Pandemic

"Pandemic" is the tenth episode of the twelfth season (episode 1210) and the 177th overall episode of South Park. It aired on October 23rd, 2008.

Synopsis
Following a money-making trend of Peruvian flute bands, the boys team up with Craig Tucker to form a Peruvian flute band to make easy money. Meanwhile Randy is obsessed with the new video camera he just bought.

Plot
Fresh from the mall after Kenny has purchased razors and shaving cream (to shave his balls, as girls “like shaved balls”), the boys (except Kenny, and especially Stan) are irritated by the number of Peruvian pan flute bands in the area. He then discovers they are in London from the TV, and is called to dinner, where it is revealed by Sharon that Randy has been filming everyday things in the Marsh household ever since he purchased a camcorder, which has been irritating the family. Randy then comes down and starts videotaping Sharon, Stan and Shelley eating dinner. They then see another Peruvian flute band outside, which Randy wants to film.

The next day, Stan reveals to Kyle, Kenny and Cartman that he saw the Peruvian flute band, and that they made $200, and proposes that they start a Peruvian flute band. The boys turn to Craig Tucker to get money, as he got $100 as a birthday present from his grandmother, and he reluctantly agrees after some convincing. They start up, but face competition. Unfortunately, at the same time, Michael Chertoff, head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has taken over the military to arrest and quarantine Peruvian flute bands. Randy films the story about this, by chance, on the news using his camcorder, whilst Sharon and Shelley are watching. In the crackdown on Peruvian flute bands, the boys are arrested. The attempts to inform the guards that there was a mistake fails due to the guard not wanting to buy the CDs, which he expresses by shooting a flute band member who attempted to sell a CD.

Later, as Craig starts to express his anger at the boys for wasting his birthday money, the boys and the real Peruvian flute bands learn that they will be shipped to Guantanamo Bay the next day, which the boys are not happy to learn. At home, Sharon and the Broflovskis are talking to Craig’s parents, who are arguing that running away is not like Craig at all, as Randy is filming the conversation/argument, angering Sharon, possibly because Stan was missing.

It is revealed that all of the Peruvian flute bands are in quarantine, about to be shipped to Guantanamo bay. They search for the country “Peruvian”, which angers Chertoff so much that he points it out on the map and calls them retards. At the same time, Chief Aide Davis and security have thwarted the boys’ attempt to escape. Initially believing them to be some sort of hybrid, after an interrogation session, they decide to send them to Peru to take down the country. At the same time, the musicians warn of “la muerte peluda,” which translates as the Furry Death.

CNN reports on the silence, but just as they are on the scene, the reporter, Paul Harris, is involved in an attack by something unknown, which he identifies as “furry”. Mere seconds after the picture goes dead, the CNN building is attacked. Anchorman Tom is dragged to some unknown fate.

The boys are going to Peru in a helicopter at that point, and as Craig continues to be a “dick” having lost his birthday money, Kyle gets suspicious that there is something else. Back in South Park, Sharon reprimands Randy for filming her calling some unknown bounty hunter for help, but then they hear a low moan, and Randy goes outside, filming destruction by what appear to be guinea pigs. Randy is then hit by something, leaving his status uncertain...

Davis reports the problem to Chertoff, who then confesses that he had something to do with the incident, and reveals himself to be a monster and murders Davis. He then reveals that he was behind all this and the only person that can stop him is Craig.

Cultural references

 * The camp in Miami that the Peruvian flute bands are sent to is similar to the refugee camp in Scarface.
 * Various scenes where there is a live video feed are similar to scenes from the monster movie Cloverfield.

Continuity

 * Kyle doesn't want to go to Peru because his "friend" was raped there, referencing The China Probrem