A History Channel Thanksgiving

"A History Channel Thanksgiving"

"A History Channel Thanksgiving" is the thirteenth episode of the fifteenth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 222nd episode overall. The episode aired on November 9, 2011. A parody of the 2011 film Thor and the History Channel series Ancient Aliens, this episode's plot sees the boys accidentally uncover the true origins of Thanksgiving after watching a History Channel documentary alleging that aliens were present at the original harvest feast in 1621.

Plot

After a lecture from 1/16th Cherokee Indian David Running Horse Sewitski, the boys are assigned to write a report on the history of Thanksgiving. They view a TV show on the History Channel that suggests the first Thanksgiving in 1621 was influenced by the presence of extraterrestrials. Despite Kyle's outrage at the program's arguments, he is outvoted when the other three boys decide nonetheless to use the program as a source in their report. After turning in their reports, agents from the History Channel demand the boys tell them where they got their information on aliens, which matches History's own information. When the boys explain they derived their knowledge from that program, the head agent sees this "coincidence" as validation of History's theories, and shows the boys' testimonials on a subsequent program, crediting Stan as a "History Expert", and Kyle as a "Professor of Thanksgiving - DeVry Institute", despite the fact that Kyle is shown arguing against the idea. This incurs the wrath of Sewitski, who, angered at the proliferation of falsehoods about Native American history, shows up at Kyle's house and holds him, Stan and Kenny at gunpoint.

Captain Standish of Plymouth, a planet in Canis Major whose inhabitants resemble colonial era American Pilgrims, falls to Earth. On Plymouth, the Pilgrim leader rallies his people, saying that their enemies, the Indians, have raided their stuffing mines, which causes a stuffing shortage on Earth that causes Cartman to panic. Standish shows up at Kyle's house, kills Sewitski, and asks Kyle for help returning to his planet. After Natalie Portman drives them to a wooded area, Standish shows Kyle a map of five planets: Earth, Plymouth, Indi, Colthenheim and Green Lantern World, which are connected by wormholes that on the map, resemble the hand-traced drawings of turkeys made by schoolchildren. Standish explains that his people and their enemies were indeed responsible for the first Thanksgiving, and warns Kyle that because the 300-year treaty between Plymouth and Indi has ended, the Indians will plunder the Plymouth stuffing mines. Agents from the History Channel appear, and when they tell Standish that they failed to open the wormhole to Plymouth by drawing the turkey symbol at Plymouth Rock, Standish informs them that they need Natalie Portman, who is the Keeper of the Portal. After being wined and dined by Kyle, Portman "opens her wormhole", sending Standish back to Plymouth, where he vanquishes the Indians.

Back on Earth, Standish's campaign against the Indians is related in another History TV special, which also adds the new theory that the first Thanksgiving was haunted, much to Kyle's outrage.

Reception

Ryan McGhee of The A.V. Club graded the episode a "B", stating: "Tonight’s South Park spent absolutely no time dwelling on the events of last week, favoring instead an attack on The History Channel, apophenia, and Natalie Portman. When people think back on this season, this won’t be an episode that will immediately spring to mind by any stretch. But as far as silly episodes written and drawn by people who have seen a lot of Thor recently, this wasn’t bad."

External links

• "A History Channel Thanksgiving" at South Park Studios.