Coon vs. Coon and Friends
Encyclopedia
"Coon vs. Coon and Friends" is the thirteenth episode of the fourteenth season
of Comedy Central
's series South Park
. It originally aired on November 10, 2010. It is the third and final part of the three-part story arc started with "Coon 2: Hindsight" and continued with "Mysterion Rises".
The episode was written and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker
, and was rated TV-MA L in the United States. In its original American broadcast on November 10, 2010, "Coon vs. Coon and Friends" was watched by 3.249 million viewers, according to the Nielsen Media Research. It was the highest viewed scripted show. It received a 1.9 rating/5% share among adult viewers between ages 18 and 49.
In this episode, Cartman shows himself to be even more evil than the dark lord, Cthulhu
, as he punishes his former partners in Coon & Friends. Kenny is wrestling with the weight of his own super power through his alter-ego, Mysterion. This episode also spoofs pop star Justin Bieber
.
The episode continues from previous South Park episodes "Coon 2: Hindsight
" and "Mysterion Rises
" and reveals the identities of all of Coon and Friends. These three episodes are also significant in that they for the first time give details as to why Kenny re-incarnates after dying and how this is perceived by him, his family, and friends.
format. The boys raise concern over Mint Berry Crunch's super powers, as they do not accept "the power of mint
and berry
set with a satisfying tasty crunch" as a legitimate super power. While discussing powers, the boys ask Mysterion about his power. Mysterion boldly states that "I can't die." The other boys, who are only imagining their powers, casually take note. Mysterion sees that they are not taking him seriously, and with mounting frustration, he elaborates to them that "I really, really can't die." He tries to remind them that they witnessed him being stabbed to death the night before, but the other boys do not remember at all. In an attempt to prove his point, Mysterion shouts at them to remember, pulls out a handgun
, and shoots himself in the head, leaving the boys in utter shock. However, much to the annoyance of Mysterion, they later completely forget about it when everyone including himself returns for another meeting on good deeds.
After providing his own distorted summary of the story so far, Cartman arrives and lures the heroes outside, where he orders Cthulhu
to banish them to a dark oblivion. Mint Berry Crunch runs away and pretends to be heroic by watching Judge Judy
, while the rest of the heroes are transported to R'lyeh
. With that done, Cartman has Cthulhu head to the Burning Man
festival to massacre hippies. At R'lyeh, seeing death as his only potential escape back to Earth and save his friends, Mysterion commits suicide by jumping into a pit of deadly spikes (complaining about the pain of this particular manner of death as he does so). Kenny awakens back in his bed and dons his Mysterion outfit, setting off to learn more about Cthulhu and his own powers in order to save his friends. He goes to Henrietta's house, where she and the other Goth kids are complaining about Cthulhu not changing everything as they were made to believe. Just then, Henrietta's mother comes in and tells her that her brother, who turns out to be Bradley, wants to play with them. Upon entering the room, Bradley sees Mysterion and runs back to his room to change into his Mint Berry Crunch outfit. Meanwhile, the Goth kids tell Mysterion that Cthulhu can only be killed by another immortal, meaning that Kenny is seemingly the only one who has the power to stop Cthulhu's rampage.
Followed by Mint Berry Crunch, Mysterion tracks down the Coon and Cthulhu as the latter have just finished massacring Justin Bieber
and a number of his fans. After berating the Coon for re-making the world in his own image (something no superhero is meant to do), Mysterion challenges Cthulhu by offering him an easy win if he brings his friends back, only for Cthulhu to simply walk away after being influenced by the Coon's "cute kitten" act. A bright light descends from the air and a man appears inside, who reveals himself to be Bradley's biological father from a far away planet who sent his son to Earth to stop evil from taking over the Earth. Bradley, whose Mint Berry Crunch powers were actually real, manages to subdue Cthulhu, drag him back to the dimension from which he came, save the other heroes from oblivion, and shut the hole which BP
drilled into the Gulf of Mexico
. With Cartman jailed at the Coon & Friends' secret base, Mint Berry Crunch vanishes in a flash of light as the rest of the heroes express surprise that Bradley really did have superpowers. Mysterion, disappointed that he did not learn anything about his true past and identity, says he is going to bed and shoots himself in the head. The scene then shifts to show Kenny's mother giving birth to Kenny again. Kenny's parents lay Kenny in his bed, wrapping his orange parka around him, and say that they never should have gone to that cult meeting, implying that Kenny's powers are a result of the cult's practices.
" and "Mysterion Rises
" the third part heavily references the works of H. P. Lovecraft
, especially the Cthulhu Mythos
.
This episode also references the Merrie Melodies
cartoon short Feed the Kitty
, with Cartman acting as Pussyfoot
and Cthulhu as Marc Antony
in his "cute kitten" routine.
