South Park S28 Ep 1 Review
After being on hiatus for the last three weeks, South Park returns with a new season. Yes, much to everyone’s confusion, the newest episode is being billed as the start of the 28th season, yet it has no effect on the story itself. A story which continues its efforts to skewer the President in the best way possible. And now it’s coming back around onto an old target: Christianity. Or rather, all the people calling themselves Christians to justify their awful behavior, much to Jesus’ dismay. Also, it somehow ties in talk about the Antichrist with the “6 7” and how an unlikely person might be the one to save the world.
Take that, Fake Christians
As a satire, South Park has been no stranger to mocking religions; religion is often one of Matt and Trey’s favorite targets. And with the US currently dealing with this surge in conservative Christianity to get on the good side of the people in power, they’ve got plenty of ammunition to work with right now. They also have the perfect outlets for their commentary in the form of PC Principal and Jesus.
At the start of the “last” season, PC Principal sold out his beliefs to become a Power Christian, but it’s this episode that shows how far a 180 he’s taken. He still beats people up for disagreeing with him, but hearing him use the f-word is pretty jarring, given how consistent his character has been until now. The real shock, though, has to be the new appearance of his wife, VP Strong Woman.
Seeing the once-proud feminist now barely speaking and using breast and lip implants shows just how bad this is. Yet what makes it funny, though, is who is on the receiving end of all this: Jesus himself.
Jesus has made it clear he doesn’t want to be at South Park Elementary, but is trying to make the best of it. However, this episode finally sees him hit his breaking point as he, and Matt and Trey by extension, all what people like PC Principal are doing. They’re taking everything he taught about morals and kindness and perverting it into something to justify being jerks. And they’re a hundred-percent right. History is filled with more examples of people using religion to be jerks than I can count, and this is one of them. Unfortunately, all this gets Jesus is a beating. And this, sadly, is all it takes for Jesus to ultimately cave in to this twisted Christian nonsense, which makes for a pretty bleak ending. Especially considering how there’s still the threat of the Anti-Christ on the horizon.
But that problem might already be solved from the most unlikely of sources.
The Antichrist and 6 7!
As the President and Satan’s butt baby comes closer to their due date, the former keeps trying to do everything in his power to stop it. Of course, the most that comes from this is the sight of the President naked and showing his butthole at an abortion clinic, and using tweezers to relieve himself. Both of which are hilarious, but do little to move the plot along. That’s where evil(er) VP Vance comes in with his secret weapon: Peter Thiel.
I didn’t even know who Peter Thiel is until this episode, but he shows up in South Park talking about the Antichrist at the school, which none of the kids take seriously. They’re too busy enjoying the “6 7” meme that’s currently viral. The one who enjoys this nonsensical phrase the most, though, is Cartman, to the point where he starts to vomit from laughing so much. From there, the episode treats the whole thing like a parody of The Exorcist, with Thiel convinced that somehow, Cartman’s love of “6 7” is the key to stopping the Antichrist.
I don’t know how nor does the episode explain it before the credits roll, but somehow, Cartman could be the one to stop the Antichrist and save the world. Again, Eric Cartman, the guy who I’m sometimes convinced is the reincarnation of a certain historical dictator, could be what Vance is looking for. This is what we are resorting to.
Could Cartman Become more Cartman than Ever?
I’m not gonna lie: I have no clue where Matt and Trey are going with this one. Maybe they’re building things up to have Cartman save the world by being more Cartman than he’s ever been. Given how the last few episodes have seen him depressed about being outdone in controversy by others, that would be a hilarious payoff. He pulls up and puts everyone in their place by reminding the world how he’s the OG bad boy of South Park. It would certainly make for an epic clash! Or better yet, Cartman somehow becomes the Antichrist’s mentor in being evil.
There’s no telling where South Park plans to take things from here, but this was probably one of its better episodes this year. With the next episode due two days before Halloween, we could be looking at another Halloween episode, which would be a great way to continue this insane story. Until then, though, don’t get mad at people for using 6 7. Just let it pass!
