[9.1/10] A great episode centered on people having absurd commitments to silly things. The main story is great, with the mix of the “townspeople’s” insane refusal to break character, even as they’re being held hostage by a gang of Hans Gruber-esque criminals. There’s lot of humor in this, from pitch-perfect parodies of the corny old timey delivery actors use at these kinds of parks, to the kids’ disbelief and exhaustion at that, to the whole criminal enterprise being centered around the robbery of a Burger King.
The stand offs are great, and even the ersatz Gruber’s little speech at the end about learning how hard it was for settlers back in the day was funny with the idea that despite the insanity of all of this, he actually did learn something about olden times. Plus, I love Stan’s solution to “get into character” and frame the door code issue in terms that the villagers would understand, and his instruction to Wendy not to watch.
But the B-story, with Butters refusing to let go of Cartman’s hand until they got on the bus, was great as well. I know Parker & Stone get a lot of credit for their smart commentary, but really, I think it’s their understanding of nuts and bolts comedy that wins the day for them. There’s classic flair to the silliness of two kids holding hands through a theme park escape and return that South Park plays to the hilt here. It’s akin to those old “two criminals handcuffed together” bits, and really fun. Cartman’s rulebreaking bent and Butters’ rulebound anxiety make for a good combination, and again Butters’ sheer commitment to the cause is hilarious in and of itself.
Overall, there’s great, hilarious premises to both stories here, and lots of laughs.
Shout by cannibalBlockedParent2022-02-09T20:23:16Z
I love Butters so much.