History WesternAnimation / SouthParkPostCovid

** [[spoiler: Part 2 confirms that Victor Chaos is indeed Butters, and he apparently helped Kenny fund his research.]]

* CrapsackWorld: The universe that South Park takes place in was already pretty crappy to begin with, but things still managed to get a lot worse, anyways. In what seems to be a parody of what a liberal American's idea of the future, China has taken the USA's spot as the world superpower, people are forced to eat bugs in lieu of meat, criminals can do whatever they want because there's no local police force, COVID is still a problem forty years later, and so much more.

* {{Cliffhanger}}: Stan and Kyle vow to get back in touch with their childhood beliefs and continue Kenny's work on time travel, even resuming their attempt to contact Victor Chaos, Kenny's right-hand man and sole surviving member of his research team. Meanwhile, Rabbi Cartman is happy with his future as is and doesn't want Kyle to change the past, and Randy protects what he believes to be the last remaining marijuana sprout in Tegridy Farms.

* KarmaHoudini: Cartman grows up to have a loving wife and family despite all the horrible things he did during the show, including giving Kyle AIDS, which Kyle even brings up. This also becomes a reason for Cartman trying to stop Stan and Kyle's efforts to change the future as it may nullify his status as this.

* CrapsackWorld: The universe that South Park takes place in was already pretty crappy to begin with, but things still managed to get a lot worse, anyways. China has taken the USA's spot as the world superpower, people are forced to eat bugs in lieu of meat, criminals can do whatever they want because there's no local police force, COVID is still a problem forty years later, and so much more.

* RayOfHopeEnding: This special ends with the boys learning that Kenny blames them for the BadFuture that he died trying to fix it, while Cartman secretly plots to stop Stan and Kyle when the two decide to carry out Kenny's mission to save the future. That said it also shows Randy discovering the last bud of Marijuana which would be integral in in changing the future for the better.

** This is what Cartman fears will happen if Stan and Kyle succeed in changing the future, which leads to his motivation to stopping them.

** Jimmy complaining about what jokes he can and can't tell is an obvious potshot at one note "politically correct" comedians and networks too afraid of being condemned for telling what could be considered "offensive" jokes, primarily Creator/JimmyKimmel, whose [[Series/JimmyKimmelLive show]] is used as a model for Jimmy's show.[[note]]Ironically, Matt and Trey have appeared on Kimmel's show in the past, and Kimmel's younger brother Jonathan is a former ''South Park'' staff writer.[[/note]]

* NoPronunciationGuide: Used to set up a WhamShot at the end. Victor Chaos' surname is pronounced as "Chouce" for most of the special, and even spelled as such in the closed captions to make it less obvious that it's likely Butters after fully embracing his Professor Chaos persona.

* JadedWashout: Adult Stan is cynical and lonely, having left most of his friends behind in South Park, lost most of his family [[note]]His grandfather died of old age and he accidentally killed his sister, which caused his mother to commit suicide[[/note]], except his detestable father, and has turned to alcoholism. He's reluctant to return to adventures with Kyle and the gang because he thinks it's childish.

* JadedWashout: Adult Stan is cynical and lonely, having left most of his friends behind in South Park, lost most of his family (his grandfather died of old age and he accidentally killed his sister, which caused his mother to commit suicide) except his detestable father, and has turned to alcoholism. He's reluctant to return to adventures with Kyle and the gang because he thinks it's childish.

** The seemingly fit Clyde Donovan is shown to be very pudgy as an adult, although he was [[InformedAttribute described as being]] [[Recap/SouthParkS4E2CartmansSillyHateCrime2000 the 2nd fattest kid in the show.]]

* FutureLoser: Stan is a lonely alcoholic trapped in an awful faux-marriage with an Alexa hologram and has the same nasty disposition as Randy. His first love Wendy meanwhile has married a rich man that looks similar to Gregory from ''Bigger, Longer & Uncut''.

* DirtyOldMan: Mr. Garrison was already this, and is still this 40 years later. He tells a nurse that he'd like his dick in her mouth.

