Warning: This review contains full spoilers for South Park Season 29, Episode 2!
Following a season premiere that felt like a throwback to a more classic incarnation of South Park, the series pivots in Episode 2 with a more topical approach. As the title suggests, "Billionaire Weenietown" is all about skewering the billionaire class, specifically the fact that we can't seem to escape their attention-seeking, data center-building ways. It's a fine episode, but one that's mostly carried by the ever-dependable Butters and his family.
The conflict this week comes as Butters finds he can no longer enjoy his precious Dr. Pimple Popper videos. South Park America has become infested with billionaires who have built a power-hungry new data center literally in Butters' backyard. And he's not going to stand for it one minute longer.
Again, I think the Stotch family storyline in this episode works a bit better than the Weenietown half of things. There's certainly a fun novelty in seeing just how literally this episode takes the whole "Billionaire Weenietown" concept. There's never not some fun to be had in watching a bunch of talking penises bicker with each other and go on The Joe Rogan Experience. It's a way for the series to make fun of the Elon Musks and Mark Zuckerbergs of the world without directly including them.
But as is sometimes the case on this show, the shelf life of that particular gag is limited. This episode leans a bit too hard on the "billionaires are dorks who think everyone wants to hear their opinions" joke when, frankly, there are a lot more reasons to make fun of them besides. The resolution to the Weenietown conflict is also a bit too simple and abrupt for my liking. That said, I'm curious to see if the writers find ways of integrating the remaining Billionaire Weenies into the remainder of Season 29. Hopefully they don't become the new Member Berries...
But it's hard to muster too much criticism for an episode that gives us such a concentrated dose of Butters. If anything, this normally plucky, innocent character is even more entertaining when he's pushed over the edge. Angry Butters is a good Butters, and that anger really carries the day here. Whether it's his tantrum in the classroom or his interactions with the pest control guy, Butters is a real hoot here. Who can't empathize with his righteous anger at this point?
Well, his parents sure can't. Butters' crusade tees up a hilarious subplot where Steve and Linda Stotch fear their precious baby boy has contracted "libtardedness." That subplot serves as a terrific sendup of the anti-vax movement and a certain brand of self-educated, Joe Rogan-loving know-it-all. With the two parents having a complete meltdown while Butters is off doing his own thing, this episode feels like a direct callback to 2001's "Butters' Very Own Episode." That formula still works very well. Though this subplot does sort of drop off before the end. I was expecting some sort of payoff to the FBI call that never comes. Maybe that's a seed for another day?
Finally, I can't not mention the ending. After going nearly two full episodes without roasting Donald Trump directly, the series turns all of its wrath back his way with another goofy deepfake sequence. It's an amusing way to cap off this episode. Coming off of such a Trump-heavy Season 27 and 28, I wouldn't necessarily mind if the show limited itself to these occasional roasts rather than making him a central character again. We'll just have to see what direction Season 29 takes as we get closer to November and the all-important release of GTA.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.ign.com/articles/south-park-season-29-episode-2-review-recap-billionaire-weenietown
