Series Christmas Episode: Stan Marsh (Trey Parker-voice), out walking in the forest, comes upon the woodland critters preparing for Christmas. They ask his help in putting a star on the top of their tree. Later, the critters turn up at Stan’s house asking for more help. It seems that lady porcupine, a virgin, is pregnant and will give birth to the Critter Savior on Christmas, if only Stan will do a few little things. 22 min.
Perfect for your non-family Christmas celebration, Woodland Critter Christmas, South Park’s season eight Holiday episode, is wonderfully demented. It has everything that makes South Park fun, with an extra dose of perversion. Before it’s done there are cute animals murdered, Santa with a shotgun, Satanism, abortions, and a blood-soaked orgy (and that’s not a figure of speech).
Stan and the cute critters are the stars, with Kyle, Eric, and Kenny making only brief appearances. That makes this a very different episode, and is one of ten or twenty elements that make it original. Not only have you never seen a Christmas special like this, you’ve never seen a South Park episode like it. Though, like the others, I don’t recommend this for viewing with your eighty-year-old grandmother. Her heart is likely to give out at about the ten minute mark.
The best episodes of South Park are funny, have something to say (but not too much—the preaching sometimes eclipses the humor), and leave you with your mouth hanging open is disbelief. Here’s one that does all three, but focuses on the humor and shock. Only a few episodes, and the film, will leave you shaking your head more.
To give it that twisted Christmas feeling, it is narrated as a kid’s book. It’s not quite Dr Seuss, but the faux childhood charm makes the Devil worshiping stand out more than usual, and that’s saying something, unless there’s a lot more Satanic cults around your neighborhood than mine.
If you’re feeling tired of saccharin TV specials or lockstep Christmas films, Woodland Critter Christmas, is the warped tonic you need. Enjoy.