Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow

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“Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow”
South Park episode

Episode no.	Season 9 Episode 136
Written by	Trey Parker Kenny Hotz Kyle McCulloch
Original airdate	October 19, 2005
Season 9 episodes
South Park - Season 9 March 9, 2005 – December 7, 2005
Mr. Garrison's Fancy New Vagina Die Hippie, Die Wing Best Friends Forever The Losing Edge The Death of Eric Cartman Erection Day Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow Marjorine Follow That Egg! Ginger Kids Trapped in the Closet Free Willzyx Bloody Mary

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List of South Park episodes

"Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow" (a.k.a "Today") is the 8th episode of the 9th season of the Comedy Central series South Park. It originally aired October 19, 2005. The episode's name and plot parody the movie The Day After Tomorrow.

[edit] Plot

Stan and Cartman are playing in a boat (which Cartman claims is his uncle's) when Cartman dares Stan to drive the boat, claiming he'll take the blame if trouble arises, resulting in them accidentally crashing the boat into the world's largest beaver dam, flooding the town of Beaverton. Cartman declares that Stan is in big trouble, and that the boat was just some random guy's boat. Stan and Cartman try to hide their involvement, which of course is constantly jeopardized.

Meanwhile, the flood had a worse outcome than Stan expected. The people of Beaverton are in a Hurricane Katrina-like situation, with some of the town stuck on their roofs. The media begins reporting horrific scenes of violence and even cannibalism in the city, though they haven't actually seen these things happening. Furthermore, their statistics of deaths are in the 100s of millions despite knowing the town only has a population of 8000. Nobody really tries to help the situation, but would rather figure out who to blame (George W. Bush, terrorists, FEMA, etc.). The scientists (led by Randy) in town, called in to examine the phenomenon, all declare at a conference (based on no evidence) that the disaster is the result of global warming. At first it is determined the full effects will take place The Day After Tomorrow. However, some scientists suddenly burst in and state that it has been proven that the disaster will take place "two days before the day after tomorrow" to which Randy responds "Oh my God, that's TODAY!"

The declaration of the scientists causes mass hysteria, and everybody runs from the "global warming". Most of the South Park people crowd in the community center. Randy persistently states that global warming is causing an ice age outside that would kill them if they left. Randy declares that only he is right, even shooting someone who disagreed to death. A reporter reports that 600 billion people have died in Chicago alone (even though the world population was just under 6.5 billion at the time). Randy also says, within the hour, the temperature outside will fall to over 70 million degrees below zero, although the absolute zero is just 460 °F below zero (-273.15 °C). Stan, after admitting to Kyle that he was the cause of the Beaverton flood (Cartman had warned earlier that if Stan confessed to Kyle, Kyle would "Jew him out") leaves with him and Cartman to rescue the people by boat. The attempt is a disaster in itself: they wind up crashing into an oil refinery, compounding the problems of the stranded people who now must deal with drowning and fire. Randy, Gerald, and Stephen brave the supposed ice age to find their sons, dressed in multiple coats despite the fact that the sun is out (they end up collapsing in the street due to heat exaustion, which Randy explains is one of the last stages of hypothermia). Meanwhile, Pentagon scientists declare they found the true source of the flood.

At this point the Army comes to rescue the boys, but Cartman tries to stop Kyle at gunpoint, demanding he give up his "Jew gold" so that Cartman can be rich for the rest of his life. Cartman had claimed throughout the episode that all Jews secretly hoarded gold while Kyle consistently denied it. It turns out Cartman is right, and Kyle not only has a bag of gold, but a decoy bag as well, which he gives to Cartman. Cartman calls his bluff, and Kyle throws a bag away, and they all leave the building and board the helicopter. Back at the town, everyone exits the shelter, and the Army reveals the real cause of the flood — Crab People. Stan finally admits that he broke the dam, but the people of the town think he means that everybody's responsible — they all begin to admit "I broke the dam" (in Spartacus-like fashion), while Stan tries unsuccessfully to explain that he actually did it.

[edit] References to Hurricane Katrina

This episode parodies the response to Hurricane Katrina, particularly the various ad hoc explanations for the increased level of suffering from the hurricane and its aftermath, including accusations that global warming may have been a cause of violent hurricanes. Similarly, the episode seems to parody the misplaced anger and unwillingness to negotiate between all the parties in the Katrina relief effort, the distorted media coverage that occurred during the hurricane's aftermath, and the Houston mass evacuation during Hurricane Rita.

When the people conclude that George Bush was the cause of the beaver dam being broken, someone says "George Bush doesn't care about beavers!" in a parody of Kanye West saying "George Bush doesn't care about black people."
In the scene where citizens are evacuated by helicopter only white people are rescued, while a black man can be seen left stranded. This is based on accusations of selectively racist rescue efforts and media coverage during the Hurricane Katrina crisis.
In contrast to scenes during Hurricane Katrina, people trapped in Beaverton are polite, mild-mannered, and patient, if a little ironic in tone.
The giant penis Randy Marsh draws on the map of America is an obvious parody of a scene from The Day After Tomorrow but can also likely be based on a real National Weather Service wind distribution map for Hurricane Rita, which bore a resemblance to a giant penis. [1]
When the townspeople are scrambling around in the town, a man is seen rushing a cart full of beer, which is a reference to an infamous photograph of a man stocking up on beer during Hurricane Katrina. [2]
When news reports state that rape, looting, and cannibalism are occurring it is revealed that nobody has seen this and that they are just reporting it. This is most likely a parody of numerous and various news reports from the Katrina aftermath which either knowingly or unknowingly gave exaggerated claims of violence and danger, particularly from survivors themselves, being present in the area. [3] Such reports caused the officials for several relief and rescue groups, the greater majority being unarmed volunteer civilians, to keep rescuers from entering unescorted into the Katrina disaster areas out of fear for their personnel on occasion.

[edit] References to pop culture

The politicians shout "Peas and Carrots" when they break out into conversation and rabbling, which may be a reference to an episode of Yes, Dear, in which the father of one of the main characters becomes an extra and was informed to mouth "Peas and Carrots" when he was to be in conversation in the background.
The fate of Beaverton is very similar to the actual potential fate of the Colorado town of Leadville, where water trapped in the collapsed Leadville Tunnel is threatening to break free and flood parts of the town.
The panic scene after the announcement that global warming caused the flood parodies similar scenes in many disaster movies such as War of the Worlds, Independence Day, Godzilla, and The Day After Tomorrow.
The scene where global warming is following the inhabitants of South Park and Randy Marsh slams the door shut, is very similar to the Evil Dead scenes where the evil spirit follows Ash and he slams back the door of the cabin (the spirit is never seen, just as global warming isn't in the episode). This is also a spoof of a similar scene in The Day After Tomorrow, in which the main characters have to outrun a gust of cold air that instantly freezes everything in its path, from skyscrapers to helicopters in flight to live people. It also ends dramatically as the door to a New York library is slammed just as the cold air reaches the building.
The scene where Stan calls his father on the phone while the water level rises is another reference to a scene in The Day After Tomorrow.
The final scene where everyone says "I broke the dam" is a reference to Spartacus where the title character comes forward as Spartacus, and the crowd all stand saying the same in an effort to protect him.
The scene where Cartman forces Kyle to hand over his "Jew-gold" at gunpoint is very similar to the finale of Marathon Man.
In the end of the episode, where the townspeople believe it was Crab People who broke the dam, the Crab People can be heard chanting "Cra-a-ab people, cra-a-ab people" just like they did in their episode of origin, South Park Is Gay!