Mysterion Rises
Encyclopedia
"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 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 3, 2010, "Mysterion Rises" was watched by 3.263 million viewers. According to Nielsen ratings, "Mysterion Rises" was seen by 2.85 million overall households.
-like title screen. The group is now led by Mysterion, although still called "Coon and Friends" (because it "pisses Cartman off beyond belief"), and hold a bake sale
to aid those in the Gulf affected by Cthulhu
's arrival at the end of the previous episode, meeting a strange man who state their efforts to stop Cthulhu are futile. Coon and Friends then return to find that Captain Hindsight has ransacked their base looking for incriminating photos of him with Courtney Love. The boys reveal the pictures are fake and solely constructed by Cartman
as blackmail
, but Hindsight is too conflicted to believe them. Mysterion tells Hindsight that if he does not believe them, he has no choice but to pull the trigger. All the other heroes are shocked by this show of what can only be fearlessness or foolishness as Mysterion tells them to leave. In the process, Human Kite (Kyle
) inadvertently reveals Mysterion to be Kenny
. After Hindsight admits that he is growing tired of the burden placed on him by his powers, and Kenny explains that he too has been cursed with an ability of his own: he cannot die. It is revealed that every time Kenny dies, he simply wakes up in his bed the next day restored to full health. Furthermore, nobody seems to be able to remember his death, even if they witnessed it first hand.
While this occurs, Cartman is at the airport to make his way to Cthulhu
, who delayed Cartman's flight by defecating
on the runway. After attacking a little girl (in his mind, a villain), Cartman arrives at Cthulhu's location and tries to get the attention of Cthulhu, so he can get revenge on his former team. However, Cthulhu is uninterested and leaves Cartman. Cartman then decides to be cute and adorable to manipulate Cthulhu. After introducing himself as "the little Coon" and rubbing Cthulhu's belly (much like Mei from My Neighbor Totoro
), Cartman befriends Cthulhu. He then calls a press conference and declares them the new, and this time trademarked, "Coon and Friends". Along the way to South Park, Cartman and Cthulhu are shown destroying various things: a synagogue
, hippies, and San Francisco, all things that Cartman despises. By then, after deliberating over his situation, Hindsight decides to remove his powers and resume being news reporter Jack Brolin, but after seeing an innocent person with an injured arm crying for his help, Brolin realizes that "Hindsight" should not have removed his powers.
Back at South Park, after Coon and Friends learn about cult of Cthulhu, where they discover that Kenny's parents were a part of it, Kenny (as Mysterion) goes to his house. Clyde is revealed to be the Mosquito. It turns out Kenny's his parents were only indirectly involved with the Cult of Cthulhu (they went for the free beer), and he forces them to tell him whereabouts of the South Park chapter. Together with the other heroes, they go to the Cult meeting, and notice familiar faces (Mr. Adler, the Goth Kids, and the Star Trek
nerds). Kenny, however, becomes alarmed over a line they say:
He abandons his friends and confronts the Goth kids in an alley about what it means. The leader of the cult then shows up and asks for the Goth kids' assistance in dispensing of Mysterion. Coon and Friends show up too late, as the leader takes Kindergoth's switchblade and stabs Kenny in the chest. At this point, it is revealed that the Human Kite is Kyle when he exclaims "You bastards!" in reaction to Kenny's death. Inevitably, Kenny wakes up in his bed, unharmed. The rest of the Friends show up at his bedroom door asking him why he ran away from the cult and that they have to defeat Cthulhu, completely unaware of the fact that he just died. Kenny sighs in disappointment.
"Mysterion Rises" was written and directed by series co-founder Trey Parker
. It first aired on November 3, 2010 in the United States on Comedy Central. Like most South Park episodes, "Mysterion Rises" was first conceived by Parker and fellow co-founder Matt Stone
within a week of the episode's broadcast date.
The episode's title is a play on the title for the upcoming Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises
, announced only days before the episode aired. Cartman interacting with Cthulhu while on his belly and the animation sequence while flying with Cthulhu are a reference to My Neighbor Totoro
. The song playing during the flying sequence is also a parody of the Totoro theme song. In this episode there is a parody clip of LeBron James
' "Rise" commercial for Nike
(giving the episode title a double parody). The line "I am not a role model" was originally used by Charles Barkley
, hence the wink at the end. The goth kids believe the rise of Cthulhu will be like a never-ending Nine Inch Nails
concert, and hope Cthulhu will bring an end to The Disney Channel.
