Liam Hoofe reviews the sixth episode of South Park season 21…
It’s been quite a while since South Park delivered a memorable holiday-themed episode, so with season 21 firing on all cylinders thus far, now seems like the perfect time for them to rectify that.
‘Sons a Witches’ as the title may suggest, is the season’s Halloween themed episode, and like every other episode (well, aside from episode 1) this season, it’s an absolute delight. The central plot focuses on Randy and the rest of the town’s dads going up a mountain for their annual ‘Jack n Crack’ night. One night of the year where they all get away from their lives, dress as witches, drink Jack Daniels and smoke lots of crack. Except this year’s event takes a turn for the worst, when one of the Dad’s decides to practice some actual witchcraft, turning himself into an actual witch in the process and then proceeding to fly over the town stealing everyone’s children.
Any episode based around Randy is always going to be a blast and ‘Sons a Witches’ is no different. There are several great gags, including one recurring one about their seeming inability to muster the phrase ‘witch hunt’. It was also great to see the return of Mr Garrison in this week’s episode. Garrison is one of the show’s best characters, and it’s a shame that he is now tied up in his role as the president. The initial premise of being President in season 20 was a good laugh, but now, because of Trump’s victory, we have lost one of the show’s most distinct voices. The show still managed to get a few jabs in at Trump, though, with Butters naively asking him whether he has managed to achieve any of the things he led on his campaign on.
The episode’s other plot focused on Cartman and Heidi’s relationship, and more specifically, how much time Heidi wastes getting ready and how Eric cannot deal with it, being the impatient little child that he is. The two’s storyline was one of the worst things about season 20, but it has really worked so far this season and this episode had some really funny moments, especially at the end when Heidi was released from the witch’s grasp. As much as I enjoy their relationship this season, I would like to see Cartman interacting with the other boy’s more – it’s been quite some time since he pulled an almighty prank on Butters.
‘Sons a Witches’ was another home-run for a season of South Park that is quickly entering the race for one of the show’s best. Its consistency has been unparalleled in recent years, and with 3 episodes to go, this could go down as one of the all-time greats. Not bad for a show that has been running for 21 years.
What did you think of ‘Sons a Witches’? Let us know in the comments below, and let Liam know on Twitter @liamhoofe
