The Guardian ·
South Park – I mean, South America – is back, with no Donald Trump in sight (yet)
After adopting the president’s fondness for renaming things America, the season 29 premiere sees Trey Parker and Matt Stone use e-bikes to critique the ruination of the US
South Park has been renamed South America. That was the main news ahead of Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s animated series returning for its 29th season, which seemed like it could be a one-off promotional gag – or another Trump-related storyline after last year’s scorching imitation of the US president’s “renaming” of the Gulf of Mexico and more recently Lake Ontario.
It turns out that neither is exactly the case, at least not so far. The season premiere doesn’t see the South Park sign scribbled over by the president’s dumb-guy sharpie pen. But it’s not just a passing sight gag, either. The six-episode season opens with the renaming already a fait accompli, not even commented on.
Initially, the episode focuses on the desire of every kid in South America for a class-three e-bike that can reach speeds of up to 25 miles per hour.