TV-Reviewed

This week’s South Park is unlike any other, so much so that I am left questioning the meaning of life as I know it due to how atypical it was. After some thought, I have come to the conclusion that the episode serves as a reflection on what it means to be South Park.

In tonight’s episode, Wendy challenges Cartman to a fight after he makes an offensive joke about Breast Cancer, as any eight year old might. Cartman tries to get out of the fight, but Wendy wants blood. That’s it, plain and simple.

Wendy’s mad as hell.

Since the series debuted twelve seasons ago, the show has been controversial and exciting for one episode or another. The show’s plots are always shrouded in mystery until their airdate and the audience is left with a desperate anticipation of what are they going to do next? The one rule is that no one and no subject is safe – look at Chef’s (Isaac Hayes) abrupt departure due to the controversial Scientology episode, which was quickly followed with the character’s brutal death in the show. With 175 episodes and counting, you come to expect a biting satire on current events.

Tonight, I’d like to think that Matt and Trey took a step back and actively went un-South Park. There were no metaphors or cultural references at the heart of the story. There were no surprise twists or surreal conspiracies in the end to qualify the story. As Wendy so perfectly pointed out, week after week Cartman just gets more and more offensive and no one ever does anything. They have gone beyond their typical episode where the “kids just act like kids” (I.E. Marjorine, The List) and use the format to approach themselves. Cartman is the heart of the show, their primary vessel of satire – the big gun. Now they have turned it around on him and shown that he is, as Principal Victoria points out, the equivalent to cancer for their school.

What unsettles me the most was the dread of what was to come for the episode. I expected the twist, an offensive comment about Christina Applegate’s recent diagnosis, something “South Parky” to save myself from the brutal straightforwardness. They peppered in sure to be classic comedic moments into an otherwise intense narrative – Butters’ casual judgment of Cartman should he be beaten by a girl, Cartman eating his own underwear and later throwing it up, Cartman defecating on Mr. Garrison’s desk to get himself detention – genius.

In the end, a jaw on the floor fight finally ensues, Cartman of course getting served hard by Wendy. Bloody pulp, a tooth knocked out, Raging Bull, served. But then he gets up, convinces himself that all the guys still like him and literally skips off, grateful. There is no stopping Eric Cartman, and while I am still very confused, I hope nothing ever will.

The institution of South Park keeps one upping itself, and I am grateful that I get to be a part of it, week after week, after all these years.

Rating: 7.5