We open with Stan's mother vehemently protesting his wanting to go to Nebraska with his friends and Cartman. It's unclear why Sharon doesn't want him to go and this scene is over-the-top, but it leads to Stan deciding to run away and join his companions anyway. The drive from Colorado to Nebrasks would be a good 7 hours, which felt like 7 years, especially when Cartman and his mom sang, badly. Finally, they arrive in the state of Nebraska, which is a dry, desaturated dust bowl with wheat fields as far as the eye can see. So the boys all arrive at the Cartman residence and the whole family talks and acts exactly like Eric, all except his mom whom I guess is the Marilyn Munster of the group. That night, the boys are awakened by an intruder. It's Uncle Howard, having just busted out of the state Penn. He brought a friend: Charlie Manson, convicted murderer. This will be quite a Christmas. The next day, Kyle is anxious to go to the mall to see Mr. Hankey, but nobody in the family can be bothered to drive them, except for Charlie, who's eager to get out among the living again. So at the mall, Charlie amuses himself by watching The Grinchie Poo and becoming emotional, while the boys meet "Mr. Hankey", or a man in a Mr. Hankey costume. A riot ensues when the man in the poop costume says Mr. Hankey isn't real. Mall security recognizes Charlie Manson, as he and the boys book it. A car chase ensues, the police opening fire, but all Kyle can think about is being lied to.
They return to the house and barricade themselves in. It's at this point that Stan's parents find out their son not only ran away to Nebraska, but lied and said they were dead, so they head off to the Cornhusker State and join the police outside the house. Howard wants to make a break for it, but Charlie has had a real change of heart since being on the run. He convinces Stan that his parents do love him, despite being angry at him, and wants to turn himself in to the law, so he sends Kenny out with a white flag. The trigger-happy cops misinterpret the gesture and shoot him dead. Howard and Charlie are arrested, but the latter is more than willing to go back to prison. He felt as though he were in his own Christmas special, and he reminds everybody not to let things get them down over the holidays. So that night, as Charlie sleeps in his prison cell, he receives a throng of special visitors: the boys and the Cartman family, who wish Charlie Manson a merry Christmas.
Another great South Park Christmas episode. It has a good message, and it comes from Charles Manson of all people. I do like how they made him the voice of reason in all this mess. And even though it was all played for laughs, it was absurd how Stan's mother was so against him going to Nebraska. It wasn't like he was going alone, there were adults there... or 8-year-old boys trapped in adult bodies. It just shows how parents can be too overprotective of their children, and in contrast is Cartman's family who don't seem to care about what he does. This Christmas, I recommend Merry Christmas, Charlie Manson. It's fun, it's funny, it has a good message and it's spoofs of Christmas movies were pretty amusing, like that vulgar version of It's a Wonderful Life...which South Park has yet to do a full-on spoof of, and thank God for that.
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