It's Christmas in Canada

"It's Christmas in Canada"

"It's Christmas in Canada" (sometimes called "Christmas in Canada?" or simply "Christmas in Canada") is episode 715 of Comedy Central's South Park. This episode originally aired on December 17, 2003. It was nominated for an Emmy Award.

Plot

As the Broflovski family celebrates Hanukkah, Kyle's dad notes the family's togetherness, and says that nothing can break them apart. Ironically, the biological Canadian parents of adopted baby brother Ike show up at that very moment, and say that they want Ike back.

Due to a new law made by the Prime Minister of Canada, this is ruled to be legal and cannot be overturned by South Park's court. Ike leaves with his Canadian parents. Kyle attempts to get his friends to help him, however they have other things on their minds; Cartman is thinking only of presents, and Stan wants to have a Christmas adventure. Kenny doesn't give a reason why he doesn't want to go.

In the aftermath, the citizens of South Park decide to be brotherly to the devastated Broflovskis, and instead of spending money on Christmas gifts, they will give them the money, in the hope that they can someday get Ike back. But the children of South Park are upset by the thought of Christmas without any presents (Stan, however, is more concerned about his father's reactions to the idea); especially Cartman, who wants to beat Kyle up. However Kyle has an idea to save Christmas: the boys can go to Canada and get Ike back themselves in the few days before Christmas, saving everybody's money for presents, and Kyle from being beaten-up.

They fly with City Airlines, run by City Wok owner Tuong Lu Kim. Cartman and Kenny don't want to fly; Cartman because he does not trust the single engine plane Cessna, and Kenny because, as he says in a muffled voice, "Cause dude, I'll fuckin' die!" During the flight, the plane suffers from mechanical troubles, not helped by the fact that Tuong falls asleep. He parachutes out of the plane, leaving the four boys in it. It crashes in Canada, but the four boys get out unharmed. In Canada, they meet a bunch of Canadians (In a very similar fashion to Dorothy meeting the Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz), including Scott, a Canadian who is "a dick". He hates Americans, and vows to stop them from meeting the Prime Minister.

Traveling to Ottawa on the only road in Canada (a reference to the Trans Canada Highway), the boys meet others plagued by the new Prime Minister's laws - a Canadian Mountie, who is forced to ride a sheep instead of a horse; French Canadians, who can no longer drink wine; and Steve the Newfoundlander, who can no longer practice sodomy. In Newfoundland, the boys realize that they were heading in the wrong direction, but the group get to Ottawa in the "kind Newfie's" boat.

File:City Airlines.png

City Airlines

In the parliament building, the boys meet with the Prime Minister, who is a gigantic floating head, and brutal dictator who refuses to repeal his laws, including the refusing to let Ike go back to America. But Stan then notices a curtain in the corner, and pulls it back to reveal the gigantic floating head is mechanically controlled by Saddam Hussein in a spider-hole. (The representation of Saddam uses images from the capture of the former Iraq dictator that had been announced on December 14, 2003, three days before the episode aired.) Upon discovery of the Prime Minister's true identity, the Canadians nullify all of the laws he made, and Ike's natural parents agree to let him go back to America with Kyle.

The boys are still in Canada when Christmas arrives. Cartman gets angry about 'missing Christmas' and calling back to his statement before the journey began, challenges Kyle to a fight. Kyle reluctantly hits Cartman once, with a simple punch to his nose. Cartman immediately starts to cry and call for his mother in the manner of a toddler, wailing, "meeehm!" Rick the Mountie then comes back in inviting the boys to celebrate Christmas Canadian-style, being part of a parade while the Canadians sing "Ding Dong, The Americans Caught Saddam!". Stan sighs and says that maybe they'll have a Christmas adventure next year, unaware or unwilling to realize that they just had one.

Kenny's death

In this episode, Kenny dies when the head of the "Canadian prime minister" shoots him with laser beams, causing him to explode. Note: When Kyle says "You bastards", he just says it instead of yelling it out. This is Kenny's only death in season 7, as well as his first death since the episode Kenny Dies.

References to The Wizard of Oz

The Canada part of the plot is based on the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the 1939 movie adaptation. Stan even says "I don't think we're in America any more." Various allusions include:

• An arrival that involves a crash-landing; in Oz it was a house deposited by a tornado, in this episode a Cessna crash-landing.
• Natives who fear the occupants of the crashed vessel; in Oz they thought the house came from a Wicked Witch, in this episode the Canadians feared an invasion, also referencing the South Park Movie.
• "The Only Road" in Canada, mimicking the "Yellow brick road", including a song while traveled upon.
• Numerous individuals that join the main protagonist to speak with the Wizard/Prime Minister.
• A "shortcut"; in Oz the shortcut was through a patch of flowers and in this episode it was via boat to Ottawa.
• An antagonist with an observing device; in Oz a Wicked Witch who watched the protagonists with a Crystal Ball, in this episode Scott who apparently watched the episode as it aired live on television.
• The manner in which the protagonists get into the Wizard's/Prime Minister's abode is the same (through a call for sympathy).
• Discovering that the apparent Wizard/Prime Minister is actually just an illusion being controlled by someone hidden behind a screen next to where they are standing.
• When Scott suddenly appears, the Canadians all run and hide, making the same noises as the Munchkins did when the Wicked Witch of the West appeared.
• "Ding Dong, The Americans Caught Saddam!" is similar to the song "Ding Dong, The Wicked Witch Is Dead!"

Trivia

• Mr. Garrison requests Mayor McDaniels to get rid of all the Mexicans on Christmas Eve. He originally asked the same question in Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo.
• This is one of only two episodes in which shit is spoken uncensored; here by the main French Canadian character. The other episode is It Hits the Fan.