Liam Hoofe reviews the fifth episode of South Park Season 21…
South Park has been on fine form in recent weeks, with the show having delivered some excellent episodes so far this season and the franchise’s latest video game ‘Fractured But Whole’ also receiving some very positive reviews. The show’s latest episode ‘Hummels and Heroin‘, continues that trend, delivering an old-school slice of South Park that imagines a situation that only South Park could.
The episode opens with the death of beloved children’s mascot ‘Chuck E Cheese’ at a child’s birthday party, due to an overdose on opiates. This sets off a chain of events that slowly unravels a drug operation taking place in the town’s residential care home, the story of which is told mostly through Stan and his Grandad, another character who it was great to catch up with again.
Trying to figure out what is happening at the care home, and the link between the deaths of multiple mascots and their fascination with German Hummel figurines is a new character called Marcus. Marcus makes for a great addition to the show and he’s a character that I’d definitely welcome back onto our screens in future episodes. Another one-off character the episode introduces is Mrs McGillicuddy, an old woman who is the head of the drugs operation at the care home. McGillicuddy has some great moments in the show and her dominance over the other old people makes for some great gags. The farting joke is perhaps a little too much, but she is still a memorable entry into the South Park roster.
The episode’s finest sequence, though, is a montage that takes us through the care home, which expertly parodies prison shows and is backed by an original song by Killer Mike. The show has had some excellent songs this season, including the Put it Down song from episode 2 and Cartman’s suicide song from the same episode, but this one might just be the funniest yet.
Parker and Stone have managed to have their cake and eat it quite often this season and this episode is another great example of that. Not only have they managed to give us yet another episode focused on the boys and their often ridiculous escapades, but they also manage to chuck in some social commentary too, with the episode being a thinly veiled opinion piece on the problems of both opiate abuse and mass incarceration in The States.
South Park can, when it wants to be, be an incredibly sweet show as well, and Stan’s relationship with his grandad and his loyalty towards him has always been one of the show’s nicer elements. The episode managed to subtly remind us all that we should all try and spend a little more time with our grandparents, even if they are drug pushing criminal masterminds.
Verdict: Hummels and Heroin is another success for South Park season 21, which is shaping up, against the odds, to be one of the show’s funniest seasons to date.
What did you think of ‘Hummels and Heroin?’ Let us know in the comments below, and let Liam know on Twitter @liamhoofe
