8.4/10. I had kind of forgotten about this one, and was inspired to rewatch it after watching Star Trek's "The Menagerie" which Miss Claridge's wheelchair is a reference to. And I'm glad I did! It's a hilarious episode with one those trademark South Park stories that combines the fantastical of Star Trek-inspired tech and 80s action movie-esque revenge schemes with the mundane yet dramatic world of being a ten-year-old boy.
Season 8 is a pretty great time for South Park. As much as I enjoy the hardscrabble early years of the show, and as much as I appreciate the more overtly topical and politically-minded bent it took on later, Season 8 is a nice sweet spot for where Matt and Trey had honed their storytelling skills and knew how to structure and episode of television, but hadn't gone quite so full on into "news of the day" social commentary.
That's part of why htis one is so fun. The concept of a bully from the past set to get revenge on our heroes (and Cartman) while they try frantically to avoid his wrath is a great story engine for the episode. The boys' frantic demeanor, and the combination of horror and adorableness in the establishing flashback set up a great direction for "Pre-School" to go. Every attempt to evade the fearsome Trent Boyett (whose punishment is a nice combination of severe and goofy playground stunts) just heightens the tension and the comedy.
Plus, South Park is often at its best when the boys are scheming. Having to try to appeal to the Sixth Graders for protection is the perfect kind of kid logic, and making Cartman's behind looks like "byewbs" to please them is the sort of lunacy you expect from South Park. On top of that, people's angry reactions to an unintentionally silent Miss Claridge after her batteries run out were an amusing riff on projecting your own feelings onto a blank canvas. And the finish, where the boys essentially repeat their mistakes from yesteryear and celebrate their temporary victory as a permanent one is fairly brilliant.
Overall, it's a tightly-written, very funny, and appropriately absurd episode of South Park that mixes the psuedo-drama of a revenge tale with the immaturity of youth nicely.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2017-01-28T21:17:38Z
8.4/10. I had kind of forgotten about this one, and was inspired to rewatch it after watching Star Trek's "The Menagerie" which Miss Claridge's wheelchair is a reference to. And I'm glad I did! It's a hilarious episode with one those trademark South Park stories that combines the fantastical of Star Trek-inspired tech and 80s action movie-esque revenge schemes with the mundane yet dramatic world of being a ten-year-old boy.
Season 8 is a pretty great time for South Park. As much as I enjoy the hardscrabble early years of the show, and as much as I appreciate the more overtly topical and politically-minded bent it took on later, Season 8 is a nice sweet spot for where Matt and Trey had honed their storytelling skills and knew how to structure and episode of television, but hadn't gone quite so full on into "news of the day" social commentary.
That's part of why htis one is so fun. The concept of a bully from the past set to get revenge on our heroes (and Cartman) while they try frantically to avoid his wrath is a great story engine for the episode. The boys' frantic demeanor, and the combination of horror and adorableness in the establishing flashback set up a great direction for "Pre-School" to go. Every attempt to evade the fearsome Trent Boyett (whose punishment is a nice combination of severe and goofy playground stunts) just heightens the tension and the comedy.
Plus, South Park is often at its best when the boys are scheming. Having to try to appeal to the Sixth Graders for protection is the perfect kind of kid logic, and making Cartman's behind looks like "byewbs" to please them is the sort of lunacy you expect from South Park. On top of that, people's angry reactions to an unintentionally silent Miss Claridge after her batteries run out were an amusing riff on projecting your own feelings onto a blank canvas. And the finish, where the boys essentially repeat their mistakes from yesteryear and celebrate their temporary victory as a permanent one is fairly brilliant.
Overall, it's a tightly-written, very funny, and appropriately absurd episode of South Park that mixes the psuedo-drama of a revenge tale with the immaturity of youth nicely.