Story

Description

Kyle, Kenny and Stan (against his parents' wishes) accompany Cartman to Nebraska to visit his grandmother for the holidays. It turns into the road trip from hell. All of Cartman's relatives are in attendance, and they're just as fat and obnoxious as him. The guest list includes Uncle Howard, who gets in touch via a satellite link from state prison. That evening he pays an in-person visit, having broken out with another inmate, his friend, criminal mastermind and noted lunatic Charles Manson.

Manson volunteers to drive the boys to the nearby Mall of Nebraska, where Mr. Hankey is allegedly appearing. Once there, the infamous killer parks himself in front of a department store television display and becomes engrossed in watching Christmas specials.

Meanwhile Kyle and Stan visit the supposed Mr. Hankey, who turns out to be a guy in a costume. Disappointed, they "out" the imposter to the mob of kids waiting to see him. A bloody riot erupts and police are called in. They recognize Manson and a televised, high-speed car chase ensues. Manson and Uncle Howard make it back to the Cartman residence and hold everyone hostage -- a development the Cartmans, busy watching Terrance and Phillip on TV, barely notice. When Stan's furious parents arrive to take him home, he asks the two criminals if he can go on the lam with them. Instead Manson, who's suffered some sort of holiday TV special-induced epiphany, lectures him about the importance of family.

Stan changes his mind about leaving. Kenny is gunned down by the cops. Manson and Uncle Howard surrender and go back to prison. The Cartmans, plus Stan and Kyle, surprise him in his cell by shouting, "Merry Christmas Charlie Manson!" and singing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing."

What I Learned Today

"I'm sorry for what I did, but that doesn't make up for it. I deserve to be in jail. All I hope is that I don't make mankind lose faith in itself. Yes there's murderers in the world, there's rapists and thieves, but those are the vast minority. The majority of mankind is made up of caring people who try every day to do what they think is right. And that's the spirit of the season."

Memorable Quotes

• "Oh my God! They killed the little orange coat kid!" Charles Manson
• "Mister Hankey kicks ass!" Elvin Cartman
• "The holidays are bullcrap!!" Cartman
• "No, Jimmy! That's grandpa's pot pie!!" Grandma Cartman
• "Stan, don't be such a dumbass. You have to trust people." Cartman
• "Folks need to understand that I am terror. I am fear! I AM - Oh look, another holiday special " Charles Manson
• "I'm glad I'm not you right now kid." Charles Manson

Characters

Eric Cartman

Kenny McCormick

Stan Marsh

Kyle Broflovski

Mabel Cartman

Liane Cartman

Stuart McCormick

Mrs. McCormick

Randy Marsh

Sharon Marsh

Shelly Marsh

Mr. Hankey

Brimmy

Gerald Broflovski

Sheila Broflovski

Kevin Stoley

Character Debuts

Florence Cartman

Fred Cartman

Harold Cartman

Howard Cartman

Lisa Cartman

Stinky Cartman

Charlie Manson

Elvin Cartman

Alexandria Cartman

Body Count

Kenny for sure; he's shot, beaten with a baton, and then handcuffed by policemen. There's also a massive pileup during the police chase that leaves a lot of cops in bad shape.

Locations

Original Songs

Manson breaks out into song after his Christmas epiphany, singing the jolly yule tune "Happy, Happy Holiday".

Behind The Scenes

Pop Culture References

Shout Outs

The prison sing-along at the end of the episode is lifted from a similar scene in A Charlie Brown Christmas. Manson is also mesmerized by a Christmas special called Grinchy Poo -- a reference to How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Finally Manson, once back in jail, pens a series of introspective books, including Are You There God? It's Me, Manson. This is a rip on the novel by Judy Bloom Are You There God? It's Me Margaret.

In the Terrance and Phillip Christmas Special, Terrance and Phillip take turns farting on a reindeer who's nose glows red with every fart - an obvious homage to Rudolph.

Pwn'd

Jimmy Stewart. In a scene allegedly from It's A Wonderful Life he tells Mr. Potter, "You know what you are? You're a little bitch. That's right, you're a bitch and I'll bet you'd like to suck it, wouldn't you?" Also the entire state of Nebraska, which is portrayed as pool table-flat and covered with wheat. A sign at the state line reads "You are now in Nebraska sorry."

Bonus Factoids

Pointless Observations

The Mall of Nebraska crowd unaccountably includes Craig, Red, and Butters. Cartman sleeps in his Weight Gain 4000 t-shirt from the episode of the same name. We also get to see his hair for the first time.

To get his cousin Elvin to stop crying, Cartman takes a stick and whacks him over the head. He will do the same thing to an Underpants Gnome in "Gnomes", and an endangered monkey in "Rainforest Shmainforest".

The reporter covering the Manson chase is named Robert Pooner. This alias was also used as the name of the "Executive Producer" for Barbrady's cop show in "Chickenlover". Pooner signs off with, "God bless us, every one", a classic line from A Christmas Carol.

Kyle complains that "ever since Mr. Hankey was in that movie, he got all famous". He's talking about the Tom Hanks independent film Mr. Hankey and Me from "Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls".

Season 2

e1 Terrance and Phillip in Not Without My Anus

e2 Cartman's Mom Is Still a Dirty Slut

e3 Chickenlover

e4 Ike's Wee Wee

e5 Conjoined Fetus Lady

e6 The Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka

e7 City on the Edge of Forever (Flashbacks)

e8 Summer Sucks

e9 Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls

e10 Chickenpox

e11 Roger Ebert Should Lay Off the Fatty Foods

e12 Clubhouses

e13 Cow Days

e14 Chef Aid

e12 Spookyfish

e13 Merry Christmas Charlie Manson!

e14 Gnomes

e15 Prehistoric Ice Man