own show. "The Blacks & The Whites" on Hulu was great, as was the Crab People/Stranger Things hybrid. I couldn't believe all the "spinoffs" are actually coming together! I need to see what happens next week to see if anything comes from this. 

Also loved seeing lots of other old minor characters coming back, like the Goths, Jimmy, Timmy, Token, and Nathan. Seeing Nathan shoot up insulin like heroin was pretty horrifying to see. I hate needles and injections, so I was uncomfortable at that.

Yeah, I was glad Scott finally caught a break. But even his dad makes fun of his voice?! That's low, even for the other dads in town.

Edited December 5, 2019 by Galileo908

[Lantern7]

Thunker of an episode. It's not because of Scott, though he does need to grow another dimension. Does he have a lisp? Is that why he talks that way? Anyway, the plot leans too hard into "Cable guys are humps that will fix your service when they get there." The crossover of old intros from this season (well, just "PC Babies" and "One For the Ladies"; I'm thinking maybe Sharon murdered Randy after "Season Finale") ding up the fourth wall something nice . . . but it still felt like a blah episode.

Cartman cautions Scott about getting involved . . . then he makes a play for Sophie. I don't think it's hypocrisy from him, but rather stupidity. The bit with "Let me fucking unpack" was funny, though.

Anyone else surprised Cupid Cartman didn't show up?

On a serious note, Eric Cartman's namesake has ALS, and he has a GoFundMe page set up. From what I read, only the name is similar. Matt Karpman is not a manipulative fatass.

Oh, and I currently have cable. Would it be possible to get streaming added on for the exclusive stuff? And if so, what would you guys recommend?

[SeanC]

They didn't really add anything to the overall theme/plot in the manner of last week's Dune parody, but it seemed like they were referencing the X-Men movies in a few ways this week for some reason.  I thought I might be imagining it until Scott came out with his insulin needs arranged like Wolverine's claws.

Edited December 5, 2019 by SeanC

[rmontro]

I like Scott Malkinson.  I used to play the Fractured But Whole video game, and I liked using his character and Craig's the best.  It was funny and kind of heartbreaking when he said he was only defined by his diabetes, and also some commentary on his character.

13 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Oh, and I currently have cable. Would it be possible to get streaming added on for the exclusive stuff? And if so, what would you guys recommend?

I have cable and also a few streaming services.  You can stream directly through most smart TVs these days.  I have Netflix, which I stream through my Xfinity cable box, and the WWE Network, which I stream through my PS4.  Netflix is pretty good, so I would recommend that. 

Lately I've been thinking of cancelling those two services and maybe picking up a few different ones.  Which service you want depends on what you like.  CBS has Star Trek, Disney+ has Marvel, Pixar, etc.  Amazon Prime is eventually going to have a Lord of the Rings TV series, and I can't imagine missing out on that.

[Writing Wrongs]

The episode spoke to me. I have diabetes and the visual of Scott always checking his glucose is totally me.

I also related to the cable vs. streaming thing. I recently cut cable and just stream and use an antenna. And yeah, the cable guy "window" stuff cracked me up. I once had an appointment for between 12-5 pm, took off work for the afternoon and got home to a "Sorry we missed you" note because they had shown up at 9 am.

[marketdoctor]

Quote

Oh, and I currently have cable. Would it be possible to get streaming added on for the exclusive stuff? And if so, what would you guys recommend?

1.  Check your Internet plan, because streaming can use up a LOT of data (depending on how you use it, many gigabytes.)

2.  Try a web site like Pluto.Tv on your computer to see if you like it.  It's free and gives you a taste of what streaming is like.

3.  Pay only for what you're going to watch--if you live alone, get one or two services (and if you can stand commericals, exhaust your free options first), and watch their back catalog until you're bored, and then change.  I like a lot of Amazon's original content, and I've heard very good things about Disney Plus.  Hulu has surprisingly good customer service.

4.  Realize Disney Plus will get a drain on their servers from about Dec. 23-Jan. 2 (Christmas & Hannukah gifts and kids out of school.)

5.  If you're thinking about dumping cable for streaming, make sure your router is up to it.  That might still save you money, but it's something to consider.  (Equipment maintenance usually means unplugging it, waiting a minute, and turning it back on.)

6.  I've had good luck with the Roku, but I haven't heard anything actively bad about other devices.

[Amarsir]

If you noticed the phone number at the end, and are curious what it is without wanting to call yourself, someone put it on YouTube. 

