Fantastic Easter Special

"Fantastic Easter Special" is the fifth episode of the eleventh season of South Park. The episode heavily parodies the movie The DaVinci Code.

Synopsis
Stan is confused about what painting Eggs and Rabbits have to do with Easter, but gets himself into more trouble then he bargained for when he finds out the answer.

Plot
The Marsh family are sitting around their dining room table, painting Easter Eggs for the upcoming holiday, when Stan questions what coloring eggs has to do with Jesus's resurrection. His father fails to come up with a reasonable answer, and doesn't seem to care that much. Stan then vows to find out what this is all about, and leaves the table, with his father confused. When Sharon suggests perhaps he has found out the Easter Bunny isn't real, Randy takes great offense to this, and leaves with the words, "You know so little."

The next day at the mall, a photo shoot is happening with a man in an Easter costume, and Stan waits in line to talk to him. When Stan sits on his lap, he demands to know what coloring eggs and the Easter Bunny have to do with Jesus, but after the man tells him 'Just go with it,' Stan leaves frustrated. The man in the bunny costume takes a break, and makes a phone call from the mall pay phone, and tells whomever he calls that Stan is onto them, and he must be dealt with.

A brooding Stan is walking along the sidewalk, when a different man in a Bunny costume starts to follow him. He starts to run, but then finds himself surrounded by them, and runs home. Stan calls to his parents, but only his dad is home, and when he finds him, Randy is dressed like a bunny. Randy then calls off the men chasing Stan, and sits him down to have a talk. He reveals to Stan that they are apart of a secret society of men, who protect the secret of the Easter Bunny, called the Hare Club for Men. Randy then decides it is time to bring Stan into the Hare Club for Men.

Randy takes his son to the Hare Club for Men's meeting place, where they will decide if he is worthy to enter the club. Two men bring out a Rabbit named Snowball into the room, one they all seem to worship. Their leader prepares to tell Stan their secret, but it interrupted by a group of ninjas that break into the room. The Hare Club for Men pick up weapons to protect Snowball, and a fight ensues. Randy tries to run with the rabbit, but is tripped by a ninja. He then gives the rabbit to Stan, who he tells to get out.

Stan runs far enough to watch from a safe distance as ninjas and men in robes take the members of the club into the back of several black vans. The only man in a suit tells the ninjas to search the area and find the boy, at which point Stan runs to Kyle's house for help and tells him what happened.

Randy wakes up after having blacked out in a prison cell, and does not know where he is. He tries to get some answers but no one is sure. That is when the prison cell door opens, and someone he knows confronts him.

Meanwhile, Stan and Kyle visit Professor Teabag, an expert on the history of Easter. Professor Teabag tells them he is busy at the moment, but when Stan mentions the Hare Club for Men, he welcomes them in to tell them the story. Professor Teabag shows them a picture of the Last Supper. He brings their attention to something that looks like an egg, lying in front of St. Peter, the first pope. He then tells them that St. Peter was no man, but a rabbit. To this, Kyle responds, "Peter Rabbit?"

He goes on more to say the Church would not let Leonardo Da Vinci paint St. Peter as a Rabbit, so he was forced to paint him as a man. He did though leave clues as to the true identity of St. Peter, such as the egg. With laser technology, they were able to look past the second layer of paint, to the original depiction of St. Peter as a Rabbit. When Stan question why Jesus would want a rabbit to run his church, Professor Teabag tells him Jesus knew no one man could speak for everyone in a religion. Men are intolerant and corrupted, but Rabbit's are pure. The Catholic church covered it up though, and put a man in charge. The Hare Club for Men has been painting Easter Eggs ever since to keep the truth alive.

It turns out it was the Vatican that infiltrated the Hare Club for Men, and Pope Benedict XVI along with the leader of the American Catholic League, Bill, question the men in captivity over Snowball. The Pope questions Bill as to whether what they are doing is right, and if it goes to extremes, but Bill brushes the worry aside and sends Randy to be tortured.

At Teabag's mansion, he tells the boys that he thinks Snowball may be a direct descendant of St. Peter, and therefore the true heir to the Pope's throne. The ninjas are able to track down Stan and Kyle to the mansion, but the butler gives them a warning before he is killed. Stan and Kyle escape out the window, while Professor Teabag stays behind to give them some time. He put's a box of peeps in the microwave, which explodes and kills everyone in the house. Stan decides that he is going to hand over the rabbit to the Vatican so they will release his father and the rest of the members for the Hare Club for Men, but first prays to Jesus for help, with no response.

The Vatican is holding an Easter Vigil, and the Pope is supposedly showing his 'divine grace' by feeding the poor with a giant rabbit stew. The church is actually throwing in the Hare Club for Men, who are still dressed like rabbits. Stan arrives though, and hands the rabbit over on the conditions they will not hurt the bunny and let everyone go. They release Randy, but only moments later handcuff Randy again, along with Stan and Kyle.

When the Pope again doubts Bill's trickery, The head of the American Church says it is what Christ would have wanted. It is then, that Jesus enters, and advances upon them. He verifies that the story of St. Peter being a Rabbit is true, and that it should be made the new Pope.

Bill then orders for them to Kill Jesus, but the Pope decides that it's 'definetly' not christian to kill Jesus. Bill then arrests everyone, including the Pope and Jesus. Bill then takes the position as the new Pope, and plans to throw them all in the stew. Jesus comes up with a plan to stop this, and tells Kyle to kill him with a knife on a ground, so he can resurrect outside the bars. Kyle is hesitant, but he does it.

Bill orders for them to throw in Snowball, but Jesus resurrects at that exact time. He tells Bill to step down, he refuses, so Jesus decides to use force. He pulls out a star with blades on each tip, and throws it at Bill, who is cut in half.

Snowball is then made the new Pope, and when asked how they should tell people to run their lives, it says nothing, just as Jesus intended it. Stan then says he has learned to never ask questions and keep his mouth shut.

Trivia

 * First appearance of Jesus since "Red Sleigh Down".
 * First ever Easter special of South Park. Easter was previously mentioned in Quintuplets 2000, however.
 * First episode of season eleven not to prominently feature Cartman.
 * The entire episode heavily parodies the Da Vinci Code.
 * The scene where Stan finds his dad dressed slightly like a bunny, is a parody of a similar scene from Teen Wolf.
 * The Scene where Jesus is throwing the Glaive and puts on his sunglasses are reference to the movies "Blade" and "Krull".
 * Last speaking appearance of Grampa Marsh.
 * When Jesus throws a star-shaped weapon to kill the Pope's assistant Bill, it is a reference to a similar event in the 1992 short The Spirit of Christmas in which Jesus throws his halo at Frosty the Snowman in the same manner.
 * The scene in where the Star tears Bill in half may be a reference to "Kill Bill" His name is Bill and he died.
 * Kyles painting features a jewish star

Quotes
Stan:	Help.

Kyle:	What happened?

Stan:	My Dad's in a rabbit-worshiping cult called the Hare Club For Men, they protect the secret of Easter but before they said what it was they were attacked by ninjas and put me in charge of Snowball.

Kyle:	...I'm kind of fingerpainting right now.

Stan:	 Dude, they took my Dad away. They even shot one of his fellow hares. And now they're after me! Do you know anything about Easter? What is the connection between Jesus and rabbits and colored eggs?

Kyle:	Dude, I'm Jewish. I have no idea. Kyle:	I think the rabbit just crapped on my jacket.