(S11E14) It's a shame that this is the last episode of the season. Since the writers of South Park aren't in the WGA, they could continue and potentially increase ratings. However, it is the final episode of the season. So here's the final TV Squad review of the season.The boys learn of a secret list that the girls in the fourth grade rating them from cutest to ugliest. Every seven episodes, the writing team partially writes an episode in advance so they don't fall behind schedule. This strikes me as that episode.
When I read the previews last week, the episode was originally supposed to be about Kenny marketing his own breakfast cereal "Kenny-O's". Since the episode never happened, based on reading the premise, I liked this episode better. I think they did a wink to that proposed episode when Kenny died with his head in a bowl of cereal (at least, I think it was cereal).
I liked the lesson of this episode, about how life is tough for everybody in different ways no matter their looks. The bickering between the girls also reminds us that looks are arbitrary and they're not the sole judge of character. Also, it was about how it's dangerous to judge ourselves based on the judgment of others. It's a step up from last week's episode and had more substance to it. Plus I enjoyed having Abraham Lincoln (fresh from Imaginationland) call Kyle a f**king a**hole.
I see from the ending that, for one episode, they've returned to killing Kenny (using a stray bullet from Bebe's gun, no less). They've also possibly reignited the Stan/Wendy romance. On the other hand, this is South Park. They could abandon all of that the next episode if they got a good story out of it.
Women tend to be the more social of the two sexes and I enjoyed how Trey Parker and Matt Stone turned that concept on its ear by having a "Star Chamber" style committee to judge trivial matters that seem very important when you're in elementary school. I found it hilarious that the girl's committee was using terms such as "Come to the Rainbow Railing", "Sparkle Law" and answering each question with the affirmative "Sunshine".
I do wonder if future episodes will focus more on the girls in the class. I certainly hope so. Even though it uses crude humor I think more women of the younger generation now appreciate that humor (thanks to folks like Judd Apatow and Kevin Smith). By using more women, they could get more women viewers. Or maybe they already have enough women viewers and I'm just talking out my ass.
It's a silly observation, but I'm wondering why the cops didn't arrest Kyle at the end when he was there with all the flammable materials? Also, why did Wendy kicking Bebe in the groin work? Do girls know something that boys don't? (Well, obviously.)
Favorite quotes: "If it's just looks then I think I'm safe." "We're guys. We can out-think them." "Butters will run up and kick her in the balls." "Hey. What's goin' on?" "Are you going to eat that pickle?"
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
11-15-2007 @ 12:52AM
steve said...
why are they not in the WGA ?
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11-15-2007 @ 1:00AM
Nathaniel said...
I voted they should do their own thing, out of the virtue that they should have written an episode that parodies the strike (but would hopefully be pro-writers).
Did anyone else think they used the Jurassic Park theme in this one? Weird.
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12-01-2007 @ 3:31PM
Steve said...
Yeah I think they did too.. wonder if they had to pay for the rights.. they use it for the ugly kids.. It's the Jurassic Park End Credits by John Williams
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9157637535321179313&q=jurassic+park+ending&total=117&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1
11-15-2007 @ 1:15AM
kyler said...
i need more info to answer your poll. do the south park writers already receive residuals from online distribution?
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11-15-2007 @ 2:03AM
Brent McKee said...
For the most part writers for animation aren't members of the WGA, they are part of the Animation Guild (IATSE Local 839). This dates back to the days when animated shorts weren't considered to have writers because the actions and dialogue were put together in a storyboard instead of written into a script. According to Wikipedia, "Although most animation writers are under the Animation Guild's jurisdiction as an industrial union, some are covered by the Writers Guild of America, west as a craft union."
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11-15-2007 @ 2:49AM
eric said...
if you look up trey parker and matt stone in the WGA website they pop up as members of the union.
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11-15-2007 @ 3:55AM
ussilov said...
they've done most of their thing without the guilds help so.....
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11-15-2007 @ 9:04AM
fred said...
Awesome episode!
And I loved not only how it was "back to normal", with all the kids - even Kenny - in school and all, but also how going back to such an episode made it feel like a special one, given how pretty much each episode this season was a special one...
Hilarious, and I loved to see happy Butters running around & making fun of Kyle!
http://88.191.26.34/i_watch_tv/2007/11/15/south-park-the-list/
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11-15-2007 @ 9:23AM
Doug said...
The reason why kicking her in the groin worked is exactly what butters said earlier in the episode. Do they keep their "Balls" in their stomachs. She was kicked in the ovaries instead. Duh!
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11-15-2007 @ 9:35AM
Cincinnati Mike said...
"I call this plan Operation Can't Possibly Fail a Second Time."