[rmontro]

7 hours ago, Writing Wrongs said:

the cable guy "window" stuff cracked me up. I once had an appointment for between 12-5 pm, took off work for the afternoon and got home to a "Sorry we missed you" note because they had shown up at 9 am.

I had a window from 10-3.  I called the cable company at 5 to say they never showed up.  They told me to give them until 9.  They never did show up.  But I was eventually able to get the problem resolved over the phone.

6 hours ago, marketdoctor said:

2.  Try a web site like Pluto.Tv on your computer to see if you like it.  It's free and gives you a taste of what streaming is like.

Tubi is also free.  The series are limited, but there are a lot of movies.

[benteen]

The cable guys being late gag was consistently hilarious and very true.  Scott's dad is an ass but a funny character.

Funny they mentioned HBO Max, who just spent $500 million on the streaming rights to South Park.

Liked the mention of Cartman's old girlfriend.

Liked seeing the Goth pop up.

[DoctorAtomic]

As soon as Scott's dad started bitching about streaming I automatically loved it. 

I have cable with HBO and Showtime, Netflix, and Hulu, and I'm done. 

The thing is if you have a DVR you can still watch whenever you want. 

Edited December 7, 2019 by DoctorAtomic

[rmontro]

On 12/4/2019 at 11:31 PM, SeanC said:

it seemed like they were referencing the X-Men movies in a few ways this week for some reason. 

Was there something specific that made you think that?  Other than the Wolverine claw needles?  I can't think of anything, other than the fact that the redhead was the main love interest.

Speaking of streaming services, I find myself watching YouTube a lot lately, they've got a lot of good content, you can even watch some movies on there now.  I also find that when I listen to music now, I usually play it on YouTube.  I can access it from my TV, which makes it convenient.

[SeanC]

1 hour ago, rmontro said:

Was there something specific that made you think that?  Other than the Wolverine claw needles?  I can't think of anything, other than the fact that the redhead was the main love interest.

The redhead named "Sophie Grey".

[rmontro]

4 minutes ago, SeanC said:

The redhead named "Sophie Grey".

Ah, cute.

[OnceSane]

Episode 10:

Quote

"Christmas Snow"

It’s a bleak Christmas Season in South Park this year and it’s all Santa’s fault.  He is single handedly stealing the joy from the holiday. The town just wants their Christmas Spirit back but that will take a Christmas miracle.

Airs December 11, 2019.

[Lantern7]

Anyone else feel this Santa might be as big of a dick as the Santa over on Teen Titans Go? Basically, that Kris Kringle keeps trying to butt in on other holidays, and constantly refers to the Titans as "garbage children."

[DoctorAtomic]

I'm hoping they go back the beginning and have a Santa/Jesus showdown.

[Spartan Girl]

On 12/9/2019 at 3:07 PM, Lantern7 said:

Anyone else feel this Santa might be as big of a dick as the Santa over on Teen Titans Go? Basically, that Kris Kringle keeps trying to butt in on other holidays, and constantly refers to the Titans as "garbage children."

From the preview I got the impression that this is another case of the South Park adults being ignorant idiots and trashing people who are trying to inform them about a serious problem (in this case drunk driving during the holidays).  They did it to Greta, now they're doing it to Santa.

But I guess we'll find out for sure tonight.

[Galileo908]

Oh my god it's an ep where everyone's drunk driving. Dark as hell, but so hilarious to watch. Come on, Santa just wants to prevent drunk driving accidents and compared to Greta Thunberg. And is labled a buzzkill. And they replace booze with Tegridy. Mixed with cocaine. And then they just sold the cocaine. And we saw Santa AND Jesus snorting coke. Don't change, South Park.

"People didn't really like Mexican Joker." I really liked all the fourth wall jokes about repackaging ideas and calling it "special." Also loved that it only took one motage to legalize cocaine.

Coke...endorsed by Santa. Bravo.

Edited December 12, 2019 by Galileo908

[Spartan Girl]

Yup, I was right. The adults being assholes. And of course it's a Randy episode.

At least we got the original intro back.

Was kind of hoping Randy would move the family back to town with all the money he made, but nope.

[Lantern7]

"Christmas Special from Tegridy Farms . . . now with cocaine!!!"

Nice finale and fun holiday tie-in. Basically, it's a fight between Santa Claus and Randy, with the adults of South Park getting blitzed out of their gourds. Also, it looks to be so easy to change laws in South Park, to the point where no one finds out until they're inconvenienced. But we get a happy ending with Randy winning over Santa with his pot-free cocaine . . . and then Jesus enjoys a bump of his own. Because South Park.

