South Park, "Black Friday"

I’m guessing that this was the first episode of a two-parter, or maybe even more than that.

As I’m writing this, I’ve yet to find any definitive verification. But the fact that it ended before we even got to see Thanksgiving come to South Park, let alone the eponymous Black Friday that the story was building towards, is a pretty obvious hint that the story’s not over. If I’m proven wrong, I’ll correct myself (and I must say if that's the case, Trey Parker and Matt Stone are just a little evil), but I’m sticking to my theory until I’m proven wrong.

I had to point that out because the problem with two-or-more-episode arcs is that it’s a little hard to judge just one part. The first part could show promise that the latter entries fail to live up to. Last week showed how a smart or clever idea could fizzle over the course of just a single episode.

So far, though, I like what I’ve seen. I haven’t watched a minute of Game of Thrones, so I can’t comment too much on the cleverness or accuracy of the parody of that show, and some of the jokes might have gone over my head. But the rudimentary knowledge of the fantasy series I do have allowed me to catch enough of them, from the broader, more obvious ones (Butters’ hilarious fixation on the show’s sex scenes), to the more subtle (Randy’s line “You can’t die! Everybody really likes you!” seemed like a reference to the show’s high body count).

I don’t doubt I’d have enjoyed the episode more if I had seen Game of Thrones. Having not seen it, however, the element that most resonated with me was the way it was like an acerbic antidote to the average holiday special. I mean, Black Friday is undoubtedly (and sadly) as much a tradition as Thanksgiving itself, but not one that’s really been addressed on television shows. By depicting it with the grim weight and gravity of the buildup to an epic battle, the show appears to be making a sly comment on the sheer ridiculousness of the whole thing, (and they’re right: it is ridiculous, people going crazy and even turning violent over commercial merchandise).

The Game of Thrones stuff dates this episode in this moment in time, as does the amusing plot point of factions dividing over the choice of Xbox One or PlayStation 4 (years from now, this will be one of those touches where viewers say “Hey, I remember that!”, like some elements in older episodes that were current when they first aired). But the Black Friday commentary could have staying power as long as people pack the malls and stores the day after Thanksgiving (at least, with the right ending it can). And that very naughty Elmo doll is both timeless and current, and so wrong and so mean that I almost had tears from laughter.

One last thought: Until it became clear this story would be longer than one episode, I wondered why they were doing a Thanksgiving-themed entry with two weeks left before the holiday. Now there are two Wednesdays before Thanksgiving Day to wrap up this arc. It could be two parts followed by an off week, could be an epic three-part story like the Coon saga a few years back…or could there be another crappy Terrance and Philip special before the conclusion on the eve of Turkey Day? I don’t think Stone and Parker are really evil, but we know they’re capable of pulling a mean fast one like that. It’s just a matter of whether or not they want to reuse the same gag.