South Park has always been one of the best shows running for sharp, cutting-edge humor that is so topical, a big news event could happen last week and Matt Stone and Trey Parker would have a show written, voiced and animated in time to air next week.

COVID-19 is not one of those events. The last new episode of South Park aired in December, 2019, and it’s an understatement to say that there have been a number of new events since then.

So a pandemic episode is not a new thing, but the South Park gang’s take on it is all their own. (Let’s just hope this isn’t another Zoom call episode.)

The official episode description blames – who else? – Randy Marsh for all that’s gone down.

“Randy comes to terms with his role in the COVID-19 outbreak as the on-going pandemic presents continued challenges to the citizens of South Park. The kids happily head back to school but nothing resembles the normal that they once knew; not their teachers, not their homeroom, not even Eric Cartman.”

You can watch the trailer for the episode, which debuts Wednesday, September 30th on Comedy Central and streaming on HBO Max a day later, here.

Speaking of South Park and the pandemic, their Colorado neighbors The Denver Broncos had fun with the whole ‘cardboard cutout audience’ theme last Sunday by filling 1000 seats with South Park characters rather than generic pictures of people. Check it: