Story

Peruvian flute bands are invading cities around the globe, but this pandemic doesn't stop the boys from seizing an opportunity to make some money. They start up their own pan flute band and begin raking in the cash. Their success is short-lived, however, when the government rounds up all the flute bands and places them in an internment camp.

Description

Seeing all the Peruvian pan flute bands that have become popular recently, and the money they can make daily by selling CDs, Stan convinces Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny to start their own pan flute band. They convince their classmate Craig to invest his $100 birthday money as venture capital. The plan backfires when the head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security cracks down on all Peruvian flute bands, rounding them up and imprisoning them in Miami, with the boys also arrested in the process. While imprisoned, Craig continually criticises Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny, saying that the four main protagonists' constant schemes and their subsequent failures are the main reason for their unpopularity. The boys attempt to convince their captors that they are American citizens, but the DHS only agrees to release the boys if they agree to go on a mission to overthrow the country of Peru, in order to stop the pandemic of Peruvian flute bands at its source. As the boys prepare for their mission, Peruvian musicians still interned in the camp warn guards that their captivity will unleash the "Furry Death".

Meanwhile, Stan's father, Randy Marsh, rouses the ire of his family by videotaping every mundane household activity with his new camcorder (parodying the filming style of Cloverfield as well as the movie itself). As he records even more useless footage, there is a strange noise outside, and when he goes outside, we see the city is under attack by unknown beasts (later revealed to be large guinea pigs). As Randy runs from the attackers, he falls. The episode then cuts to the Head of Homeland Security, who reveals that unleashing the guinea pigs was his plan all along, and that the only person who can stop them is Craig, who is too far away to stop them

Memorable Quotes

• "You guys took my birthday money, got me arrested and sent to Miami with no way home except to take down the country of Peru and I'M being a dick." Craig Tucker

Characters

Craig Tucker

Stan Marsh

Kyle Broflovski

Eric Cartman

Kenny McCormick

Randy Marsh

The Boys

Craig Tucker

Sharon Marsh

Shelly Marsh

Gerald Broflovski

Sheila Broflovski

Laura Tucker

Thomas Tucker

Herbert Garrison

Stephen Stotch

Officer Barbrady

Michael Chertoff

General Davis

Character Debuts

Guinea Pigs

The Llama Brothers

Locations

Peru

Behind The Scenes

Pop Culture References

• The monsters and shaky camera style of cinematography are a reference to the 2008 American monster movie Cloverfield.

• The detention center in Miami used to hold the band members is a reference to that used after the Mariel boat lift and which was featured prominently in the film Scarface.

• Guinea pigs shown in the episode are an important cultural symbol of Peru and other Andean cultures.

• The boys express reluctance to go to Peru because a friend had been "raped" there, in reference to the film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull which was parodied two episodes earlier in The China Problem.

Bonus Factoids

Season 12

e1 Tonsil Trouble

e2 Britney's New Look

e3 Major Boobage

e4 Canada on Strike

e5 Eek, A Penis!

e6 Over Logging

e7 Super Fun Time

e8 The China Probrem

e9 Breast Cancer Show Ever

e10 Pandemic

e11 Pandemic 2: The Startling

e12 About Last Night...

e13 Elementary School Musical

e14 The Ungroundable