*1908: Sponsored Content* Post-Air Discussion

[marcus0202]

"He seems to have a special ability to detect ads from the real news"
""I really don’t understand how Leslie is an ad, it is very strange."

I'm pretty sure the ending to this episode - and perhaps the next episode - pays homage to Blade Runner.
In Blade Runner, which is set in the future, androids called "replicants" look and act almost exactly like humans.
In order to distinguish replicants from real humans, blade runners can administer a series of test questions in order to determine
whether or not a subject is a replicant.
The most advanced replicants are not even aware that they are replicants and believe themselves to be real humans (like Leslie).

Enjoy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWPyRSURYFQ

[BRMBug]

I've been trying to figure out how they're gonna explain that an ad has become sentient and/or corporial. But if Bono can be derived from a sh*t anything is possible.

[Mamont]

So it wasn't the crab people, it was the add people!

A decent episode. A definite improvement compared to a slow start of the season. I'm on pins and needles to see how this unravels in the last two episodes. I just hope they won't screw it up like last season finale.

[JamesPup]

"He seems to have a special ability to detect ads from the real news"
""I really don’t understand how Leslie is an ad, it is very strange."

I'm pretty sure the ending to this episode - and perhaps the next episode - pays homage to Blade Runner.
In Blade Runner, which is set in the future, androids called "replicants" look and act almost exactly like humans.
In order to distinguish replicants from real humans, blade runners can administer a series of test questions in order to determine
whether or not a subject is a replicant.
The most advanced replicants are not even aware that they are replicants and believe themselves to be real humans (like Leslie).

Enjoy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWPyRSURYFQ

After watching that youtube video I know that you are right. I'll have to go and read up on this movie! Leslie Is a replicant.

[RenoD]

nice episode, c'ant wait for the next one.

[Hayley B]

While Jimmy was accusing Leslie as an ad. All I kept thinking was that Leslie's hair looks like Flo's (the Progressive lady)

[lizzyfly]

While Jimmy was accusing Leslie as an ad. All I kept thinking was that Leslie's hair looks like Flo's (the Progressive lady)

That could explain why she and PC Principal are listed as rivals now! Rival car insurance companies. State Farm vs. Progressive vs. Geico.

I saw a post reblogged last night on my dashboard of someone saying similar to some previous posts, asking if this whole season's been one huge ad buildup for the new game. I'd actually be pretty stoked if it is, because then that (for me, anyway) raises some questions, like are Leslie and PCP gonna be in the game? Or the new stores and restaurants in the town? Or are Craig and Tweek gonna be a villain duo? (The latter would be especially cute, as I was wanting more of Tweek in SoT, preferably I wanted him as an optional sidekick and even came up with some canon things he could've had as his abilities, such as throwing coffee on an opponent to slow them down, using the Oppenheimer technique as one of his powers to take down said opponent, etc. - but I digress.) I guess we'll know in a few weeks, but it'd certainly be fun if that's the case with this season, in my opinion.

[JVM]

I have to remind people there's only been one true recurring antagonist in South Park's history, and we haven't seen Saddam Hussein in over half of the series as it stands today. ("200" and "201" villains excluded. Callbacks were the point.) By and large though, bad guys are almost never people we've met before, or at least, before this season.

Before I talk about the episode itself, I have to say I really didn't expect the big story arc to begin this week -- I was expecting one last semi-standalone before we start the real finale... and it almost disappoints me, because next week is going to be a lot harder of a break than the previous two

We had a great episode and a lot of stuff came back together -- five of the seven previous episodes ("Stunning and Brave", "Where My Country Gone?", "The City Part of Town", "Safe Space", and "Naughty Ninjas") were referenced this week. It's mostly been focused on the continuity of the season, like finally meeting Leslie, but we do get to see South Park's newsmen, which is a neat little scene, especially after last week, because besides Tom Pusslicker an Tom Thompson, the town's reporters and newsmen have been a revolving door -- speaking of them, Thompson's been replaced since last week by a new anchor, his sister's been gone since S17, but good ol' Pusslicker's back for the first time in almost a decade. Not a character I thought we'd see again! (Added him to the Wiki!)

I want to spotlight Randy and Sharon's scene. I know a lot of fans tune out these characters and think Randy is terrible - and he can be! - but this was a really important one for their characters. Sharon is, debatably, South Park's strongest voice of reason to date, Randy seems really, GENUINELY incensed at her accusations of cheating, but also importantly, he says he's happy. Contrast this with their argument for years ago in "You're Getting Old" where he reveals all of his hijinks have been trying to cover up his unhappiness with their marriage. Sharon then does a nice speech which Randy, of course, proves unintentionally. There's also a noted contrast between the PC bro's and Randy, because Randy's the only one who's actually done much to force real change in town.

I'm so glad to see Mr. Garrison again -- more than you'd think -- but I do feel odd about how his, the triumphantly returning Principal Victoria's, and Caitlyn's scenes play out -- there's not a lot of explanation. Why is Principal Victoria back now? Why did she go to Mr. Garrison for help? What did she tell him -- what we already know from elsewhere or something different? Can we trust her? Can we trust Mr. Garrison? These scenes all are really vague and end up being more with jokes and getting the characters back than anything else. I don't know where this thread is going but I'm excited and I hope it's great.