In his quest to "make the world a better place", the Coon (Eric Cartman
's alter ego), persuades Cthulhu
to destroy the Whole Food Market supermarket chain, which specializes in organic and healthy food. They attack the Burning Man
festival, which is, according to Cartman, "the biggest hippie
festival in the world", in a scene reminiscent of one from the comedy science fiction film Mars Attacks!
. Cartman mentions they have also destroyed "most of the synagogues
". A news reporter at the site of the slaughter mistakes The Coon for "Bruce Vilanch
in a rat costume", an assumption first made in "The Coon
". Another target, and in Cartman's eyes, the "most challenging and most evil opponent", is teen-star Justin Bieber
. The LeBron James
Nike
commercial is also spoofed again. Cartman tries to lure the boys out of his basement with promises of a double rainbow, coinciding with the popularity of the "Double Rainbow" viral video. The name of the song that Cartman sings while walking to his house is "Faith
" by George Michael
.
, making it the most watched cable television show of the night, surpassing shows such as Psych
, Terriers
, Meet the Browns
and The Ultimate Fighter
in ratings. The episode received a 1.8 rating/3 share, meaning it was seen by 1.8 percent of the population, and 3 percent of people watching television at the time of its broadcast. Among male viewers between ages 18 and 34, the episode received a 3.4 rating/11 share. Among adult viewers between ages 18 and 49, the episode received a 1.6 rating/5 share, falling two tenths in the ratings since the last episode
.
IGN
gave this episode an 8.0 and said "The Coon and Friends trilogy comes to an end in grand fashion, with epic battles, strange alliances, and secret origins revealed. It's a tale told in the finest comic book traditions, and it's one of the most creative episodes South Park has produced recently."
set and two-disc Blu-Ray
set in the United States on April 26, 2011.
South Park (season 14)
The fourteenth season of South Park, an American animated television comedy series, originally aired in the United States on Comedy Central between March 17 and November 17, 2010. The season was headed by the series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who served as executive producers along with...
of Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
's series South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
. It originally aired on November 10, 2010. It is the third and final part of the three-part story arc started with "Coon 2: Hindsight" and continued with "Mysterion Rises".
The episode was written and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker
Trey Parker
Trey Parker is an American animator, screenwriter, director, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of the television series South Park along with his creative partner and best friend Matt Stone.Parker started his film career in 1992, making a holiday short...
, and was rated TV-MA L in the United States. In its original American broadcast on November 10, 2010, "Coon vs. Coon and Friends" was watched by 3.249 million viewers, according to the Nielsen Media Research. It was the highest viewed scripted show. It received a 1.9 rating/5% share among adult viewers between ages 18 and 49.
In this episode, Cartman shows himself to be even more evil than the dark lord, Cthulhu
Cthulhu
Cthulhu is a fictional character that first appeared in the short story "The Call of Cthulhu", published in the pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1928. The character was created by writer H. P...
, as he punishes his former partners in Coon & Friends. Kenny is wrestling with the weight of his own super power through his alter-ego, Mysterion. This episode also spoofs pop star Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
.
The episode continues from previous South Park episodes "Coon 2: Hindsight
Coon 2: Hindsight
"Coon 2: Hindsight" is the eleventh episode of the fourteenth season of animated television series South Park, and the 206th episode of the series overall....
" and "Mysterion Rises
Mysterion Rises
"Mysterion Rises" is the twelfth episode of the fourteenth season of South Park. It aired on Comedy Central on November 3, 2010 and is the second of a three-part arc that began with the episode "Coon 2: Hindsight"....
" and reveals the identities of all of Coon and Friends. These three episodes are also significant in that they for the first time give details as to why Kenny re-incarnates after dying and how this is perceived by him, his family, and friends.
Plot
The episode begins with Bradley Biggle, as Mint Berry Crunch, summarizing the previous episode in a comic bookComic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
format. The boys raise concern over Mint Berry Crunch's super powers, as they do not accept "the power of mint
Lamiaceae
The mints, taxonomically known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are a family of flowering plants. They have traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae, but in the 1990s, phylogenetic studies suggested that many genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae...
and berry
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
set with a satisfying tasty crunch" as a legitimate super power. While discussing powers, the boys ask Mysterion about his power. Mysterion boldly states that "I can't die." The other boys, who are only imagining their powers, casually take note. Mysterion sees that they are not taking him seriously, and with mounting frustration, he elaborates to them that "I really, really can't die." He tries to remind them that they witnessed him being stabbed to death the night before, but the other boys do not remember at all. In an attempt to prove his point, Mysterion shouts at them to remember, pulls out a handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
, and shoots himself in the head, leaving the boys in utter shock. However, much to the annoyance of Mysterion, they later completely forget about it when everyone including himself returns for another meeting on good deeds.
