Jasmine Sahu is well suited with this new American drama exclusive to Dave.
Lois Cameron explains why this series is much more than your average cosy period drama.
The last episode of this series sees Sherlock and Moriarty attempt to solve the final problem with devastating consequences.
With major cast changes afoot, Jacob Martin ponders whether Being Human can live up to its own scarily high standard.
South Park’s five-month long hiatus has always been an unwelcome one and, as a big fan, I certainly can’t remember a year in which I haven’t greatly anticipated its return. However, even though last night saw the continuation of season 14 on Comedy Central, ‘Poor and Stupid’ turned out to be a reliable yet ultimately disappointing episode.
The episode dealt with Cartman’s dream of growing up to become a NASCAR driver...which he pursues despite feeling that he isn’t “poor or stupid enough” (of course, he mistakes his friends' mockery for support). The episode essentially hinges on this one (admittedly quite funny) joke, and as a result, it’s low on ideas and it sort of runs out of steam about midway through. Yes, there are more than a couple of really fantastic moments, including Cartman ingesting ridiculous amounts of Vagisil, a brilliantly spot-on mimicry of Two And A Half Men and every scene involving Butters. But there are also a fair number of duds, like the weird subplot with the creator of Vagisil, scenes with Kenny that didn’t quite work and the fact that NASCAR just isn’t a relevant issue. Overall, the episode didn’t succeed on as many of the laughs that it should have, and with the high standard of previous episodes in this returning spot (‘Le Petit Tourette’, ‘The China Probrem’ and ‘Dead Celebrities’), I was honestly expecting much better.
I suppose one of the problems with the best comedies is that when they fall short of the mark, it’s much easier to get frustrated with them. When you know how good something can be, a mediocre offering can feel really disappointing. There’s also the unfortunate fact that a couple of jokes were lost on me (especially the references to actual NASCAR racers) because I know very little about NASCAR (anything I do know about it, I learnt from the 2006 film Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby). In most areas though, the comedy just felt too easy for Trey Parker and Matt Stone. ‘Poor and Stupid’ isn’t an awful episode of South Park...it’s just too moderate for a returning season (don’t get me wrong, mediocre South Park is still much better than a lot of comedy on television).
Another observation that I must mention is that the increasing quality of South Park’s animation is making the show feel odd and out of touch with what it originally was...the racing scenes in particular felt like they were from a different show altogether. It’s important for Parker and Stone to remember that a big part of South Park’s attraction and charm is in the fact that it has maintained the paper-cutout style for its duration. I really hope they don’t lose this very individual aspect of their show.
However, I’m only being this critical because I know how perceptive South Park’s comedy can realistically be, and that this isn’t it. Hopefully, the second half of the season that brought us ‘200’, ‘201’ and ‘You Have 0 Friends’ has got a few more gems in store. Without doubt, there’s still a lot better ahead, and I can’t wait to see what’s coming up next.
South Park continues on Sundays at 10pm on Comedy Central
You must log in to submit a comment.
