This week's South Park wasn't quite hilarious enough to stand with the greats, but it was a much more focused and enjoyable episode than last week's scatter-brained season premiere. Whether it was Gerald tormenting his fellow citizens, the boys hitting Cartman where it hurts or Mr. Mackie dealing with a particularly difficult student, there was plenty to enjoy this week. The question is whether this online troll conflict can grow to the point where it can carry the entire season.
South Park has always excelled at this type of intentionally overblown grimness, and with the many great episodes before it, “Skank Hunt” also had a argument at its core: Why not just go offline with grace? Why do we give so much weight to the decision to simply step away from the internet for a little while, a force that has proven time and time again to be psychologically damaging? “Skank Hunt” is more interested in the question than the answer, and as a result, it can yield either action or compelling thought within the viewer.