South Park's Season 23 premiere combining ICE, a vaping ban and "Mexican Joker" surprisingly worked

Vanity Fair

"Throughout its decades-long run, South Park has earned its keep by weaving together various cultural threads, current events, and memes of the week," says Laura Bradley. "But in recent years it’s gotten a little lost, especially with its more political story lines. In many ways this season’s premiere feels comparable to last year’s mass-shooting episode, in which Trey Parker and Matt Stone seemed to find more focus than the show had mustered in a couple years. Both last year’s premiere and this one regard undeniably grave, serious issues with a striking amount of focus—especially for a series that often spreads itself thin. Even better: With this premiere, Stone and Parker proved they actually have something to say." ALSO: The point of this episode is muddled, and might not be sending the right message about immigrants seeking asylum.