It's Christmas in Canada
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| “It's Christmas in Canada” | |
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| South Park episode | |
 Saddam after being captured |
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| Episode no. | Season 7 Episode 111 |
| Written by | Matt Stone Trey Parker |
| Directed by | Trey Parker |
| Production no. | 715 |
| Original airdate | December 17, 2003 |
| Season 7 episodes | |
| South Park - Season 7 March 19, 2003 – December 17, 2003 |
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| ← Season 6 | Season 8 → |
| List of South Park episodes | |
"It's Christmas in Canada" (sometimes called "Christmas in Canada?" or simply "Christmas in Canada") is episode 715 of Comedy Central's South Park. This episode originally aired on December 17, 2003. It was nominated for an Emmy Award.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
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The plot summary in this article or section is too long or detailed compared to the rest of the article. Please edit the article to focus on discussing the work rather than merely reiterating the plot. |
As the Broflovski family (complete with Ike) celebrates Hanukkah, Kyle's dad notes the family's togetherness, and says that nothing can break them apart. Ironically, the biological Canadian parents of adopted baby brother Ike show up at that very moment, and say that they want Ike back.
Due to a new law made by the Prime Minister of Canada, this is ruled to be legal and cannot be overturned by South Park's court. Ike leaves with his Canadian parents. Kyle attempts to get his friends to help him, however they have other things on their minds; Cartman selfishly believes that presents are more important, Stan is obsessed with the Christmas adventures that he may have this year, and Kenny, while he doesn't verbally explain why he doesn't want to go, may believe that he will die again, as mentioned later in the episode.
In the aftermath, the citizens of South Park decide to be brotherly to the devastated Broflovskis, and instead of spending money on Christmas gifts, they will give them the money, in the hope that they can someday get Ike back. However, they clearly did not take their children into account and, as a result, the children of South Park are upset by the thought of Christmas without any presents (Clyde bursts into tears at the news); especially the selfish Cartman, who (as always) blames it all on Kyle. He runs up to Kyle and yells "You fucking asshole, This is all your fault! Everyone's going to be charitible and give money to your family instead of buying Christmas presents! You fucking Jews ruined Christmas again, It wasn't enough for you to kill Jesus, now you had to kill Christmas too, huh?!" Just as Cartman prepares to attack Kyle, he (Kyle) has an idea to save Christmas: the boys can go to Canada and get Ike back themselves in the few days before Christmas, saving everybody's money for presents, and calming Cartman down.
They fly with City Airlines, run by City Wok owner Tuong Lu Kim (it is thought that the word "city" was used because it sounds like "shitty" when said in a Chinese accent, and Tuong is quoted saying "enjoy your city flight!" while it sounds like he is saying "shitty"). Cartman and Kenny don't want to fly the moment they see the single engine Cessna they are expected to fly in; Cartman because he does not trust the Cessna, and Kenny because, as he says in a muffled voice, "Cause dude, I'll fuckin' die!" Stan says "Do you care about Christmas or not?" Cartman, who only cares about Christmas because of the presents, says he does, then end up having to go. During the flight, the plane suffers from mechanical troubles, not helped by the fact that Tuong falls asleep and flies further than he was intending without him noticing. He parachutes out of the plane, leaving the four boys in it. It crashes in Canada, but the four boys get out unharmed. In Canada, they meet a bunch of Canadians (In a very similar fashion to Dorothy meeting the Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz), including Scott, a Canadian who is "a dick". He hates Americans and Canadians, and vows to stop them from meeting the prime minister.
Traveling to the capital on the only road in Canada (a reference to the Trans-Canada Highway), the boys meet others plagued by the new Prime Minister's laws - a Mountie named Rick, who is forced to ride a sheep instead of a horse; an unnamed French Canadian mime, who can no longer drink wine; and a Newfoundlander named Steve, who can no longer practice sodomy. In Newfoundland, Steve points out, to the boys' horror, that they were heading in the wrong direction, but the group get to the capital in Steve's boat.
