The COVID vaccine is coming to South Park in a new trailer, and it's probably safe to assume Kenny won't be getting the first dose. Trey Parker and Matt Stone's long-running satirical adult cartoon concluded season 23 in December 2019 and reached its 300th episode that October. The show began season 24 with The Pandemic Special, an hour-long episode that aired last summer amid the coronavirus pandemic, but the rest of the season is still in the works.
The show follows four young boys living in the town of South Park, Colorado, whose small-time adventures and heightened dealings with the residents of their town serve as jumping-off points for satirical commentary on the state of American society. Parker and Stone have never hesitated to tackle any political issue or skewer any public figure on either side of the aisle, and the creators have often made a point of using South Park to lampoon hypocrisy in all its forms. The Pandemic Special implicitly criticized the Trump administration's mishandling of its coronavirus response, illustrated the higher rates of police brutality among Black Americans, went all-in on a bestiality joke, and broke the fourth wall. The episode received mixed reviews but was overall greatly appreciated during the current South Park drought.
A new trailer posted on Youtube teases South ParQ Studios' upcoming Vaccination Special, which will air on Comedy Central March 10 at 8pm EST. This will be South Park's second-ever special and hour-long episode following September's Pandemic Special. The Vaccination Special is standing in as season 24 episode 2 while the show works through pandemic-related roadblocks that have slowed production for the rest of the season. Check out the trailer below for clues about how the residents of South Park will respond to the vaccine rollout:
The stylized title ("South ParQ") is a nod to QAnon, the far-right conspiracy theory that garnered a large following of online believers during the Trump administration. Although QAnon existed before the pandemic or the vaccine, anti-vaccination sub-conspiracies have since spread among adherents. The contradictions and illogical thinking required to buy into QAnon are right up Parker and Stone's alley, so it was only a matter of time before the show took QAnon to task. The wordplay-happy video also promises that "We Will Be Herd," so viewers can expect that the concept of herd immunity to the coronavirus will come up in some shape or form during the episode.
Like any show that's achieved a run this long, South Park has become an entertainment institution that fans look to for spot-on takes on complex issues wrapped up in side-splitting, irreverent humor. Before releasing The Pandemic Special, the creative team released a behind-the-scenes video that showed just how difficult it was to make under restricted working conditions. It's admirable that they've figured out another way to comment on this moment in history. Another South Park special will hopefully give fans their fix in lieu of a full season. Although season 24's delay has left a cultural hole that only Cartman's festively plump form can fill, at least Kenny will be spared the extra 10 or so deaths for the time being.
Source: South ParQ Studios/Youtube