South Park‘s latest episode sees the town’s children go head-to-head with Mark Zuckerberg, though those eagerly awaiting the upcoming release of South Park: The Fractured But Whole will be more interested in how the episode ties into the upcoming game.
The episode, titled ‘Franchise Prequel,’ features Cartman leading “Coon & Friends” in a battle against Professor Chaos’ (Butters) attempts to spread “fake news” about their Avengers-esque superhero troupe. Mimicking Russia’s reported interference with the US election, Butters recruits an army of underlings who are tasked with circulating falsified news stories about Cartman & co, eventually leading to the parents intervening and Mark Zuckerberg venturing to the Colorado town.
Zuckerberg is presented as being completely oblivious to natural human interaction, with his voice over purposely sounding like it was performed in a tin can and him displaying a penchant for performing his own sound effects. Pointing out that Zuckerberg is a bit robotic isn’t exactly new territory, but watching South Park‘s interpretation of the Facebook founder awkwardly pulling out martial arts moves is funny nonetheless.
The purpose of the entire episode is to essentially set up the plot of South Park: The Fractured But Whole, the sequel to The Stick of Truth which sees the town’s kids move away from their Lord of the Rings obsession and instead take on The Avengers. With The Fractured But Whole picking up immediately after the events of The Stick of Truth there’s a bit of a timeline issue here, but it’s not exactly like that’s important when it comes to South Park.
Also: South Park: The Fractured But Whole is a Worthy, Dirty Follow-Up
The episode ultimately shows how the kids split off into two groups — one led by Cartman / The Coon, the other led by Kenny / Mysterion — and embark upon their own civil war, drawing obvious comparisons to The Avengers franchise and the rivalry between Iron Man and Captain America. With The Fractured But Whole‘s plot centered around this conflict, the episode serves as a jumping off point for those who want to know what to expect before playing the upcoming video game.
You can expect out full review of South Park: The Fractured But Whole on Monday. In the meantime, South Park fans should pay close attention to the episode, as it features a few Easter eggs that are also included in the game.