While selling lemon bars, Coon & Friends are approached by a man who warns them of the futility of their plot by mentioning the Necronomicon
, a fictional grimoire
by H. P. Lovecraft
.
Mysterion's revelation to Captain Hindsight that he is unable to die, despite constantly dying violently, is basically a self-reference to the running gag on every previous South Park episode on which Kenny died since the very beginning of the show.
During the meeting of the Cult of Cthulhu, the book case behind the cult leader is filled with boxes, which in close-ups is revealed to be several copies of Arkham Horror
, a board game based on Lovecraft's work (the uppermost box is marked "Expansion 1" - Arkham Horror has come with many expansions the last years).
Ramsey Isler of IGN
gives the episode an "impressive" 8 out of 10. He complains that the episode had very few laugh-out-loud moments but praised the show for experimenting with new visual styles and presenting a more ambitious vision than the past few episodes.
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 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 aired on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
on November 3, 2010 and is the second of a three-part arc that began with the episode "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....
".
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 3, 2010, "Mysterion Rises" was watched by 3.263 million viewers. According to Nielsen ratings, "Mysterion Rises" was seen by 2.85 million overall households.
Plot
The episode starts off with comic-like recap of the previous episode ("Coon 2: Hindsight") before turning into a BatmanBatman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
-like title screen. The group is now led by Mysterion, although still called "Coon and Friends" (because it "pisses Cartman off beyond belief"), and hold a bake sale
Bake sale
A bake sale is a fundraising activity where baked goods such as doughnuts, cupcakes and cookies, sometimes along with ethnic foods, are sold. Bake sales are usually held by small, non-profit organizations, such as clubs, school groups and charitable organizations...
to aid those in the Gulf affected by 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...
's arrival at the end of the previous episode, meeting a strange man who state their efforts to stop Cthulhu are futile. Coon and Friends then return to find that Captain Hindsight has ransacked their base looking for incriminating photos of him with Courtney Love. The boys reveal the pictures are fake and solely constructed by 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...
as blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
, but Hindsight is too conflicted to believe them. Mysterion tells Hindsight that if he does not believe them, he has no choice but to pull the trigger. All the other heroes are shocked by this show of what can only be fearlessness or foolishness as Mysterion tells them to leave. In the process, Human Kite (Kyle
Kyle Broflovski
Kyle Broflovski is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by co-creator Matt Stone. Kyle is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
) inadvertently reveals Mysterion to be Kenny
Kenny McCormick
Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is one of the four central characters along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Eric Cartman. His oft-muffled and indiscernible speech—the result of his parka hood covering his...
. After Hindsight admits that he is growing tired of the burden placed on him by his powers, and Kenny explains that he too has been cursed with an ability of his own: he cannot die. It is revealed that every time Kenny dies, he simply wakes up in his bed the next day restored to full health. Furthermore, nobody seems to be able to remember his death, even if they witnessed it first hand.
While this occurs, Cartman is at the airport to make his way to 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...
, who delayed Cartman's flight by defecating
Defecation
Defecation is the final act of digestion by which organisms eliminate solid, semisolid or liquid waste material from the digestive tract via the anus. Waves of muscular contraction known as peristalsis in the walls of the colon move fecal matter through the digestive tract towards the rectum...
on the runway. After attacking a little girl (in his mind, a villain), Cartman arrives at Cthulhu's location and tries to get the attention of Cthulhu, so he can get revenge on his former team. However, Cthulhu is uninterested and leaves Cartman. Cartman then decides to be cute and adorable to manipulate Cthulhu. After introducing himself as "the little Coon" and rubbing Cthulhu's belly (much like Mei from My Neighbor Totoro
My Neighbor Totoro
, is a 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The film follows the two young daughters of a professor and their interactions with friendly wood spirits in postwar rural Japan...
), Cartman befriends Cthulhu. He then calls a press conference and declares them the new, and this time trademarked, "Coon and Friends". Along the way to South Park, Cartman and Cthulhu are shown destroying various things: a synagogue
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...
, hippies, and San Francisco, all things that Cartman despises. By then, after deliberating over his situation, Hindsight decides to remove his powers and resume being news reporter Jack Brolin, but after seeing an innocent person with an injured arm crying for his help, Brolin realizes that "Hindsight" should not have removed his powers.
