The episode had child Hell-raiser Cartman stealing ballots from swing states in order to rig yesterday’s election for Obama, as part of a twisted conspiracy involving the Chinese Military trying to wrest control of Star Wars from new owner Disney (it gets complicated, but luckily Morgan Freeman shows up to explain things in his patented warm voice). Also, it throws in some references to past episodes, like the psychotic businessman Mickey Mouse and a jab at Mitt Romney that suggests Stone and Parker aren’t fans of him, either (and had me dying laughing).
This one’s appeal is for more seasoned viewers, as much of the humor comes from past references and the surreal, complex storyline that longtime fans will appreciate. But the real strong point is its subtle but valid political satire.
Does the storyline seemingly validate Republican claims of voter fraud, or does it make a statement about alleged GOP ballot tampering by turning the tables and having Obama be the one stealing the election? You can decide based on your political views, but the episode also asks, would the average citizen even notice or care if a candidate became President by subverting the vote? Or, would they make a bigger deal out of less important things (say, the recent news surrounding Star Wars) than what goes on with their government?
After all the political noise that we’ve had to deal with this year, leave it to a potty-mouthed cartoon to show some unfortunate truths about our attitude toward politics. This was a strong cap on what has been a solid half-season overall.
**I'll be back next season with more South Park reviews!**
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