South Park Review: You're Getting Old

How about blowing your shit up, right? South Park has absolutely earned the right to do anything they want, and if they want to make a depressing, John Cassavetes-esque movie with shit jokes, well, I really want to see that.

This episode, mostly the ending, reminded me very much of the arc in Moral Orel. Where by the 3rd season they abandoned the comic storyline and focused on the crumbling family and each character's internal struggle. You can also draw comparisons the use of 'Landslide', which South Park used, to Moral Orel's usage of various Mountain Goats songs. But where Moral Orel used the final 2 seasons to build, South Park just BLEW THAT SHIT UP right in front of our faces. Both metaphorically AND physically, and I love that. The divorce happened so abruptly that there was no time to pick sides. You just had take in every last bit of depression. For a show that basically admitted they've been coasting for a couple years using a same basic format- I feel rewarded that I get to think about these characters as real people.

Example- during another great episode this season (Season 15- shaping up to be one of the best ever)- "Crack Baby Atheltic League", Kyle and Cartman work together profiting off of crack babies. When Kyle is trying to show Stan his side of the story, Stan simply says "You sound like Cartman". I fully expected Kyle to stop right there and the episode would turn off into something else. But no. Kyle and Cartman continued working together. I viewed this as a betrayal of Kyle's character (but didn't care because that episode had one of the better non-sequitar endings in South Park history with Vaunter Slaush). Now- we see the continuing of that relationship with Kyle and Cartman exchanging knowing glances at each other during this episode. I see change, I see growth. The seeds were planted, and now they're sprouting.

I always was annoyed when people say "South Park isn't what it used to be" because those people, for the most part, don't watch the show regularly. I imagine for them, the pay-off of this episode, and hopefully the following episodes after their hiatus, won't be as free-ing.

"I know how much you like Legos, Stan."