It's Christmas in Canada
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"It's Christmas in Canada" is episode 715 of Comedy Central's South Park. This episode originally aired on December 17, 2003.
Plot
As Broflovski family celebrates Chanukah, Kyle's dad notes the family's togetherness, and says that nothing can break them apart. Naturally, the natural Canadian parents of adopted baby brother Ike show up, and say that they want Ike back.
Due to the new laws made by the Prime Minister of Canada, this is ruled to be legal and cannot be overturned by South Park's court. Ike leaves with his Canadian parents.
In the aftermath, the citizens of South Park decide to be brotherly to the devastated Broflovskis, and instead of spending money on Christmas gifts, they will give them the money, in the hope that they can someday get Ike back. But the children of South Park are upset by the thought of Christmas without any presents; especially Cartman, who wants to beat Kyle up. But the boys decide to go to Canada and get Ike back themselves in the few days before Christmas, saving everybody's money for presents, and Kyle from being beaten-up.
They fly with City Airlines, run by City Wok owner Mr. Tuong. In Canada, they meet a bunch of Canadians, including Scott, who is "a dick". He hates Americans, and vows to stop them from meeting the Prime Minister.
Travelling to Ottawa on the only road in Canada, the boys meet others plagued by the new Prime Minister's laws - a Canadian Mountie, who is forced to ride a sheep instead of a horse; French Canadians, who can no longer drink wine; and a Newfoundlander, who can no longer practice sodomy. The boys then realize that they were heading in the wrong direction, but the group get to Ottawa in the "kind Newfie's" boat.
Reaching the parliament building, the boys see that the Prime Minister is a gigantic floating head, and brutal dictator who refuses to let Ike go back to America. But Stan then notices a curtain in the corner, and pulls it back to reveal Saddam Hussein, bearded and hiding in a spider hole - he was the new Prime Minister, which explains all the pointless new laws. Upon this discovery, the Canadians nullify all of the laws he made, Ike's natural parents agree to let him go back to America with Kyle, and the boys celebrate Christmas Canadian-style, being part of a parade while the Canadians sing "Ding Dong, The Americans Caught Saddam!". Stan sighs and says that maybe they'll have a Christmas adventure next year.
Kenny's death
The holographic new Canadian Prime Minister (operated by Saddam) kills Kenny with some sort of heat vision. This was the first time Kenny died since "Kenny Dies".Trivia
- The Canada part of the plot is based on the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the 1939 movie adaption. Stan even says "I don't think we're in America any more." Various allusions include:
- *An arrival that involves a crash-landing; in Oz it was a house deposited by a tornado, in this episode a Cessna crash-landing.
- *Natives who fear the occupants of the crashed vessel; in Oz they thought the house came from a Wicked Witch, in this episode the Canadians feared an invasion, also referencing the .
- *A single road in Canada, mimicking the "Yellow Brick Road", including a song while traveled upon.
- *Numerous individuals that join the main protagonist to speak with the Wizard/Prime Minister.
- *A "shortcut"; in Oz the shortcut was through a patch of flowers and in this episode it was via boat to Ottawa.
- *An antagonist with an observing device; in Oz a Wicked Witch who watched the protagonists with a Crystal Ball, in this episode Scott who apparently watched the episode as it aired live on television.
- *The manner in which the protagonists get into the Wizard's/Prime Minister's abode is the same (through a call for sympathy).
- Despite the episode's setting being Canada, there is no sign or mention of Terrance and Phillip. However, their archenemy, Scott "the Dick" (from Season 2's Not Without My Anus) does make an appearance.
- The inclusion of Saddam Hussein's capture was noteworthy in this episode, as it first aired only four days after his capture was announced. Another interesting note is that, based on the series' continuity, the inclusion makes no logical sense; in the South Park universe, Saddam Hussein is dead, being a resident of Heaven (not because he is good, but because of a deal between God and Satan), as established in the episode "Do the Handicapped Go to Hell?/Probably." His status in Heaven was confirmed in the episode "A Ladder to Heaven," which dealt with the lead-up to the Iraqi War. Nevertheless, South Park has rarely shown any attention to continuity, so this fallacy can perhaps be swept aside as a matter of necessary satire.
- Another part that confuses the continuity of South Park is when the Canadians acknowledge that it's the second time Saddam Hussein tried to take over Canada. The episode "" on the other hand refers of "Not Without My Anus" as a Made-for-TV movie. However, one may argue that this indeed is the second attempted invasion of Hussein due to the inclusion of the subtitle, "Based on a true story", on the earlier episode.
- The episode was aired only five days after Paul Martin succeeded Jean Chrétien as the Prime Minister of Canada (on December 12, 2003); so there was in fact a new Prime Minister at the time. Interestingly, Paul Martin's 2004 election campaign featured a giant picture of his head on the side of his campaign bus.
- Ike's birth parents mention that the Cola wars devastated all of Canada.
- Cartman's ranting about how "it wasn't enough for you Jews to kill Jesus" is quite posibly the result of him watching The Passion of the Christ 34 times with his mother, this film is used continuouly as a means for Cartman to be even more antagonistic to Kyle throughout the next season.
- This is the second time the boys visit Canada. The first time was "Terrance and Phillip: Behind the Blow" and again it's more or less Kyle's fault.
- When Cartman and Kyle have their "fight" at the end, Kyle beats Cartman easily. Cartman and Kyle are later equaly matched in the episode, "Cartoon Wars Part II."
- This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award.
- This is the only time this season that Kenny dies.
| Preceded by: Raisins | South Park episodes | Followed by: Good Times with Weapons |
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