After providing his own distorted summary of the story so far, Cartman arrives and lures the heroes outside, where he orders Cthulhu
Cthulhu
Cthulhu is a fictional character that first appeared in the short story "The Call of Cthulhu", published in the pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1928. The character was created by writer H. P...
to banish them to a dark oblivion. Mint Berry Crunch runs away and pretends to be heroic by watching Judge Judy
Judge Judy
Judge Judy is an American court show featuring former family court judge Judith Sheindlin arbitrating over small claims cases in small claims court...
, while the rest of the heroes are transported to R'lyeh
R'lyeh
R'lyeh is a fictional lost city that first appeared in the H. P. Lovecraft short story "The Call of Cthulhu", first published in Weird Tales in 1928. According to Lovecraft's short story, R'lyeh is a sunken city in the South Pacific and the prison of the malevolent entity called Cthulhu.R'lyeh is...
. With that done, Cartman has Cthulhu head to the Burning Man
Burning Man
Burning Man is a week-long annual event held in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, in the United States. The event starts on the Monday before the American Labor Day holiday, and ends on the holiday itself. It takes its name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on Saturday evening...
festival to massacre hippies. At R'lyeh, seeing death as his only potential escape back to Earth and save his friends, Mysterion commits suicide by jumping into a pit of deadly spikes (complaining about the pain of this particular manner of death as he does so). Kenny awakens back in his bed and dons his Mysterion outfit, setting off to learn more about Cthulhu and his own powers in order to save his friends. He goes to Henrietta's house, where she and the other Goth kids are complaining about Cthulhu not changing everything as they were made to believe. Just then, Henrietta's mother comes in and tells her that her brother, who turns out to be Bradley, wants to play with them. Upon entering the room, Bradley sees Mysterion and runs back to his room to change into his Mint Berry Crunch outfit. Meanwhile, the Goth kids tell Mysterion that Cthulhu can only be killed by another immortal, meaning that Kenny is seemingly the only one who has the power to stop Cthulhu's rampage.
Followed by Mint Berry Crunch, Mysterion tracks down the Coon and Cthulhu as the latter have just finished massacring Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
and a number of his fans. After berating the Coon for re-making the world in his own image (something no superhero is meant to do), Mysterion challenges Cthulhu by offering him an easy win if he brings his friends back, only for Cthulhu to simply walk away after being influenced by the Coon's "cute kitten" act. A bright light descends from the air and a man appears inside, who reveals himself to be Bradley's biological father from a far away planet who sent his son to Earth to stop evil from taking over the Earth. Bradley, whose Mint Berry Crunch powers were actually real, manages to subdue Cthulhu, drag him back to the dimension from which he came, save the other heroes from oblivion, and shut the hole which BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
drilled into the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. With Cartman jailed at the Coon & Friends' secret base, Mint Berry Crunch vanishes in a flash of light as the rest of the heroes express surprise that Bradley really did have superpowers. Mysterion, disappointed that he did not learn anything about his true past and identity, says he is going to bed and shoots himself in the head. The scene then shifts to show Kenny's mother giving birth to Kenny again. Kenny's parents lay Kenny in his bed, wrapping his orange parka around him, and say that they never should have gone to that cult meeting, implying that Kenny's powers are a result of the cult's practices.
Cultural references
Like "Coon 2: HindsightCoon 2: Hindsight
"Coon 2: Hindsight" is the eleventh episode of the fourteenth season of animated television series South Park, and the 206th episode of the series overall....
" and "Mysterion Rises
Mysterion Rises
"Mysterion Rises" is the twelfth episode of the fourteenth season of South Park. It aired on Comedy Central on November 3, 2010 and is the second of a three-part arc that began with the episode "Coon 2: Hindsight"....
" the third part heavily references the works of H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
, especially the Cthulhu Mythos
Cthulhu Mythos
The Cthulhu Mythos is a shared fictional universe, based on the work of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.The term was first coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent of Lovecraft, who used the name of the creature Cthulhu - a central figure in Lovecraft literature and the focus...
.
This episode also references the Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures between 1931 and 1969.Originally produced by Harman-Ising Pictures, Merrie Melodies were produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions from 1933 to 1944. Schlesinger sold his studio to Warner Bros. in 1944,...
cartoon short Feed the Kitty
Feed the Kitty
Feed the Kitty is a Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese, in which bulldog Marc Antony adopts a small cat, Pussyfoot , and tries to hide it from his owner...
