Spookyfish
A goldfish from a parallel universe terrorizes Stan.
"Spookyfish" is the fifteenth episode of the second season of the American animated television series South Park, originally airing on October 28, 1998. It was written and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker and served as the season's Halloween special. The episode is notable for its "Spooky Vision" gimmick, which placed images of Barbra Streisand in the screen corners in response to her negative reaction to an earlier episode.
Quick Facts
- Series
- South Park
- Airdate
- 28 October 1998
- Director
- Trey Parker
- Season article
- South Park season 2
Facts from the source article.
Plot
Cartman skips class but meets the boys at the bus stop wearing a goatee and acting uncharacteristically agreeable, claiming he stayed home to care for his sick mother. The boys are bewildered. At Stan's house, Aunt Flo gives Stan a goldfish that he finds unsettling, but his mother insists he keep it. The next morning, Cartman returns to his normal obnoxious self. That night, the nice Cartman appears at Kenny's house with storm provisions. Stan is terrorized by the fish and finds a dead body; his mother, believing Stan is the murderer, buries it in the backyard. Stan, Kyle, and Kenny discover the two Cartmans are separate people. Chef explains that the kind Cartman is from a parallel universe, and Stan's fish is also from that world. The boys and the kind Cartman locate the Ancient Indian Burial Ground Pet Store, where a portal to the alternate universe is found. Kenny is grabbed by the fish, dragged headfirst into the bowl, spun violently until the water turns red, then ejected dead with one eye missing and rats eating him.
Broadcast
Comedy Central promoted the episode as a "South Park Halloween Special" broadcast in "Spooky Vision," which turned out to mean Barbra Streisand's face appeared in each corner of the screen with the words "Spooky Vision" on the sides. Subsequent broadcasts do not always use this format, though it is retained on home video releases, the HD remaster, Netflix instant stream, and the official South Park website.
Reception
Travis Fickett of IGN gave the episode a 9 out of 10, praising the split-screen effect when the two Cartmans meet and the attention to detail. He highlighted the humor of Sharon losing her mind while burying bodies she believes are Stan's victims. Phil Dyess-Nugent for The A.V. Club found the highlight to be Cartman's scenes, especially those referencing Star Trek: The Original Series, and enjoyed a joke about Aunt Flo's Parkinson's disease. He disliked the "Spooky Vision" concept, comparing it unfavorably to the episode "Mecha-Streisand."
Home media
"Spookyfish" debuted in 2002 as part of the Ghouls, Ghosts and Underpants Gnomes collection. On VHS, that set bundles it with "Korn's Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery" and "Gnomes," while the DVD also includes "Trapper Keeper." The episode appears on the South Park: The Complete Second Season DVD from June 3, 2003, and is sold digitally through Amazon Video, the iTunes Store, and Xbox Live Marketplace.
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