Liam Hoofe reviews the ninth episode of South Park season 20…
After yet another hiatus last week South Park was back on our screens this week with the penultimate episode of what has been a very strong season.
Unfortunately this week’s episode ‘Not Funny’ failed to live up to the rest of the season’s efforts and perhaps confirmed the theory held by some, that the show was relying on a Hillary Clinton victory to push along and wrap up its main story lines. Admittedly I have supported the show following the election and I think it handled the last two episodes superbly, this episode however clearly showed the damage that may have done to the bigger picture.
The episode this week lacked a real focus and totally ignored a lot of the plates that this season has been spinning so well. The member berries were nowhere to be seen, the boys vs girls story line at the school appears to have totally evaporated and the trolling storyline had a somewhat underwhelming big reveal. The episode also seemed to recycle some material, with the trolls being locked up and being forced to listen to Rick Astley again at the end of the episode was not as funny second time around, and the self referential line in the church felt a big smug more than anything else.
That isn’t to say the episode didn’t have its strong points. The scenes between Sheila, Ike and Kyle were particularly hilarious, including a sequence at the end of the episode that saw Sheila locked away in the cupboard for the greater good.
The impending troll trace reveal, which now looks to be the focus for the final episode also gifted us with a few laughs, notably the police chief’s insistence on his wife not using the application and all the man praying in church whilst the woman looked on in shock.
Another nice note in this episode was Mr Slave’s return. The inclusion of his character was perfectly logical and the fact Mr Garrison, or should I say President Garrison, changed his mind on so many occasions through out the episode due to peer pressure and worrying what people think about him also provided the episode with some laughs.
The hot and cold Heidi and Cartman story line also featured some funny exchanges, the most notable of which being one between Butters and Cartman that echoed the conversation Butters himself had with Bill Clinton two episodes back.
‘Not Funny’ was not a total disaster; it featured some funny moments and a nice few nods to the audience, but it has left me wondering has to whether the season is going to be able to wrap up all of its story lines effectively in next week’s final episode. Season 20 has been so strong and it would be a shame to see it go down with a whimper.
What did you think of this week’s episode? Let Liam Know on Twitter @liamhoofe
Originally published December 1, 2016. Updated April 16, 2018.
