Pandemic
http://southparkstudios.mtvnimages.com/images/south_park/episode_thumbnails/s12e10_720.jpg?width=285
| Season | s12 |
| Episode | e10 |
| Written By | Trey Parker |
| Production Code | 1210 |
| Original Air Date | 2008-10-22 |
Episode Chronology
- Previous
- Next
Story[edit]
Peruvian flute bands are invading cities around the globe, but this pandemic doesn't stop the boys from seizing an opportunity to make some money. They start up their own pan flute band and begin raking in the cash. Their success is short-lived, however, when the government rounds up all the flute bands and places them in an internment camp.
Description[edit]
Seeing all the Peruvian pan flute bands that have become popular recently, and the money they can make daily by selling CDs, Stan convinces Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny to start their own pan flute band. They convince their classmate Craig to invest his $100 birthday money as venture capital. The plan backfires when the head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security cracks down on all Peruvian flute bands, rounding them up and imprisoning them in Miami, with the boys also arrested in the process. While imprisoned, Craig continually criticises Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny, saying that the four main protagonists' constant schemes and their subsequent failures are the main reason for their unpopularity. The boys attempt to convince their captors that they are American citizens, but the DHS only agrees to release the boys if they agree to go on a mission to overthrow the country of Peru, in order to stop the pandemic of Peruvian flute bands at its source. As the boys prepare for their mission, Peruvian musicians still interned in the camp warn guards that their captivity will unleash the "Furry Death".
Meanwhile, Stan's father, Randy Marsh, rouses the ire of his family by videotaping every mundane household activity with his new camcorder (parodying the filming style of Cloverfield as well as the movie itself). As he records even more useless footage, there is a strange noise outside, and when he goes outside, we see the city is under attack by unknown beasts (later revealed to be large guinea pigs). As Randy runs from the attackers, he falls. The episode then cuts to the Head of Homeland Security, who reveals that unleashing the guinea pigs was his plan all along, and that the only person who can stop them is Craig, who is too far away to stop them
Memorable Quotes[edit]
- "You guys took my birthday money, got me arrested and sent to Miami with no way home except to take down the country of Peru and I'M being a dick." Craig Tucker
Characters[edit]
Craig Tucker
Kyle Broflovski
Eric Cartman
Kenny McCormick
Randy Marsh
<char name="The Boys" image="http://southparkstudios.mtvnimages.com/shared/characters/groups/the-boys.png"/> <char name="Craig Tucker" image="http://southparkstudios.mtvnimages.com/shared/characters/kids/craig-tucker.png"/> <char name="Sharon Marsh" image="http://southparkstudios.mtvnimages.com/shared/characters/adults/sharon-marsh.png"/> <char name="Shelly Marsh" image="http://southparkstudios.mtvnimages.com/shared/characters/kids/shelly-marsh.png"/> <char name="Gerald Broflovski" image="http://southparkstudios.mtvnimages.com/shared/characters/adults/gerald-broflovski.png"/> <char name="Sheila Broflovski" image="http://southparkstudios.mtvnimages.com/shared/characters/adults/sheila-broflovski.png"/> <char name="Laura Tucker" image="http://southparkstudios.mtvnimages.com/shared/characters/adults/laura-tucker.png"/> <char name="Thomas Tucker" image="http://southparkstudios.mtvnimages.com/shared/characters/adults/thomas-tucker.png"/> <char name="Herbert Garrison" display="Mr. Garrison" image="http://southparkstudios.mtvnimages.com/shared/characters/adults/mrgarrison.png"/> <char name="Stephen Stotch" image="http://southparkstudios.mtvnimages.com/shared/characters/adults/stephen-stotch.png"/> <char name="Officer Barbrady" image="http://southparkstudios.mtvnimages.com/shared/characters/adults/officer-barbrady.png"/> <char name="Michael Chertoff" image="http://southparkstudios.mtvnimages.com/shared/characters/adults/politics-michael-chertoff.png"/> <char name="General Davis" image="http://southparkstudios.mtvnimages.com/shared/characters/adults/military-general-davis.png"/>
Character Debuts[edit]
<char name="Guinea Pigs" image="http://southparkstudios.mtvnimages.com/shared/characters/non-human/guinea-pigs.png"/> <char name="The Llama Brothers" image="http://southparkstudios.mtvnimages.com/shared/characters/groups/the-llama-brothers.png"/>
Locations[edit]
Behind The Scenes[edit]
Pop Culture References[edit]
- The monsters and shaky camera style of cinematography are a reference to the 2008 American monster movie Cloverfield.
- The detention center in Miami used to hold the band members is a reference to that used after the Mariel boat lift and which was featured prominently in the film Scarface.
- Guinea pigs shown in the episode are an important cultural symbol of Peru and other Andean cultures.
- The boys express reluctance to go to Peru because a friend had been "raped" there, in reference to the film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull which was parodied two episodes earlier in The China Problem.
Bonus Factoids[edit]
Season 12[edit]
- e1 Tonsil Trouble
- e2 Britney's New Look
- e3 Major Boobage
- e4 Canada on Strike
- e5 Eek, A Penis!
- e6 Over Logging
- e7 Super Fun Time
- e8 The China Probrem
- e9 Breast Cancer Show Ever
- e10 Pandemic
- e11 Pandemic 2: The Startling
- e12 About Last Night...
- e13 Elementary School Musical
- e14 The Ungroundable