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11-15-2007 @ 9:52AM
h0mi said...
The best part was the end, where Stan vomits once again but much more violently than in the past.
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11-15-2007 @ 11:18AM
Diego M said...
i thought wendy kicked her in the ankles. i mean it's not like she had those wooden shoes from the netherlands or is it norway? either way, she kicked her in the ankle. girls don't have balls... that's something i learned today hahah
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11-15-2007 @ 11:49AM
Karen said...
"Or maybe they already have enough women viewers and I'm just talking out my ass."
Perhaps.
I'm a woman, I watch it; all the women I know also watch it. Small sample set, maybe, but there you are.
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11-15-2007 @ 2:36PM
Zach said...
I love when Cartman told Kyle that he should go hang out with the ugly kids and they cut to possibly the strangest looking things South Park has ever created (quite a feat),
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11-15-2007 @ 4:19PM
ANBU_Ghost said...
I think everyone is missing something very important...
Kenny died!
He hasn't died in years. I wonder if it will play a role in next seasons story like the last time he died, or if it was just a throw back to when they use to kill him off every episode.
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11-15-2007 @ 4:22PM
Peku said...
"Hey. What's goin' on?"
Great episode, everything about it, starting from the operation(s) and ending with the confrontation, was hilarious. Much better than last week's episode.
The cops in South Park are a bit strange and Butters' parents have got to be the weirderst folks in all of the town. It was great to see Butters get so excited about being #11 out of 16 guys while being rated uglier than someone like Jimmy. Nice to see him go an episode without being grounded.
Sucks that the season had to end now and I can't wait for the next one...
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11-15-2007 @ 7:26PM
matt in Oakland said...
Am I crazy or was Tweak not on the list? Does he not live in South Park anymore? I love that little freak.
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11-15-2007 @ 7:43PM
A Viewer said...
Wow, this was a terrific episode. And it was a great throwback to the past seasons of "South Park" to have Kenny die and Stan barf in Wendy's face. There were a lot of great lines and all things considered it was extremely funny. Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny all had their (hilarious) roles to play, and it was very well-written.
I agree with Peku; this episode was one of the best in the season and it leaves me wanting more! Too bad Season 12 doens't premiere until March...
SEASON 11 IN REVIEW:
5/5 Episodes: "With Apologies to Jesse Jackson," "Cartman Sucks," "Night of the Living Homeless," "Le Petit Tourette," "Imaginationland," "Imaginationland Episode III," and "The List."
4/5 Episodes: "Lice Capades," "The Snuke," "Fantastic Easter Special," "More Crap," "Guitar Queer-o"
3/5 Episodes: "D-Yikes!"
Kenny's deaths: 1 ("The List")
Celebrities/Famous People: Pat Sajak, the US Supreme Court, Jesse Jackson ("With Apologies..."), Angelina Jolie ("Lice..."), Hillary Clinton, Queen Elizabeth II, George W. Bush ("The Snuke"), Pope Benedict XVI, Bill Donohue, Jesus Christ ("Fantastic..."), Xerxes ("D-Yikes!"), Chris Hansen ("Le Petit..."), Bono ("More Crap"), M. Night Shyamalan, Michael Bay, Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell, Al Gore, countless imaginary creatures (Imaginationland trilogy), Jay Cutler ("Guitar Queer-o")
Episodes with Clyde in a bigger role than usual: 2 ("Lice Capades," "The List")
Episodes in which only one or two of the four main boys is present: 2 ("Le Petit Tourette," "More Crap")
Mandatory once-per-season video game episodes: "Guitar Queer-o"
Episodes featuring the Woodland Critters: 2 ("Imaginationland Episode II," "Imaginationland EPisode III")
Episodes where the word "sh*t" is spoken uncensored: 2 ("Le Petit Tourette," "Imaginationland Episode III")
Episodes where the word "c*ck" is spoken uncensored: 1 ("Le Petit Tourette")
Episode with highest avg. rating at TV.com: TIED between "Imaginationland" and "Imaginationland Episode II," each with 9.5 out of 10)
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11-15-2007 @ 7:43PM
A Viewer said...
And Matt in Oakland, Tweek still lives in South Park, even if he hardly ever appears anymore. He was #8 on the list, right between Kenny and Kevin, the Chinese-American kid in the sky-blue jacket.
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11-15-2007 @ 9:01PM
Swellman said...
LOL@ the part about "Kenny-O's". Not to be a dick or anything, but that was completely fake. It was put on wikipedia for a few hours, but was taken down (might of ended up on IMDB too). So yeah, only trust RELIABLE sources. If it's about a new episode and it's not on southparkstudios, it's most likely bullshit.
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