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'South Park: 2020 Problems': Pandemic special is exactly what fans needed to deal with life's absurdity right now

The unique brand of 'South Park' comedy has been exactly what fans needed after months of forced lockdown and social distancing owing to the pandemic

While Randy Marsh (Trey Parker) may be worried about whether or not it's the best time for a "Pandemic Special" sale of Tegrity Farms weed, fans are in no doubt that a pandemic special was exactly what the Doctor (Fauci) ordered. Comedy Central's 'South Park' one-hour special tackled all the major news points that have been plaguing (no pun intended) the United States for the past several months, and it did so in its own inimitable style. Fans love them for it.

For many, the pandemic has been hard to deal with and the 'South Park' pandemic special has helped them make light of a difficult situation. With coronavirus concerns having halted most major TV productions, there have been reduced opportunities for TV to poke fun at the situation and few series go as hard as 'South Park' tends to. The special showed defunded and refunded police in all their brutality, the realities of social distancing, the surprisingly dark and twisted origins of Covid-19 and a host of other parodied topics and fans were loving every minute of it.

"This is the most f****d up and twisted episode of south park ever!!" a fan tweeted.

"Annnnnnd I forgot how raunchy #SouthPark can get. It burns. My eyes," wrote one fan, shortly after the scene where Randy masturbates into a joint in a misguided attempt to cure the coronavirus.

Even those who have not been enjoying recent episodes of 'South Park' have been grateful for this special, with one fan writing, "i said honestly South Park didn't have a need to drop this year because it's a parody of itself. Man I was wrong." 

Other fans are glad that 'South Park' is shining a necessarily harsh light on the issues through its comedy. "If there’s anything to take away from this South Park episode, it’s that they’re taking on the b******t people are saying about this pandemic and they’re bringing it to light with they’re own twist, like they always do," writes one.

For many fans, though, this special was sorely needed after months of bleakness dealing with social distancing, and everything that's come with it. "Wow the @SouthPark #PandemicSpecial is exactly what I needed to deal with the absurdity of life right now," writes one fan. "The @SouthPark pandemic special is pretty much the only thing giving me semblances of hope for humanity at this point," says another. "For the 1st time in 8 months South Park is giving me a reason not to drink myself to sleep. Thank you #SouthPark. So, I’m celebrating with a drink. Get better Token. Here’s to you," says one grateful viewer. 

South Park's 'The Pandemic Special' premieres on Comedy Central on Wednesday, September 30, at 8 pm ET/PT, with two encore airings at 9 pm and 10 pm.