RJ Writing Ink

South ParQ Vaccination Special Review

Back in September, South Park tried to make us laugh at just how bad things got for us in 2020. Their solution? An appopriately named “Pandemic Special“. While it was a good idea in concept, it was trying to cram everything bad about 2020 into sixty minutes of TV. In other words, it ended up falling flat in its execution. I still don’t know what the Aesop for it was! Thankfully, the world’s gotten marginally better in those six months. We got vaccines rolling out, Trump’s out of office, and things are slowly returning to normal. Which means South Park had to follow up with a vaccination special.

Like last time, it was trying to juggle multiple plot threads, but the vaccination special did it a little better.

Everyone Wants a Shot at the Vaccination Special

The good news: the COVID-19 vaccinations are rolling out as I write this. However, the bad news is that there aren’t enough to go around. Which means who gets a shot at vaccination, which is driving the people of South Park nuts. They have the Walgreens set up like an exclusive night club that only lets the elderly in, who waste no time in rubbing it in everyone’s faces. I found the whole thing to be a dark, but hilarious, representation of the frustration people are feeling in America right now. People are struggling to get shots, even the ones that should be considered essential workers like teachers. That anger will eventually boil over, which is what happens with the kids teacher, Ms. Nelson. After a prank involving ketchup done by Cartman and Kenny pushes her too far, the kids teacher refuses to work until she gets a shot.

So, the classic quartet of South Park boys does something I’m surprised I haven’t heard about in the news yet. They get into their local Walgreens and outright steal the vaccinations for their teachers. From their, though, the boys become split over who should get them, with their “broship” looking like it might sink. For good.

Unlike the Pandemic Special, the Vaccination Special seems to do a better job with keeping a somewhat coherent story. I think. Honestly, I was more interested in Mr. Garrison in the special.

Mr. Garrison is Back

Before Mr. Garrison was the show’s stand-in for Trump, he was the teacher of the kids of South Park. Until he got fired several seasons ago for being a jerk. Having lost the election, Mr. Garrison returns to South Park and tries to act like he never left, despite his actions making him utterly despised by everyone in town. Except for the Whites and the QAnon people, who are convinced he’s just biding his time to regain power.

I’ll be honest: I liked seeing Mr. Garrison come back, as I was curious about how he would fit into the show in a post-Trump America. However, did they really have to resort to using the White family again like before? It wasn’t funny the first few times, and it isn’t funny now. Well, seeing them try and use a fake tutoring business to feed kids their nonsensical conspiracy theories was funny, but nothing else was. Eventually, Mr. Garrison gets fed up with the Whites and the other conspiracy theorists and admits that he doesn’t care anymore. He just wants to get his old life back.

What happens next, I’m still not entirely sure, but it’s one of the trippiest fourth-wall breaks I’ve ever seen. I think Mr. Garrison made a deal directly with Matt and Trey to fix everything in town. And it works.

Vaccination Special Saves Everyone. Except Ms. Nelson

In the end, all the problems of the special get resolved when Mr. Garrison gets everyone in town vaccines straight from Israel. Just like that, he’s redeemed in the eyes of the town. Status quo is God, after all.

Speaking of status quo, Mr. Garrison’s return also means that Ms. Nelson is no longer needed. In a tragic irony, she ends up dying of COVID right before she can get a shot. While this may seem like a cruel jab to some over the fact that people are still dying while waiting to get COVID Vaccinations, it makes sense in the context of the show. Ms. Nelson was a flat character with almost no purpose outside of teaching, so she had to be written out. Mr. Garrison’s back to being teacher again. And everyone celebrates being vaccinated.

Overall, the Vaccination Special was every bit as nonsensical as the Pandemic Special was. However, it also ends on a much more positive note. Yes, the road ahead will still be long and hard, but the end may be in sight at last. If we’re lucky, things can return to a sense of normality before the year’s out. Ultimately, I think that’s the message of the Vaccination Special, and if that’s the case, then it delivered way better.

I Give “South Park: The Pandemic Special” a 3/5

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I’m not the first to say this, and I don’t care: 2020 has sucked so far! Thanks to COVID-19, the entire world’s come to a standstill. People are dying from the virus while much of the world’s forced to stay home to combat the spread. Others are getting laid off from their jobs while the economy tanks. And the cherry on top is that most of the entertainment industry is getting hit hard: every major film for the spring and summer is either delayed or canceled. It feels like there’s no hope spots in the world right now!

That’s where you’re wrong.

I know how bleak things seem right now: many of us are stuck at home, no job, no going out to see friends, no fun. Yet there are still plenty of hope spots to be found in 2020. Thus, in the interest of helping everyone to keep going, I wanted to go over a few positive things that we have to look forward to in Spring 2020

Rick and Morty’s Back!

It’s very ironic that a show as cynical and nihilistic as Rick and Morty could be one of the hope spots of Spring 2020. Yet as we have time and again, Rick and Morty resonates with people in a way few shows do these days. So when Adult Swim released the trailer for the second half of Season 4, the Internet blew up.

I don’t know what I’m looking forward to the most. The badass mech-suits, the return of Morty’s dog Snuffles, or the fact that Tammy and Summer are going to throw down. Rick and Morty returns May 3rd, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Harley Quinn Season 2

In hindsight, I wish I had seen Harley Quinn while the first season was still ongoing. It’s one of the funniest shows I’ve seen in years! If I could best describe it, it’s like you fused the foul mouth of South Park with the self-parodying humor of The Venture Bros. and the craziness of a Saturday morning cartoon. In other words, it hits all the right notes for me.

