Before we begin, I feel the need to address the trailer for The Love Guru, which ran at the top of tonight’s episode. I hope the movie is good, but wow, does it look like a recycled piece of nothingness. Seriously Mike, another goofy guy with a funny accent AND Verne Troyer? Let the little man have his strippers and fade off into the sunset.
Anyway, South Park, the last episode before the twelfth season’s hiatus. (They’ll be back with seven more, but I’m not sure when.) It was okay. Not great, not horrible. Funny, but not hilarious. There was a noticeable lack of proselytizing, which can be a good or a bad thing. Here’s something I noticed, though, as I looked over a few SP message boards after tonight’s conclusion: There’s always someone who’ll swear it was the best episode of the season, and someone who will swear it was the worst. Strange-ish.
Anyway, the kids–this was an all-kids installment, with no parents around–go on a field trip to one of those lame-ass Pioneer Village-type places, to be taught about the wonders of 1864. As usual, South Park is pretty spot-on with the ridiculousness of everyday things like this: The workers won’t break character, and the kids are bored as hell. In order to keep from wandering off, the kids are paired off, and of course no one wants to go with Cartman. (He’s an asshole, you see.) In one of the episode’s best moments, the camera pans to Butters, who looks coy and offers to partner up. Mr. Garrison puts the two together, and Butters swears not to let go of Cartman’s hand through the entire episode.
When fattie peeks through the fence surrounding the village, he spies Super Phun Thyme, a huge indoor gaming palace, and drags Butters away from the field trip and over to have a good time. Butters, naturally, gets mad and won’t let go of Cartman’s hand, so everyone thinks they’re special little friends. Second best moment of the episode: Cartman’s song about having a super fun time at Super Phun Thyme.