In the Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings, the boys meet with the Prime Minister, who is a gigantic floating head (reminiscent of the Wizard of Oz's false representation), and brutal dictator who refuses to repeal his laws, including the refusing to let Ike go back to America. While he says this, however, Stan spots a curtain in the corner, and pulls it back to reveal the gigantic floating head is mechanically controlled by Saddam Hussein in a spider-hole. (The representation of Saddam uses images from the capture of the former Iraq dictator that had been announced on December 14, 2003, three days before the episode aired.) Upon discovery of the Prime Minister's true identity, the Canadians nullify all of the laws he made, and Ike's natural parents agree to let him go back to America with Kyle.
The boys are still in Canada when Christmas arrives. Cartman gets angry about 'missing Christmas' and calling back to his statement before the journey began, challenges Kyle to a fight. Kyle reluctantly hits Cartman once, with a simple punch to his nose. Cartman immediately starts to scream and cry at the top of his voice and call for his mother in a cat-like manner, wailing, "meeehm!" Rick the Mountie then comes back in inviting the boys to celebrate Christmas Canadian-style, being part of a parade while the Canadians sing "Ding Dong, The Americans and Canadians Caught Saddam!". Stan sighs and says that maybe they'll have a Christmas adventure next year, unaware or unwilling to realize that they just had one.
[edit] Kenny's death
In this episode, Kenny dies when the head of the "Prime Minister" shoots him with laser beams, causing him to explode. Note: When Kyle says "You bastards", he just says it instead of yelling it out. This is Kenny's only death in season 7, as well as his first death since the episode Kenny Dies.
[edit] References to The Wizard of Oz
The Canada part of the plot is based on the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the 1939 movie adaptation. Stan even says "I don't think we're in America any more." Various allusions include:
- An arrival that involves a crash-landing; in Oz it was a house deposited by a tornado, in this episode a Cessna crash-landing.
- Natives who fear the occupants of the crashed vessel; in Oz they thought the house came from a Wicked Witch, in this episode the Canadians feared an invasion, also referencing the South Park Movie.
- "The Only Road" in Canada, mimicking the "Yellow brick road", including a song while traveled upon.
- Numerous individuals that join the main protagonist to speak with the Wizard/Prime Minister.
- A "shortcut"; in Oz the shortcut was through a patch of flowers and in this episode it was via boat to Ottawa.
- An antagonist with an observing device; in Oz a Wicked Witch who watched the protagonists with a Crystal Ball, in this episode Scott who apparently watched the episode as it aired live on television.
- The manner in which the protagonists get into the Wizard's/Prime Minister's abode is the same (through a call for sympathy); the gatekeeper's tears are animated to look as though they are pumped out of tubes.
- Discovering that the apparent Wizard/Prime Minister is actually just an illusion being controlled by someone hidden behind a screen next to where they are standing.
- Stan pulling the curtain back to reveal Saddam Hussein as the new Canadian Prime Minister is reminiscent of when Dorothy's dog, Toto pulled a curtain in the wall back to reveal the real wizard of Oz.
- When Scott suddenly appears, the Canadians all run and hide, making the same noises as the Munchkins did when the Wicked Witch of the West appeared.
- "Ding Dong, The Americans Caught Saddam!" is similar to the song "Ding Dong, The Wicked Witch Is Dead!"
[edit] Trivia
- Mr. Garrison requests Mayor McDaniels to get rid of all the Mexicans on Christmas Eve. He originally asked the same question in "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo", and apparently asks the question every year during Christmas.
- Characters refer frequently to "the new Prime Minister." Paul Martin had taken office as Prime Minister just five days prior to the airing of the episode.
- This is one of only four episodes in which the word shit is spoken uncensored; first by Mr. Mackey in "Ike's Wee Wee" (though it later got censored), and here by the French Canadian mime. Multiple characters said "shit" in the episodes "It Hits the Fan" and "Le Petit Tourette". Butters also said "shit" uncensored as his last word at the end of "Imaginationland Episode III". It was also spoken uncensored numerous times during the movie, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.
- The scene where the boys have their noses pressed up against the window of the toy store is most likely a reference to a similar scene in A Christmas Story.
- When the boys fall asleep in Tuong's Cessna, you can see that Stan and Kyle are seen asleep leaning against each other, while Cartman and Kenny lean in opposite directions. This is the first time a physical aspect of their friendship is shown.
| Preceded by “Raisins” |
South Park episodes | Followed by “Good Times with Weapons” |