After finally dumping Joker and spending all season trying to one up him, Harley Quinn stood at the top. Joker’s missing, Batman’s missing, and Gotham’s in ruins and up for grab. So now she’s planning to become the top dog in Gotham. Expect a lot of casual profanity, over-the-top gore, and heart and humor. This is so worth $7.99 a month for a subscription.

Streaming Services Step Up

There’s only one thing that can keep the masses sane during this prolonged period of isolation: entertainment. However, due to the virus freezing the entertainment industry, people have to get creative. Enter streaming services to save the day. To be more precise, Disney with Disney+

Disney has one of the biggest media libraries in existence, and it seems they’ve taken it upon themselves to be the big heroes in this crisis. They released Frozen 2 months ahead of time to help people. Now, they’ve just released Pixar’s newest film, Onward. It’s been less than a month since the film came out in theaters. A cynical man would look at this as streaming’s attempts to profit off people’s need for entertainment in a desperate time. However, I don’t care right. This is a big hope spot for a lot of people.

Gamers Get Cool Remakes

A lot of gamer’s out there are hunkering down and taking advantage of the time off from school and work to catch up on their gaming library. However, there’s no denying the fact that COVID-19’s affecting the gaming industry as well. Gamestop switched to delivery services after their miserable attempts to stay open as an “essential bussiness”. The damage is already done, though. Not to mention there’s no E3, and The Last of Us II is delayed.

Fortunately, this April sees remakes of two of the greatest video games of all time. This past week saw Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 get a remastered campaign released. Meanwhile, next week sees the release of the Final Fantasy VII remake. I’m going to be playing both!

Hope Spots for 2020

Look, I know how bad things are right now. And it’s going to get worse before it gets better! But we can’t give up hope yet. These are just a few of the things that we can look forward to in 2020. They’re hope spots in a dark time.

So, to everyone out there who’s struggling to get through these difficult times, just try to keep looking for the silver lining to this dark cloud. If we listen to the health officials and stay safe, then next year, this could all be a bad memory.

So, go find what it is that motivates you to get through this crisis. Binge watch that show you’ve been meaning to see. Finish that game you couldn’t beat! WORK ON YOUR BODY! AND DON’T GIVE UP NO MATTER WHAT!

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Talking About the Impact of the Coronavirus and How I’ve Adjusted

It’s been three months now. Three months since reports came of the new Novel Coronavirus in China. Few realized that this would end up becoming the worst pandemic in the last hundred years. Now the vast majority of the world is in lockdown. People and governments are desperate to stop the spread of the virus. So far, the results are mixed.

As an American, I’ve been keeping track of the spread of the virus since January. I’ve watched as its spread, despite the State and Federal Governments trying to keep a lid on it. Our efforts seem to have been in vain, though, as it’s now spread to every corner of the country. Now life across the US has been disrupted to varying degrees. Schools are closing, businesses and restaurants are shutting their doors, and worst of all, people are buying all the toilet paper for reasons that I cannot comprehend!

How is this affecting me, though? Where I live, almost every place where people gather is shut down. This past week, the place where I work told me that I’d be working from home indefinitely. I’ve barely gone outside my house over the last few days, with most people following suit. By my estimates, it’s only a matter of time before my region goes into full lockdown. The worst part, though, is that there’s no telling how long it will last.

How am I handling these changes, though? Right now, I’m great

I’ve Trained All My Life for This

I’ve always been a bit of an introvert, even though I’m trying to get out and socialize more. If I’m not at work, I’m likely to lounge around my home all day; sometimes I go the whole day without setting foot outside! Now that the Government’s basically telling us to do that for possibly months, I couldn’t care less!

The Government’s basically telling us that the best way to fight the Coronavirus is by staying home, sitting in front of our TV, and avoiding as many people as possible. Gamers like me have been doing that for most of our lives. Whereas that would once be the subject of ridicule, it could now be what saves lives.

What I’m Doing to Avoid Lockdown Fever

Humans are naturally social creatures. Sooner or later, people will go stir-crazy from lockdown fever and want to go out and interact with others. How long we can last before that happens depends on how long we can keep ourselves busy. Fortunately, I’ve plenty of things to keep me busy.

First, I have this blog. Since work won’t be as hectic for the next few months, I can devote more time to writing on RJ Writing Ink. I’ve got a few reviews and ideas that I’ve had stored for a while that I can finally work on.

Second, I have my video games and my YouTube channel. I intend to post way more videos now that I have the extra time. I’ve also switched to buying digital games. Which is good, because Gamestop finally decided to close down their stores.

Third, I have tons of show’s to binge watch on streaming services and on DVR. I can finally watch the dub of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind.

Stay Strong

I know that these are stressful times, and that everyone’s having their lives disrupted by it. However, we must not give in to despair! I intend to make it through this pandemic and lockdown, however long it may last! So, I call upon my fellow nerds, introverts, and gamers everywhere. Our time has come! Set an example for our communities: stay inside, wash your hands, and be lazy. Be lazier than you’ve ever been before!! We will survive this crisis!