I'm hoping Leslie and Officer Barbrady both have more of a role to play than we've seen so far. Both had fun bits but they were brief and I just hope they aren't ignored henceforth until the end. I like to imagine Leslie or PC Principal could have a Terminator-esque role as the 'good ad' trying to stop the bad ads. I'm also curious about Nathan's role and who else might be siding with the PC folk. PCP himself is in an odd spot here, seeming to be the only 'genuine' PC person in his group. He must lead it because he's oldest than the college kids. Again, not sure where that'll go.

Barbrady, Victoria, Garrison... wonder if we'll have a whole troop of old school characters fix things up? Jimbo and Ned are still MIA since "Where My Country Gone?" -- I was sure they'd be Mr. Garrison's campaign staff when he returned.

Jimmy's involvement here is interesting continuity-wise... we can mostly remember Season 8's "Quest for Ratings", also featuring Super School News, establishing him with the serious newsman credentials he's displaying here... but someone pointed out to me that in "1%" Jimmy does seem against use of the word 'retarded'. (Context matters?) A bigger one to me though? Just last year in "Freemium isn't Free", Jimmy pushes the new Terrance & Phillip game on Stan and the other kids... do you know what this means? This means that Jimmy is also an ad

In conclusion, I have no idea where the hell this is going -- I'm excited but scared.

I think I read something about the new South Park video game tying into the show. I'm willing to bet quite a lot of money that the end of the season will be continued in the new video game.

No. We don't know when the new game is coming, and there's no official date. Matt and Trey wouldn't build up to it in S19 if it wasn't coming out until after S20. I'd expect the build-up to that to come next year.

[Stanluv25]

This felt a little... odd. Jimmy was funny in it but the whole emphasis on ads kind of bored me. Yeah, ads suck. I have ad-block, I try to steer away from them any time I can. I even mute the commercials on TV. But why are they making such a big deal of it here? Of course there is more than meets the eye and a 'war' is about to go down, but for some reason I don't care enough. Maybe it's because this season has been very lame. Maybe because Stan has had zero story arches this season. I just don't care much about what happens next two episodes.I know all this PC crap will end which will be great, and Principal Victoria will return, but as a whole, lame season. Oh, btw, people getting butthurt over silly things and acting like the 'victim' as the PC peeps were is so annoying.


6/10

[Big-Will]

While Jimmy was accusing Leslie as an ad. All I kept thinking was that Leslie's hair looks like Flo's (the Progressive lady)

Ding ding ding! We have a winner! A Progressive ad for a progressive town! All she needs is for that headband to turn blue.

[ajgv96]

I may be the last one to see the resemblance, but I just realized that Leslie may be a reference to all the girls/boys in social media that do sponsored content, they are usually under age, plus Leslie's shirt has a similar logo to reddit. She being an add... what a cool metaphor.

[nwt000]

While Jimmy was accusing Leslie as an ad. All I kept thinking was that Leslie's hair looks like Flo's (the Progressive lady)

Ding ding ding! We have a winner! A Progressive ad for a progressive town! All she needs is for that headband to turn blue.

Her hair would also have to become dark brown as opposed to black, considering Flo's hair is dark brown.

[marcus0202]

After watching that youtube video I know that you are right. I'll have to go and read up on this movie! Leslie Is a replicant.

Thanks JamesPup. I'm proud to make my first meaningful contribution to the forum, even it is simply because I'm older than the rest of you.

Blade Runner is a polarizing film, many critics disliked it upon its release, though it has since become a cult classic and science fiction classic.
I just watched the original Siskel and Ebert review on Youtube and they both disliked it, LOL.

I wonder if the next SP episode will continue with the Blade Runner theme.
South Park is notoriously difficult to predict, but one way they might go would be for Jimmy to defeat PC Principal and, as PCP dies, he tells Jimmy
that his memories will be lost like "Tears in the Rain."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoAzpa1x7jU

[triplemultiplex]

NIce catch, marcus0202. Now that you've reminded me of Blade Runner, there's no way that whole part is not a reference to that film. Hence the reveal for PC Principle when he sees himself in an ad.

[JamesPup]

I read the Blade Runner wiki. The movie sounds fun yet I think I'll pass, sorry. So Blade Runner ends with an origami paper thing and the clone and the hunter together in some sort of field as I read. I don't think we will be losing Jimmy or Barbrady. I don't know what to expect.

The Progressive insurance thing with Flo sounds good. She is really over done. It would be just fantastic to see all of the TV ad people converge on to South Park in a violent fight. Perhaps a Kyle like speech would turn them all against each other with great action of TV ad Celebes killing each other off.

I still think there will have to be a factory to make these people ads. I don't think it will be that they just appear out of no where. Has anyone said that Dr. Alphonse Mephesto would be behind this all yet?

What if the whole ending is about the evils of capitalism? How it desires ads to make its own consume products that are locally produced to feed itself? A capitalism monster would be nice. I would want a giant venus fly trap creature from outer space like the main boss from the old unknown first person shooter "Strife". The Capitalism monster would need to be kept alive or at least its values or America would be f*cked. It could have came to earth and landed in America and caused the colonies the revolt against England and then in France it caused the French Revolution and later in England its presence led to the industrial revolution. It is hailed all over the globe by a secret Capitalist movement. The elite of their ranks today are our commercial celebs and the corporate leaders of all businesses and companies. How can the people of South Park fight that which has created all they love and know? Killing that that has lived thousands of years, the very idea is ludicrous. This Capitalism monster Alien would need money and commercially produced goods as sustenance or as it says the Earth will be doomed.... I give up on this but it was a funny idea to me.