Our take
A Christmas special about a town that cannot face the holidays sober, with the children pushed aside so the adults can misbehave. It is a one-joke idea, but the joke escalates nicely, from a drink-driving lecture to a chase across town to a final image of festive excess that is as wrong as anything the show has done at Christmas.
What happens
Season 23's finale brings back the show's classic opening titles and sets up an old-fashioned Christmas special. At the town's tree-lighting ceremony Santa Claus plays the buzzkill, warning everyone about drink-driving over the holidays. When his advice is ignored, an ordinance bans alcohol until 2 January, and South Park's adults lose their Christmas spirit. The mayor turns to an old friend, Randy Marsh, and Randy and Towelie put together a Tegridy Farms Christmas special with a little something extra: Christmas Snow, which is cocaine. Spirits soar, the mayor is horrified, and Randy simply gets cocaine legalised. Santa strikes back with a ban on Tegridy's weed, and when he tries to get rid of all the Tegridy cocaine it leads to a high-speed chase between Santa and Randy. Then Jesus arrives, he, Santa and Randy end up high together, and Jesus makes cocaine snow fall all over town. Along the way Mr. Mackey sings a very silly version of The Holiday Season.
Can the kids watch it?
Not for children: rated 15 in the UK, with drug misuse played for laughs, strong language, crude humour and sex references, so for 15 and over.
Cast and crew
Starring
- Trey Parker
- Matt Stone
Writer
- Trey Parker
Director
- Trey Parker