Red Sleigh Down
Encyclopedia
"Red Sleigh Down" is episode 96 of the Comedy Central
series South Park
. It originally aired on December 11, 2002. The episode is notable for the return of Kenny
from his death
in Season Five. The title and episode parody the films Black Hawk Down and Three Kings.
naughty or nice accountant (Kyle
's cousin, Kyle) performs a tally, and it is obvious that Cartman has been too naughty to earn his coveted Christmas
gift, a Haibo robot dog
. Kyle says that even if Cartman finds cures for both cancer
and AIDS
, he will still owe two presents. He will have to perform the nicest act ever to reverse the prior year of evil, and sets out to spread Christmas cheer to the people of Iraq
. Meanwhile, at a tree lighting
ceremony, Jimmy begins to sing his favorite Christmas song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas
" which, unknown to the gathered crowd (which includes most of the town) will take him all of the episode to complete due to his stutter.
With the use of Mr. Hankey's Poo-Choo train (a train made of feces that Stan and Kyle want nothing to do with), Cartman and the other boys travel to the North Pole to convince Santa Claus to make a special trip. With the assistance of the Underpants Gnomes
, Santa prepares his sleigh and travels to Iraq, only to be promptly shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade. The reindeer are dead, Santa is injured, and he is soon caught and tortured by his Iraqi captors who torture him by forcing him to drink crude oil and shocking his testicles in a scene referencing Three Kings and Lethal Weapon
. The boys realize that Cartman's little ploy may have ended Christmas for everyone, including Santa, and set out to make things right.
Taking the backup sled and new reindeer (named Steven, Fluffy, Horace, Chantel, Skippy, Rainbow, Patches and Montel) from the stable, they seek out the one person who can help: Jesus, who is currently officiating midnight mass in his own name. When he hears of the tragedy that has befallen his old friend Santa, Jesus promptly arms himself with an array of automatic weapons and sets out with the boys to Iraq, brutally gunning down everyone who impedes him. Jesus and the boys break into the interrogation room where Santa (who is now being forced to drink oil) is being held and kill the Iraqi soldiers within, except for the interrogator, whom Santa kills, to Jesus's surprise. Santa insists "I just couldn't let him live, he shocked Santa's balls!"
The boys take Santa back to the sleigh, but moments before they can escape Jesus is shot dead by one of his Iraqi captors when his back is turned. Watching Jesus die, Stan says "This is pretty fucked up right here" (referencing the second The Spirit of Christmas
episode, 'Jesus vs. Santa'. The character of Jesus would not return for 5 seasons outside of a very small cameo at the end of the following episode, leading viewers to slowly suspect in following episodes and seasons that Trey Parker and Matt Stone really did kill off Jesus). Outraged, Santa kills the soldier, acquires his fallen friend's weapons and then proceeds to blast his way out, setting off bombs which transform Iraq into a Christmas decorated country, complete with wreaths, Christmas trees, lights and tinsel.
To the town's delight, Jimmy then finishes his song that he started at the beginning of the episode. He switches on the lights on the Christmas tree, only to find they don't work, to the town's disappointment. At that moment though, Santa (accompanied by Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Mr Hankey) flies past the tree and magically enables the lights to work.
Santa returns the boys home and expresses his hope that people will always remember Jesus on this day. He also gives all three boys Haibo dogs, much to Cartman's disgust, as he wanted to be the only kid owning one and have his friends envy him. Kenny
then shows up out of nowhere, his first appearance since his "permanent" death caused by muscular dystrophy
in "Kenny Dies
". The boys casually asked him where he's been. According to Trey Parker and Matt Stone from the season 6 commentaries, Kenny says, "Oh, I was just over there."
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
series South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
. It originally aired on December 11, 2002. The episode is notable for the return of Kenny
Kenny McCormick
Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is one of the four central characters along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Eric Cartman. His oft-muffled and indiscernible speech—the result of his parka hood covering his...
from his death
Kenny Dies
"Kenny Dies" is the thirteenth episode of the fifth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 78th episode of the series overall. "Kenny Dies" originally aired in the United States on December 5, 2001 on Comedy Central. In the episode, Cartman comes across a truckload of fetuses...
in Season Five. The title and episode parody the films Black Hawk Down and Three Kings.
Plot
Cartman'sEric Cartman
Eric Theodore Cartman is a fictional character in the American animated television series South Park. One of four main characters, along with Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Kenny McCormick, he is generally referred to within the series by his last name...
naughty or nice accountant (Kyle
Kyle Broflovski
Kyle Broflovski is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by co-creator Matt Stone. Kyle is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
's cousin, Kyle) performs a tally, and it is obvious that Cartman has been too naughty to earn his coveted Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
gift, a Haibo robot dog
AIBO
AIBO was one of several types of robotic pets designed and manufactured by Sony...
