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The nineteenth season of South Park managed to tell both individual stories and a season long arc, which is something the show never really tried before. The show has done a few two-parters like “Cartoon Wars” and the censored “200” episodes, the stellar three-parter “Imaginationland,” and even played around with longer form storytelling at times. But for season 19, things started in a way it often does, with a new character explicitly designed to ask difficult questions about sensitive topics. The character of “PC Principal” (never given any other name) is introduced as a replacement principal for South Park Elementary who throws shade on the previous eighteen seasons of the show by immediately questioning many of the controversial things the show’s done in the past.
The first episode also introduces the real life Caitlyn Jenner who becomes a recurring character starting in the second episode. Those who might have wondered if South Park was being flip or overly simplistic with their “stunning and brave” criticisms get a character that is surprisingly complex. As a little setup to the eventual arc of the season, Kyle wants to argue that despite having gone through gender reassignment surgery, Jenner might not be a good person, but his honesty is suppressed and he instead goes along with the group. A bit of trickery to lay the groundwork. Another continuing theme is Randy getting pledged in the “PC” fraternity, which is a very clever take on the way PC culture can be appropriated by those merely seeking to profit from it but don’t believe in it.
In one of the horrible but hilarious recurring gags, the second episode brings in Caitlyn Jenner herself looking intentionally hideous and immediately running over a pedestrian (referencing the real world accident Jenner was involved in) as she drives Kyle back from a visit to the White House. This gag is repeated many, many times in the season and is always delightfully and disgustingly funny. The second episode has a take on both Trump and immigration, although it uses Canadians instead of Mexicans because Canada is inherently funny. A little bit of continuity arrives here, as Butters gets a new Canadian girlfriend but maintains the relationship online after she goes back to Canada. The second episode ends with an amazing twist, that Garrison is running for president with Jenner as his running mate. I don’t know how they thought of it, but the two of them have great repartee throughout the rest of the season anytime they appear.
Trump is an easy target and the apocalypse jokes are funny enough, but in the weeks since, it’s not as funny aa subject as it used to be.
The third episode begins an extensive series of stories related to gentrification and how that can hurt lower income families, but this is also when we get the secret villain of the season: Whole Foods. It may not have been quite as funny as the first two, but the killer ending and funny fake commercials made up for it. The fourth episode (“You’re Not Yelping”) targets Yelp reviewers in a way that’s not particularly subtle, but it’s still pretty funny. Continuity creeps in with new kid David who becomes a target of racism from Cartman.
That ending song is still a killer though and seriously dirty.
The fifth episode, “Safe Space,” continued the use of PC Principal and brought back more Whole Foods as a way to lead into a very odd ending — the public execution of “Reality,” a manifestation of well, reality. South Park has never been that into true realism, so what is the message about “killing” reality? I’d argue it’s mainly a perspective on how people will do anything to pretend negative ideas in reality even exist, and that you can’t ultimately kill reality at all, just symbols.
Episode six has some interesting and disturbing ideas alike. The bizarre “Cupid Me” mini-Cartman seems both unreal and real, another odd take on reality permeating people’s perceptions. It continues the overall theme of “acceptance without thought” maintained throughout the season. The very fact that Tweek and Craig cynically stay a fake couple to make the idiots in South Park feel better is simultaneously sweet and vicious.
The seventh episode, “Naughty Ninjas,” does a very silly take on ISIS that actually manages to make a salient point about police brutality and “acceptable” targets. This is also when the final arc begins to show itself with the introduction of the mysterious “Leslie” who turns out (spoilers of course) not to be a human at all.
Episode eight, “Sponsored Content,” essentially eschews a standalone story and brings in the season’s hero Jimmy Valmer, a supporter of the truth and real news. The episode also exposes the PC fraternity for what it is — a group of men that are really just using PC culture to get laid. We thankfully also get the return of Jenner and Garrison, who have become a delightfully witty and acerbic pair, constantly insulting each other but in a friendly way.
The final two episodes wrap things up with more meta commentary. Jimmy gets tricked by Leslie in an homage to the great movie Ex Machina and escapes from the Bill Hader voiced newsman, which is a lot of great in a short time. There is another point here, about the draw of ads and how they are essentially attempting to seduce us and our time and money.
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In the finale, things were both funny and bizarre once more, as the show got quite over the top talking about guns, hardly a new subject for them. The seeming paradox of people threatening each other with death somehow leading to inspiration and love, trying to keep the audience questioning about gun control and its efficacy, despite the flagrant disregard for gun safety we see.
The storylines all come together, with Jimmy realizing the truth and PC Principal destroying the “adbot” Leslie. But it’s the ending that really keeps you guessing. First, the town confronts the Whole Foods Market which literally flies away into the sky, as it apparently was an ad by itself. But then PC Principal announces he’s sticking around (for another season naturally) to ensure South Park stays politically correct to fight against ads.
Now that is an odd, odd meta commentary but you can see the little strands there. The season may have seemed to be targeting social-justice proponents with easy jokes, but it ended with an important note about how easy it is to fall sway to fads and manipulations from advertisements, which represent corporate interests.
It may not have been the funniest season of South Park ever, but it was audacious and impressive, and honestly it’s one of the better ones they’ve had in a while. Now I can’t wait to see what Matt and Trey do next time.
What did you think of this season? Tell us in the comments below.
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