Kenny Dies

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“Kenny Dies”
South Park episode


Is Kenny dying?
Episode no. Season 5
Episode 78
Written by Trey Parker
Matt Stone
Directed by Trey Parker
Production no. 513
Original airdate December 5, 2001
Season 5 episodes
South Park - Season 5
June 20, 2001 – December 12, 2001
  1. Scott Tenorman Must Die
  2. It Hits the Fan
  3. Cripple Fight
  4. Super Best Friends
  5. Terrance and Phillip: Behind the Blow
  6. Cartmanland
  7. Proper Condom Use
  8. Towelie
  9. Osama Bin Laden Has Farty Pants
  10. How to Eat with Your Butt
  11. The Entity
  12. Here Comes the Neighborhood
  13. Kenny Dies
  14. Butters' Very Own Episode
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List of South Park episodes

"Kenny Dies" is episode 78 of the Comedy Central series South Park. It originally aired on December 5, 2001. Notably, the gag of Kenny dying in almost every episode was dropped after this episode, and he did not reappear until Free Hat (Trailer Cameo only) (88) and A Ladder to Heaven(91). This is also the first episode where Kenny's actual death is taken seriously (except possibly for Rainforest Schmainforest).

Contents

[edit] Plot

The episode begins in an abortion clinic with a woman giving her permission for scientists to use her unborn child for stem cell research. The truck transporting the fetuses from the clinic to a research facility is destroyed in an accident. Its cargo is noticed, and subsequently stolen by passerby Eric Cartman (who was riding his Big Wheel and singing Sheena Easton's "Morning Train (9 to 5)"), who intends to resell the fetuses for a tremendous profit. To his dismay, the government puts a ban on stem cell research immediately afterward. Meanwhile, Kenny is diagnosed with what is presumably muscular dystrophy, and his friends and family are told that he will probably die. The boys (even Cartman) are shocked and saddened by the news, but do everything they can to support him and keep him company during his stay in the hospital - all but Stan, who cannot bear to see Kenny dying and refuses to visit him. This marks one of the few episodes in which Kenny's friends mourn his death. In fact, Cartman is uncharacteristically overtaken by the situation and even cries on Kyle's shoulder while Kenny's in the hospital.

Cartman, in the meantime, has a researcher explain to him how stem cells actually work, and learns that they might be used to help Kenny. Cartman also mentions using stem cells to duplicate a "Shakey's Pizza", although the researcher advises him that lumber would be better suited for that task. Cartman gives a speech reminiscent of Gale Sayers in Brian's Song to the House of Representatives on behalf of stem cell research. He ultimately succeeds in getting the ban lifted by singing "Heat of the Moment" by Asia and begins visiting abortion clinics around the area to collect more aborted fetuses.

Stan, with the supporting words of Chef, finally gets up the courage to come visit Kenny in the hospital, only to find out that Kenny has died. On hearing that Kenny's last words were "Where's Stan?", he accuses himself of being Kenny's worst friend. During the funeral, Cartman bursts in and exclaims that a miracle has occurred. He drags Stan and Kyle away to show them how he has manipulated the stem cells from his aborted fetuses into building his very own Shakey's Pizza. Kyle promptly beats up Cartman, because Cartman had pretended to take Kenny's death seriously in order to get the ban on stem cells lifted, in order to make his own Shakey's Pizza. Stan is relieved that he isn't Kenny's worst friend after all, Cartman was.

[edit] Reception

Serene Dominic of the Detroit Metro Times called a scene from the episode where Cartman leads members of the United States Congress in a sing-along of "Heat of the Moment" as a "Greatest Cartoon Moment".[1] In an article for ESPN.com Tim Kavanagh discussed stem cells and how they were used in the episode, writing: "This, as with many other important topics of our day, I learned from "South Park," specifically Episode 513, entitled 'Kenny Dies.'"[2] In a review of the South Park season 5 DVD release, Choire Sicha of The New York Times gave a "not-so-surprising surprise ending alert" that "Kenny finally really dies" at the end of the episode.[3] Alessandra Stanely of The New York Times cited the episode when noting that the political commentary on South Park "is not any more subtle" than that of Saturday Night Live or The Simpsons.[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Dominic, Serene. "Cheap Trick vs. All Four Original Members of Asia!: 'Don’t Cry' if Mommy & Daddy just seem a little weird over who to 'Surrender' the fun money to this weekend!", Detroit Metro Times, Metro Times, Inc., July 4, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-03-31. 
  2. ^ Kavanagh, Tim. "Icing It Down: Emery still day-to-day", ESPN.com, ESPN Internet Ventures., October 8, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-03-31. 
  3. ^ Sicha, Choire. "The Guide: Sunday 2/20", The New York Times, The New York Times Company, February 20, 2005, p. AR35. 
  4. ^ Stanley, Alessandra. "The TV Watch: When It Comes to Political Parody, Upstarts Outrun the Classics", The New York Times, The New York Times Company, November 3, 2006. Retrieved on 2008-04-01. 

[edit] Further reading

[edit] External links


Preceded by
“Here Comes the Neighborhood”		 South Park episodes Followed by
“Butters' Very Own Episode”
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