. Kyle says that even if Cartman finds cures for both cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
and AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, he will still owe two presents. He will have to perform the nicest act ever to reverse the prior year of evil, and sets out to spread Christmas cheer to the people of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. Meanwhile, at a tree lighting
Lighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...
ceremony, Jimmy begins to sing his favorite Christmas song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas
The Twelve Days of Christmas (song)
"The Twelve Days of Christmas" is an English Christmas carol that enumerates a series of increasingly grand gifts given on each of the twelve days of Christmas. Although first published in England in 1780, textual evidence may indicate the song is French in origin...
" which, unknown to the gathered crowd (which includes most of the town) will take him all of the episode to complete due to his stutter.
With the use of Mr. Hankey's Poo-Choo train (a train made of feces that Stan and Kyle want nothing to do with), Cartman and the other boys travel to the North Pole to convince Santa Claus to make a special trip. With the assistance of the Underpants Gnomes
Gnomes (South Park episode)
"Gnomes" is the seventeenth episode of the second season of the animated television series South Park, and the 30th episode of the series overall. "Gnomes" originally aired in the United States on December 16, 1998 on Comedy Central. This episode marks the first appearance of Tweek and his...
, Santa prepares his sleigh and travels to Iraq, only to be promptly shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade. The reindeer are dead, Santa is injured, and he is soon caught and tortured by his Iraqi captors who torture him by forcing him to drink crude oil and shocking his testicles in a scene referencing Three Kings and Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon is a 1987 American buddy cop action film and the first in a series of films, all directed by Richard Donner and starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as a mismatched pair of LAPD detectives, and Gary Busey as their primary adversary...
. The boys realize that Cartman's little ploy may have ended Christmas for everyone, including Santa, and set out to make things right.
Taking the backup sled and new reindeer (named Steven, Fluffy, Horace, Chantel, Skippy, Rainbow, Patches and Montel) from the stable, they seek out the one person who can help: Jesus, who is currently officiating midnight mass in his own name. When he hears of the tragedy that has befallen his old friend Santa, Jesus promptly arms himself with an array of automatic weapons and sets out with the boys to Iraq, brutally gunning down everyone who impedes him. Jesus and the boys break into the interrogation room where Santa (who is now being forced to drink oil) is being held and kill the Iraqi soldiers within, except for the interrogator, whom Santa kills, to Jesus's surprise. Santa insists "I just couldn't let him live, he shocked Santa's balls!"
The boys take Santa back to the sleigh, but moments before they can escape Jesus is shot dead by one of his Iraqi captors when his back is turned. Watching Jesus die, Stan says "This is pretty fucked up right here" (referencing the second The Spirit of Christmas
The Spirit of Christmas (short film)
The Spirit of Christmas is the name of two different animated short films made by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. They are notable for being precursors to the animated series South Park. To differentiate the two, they are often referred to as Jesus vs. Frosty and Jesus vs. Santa .- Jesus vs. Frosty...
episode, 'Jesus vs. Santa'. The character of Jesus would not return for 5 seasons outside of a very small cameo at the end of the following episode, leading viewers to slowly suspect in following episodes and seasons that Trey Parker and Matt Stone really did kill off Jesus). Outraged, Santa kills the soldier, acquires his fallen friend's weapons and then proceeds to blast his way out, setting off bombs which transform Iraq into a Christmas decorated country, complete with wreaths, Christmas trees, lights and tinsel.
To the town's delight, Jimmy then finishes his song that he started at the beginning of the episode. He switches on the lights on the Christmas tree, only to find they don't work, to the town's disappointment. At that moment though, Santa (accompanied by Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Mr Hankey) flies past the tree and magically enables the lights to work.
Santa returns the boys home and expresses his hope that people will always remember Jesus on this day. He also gives all three boys Haibo dogs, much to Cartman's disgust, as he wanted to be the only kid owning one and have his friends envy him. Kenny
Kenny McCormick
Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is one of the four central characters along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Eric Cartman. His oft-muffled and indiscernible speech—the result of his parka hood covering his...
then shows up out of nowhere, his first appearance since his "permanent" death caused by muscular dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy is a group of muscle diseases that weaken the musculoskeletal system and hamper locomotion. Muscular dystrophies are characterized by progressive skeletal muscle weakness, defects in muscle proteins, and the death of muscle cells and tissue.In the 1860s, descriptions of boys who...
in "Kenny Dies
Kenny Dies
"Kenny Dies" is the thirteenth episode of the fifth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 78th episode of the series overall. "Kenny Dies" originally aired in the United States on December 5, 2001 on Comedy Central. In the episode, Cartman comes across a truckload of fetuses...
". The boys casually asked him where he's been. According to Trey Parker and Matt Stone from the season 6 commentaries, Kenny says, "Oh, I was just over there."
External links
- "Red Sleigh Down" Full episode at South Park Studios
- "Red Sleigh Down" Episode guide at South Park Studios