In the 30-second preview clip released on the South Park Studios YouTube channel, Randy Marsh appears to be capitalizing on a growing weed demand by offering a “pandemic special” (a tongue-in-cheek reference by the writers to the episode itself), and the boys wrestle with the complications of going back to school (or “schoo”, as Cartman pronounces it). With the presence of masks, plastic barriers, and socially-distant children, it seems that creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are truly reflecting this contemporary moment.
Moreover, the episode seems to be tackling more than just the pandemic. With the preview referring to “2020 Problems” in general, Detective Harris taking over as the kids’ class teacher, and the mentions of “slavery”, it would appear that the special will also touch on ideas of the Black Lives Matter protests currently happening. The show has had no qualms in the past tackling equally heated and incendiary topics (who can forget their 200th episode, where they intentionally tried to be as controversial as possible?), so it will be interesting to see how they’ll take on BLM and COVID-19.
In a description released by Comedy Central, it notes that “the kids happily head back to school but nothing resembles the normal that they once knew; not their teachers, not their homeroom, not even Eric Cartman”. Eagle-eyed fans have already noted some breaks away from the ‘norm’, with the boys’ classroom featuring COVID-relevant posters, and Cartman wearing PJs due to staying at home for remote learning.
However, the supersized episode doesn’t currently seem to be the beginning of a new season, as no further episodes have been announced yet. Nevertheless, this special and all subsequent episodes of the 24th Season will be made available on HBO Max 24 hours after their premiere on Comedy Central, due to a licensing deal estimated to be worth more than $500 million.
A further three seasons of the perennial cartoon comedy have already been commissioned by Comedy Central, with the entire South Park library currently available to HBO Max subscribers across all internet-connected devices.
South Park‘s “The Pandemic Special” premieres on Comedy Central Wednesday, September 30 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Source: AV Club