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Pandemic (South Park)

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"Pandemic (South Park)"

"Pandemic" is the tenth episode of the twelfth season of the American animated television series South Park,Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page). and the 177th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 22, 2008.

It is the first of a two-part episode.[1] In the episode, the boys try to capitalize on a sudden rise in Peruvian flute bands, unwittingly becoming players in a demonic being's plan to employ giant guinea pigs to attack the public. The storyline of this episode concludes in the next episode, "Pandemic 2: The Startling".

The episode was written and directed by series co-founder Trey Parker, and was rated TV-MA L in the United States.

Plot

Seeing all the Peruvian pan flute bands that have become popular recently, and the money they can make daily by selling CDs, Stan convinces Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny to start their own pan flute band. They convince their classmate Craig to invest his $100 birthday money as venture capital. The plan backfires when the head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security cracks down on all Peruvian flute bands, rounding the five boys up and imprisoning them in Miami, with the boys arrested in the process. While imprisoned, Craig continually chastises Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny, citing that the four main protagonists' constant schemes and their subsequent failures are the main reason for their unpopularity. The boys attempt to convince their captors that they are American citizens, but the DHS only agrees to release the boys if they agree to go on a mission to overthrow the country of Peru, in order to stop the pandemic of Peruvian flute bands at its source. As the boys prepare for their mission, Peruvian musicians still interned in the camp warn guards that their captivity will unleash the "Furry Death".

Meanwhile, Stan's father, Randy Marsh, raises the ire of his family by videotaping every mundane household activity with his new camcorder. His camera documents the rampage of giant live action guinea pigs through town. At the episode's conclusion, the boys are headed to Peru as the country begins to be overrun by guinea pigs. It is revealed that the head of Homeland Security is a demonic lifeform facilitating the eradication of pan flute bands and the rise of the guinea pigs, and that he sent the boys to Peru because there is only one person with the power to stop him - Craig.

Cultural references

The guinea pig monsters and shaky cam techniques are in reference to the 2008 movie Cloverfield.[2] The interrogation scene and the main antagonist is a reference to the movie, "Harold and Kumar: Escape From Guantanamo Bay"

Reception

The episode received mixed reviews. IGN rated the episode a 6.2/10, stating "the show falls back on its old gimmicks of a national crisis with fast-paced scenes of men talking importantly about stupid things. The show is good at this stuff, but we've seen it all before and it seems out of place and meaningless here. It's a long walk for a joke that's only somewhat amusing, and never hilarious".[3]

References

  1. ^ "Pandemic 2: The Startling" at southparkstudios.com
  2. ^ Entry from Tuesday, November 4, 2008 FAQ archive at South Park Studios
  3. ^ Fickett, Travis (2008-10-23). "South Park: "Pandemic" Review". IGN. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
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