Back at South Park, after Coon and Friends learn about cult of Cthulhu, where they discover that Kenny's parents were a part of it, Kenny (as Mysterion) goes to his house. Clyde is revealed to be the Mosquito. It turns out Kenny's his parents were only indirectly involved with the Cult of Cthulhu (they went for the free beer), and he forces them to tell him whereabouts of the South Park chapter. Together with the other heroes, they go to the Cult meeting, and notice familiar faces (Mr. Adler, the Goth Kids, and the Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
nerds). Kenny, however, becomes alarmed over a line they say:
He abandons his friends and confronts the Goth kids in an alley about what it means. The leader of the cult then shows up and asks for the Goth kids' assistance in dispensing of Mysterion. Coon and Friends show up too late, as the leader takes Kindergoth's switchblade and stabs Kenny in the chest. At this point, it is revealed that the Human Kite is Kyle when he exclaims "You bastards!" in reaction to Kenny's death. Inevitably, Kenny wakes up in his bed, unharmed. The rest of the Friends show up at his bedroom door asking him why he ran away from the cult and that they have to defeat Cthulhu, completely unaware of the fact that he just died. Kenny sighs in disappointment.
Cultural references
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...
. It first aired on November 3, 2010 in the United States on Comedy Central. Like most South Park episodes, "Mysterion Rises" was first conceived by Parker and fellow co-founder Matt Stone
Matt Stone
Matthew Richard "Matt" Stone is an American screenwriter, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of South Park along with creative partner and best friend, Trey Parker....
within a week of the episode's broadcast date.
The episode's title is a play on the title for the upcoming Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises
The Dark Knight Rises
The Dark Knight Rises is an upcoming epic superhero film. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film will be the third and final installment in Nolan's Batman film series, and is a sequel to Batman Begins and The Dark Knight...
, announced only days before the episode aired. Cartman interacting with Cthulhu while on his belly and the animation sequence while flying with Cthulhu are a reference to My Neighbor Totoro
My Neighbor Totoro
, is a 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The film follows the two young daughters of a professor and their interactions with friendly wood spirits in postwar rural Japan...
. The song playing during the flying sequence is also a parody of the Totoro theme song. In this episode there is a parody clip of 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...
' "Rise" commercial for 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...
(giving the episode title a double parody). The line "I am not a role model" was originally used by Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
, hence the wink at the end. The goth kids believe the rise of Cthulhu will be like a never-ending Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
concert, and hope Cthulhu will bring an end to The Disney Channel.
While selling lemon bars, Coon & Friends are approached by a man who warns them of the futility of their plot by mentioning the Necronomicon
Necronomicon
The Necronomicon is a fictional grimoire appearing in the stories by horror writer H. P. Lovecraft and his followers. It was first mentioned in Lovecraft's 1924 short story "The Hound", written in 1922, though its purported author, the "Mad Arab" Abdul Alhazred, had been quoted a year earlier in...
, a fictional grimoire
Grimoire
A grimoire is a textbook of magic. Such books typically include instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms and divination and also how to summon or invoke supernatural entities such as angels, spirits, and demons...
by 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....
.
Mysterion's revelation to Captain Hindsight that he is unable to die, despite constantly dying violently, is basically a self-reference to the running gag on every previous South Park episode on which Kenny died since the very beginning of the show.
During the meeting of the Cult of Cthulhu, the book case behind the cult leader is filled with boxes, which in close-ups is revealed to be several copies of Arkham Horror
Arkham Horror
Arkham Horror is an adventure board game designed by Richard Launius, originally published in 1987 by Chaosium and most recently published in 2005 and revised in 2007 by Fantasy Flight Games. In both editions, players take on the role of investigators in H. P. Lovecraft's Massachusetts town of...
, a board game based on Lovecraft's work (the uppermost box is marked "Expansion 1" - Arkham Horror has come with many expansions the last years).
Reception
Sean O'Neal of The AV Club gave the episode a C+ rating.Ramsey Isler of 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...
gives the episode an "impressive" 8 out of 10. He complains that the episode had very few laugh-out-loud moments but praised the show for experimenting with new visual styles and presenting a more ambitious vision than the past few episodes.
Home release
"Mysterion Rises", 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
- "Mysterion Rises" Full episode at South Park Studios
- "Mysterion Rises" Episode guide at South Park Studios