, with Cartman acting as Pussyfoot
Marc Antony and Pussyfoot
Marc Antony and Pussyfoot are animated characters in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons...
and Cthulhu as Marc Antony
Marc Antony and Pussyfoot
Marc Antony and Pussyfoot are animated characters in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons...
in his "cute kitten" routine.
In his quest to "make the world a better place", the Coon (Eric Cartman
Eric Cartman
Eric Theodore Cartman is a fictional character in the American animated television series South Park. One of four main characters, along with Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Kenny McCormick, he is generally referred to within the series by his last name...
's alter ego), persuades Cthulhu
Cthulhu
Cthulhu is a fictional character that first appeared in the short story "The Call of Cthulhu", published in the pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1928. The character was created by writer H. P...
to destroy the Whole Food Market supermarket chain, which specializes in organic and healthy food. They attack the Burning Man
Burning Man
Burning Man is a week-long annual event held in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, in the United States. The event starts on the Monday before the American Labor Day holiday, and ends on the holiday itself. It takes its name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on Saturday evening...
festival, which is, according to Cartman, "the biggest hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
festival in the world", in a scene reminiscent of one from the comedy science fiction film Mars Attacks!
Mars Attacks!
Mars Attacks! is a 1996 American science fiction film directed by Tim Burton and based on the cult trading card series of the same name. The film uses elements of black comedy, surreal humour, and political satire, and claims to be also a parody of multiple science fiction B movies...
. Cartman mentions they have also destroyed "most of the synagogues
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
". A news reporter at the site of the slaughter mistakes The Coon for "Bruce Vilanch
Bruce Vilanch
Bruce Vilanch is an American comedy writer, songwriter and actor. He is a six-time Emmy Award-winner Vilanch is best known to the public for his four-year stint on Hollywood Squares, as a celebrity participant; in the entertainment industry he is best known as head writer for the show...
in a rat costume", an assumption first made in "The Coon
The Coon
"The Coon" is the second episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 183rd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 18, 2009...
". Another target, and in Cartman's eyes, the "most challenging and most evil opponent", is teen-star Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
. The LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
commercial is also spoofed again. Cartman tries to lure the boys out of his basement with promises of a double rainbow, coinciding with the popularity of the "Double Rainbow" viral video. The name of the song that Cartman sings while walking to his house is "Faith
Faith (George Michael song)
"Faith" is a #1 song, written and performed by George Michael, released as a single on Columbia Records, from his 1987 Faith album. According to Billboard magazine, it was the top-selling single of the year in the United States in 1988....
" by George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
.
Reception
In its original American broadcast on November 10, 2010, "Coon vs. Coon and Friends" was watched by 2.786 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media ResearchNielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
, making it the most watched cable television show of the night, surpassing shows such as Psych
Psych
Psych is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks and broadcast on USA Network. It stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department whose "heightened observational skills" and impressive detective instincts...
, Terriers
Terriers (TV series)
Terriers is an American crime comedy-drama television series created by Ted Griffin for FX. It premiered on September 8, 2010. The show was canceled by FX on December 6, 2010 after the first season.-Premise:...
, Meet the Browns
Meet the Browns (TV series)
Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns is an American sitcom created and produced by playwright, director, and producer Tyler Perry. The show revolves around a senior family living under one roof in Decatur, Georgia led by patriarch Mr. Brown and his daughter Cora Simmons. The show premiered on Wednesday,...
and The Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts competition produced by Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighting Championship , and soon to be shown on FX. The show features unknown, professional MMA fighters living together in Las Vegas, Nevada, and follows them as...
in ratings. The episode received a 1.8 rating/3 share, meaning it was seen by 1.8 percent of the population, and 3 percent of people watching television at the time of its broadcast. Among male viewers between ages 18 and 34, the episode received a 3.4 rating/11 share. Among adult viewers between ages 18 and 49, the episode received a 1.6 rating/5 share, falling two tenths in the ratings since the last episode
Mysterion Rises
"Mysterion Rises" is the twelfth episode of the fourteenth season of South Park. It aired on Comedy Central on November 3, 2010 and is the second of a three-part arc that began with the episode "Coon 2: Hindsight"....
.
IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave this episode an 8.0 and said "The Coon and Friends trilogy comes to an end in grand fashion, with epic battles, strange alliances, and secret origins revealed. It's a tale told in the finest comic book traditions, and it's one of the most creative episodes South Park has produced recently."
Home release
"Coon vs. Coon and Friends", along with the thirteen other episodes from South Parks fourteenth season, were released on a three-disc DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
set and two-disc Blu-Ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
set in the United States on April 26, 2011.
External links
- "Coon vs. Coon and Friends" Full episode at South Park Studios
- "Coon vs. Coon and Friends" Episode guide at South Park Studios