South Park
One of the greatestSouth ParkChristmas specials steal a antic from one of the show ’s most hat picnic . South Parktends to get in trouble when the show gets too ambitious . The torment of a satiric serial publication that mocks people for like about things is that when an episode has a lot of travail and care put into it , it is often get together with mockery bySouth Park’sfan base . Take , for object lesson , South Park time of year 4 , episode 14 , " Pip . " An ambitious retelling of the classic Charles Dickens bildungsromanGreat Expectations , " Pip " is devoted to the backstory of the nominal pesky English kid glimpsed in earliest episodes .
Devoting an entire installment to Pip might sound like a bad approximation , particularly whenSouth Parkmaking Randy a chief charactercaused storytelling problems and that underpin star was already a freehanded part of the show than Pip . However , the broadly electronegative reception of " Pip " is still celebrated , considering how much piece of work went into the instalment . South Parkco - creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker admit that they expend a lot of metre , money , and endeavour making " Pip " happen , only for the devotee foundation to almost universally refuse it . As a result , the episode remains one ofSouth Park’slowest - rat outings online and ofttimes appears in the show ’s bad installment summation .
relate : Can South Park Season 26 obviate A Recent , Bad Trend ?
South Park’s Woodland Critter Christmas Explained
However , although " Pip " is mainly viewed as a mistaken loser bySouth Parkviewers , the episode did inspire the funniest gag in a later , well - loved Christmas special . WhileSouth Park’sbest Christmas special in yearsrevived the show ’s social commentary with an insightful caustic remark of Jeff Bezos and Amazon , the show ’s good holiday special before this field day took the paired approach . South Parkseason 8 , episode 14 , " Woodland Critter Christmas , " was a rare episode of the series that has nothing to do with contemporaneous events . Instead , " Woodland Critter Christmas " is a parody of Disney movies that get progressively drear until its ludicrous punchline reveals a turn ending .
" Woodland Critter Christmas " image Stan help a chemical group of adorable expose animals grace their Christmas tree diagram . Stan soon saves the creatures from a raft lion and helps them ward off further risk as the animals tell him that one of them is pregnant with their savior . Of of course , South Park’sgreatest curse is the show ’s edginess , so no longtime viewer will be surprised to learn that the creature are on the QT Satanists and their savior is the antichrist . Stan finds himself compelled to keep helping these murderous behemoth by a pushy storyteller and , after the episode reveals why " Woodland Critter Christmas " slip its final punchline straight fromSouth Park’smuch - hated " Pip . "
How South Park Stole Its Own Joke
At the ending of " Pip , " Malcolm McDowell ’s story announces that the entire cast of characters be happily ever after " except for Pocket , who become flat of hepatitis B. " It ’s a brace , brutal antic , and one that is overturn sweeping in " Woodland Critter Christmas , " when Cartman is divulge to be the episode ’s teller . In the show ’s darkest Christmas peculiar sinceSouth Park’searliest origins , " The Spirit of Christmas , " Cartman announces that the role of " Woodland Critter Christmas " all inhabit happily ever after at the story ’s end , " except for Kyle , who died of AIDS . "
Why South Park’s Pip Is So Hated
While the two gags are essentially the same joke , " Woodland Critter Christmas " get a far tender welcome from fans than " Pip . " Ironically , " Woodland Critter Christmas " was an episode that Stone and Parker admit was rushed and write while the pair were run out of idea , while " Pip " was an ambitious outing they committed a lot of effort to . This disparity might explain why " Pip " is so despised , as the episode tries to do too much for a exclusive twenty - moment outing . South Parkis a lightheaded serial publication that mock everyone and everything , so attempt to reliably recreate a prim novel in 20 minutes may have been too ambitious for the show ’s remit .
link up : The Simpsons Mocks Family Guy , Rick & Morty AND South Park In 1 Episode
Why Woodland Critter Christmas’s Ending Gag Worked
While thebestSimpsonsChristmas episodeslean into the show ’s scented side , South Park’sstrongest festal offerings pore on the mean element of what makes the series work . Christmas specials are expected to be sweet , soSouth Park’screators of course go out of their style to vitiate this staid , secure television conventionalism . Making Cartman the narrator of " Woodland Critter Christmas " makes the surprise death of Kyle a brutal , but contextually appropriate , gag that funnel Cartman ’s hate of his classmate into hilariously unneeded death . In contrast , the end of " Pip " did n’t work as well because , like the rest of the hatedSouth Parkepisode , the gag did n’t represent off the show ’s main characters .
More : How The Simpsons Derailed A South Park Story
