Liam Hoofe reviews the South Park Season 25 Premiere – Pajama Day…
After two years away, South Park finally returned to our screens in its traditional format this past week. We have several pandemic specials from the show in the last 24 months, but Pajama Day felt like a return to normality for the show, and it was, for the most part, a solid season opener.
The set-up for the episode is simple – as a result of disrespecting Mr Garrison, the children at the school get their upcoming Pajama Day cancelled. This sparks outrage across the town, with some comparing the school’s actions to Nazi Germany and many standing in support of the children.
This leads to all sorts of chaos breaking out across the town, with battle lines being drawn and plenty of over-reacting taking place. There is even a nice little musical number thrown in for good measure because it wouldn’t be a new season of South Park without one.
Trey Parker and Matt Stone have not managed to keep a show so successful for the best part of three decades for nothing, and the duo knows exactly how to press people’s buttons. The thinly veiled satire on the mask/anti-mask debate is where the majority of the gags come from, though, there is still plenty of time for some other digs as well.
A running gag about Nazi Germany provides some chuckles, while a joke about Matt Damon and his recent crypto-focused commercials provides some of the funniest lines in the episode. A dream sequence inspired by the Met Gala is also one of the episode’s funniest visual moments and a fine send-up of the event itself.
Parker and Stone are experts at finding comedy in current events, and Pajama Day is another example of that. If there is a criticism to be levelled at the show though, it’s that it would be nice to see them move away from Covid-related issues for a while.
While there is no avoiding their obvious impact on the world – this is now the fifth consecutive time the show has tackled some of them if you count the specials. There is no denying that Pajama Day wasn’t an amusing take on the situation but it does make you wonder how much more mileage Parker and Stone can get out of it.
That said – the duo deserves plenty of recognition for delivering what has to be one of the most consistent shows of all time. The two men are now in their 50s and they still have their finger on the pulse better than most modern comedians and satirists.
Verdict: While it may have become a little over-reliant on Covid-related satire in the last 12 months, South Park still knows how to deliver a funny and insightful take on current affairs. Pajama Day is a solid opener that provides some memorable laughs and some good social commentary. Many have doubted Trey Parker and Matt Stone will be able to deliver five more seasons of the show as per their new deal but the previous 24 seasons show that you should doubt them at your peril.
Liam Hoofe
