This week's South Park featured the return of Canada's own Terrance and Philip, and also the homosexual character of Satan! Unusually, though T&P weren't just brainlessly farting on one another, and Satan wasn't fighting with Saddam Hussein. In this episode they were actually the moral voices trying to rid the wrong behind Canada's freemium scheme, which has our hero Stan Marsh hopelessly addicted.
For those not familiar with the term, freemium apps are "free" smart phone applications- usually games- that asks you to pay in order to progress in the world of the game. The point Trey and Matt make here is very true- freemium isn't free. In fact, thorough explanation from the head of the Canada's video game department tells us that freemium counts on their addictive personalities to get money out of their users. In another very funny South Park exaggeration, the freemium addiction is compared to alcohol and substance abuse, and Stan ends up spending five figure amounts on 49 cent game upgrades like some heroin addict. I found it hilarious how Randy's double life as Lorde has now been firmly established in the series. He says, "Even with my Lorde money how am I going to pay for this, Stan?"
There were a few side stories that drifted away as the episode went on. There was the set up of Jimmy working for the freemium company and also T&P trying to find justice in the Canadian video game department. Both didn't go far and seemed to fill up time until Stan's addiction was introduced. This is when the episode got crazy in the "South Park shoot-em-up" end sort of way. A new character, Canadian Satan, is introduced and the best part, Satan occupies Stan's body as flamethrowers are fired at each other. Maybe not the cleverest of endings but definitely a colorful, ridiculous and entertaining finish.
And there you have it: this week's episode pokes fun at the freemium apps, substance addiction, and Canada again. I know a guy who has worked on various Comedy Central shows and he's not the biggest South Park fan—he's Canadian. This week's episode was great in that it brought back some series favorites in what concluded as one of South Park's most absurd finishes.
For those not familiar with the term, freemium apps are "free" smart phone applications- usually games- that asks you to pay in order to progress in the world of the game. The point Trey and Matt make here is very true- freemium isn't free. In fact, thorough explanation from the head of the Canada's video game department tells us that freemium counts on their addictive personalities to get money out of their users. In another very funny South Park exaggeration, the freemium addiction is compared to alcohol and substance abuse, and Stan ends up spending five figure amounts on 49 cent game upgrades like some heroin addict. I found it hilarious how Randy's double life as Lorde has now been firmly established in the series. He says, "Even with my Lorde money how am I going to pay for this, Stan?"
There were a few side stories that drifted away as the episode went on. There was the set up of Jimmy working for the freemium company and also T&P trying to find justice in the Canadian video game department. Both didn't go far and seemed to fill up time until Stan's addiction was introduced. This is when the episode got crazy in the "South Park shoot-em-up" end sort of way. A new character, Canadian Satan, is introduced and the best part, Satan occupies Stan's body as flamethrowers are fired at each other. Maybe not the cleverest of endings but definitely a colorful, ridiculous and entertaining finish.
And there you have it: this week's episode pokes fun at the freemium apps, substance addiction, and Canada again. I know a guy who has worked on various Comedy Central shows and he's not the biggest South Park fan—he's Canadian. This week's episode was great in that it brought back some series favorites in what concluded as one of South Park's most absurd finishes.