The (officially titled "The Pandemic Special") is the first episode of South Park's 24th season and the first hour-long special in the series' history. Premiering on September 30, 2020, it serves as a scathing satire of the COVID-19 pandemic and the social unrest in the United States during that year. Core Plot & Themes The episode follows two main intertwining storylines:

: Randy discovers that a wild night out in China (seen in the previous season's episode " Band in China ") may have actually started the global pandemic. He spends the episode trying to hide his role in the outbreak while profiting from it via a "Pandemic Special" sale at his marijuana business, Tegridy Farms.

: Cartman’s extreme measures to avoid returning to "the new normal" and stay in quarantine. Watching the Special