* FutureLoser: Stan is a lonely alcoholic trapped in an awful marriage with an Alexa hologram and has the same nasty disposition as Randy.

** Token ends up joining law enforcement as a detective, despite ([[InternalReformist or maybe because of]]) all the times he was unfairly targeted by Park County Police as a kid just for being black.

** A running theme in the future is that society makes more efforts towards diversity and togetherness, sometimes to aggressive extents. For example, Jimmy can't tell any jokes on his late-night show that could possibly offend audiences, and restaurants don't sell meat.

** PC Principal is back, threatening anyone who uses gender-specific language or casts someone in a movie who doesn't share their character's background.

** A very obvious one towards the movement to defund police (started by Black Lives Matter, a movement Trey and Matt have bashed in the past) is the scene where Stan drives by South Park's police station, shown to be destitute and in desperate need of new hires. Right after that, Stan watches a man fatally shoot a woman and get away with it in broad daylight, with Stan looking in disgust.

** Jimmy complaining about what jokes he can and can't tell is an obvious potshot at one note "politically correct" comedians and networks too afraid of being condemned for telling what could be considered "offensive" jokes, primarily Creator/JimmyKimmel, whose show is used as a model for Jimmy's show.

* PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad:

** Strangely subverted in a scene where Kyle is using the bathroom, and there's a shadow effect on his exposed crotch, followed by a split-second shot of his [[BarbieDollAnatomy conspicuously genital-free area]]. Guess the uncensored effect only happens for shock value.

** Adult Kenny has visibly put on a lot of weight, as a result of being rich enough to likely obtain that status (Though it could be that a childhood of malnutrition may have screwed up his metabolism).

* MaleFrontalNudity: The fact that this is a Paramount+ exclusive guarantees that everything is uncensored. As such, a middle-aged Kenny's uncensored and completely uncircumcised penis is on display as his nude corpse is exposed in a morgue.

* BaitAndSwitch: Mr. Hankey's {{Main/Leitmotif}} plays while Kyle is on the toilet, only for him to look down at his completely normal poop.

* FormerlyFit: The seemingly fit Clyde Donovan is shown to be very pudgy as an adult, although he was [[InformedAttribute described as being]] [[Recap/SouthParkS4E2CartmansSillyHateCrime2000 the 2nd fattest kid in the show.]]
** Adult Kenny has also visibly put on a lot of weight, as a result of being rich enough to likely obtain that status (Though it could be that a childhood of malnutrition may have screwed up his metabolism).

** Tolkien ends up joining law enforcement as a detective, despite ([[InternalReformist or maybe because of]]) all the times he was unfairly targeted by Park County Police as a kid just for being black.

* MythologyGag: Kenny's little sister Karen wears a necklace with a question mark charm on it, a ''green'' question mark: Mysterion's logo.

* NeverTrustATrailer: While not as much as the previous Covid specials, there wasn't much shown in previews to tempt people to sign up for Paramount+, and there were a couple differences from what was shown in trailers and the final product.

* NonIdleRich: Tolkien is now a police detective after growing up in a wealthy household.

** Tolkien is pushing 50 years old just like the other fourth graders, but he looks significantly younger than the others due to the fact he still has a full head of hair with no greys, no visible wrinkles, and is still in good shape.
** Like Tolkien, Kyle is also pushing 50, but looks like he's only in his thirties.

* BadassBeard: Both Adult Kyle and Adult Kenny have these.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: The Goths have all aged terribly, due to consuming coffee and smoking throughout their entire childhoods.

--->'''Stan:''' It's not "pounding beer and wine." I drop wine shots into the beer. It's called a "smorgasvein" and it's very cultural!

-->'''Stan:''' ''(to his Alexa)'' It's not "pounding beer and wine." I drop wine shots into the beer. It's called a "smorgasvein" and it's very cultural!

* IronicEcho: Stan repeats his father's line from "[[Recap/SouthParkS18E6FreemiumIsntFree Freemium Isn't Free]]":
-->'''Stan:''' ''(to his Alexa)'' It's not "pounding beer and wine." I drop wine shots into the beer. It's called a "smorgasvein" and it's very cultural!