Recap / South Park S 6 E 5 The New Terrance And Phillip Movie Trailer

Original air date: 4/3/2002

The boys have to sit through Russell Crowe: Fightin’ Around The World to see the trailer for the new Terrance and Philip movie. However, numerous events force them to find another TV.

This episode provides examples of:

• Bait-and-Switch: At first, it looks like the boys have set up their watch party for Russell Crowe's show. Then when Shelley pops in and points out the boys hate him, Stan explains that they're just watching it for the Terrance and Phillip trailer premiere during the commercial breaks.
• Berserk Button: The one thing that gets Russell Crowe mad is that most people squee upon seeing him ("Oh, it's Russell Crowe!") or being referred to as "The Gladiator Guy".
• Breaking the Fourth Wall: In-universe with Russell Crowe's Show Within a Show, with a bit of Rage Against the Author as well. While Fighting Around the World is still airing, Crowe somehow becomes aware that material has been cut, and storms off the scene to beat up the editor.
• Brick Joke: Early in the episode, Shelley demands the boys to get her tampons, which they task Butters to do, but after Cartman accidentally destroys Stan's TV, the boys rush to find another TV. Near the end, the boys return to Stan's house to find an old black and white TV but Butters realizes that he never gave Shelley her tampons. The instant the boys approach the door, they're immediately hit by a wave of menstrual blood.
• Call-Back: The seniors at the retirement home were watching Puppies from Around the World from the previous episode.
• "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: Happens thrice.
  • First, the boys find out that Butters' house sat unoccupied with a working TV the whole time and that the only reason they didn't go there earlier was because Butters, obedient to a fault, didn't have a babysitter to look over him while his parents are out of town.
  • After seeing the trailer, Cartman talks to Clyde on the phone and it turns out he taped the trailer and invites everyone to go over to his house and watch it again.
  • Lastly, at the end of the episode Chef realizes that he's supposed to press "menu", then "function", and then "enter" to keep his TV from becoming a robot and terrorizing the town.
• Comically Missing the Point: When Butters mentions they can't go to his house because of his lack of a babysitter, Cartman voices his annoyance by asking if Butters is kidding. But Butters takes him at face value, and reiterates that no, he really doesn't have a babysitter.
• Country Matters: Russell Crowe starts to call a woman this, but is interrupted by Tugger's whistle.
• Deleted Scene: Invoked. Russell Crowe recognizes that he's somehow gone from fighting in Brooklyn to the Florida Keys. He realizes the editor cut up the prior scene and decides to beat him up for it.
• Disney Death: Tugger shoots himself after having to listen to Russell Crowe's singing. He then makes a full recovery after being hospitalized.
• Dreadful Musician: Tugger decides to shoot himself rather than listen to Russell Crowe sing.
• Driven to Suicide: Tugger shoots himself upon there being no other escape from Russell Crowe's awful singing.
• Epic Fail:
  • Cartman's attempt to fix the picture on Stan's TV, which was perfectly fine, results in the TV exploding.
  • Chef manages to turn his brand new Plasma set into an ED-209.
• Extremely Short Timespan: The entire episode takes place in Real Time over the course of a single half-hour In-Universe TV show. The first two commercial breaks are even concurrent with the ones on the Show Within a Show.
• Fartillery: The seniors get rid of the boys by releasing their bowels.
• Hair-Trigger Temper: It doesn't take much to get Russell Crowe ready to fight.
• I Take Offense to That Last One: When Cartman tries to butter Shelley up:
  Cartman: Shelley, did I ever tell you how hot I think you are?
  Shelley: SHUT UP, FAT TURD!
  Cartman: I'm not a fat turd, I'm a stocky turd!
• Jerkass Has a Point: While the boys were being jerks to Butters per usual, they were right to call him out on not telling them he has no babysitter until after all the commotion.
• Kick the Dog: The boys first must find a new place to watch the show when Shelley comes in and changes the channel. Stan tries to appeal to Shelley's love of Russell Crowe to change it back, but Shelley just tells him that the only thing she loves more than Russell Crowe is seeing Stan miserable.
• Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Excluding the final instance^note as we cut back in the middle of the break, whenever "The Russell Crowe Show" cuts to commercials, that's when the actual episode does.
  Cartman: These commercials are all so Goddamn stupid!
• Morality Pet: Tugger seems to be the only entity Russell Crowe actually cares about and doesn't get pissed off at.
• Never My Fault: When Cartman breaks Stan's TV trying to adjust it better he blames Butters, who is out buying tampons.
• Preview Piggybacking: In-Universe. The only reason the boys were watching is so they can see a commercial preview for Terrance and Philip: Asses of Fire 2.
• Rivers of Blood: When the boys return to Stan's house without giving Shelley her tampons, menstrual blood floods out when they open the door.
• Running Gag: Literally! Each time the boys are forced to find another TV to use, we're treated to a shot of them running down the street and past the same row of houses in a mad panic, with Cartman trailing behind holding the snacks and grunting with exhaustion as he struggles to keep up.
• Shout-Out:
  • While driving Tugger, Russell Crowe whistles and spin's Tugger's wheel like Mickey does in Steamboat Willie.
  • Shelley kicks the boys out so she can watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
  • Chef's tv turns into a ED-209 when he tries using the controller.
• Stylistic Suck: The trailer for the new Terrance and Philip movie is pretty lousy. It just features words flying at the screen and a brief shot of the duo farting while wearing cowboy costumes.
• Stunned Silence: Chef can only stare in disbelief as his tv turns into the ED-209 and starts shooting up the town.
• Suckiness Is Painful: Tugger is in visible pain as Crowe sings his song, and gets to the point where he'd rather shoot himself than hear another lyric.
• Suicide as Comedy: After frantically trying to get away from Russell Crowe's singing, Tugger resorts to pulling out a gun and shooting itself.
• Super-Powered Robot Meter Maids: Chef's TV comes equipped with a Human Eradication Mode.
• Take That!: Russell Crowe is an enormous Jerkass who throws out racial slurs, picks fights with random people, beats up cancer patients, and calls little girls the C word. Also his music literally makes people want to kill themselves.
• That's All, Folks!:
  Tugger's whistle's blowin'
  Means we must be goin'
  No more Russell Crowein' for you.
  But now don't you start to whine
  I'll see ya again next time.
  'Cause there's plenty a-more a-fightin' left to do!
  Makin' movies, makin' songs, an' fightin' round the world.
  See you next time, everybody!
• Worth It: The boys' reaction to seeing the trailer's Stylistic Suck after everything they've been through.
• Wouldn't Hit a Girl: Russell Crowe is only seen fighting with other men. He does seem willing to beat up a woman at the very end of the episode, but Tugger sounds his "end of episode" whistle before Crowe can actually do so.
• Yank the Dog's Chain: Stan attempts to get Shelley to keep the show on by pointing out her crush on Russell Crowe. Shelley admits the only thing she loves more is seeing him suffer, and so that's why she doesn't want to see him now.
• You Didn't Ask: Butters doesn't tell the others why they can't watch at his house until the very end: his parents aren't home and he doesn't have a babysitter.