[Writing Wrongs]

"From Farm To Nostril" had me laughing.

[DoctorAtomic]

I was like 'why don't they drive to the other county?' But turning it into a cocaine fueled episode was way better. I was dying when Randy basically said, 'hold my beer' and got coke to be legal.

I was crossing my fingers Jesus would show up.

[Tachi Rocinante]

On 12/9/2019 at 3:07 PM, Lantern7 said:

Anyone else feel this Santa might be as big of a dick as the Santa over on Teen Titans Go? Basically, that Kris Kringle keeps trying to butt in on other holidays, and constantly refers to the Titans as "garbage children."

That sounds pretty funny.

[Lady Iris]

On 12/9/2019 at 7:52 PM, DoctorAtomic said:

I'm hoping they go back the beginning and have a Santa/Jesus showdown.

We got a Santa/Jesus 'snowdown'! Yuk yuk yuk!

 

[rmontro]

I'm watching some South Park reruns on Comedy Central and it reminds me:  For all the profanity and controversy, a lot of what makes this show work sometimes is that it is just so damn cute.

[scootypuffjr]

Yes, I find even Cartman to be somewhat lovable, Lord help me, lol. I have always been in awe how Matt and Trey manage to make him so evil and so damn cute at the same time.

I also stand in awe of how cleverly they are able to skewer a person or theme or whatever so very thoroughly and keep it so topical and funny at the same time. I also like how they give it to both sides of the political aisle, an increasingly rare event these days it seems.

[rmontro]

3 hours ago, scootypuffjr said:

Yes, I find even Cartman to be somewhat lovable, Lord help me, lol. I have always been in awe how Matt and Trey manage to make him so evil and so damn cute at the same time.

I was thinking about Butters more, but fair enough.  

In the episode where they were a boy band, they called the band Finger Bang, and sang "I want to finger bang bang you into my life".  The cute part is that they don't know what finger bang means.

[Spartan Girl]

I never thought I'd say this but I think I'm done with this show. The pandemic broke me. Watching too many real life "adults" act like Gerald, Randy, and especially the Whites and skate any comeuppance made me realize I have no desire to watch it repeated on the next season. It's not funny anymore. It just makes me tired.

I might change my mind, depending on what the season premiere looks like or how the election works out. But for now I need a break.

[Treehugger9]

[Lantern7]

16 minutes ago, Treehugger9 said:

Seems about right. On the other hand, if Matt and/or Trey decide to take a sabbatical or retirement, I wouldn't blame either of them. Twenty-three seasons is a hell of a run. Sure, The Simpsons will have outlasted it, but those guys don't have the pressure Matt and Trey have tried to carry.

On 5/17/2020 at 11:47 AM, Spartan Girl said:

I never thought I'd say this but I think I'm done with this show. The pandemic broke me. Watching too many real life "adults" act like Gerald, Randy, and especially the Whites and skate any comeuppance made me realize I have no desire to watch it repeated on the next season. It's not funny anymore. It just makes me tired.

I might change my mind, depending on what the season premiere looks like or how the election works out. But for now I need a break.

I think that's the advantage of 10-episode seasons. If you factor in two weeks off during that run, that's around forty weeks between seasons. Eventually, some of the fatigue wears off. While I get where you're coming from, this is not the series you go for character growth. Comeuppance usually passes South Park, CO.

[Spartan Girl]

6 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Seems about right. On the other hand, if Matt and/or Trey decide to take a sabbatical or retirement, I wouldn't blame either of them. Twenty-three seasons is a hell of a run. Sure, The Simpsons will have outlasted it, but those guys don't have the pressure Matt and Trey have tried to carry.

I think that's the advantage of 10-episode seasons. If you factor in two weeks off during that run, that's around forty weeks between seasons. Eventually, some of the fatigue wears off. While I get where you're coming from, this is not the series you go for character growth. Comeuppance usually passes South Park, CO.

Cartman has gotten comeuppance plenty of times, but I see your point.

Its not even about that anymore: with over hundreds of thousands of people dead because of coronavirus, I don't think I'll be in the mood to see Randy accidentally causing a pandemic in South Park. And like you said, things are so uncertain right now, it might be smart for Trey and Matt to hold off on the new season until maybe next year. That way, if they insist on continuing to tie the whole season together, they can have a definite plan on how things will work out. Just saying...