‘South Park’ Season Premiere Tackles Coronavirus, Police Shootings, and Pushes Plea to ‘Go Vote’

The 24th season premiere of the long-running series South Park was dubbed a “Pandemic Special” and tackled the coronavirus, policing shootings, and ended with a plea to the viewing audience to get out and vote.

The episode, entitled “Douche and Turd,” focused heavily on the coronavirus. Randy, the burgeoning pot farming mogul, explored the idea of his Tegridy Farms pot company releasing a pandemic “special.” Meanwhile, Cartman discovered that he loved his coronavirus quarantine and became fond of waving a measuring stick around to make sure everyone stays six feet away from him.

The eye-popping political moment landed toward the episode’s end, when a scientist tells the folks of South Park that a vaccine for the virus can be found. But before he can say much else, President Garrison roasts the scientist with a flamethrower.

Then Garrison turns to the camera — breaking the fourth wall — and addresses the South Park viewing audience, saying “Don’t forget to get out and vote everyone. Big election coming up!”

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Elsewhere, the return of school beckons even as teachers have refused to return along with the students. In place of the teachers, South Park’s education czars brought police officers into the school to teach the students. But in short order, one of the officers shoots the school’s only black student — who’s unsubtle name is “Token.” Everyone shrugs after the shooting, and the officer is not prosecuted.

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For more shock effect, the episode again turned to Randy, who began wondering if he had caused the viral pandemic because he had sex with a bat while partying in China. But then he realized that it wasn’t the bat, it was the pangolin he had sex with that caused the virus.

The episode also turned to politics when Stan calls the series’ President Trump stand-in, President Garrison, to ask the commander in chief for his assistance in the fight against the coronavirus in South Park. But President Garrison refuses to help because the virus has given him the excuse he needed to get some of his most cherished policies put in place — especially getting rid of Mexicans — and he didn’t want to kill the goose laying his golden eggs.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.