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South Park 1.2 Review – “Volcano”
Loading...One episode in and I’m already changing the format. Much like any television series, these reviews are a work in progress.
Hello, I’m Jeremy Lambert and welcome to A Trip Into Imagination Land – Classic South Park Reviews. The title is too long to fit into the headline. If you came here just to find me on social media, you can head over to my Twitter @jeremylambert88. If you came here to read about your favorite animated children, I’m not reviewing The Simpsons.
Episode Title – “Volcano”
Premiere Date – August 20, 1997
Background
The first thing we notice is that the animation looks much cleaner. This was actually the third episode produced by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, but the second to hit television. There’s still a construction paper feel, especially when it comes to the lava, but the characters no longer have shadows that made me feel slightly buzzed.
Stone and Parker did this episode because they hated the films Volcano and Dante’s Peak. Much of their inspiration comes from movies and television shows that they hated and wanted to rip on.
Plot and Advancements
The episode marks the introduction of Stan’s uncle Jimbo, his best friend Ned, and Stan’s father Randy, the town geologist. However, there is no mention of Randy being Stan’s father in this episode. He didn’t want to be associated with the kid who shot Scuzzlebutt.
Ms. Cartman returns as the sole parent. Cartman is often ripped on for only having one parent throughout the series. But she’s the most involved parent of the bunch in the early episodes. No wonder Cartman has anger issues.
We’re also introduced to the Mayor. She’s about as competent as you would expect the Mayor of South Park to be. It becomes obvious that she doesn’t care about the town and is simply using her position as a means for publicity.
Jimbo and Ned take the boys hunting while a volcano threatens to erupt. There is only one active volcano in Colorado, the Dotsero, but it is unlikely to erupt in our lifetime. So, is a volcanic eruption in Colorado realistic? No, but neither are alien visitors or a monster with Patrick Duffy as a leg. Also, a trench would not work in the event of a real volcanic eruption. Duck and cover would.
Stan becomes jealous when Kenny gets all of the attention from his Uncle. We’re not yet informed of Kenny being poor, but when you know this fact, Kenny’s willingness to fit makes more sense. As we find out in later episodes, he uses his “little bastardness” to become famous.
Much like the first episode, Kenny’s death is teased multiple times before they deliver on the killing.
Does It Hold Up?
This largely depends on how you feel about kids threatening to kill each other with guns. If you’re able to recognize that times were different in 1997, the episode still provides laughs. Cartman was the star of many early episodes and this one was no different. His angry persona mixed with quick one-liners made him a fan favorite from the start.
However, if you can’t get past the guns and even the hunting, don’t bother watching. This episode is not for you.
