Cartmanland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| South Park episode | |
| "Cartmanland" | |
 |
|
| Episode no. | 71 |
|---|---|
| Airdate | July 25, 2001 |
| South Park - Season 5 June 20, 2001 – December 12, 2001 |
|
|
|
|
| ← Season 4 | Season 6 → |
|
|
|
| List of all South Park episodes | |
"Cartmanland" is episode 506 of the Comedy Central series South Park. It originally aired on July 25, 2001.
[edit] Plot synopsis
Upon the death of his grandmother, Cartman inherits $1,000,000 (bequeathed to him since he is the one member of his family who wouldn't waste it all on crack). Delighted with this money, Cartman makes an offer to buy an amusement park. The owner says he can't go through with the deal because the park doesn't make any money, but Cartman says he doesn't want to make money. Because he hates the long lines and noise, Cartman wants the amusement park all to himself so nobody but him can be allowed in it. Around the same time, Kyle comes down with a hemorrhoid, and his suffering combined with Cartman's perfidious fortune causes him to lose faith in God (with Kyle saying to God "There are people starving in Alabama, and you give Cartman a million dollars?!); His parents' description of the trials of Job does little to assuage him as they leave out the real ending.
Cartman initially enjoys his park, but as people try to sneak in, he is forced to hire a security guard, and, for money to pay him off with (he spent all his inheritance on the park itself), he agrees to let in two paying customers a day. More expenses begin to pile up, though, with broken rides, candy etc., and Cartman ends up having to let in hundreds of people per day. The park is successful, but Cartman becomes furious. He sells the park back to its original owner, but his money is then taken to pay off the IRS and a lawsuit by Mr. and Mrs. McCormick, as Kenny died on one of the rides; he also owes an additional $13,000 which he cannot pay. He tries to buy the park back from the owner so he can pay off his additional debt, but the owner won't resell. Meanwhile, Kyle sinks into a state of misery and is dying, having lost the will to fight against his hemorrhoid.
Stan gets the idea to bring Kyle down to the park, where they observe that Cartman is miserable; more so than if he had never acquired the park in the first place. Observing this justice, Kyle regains his faith and desire to live, and his illness is put into remission. He awakens and, seeing Cartman's misery, realizes there is a God who cares after all.
The whole plot is a bizarre reversal of the story of Job: Kyle begins losing faith when he sees Cartman gaining a fortune, rather than being impoverished as happened to Job. It is only at the end, when Cartman loses his fortune and ends up suffering misery and ruin, that Kyle's faith is restored. In the Bible, however, Job does not renounce his faith after suffering terrible poverty and physical afflictions, but merely wanted a explanation for his suffering when there was no sin. God then speaks to Job that afflictions are ways of strengthening him for later trials and ultimately deepening their relationship. Job does regain his fortune at the end.
[edit] Kenny's Death
- Kenny dies at Cartmanland by impalement on a low-hanging metal pipe. Cartman is later sued by Kenny's family for his death, and his un-safe amusument park (although, in his defense, Kenny was standing up when he was impaled).
[edit] Trivia
- Cartman's soliloquy mentions the absurdity of waiting in line for a FASTPASS (used in many Disney theme parks), a ticket used to reserve a spot in line for a particular line without having to wait in the ride's actual line. Said soliloquy resembles that of the Grinch when talking about the Whos in Whoville in How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
- The shot of Kyle's hemorrhoid shrinking was cut in syndication.
- When Kyle's parents come to visit their son in the hospital and tell him the story of Job you can clearly see a cross on the bible, even though Kyle's family is Jewish.
- This is the second appearance of the security guard who was first seen in the episode "Something You Can Do with Your Finger."
- We learn in this episode that Cartman is not a fan of lines, however in the earlier episode "Cow Days" he's the one who suggests going on the "Line Ride" and was the one who most enjoyed it. However since the line in the Line Ride 'was' the ride, it can be said that they were not in a line, but rather on the ride...sort of.
- Memorable quote: (following notice of being sued by Kenny's family) Cartman: Kenny?! But Kenny dies all the time!
- When Stan is in disguise as another boy to try to get into Cartman's amusement park, he is shown to have brown hair. In actuality, Stan has black hair. It is unclear whether this is a wig or not.
- The Security guard is intended to represent the "guide" seen on many theme park creation video games such as "theme park world"
- Kyle should not have been alive at the end of this episode, because, having discovered Cartman is considered financial genius, his heart rate on the heart meter goes in a straight line, which can only mean he's died.
| Preceded by: "Terrance and Phillip: Behind the Blow" |
South Park episodes | Followed by: "Proper Condom Use" |
