One of my favourite ways to relax and unwind includes rolling a joint (Or two), slouching into my regular emplacement on the sofa and re-watching episodes of television’s most trailblazing animated provocateur. “I’m going down to South Park, gonna have myself a time, friendly faces everywhere, humble folks without temptation…”
South Park was created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for Comedy Central, the American animated sitcom premiered in the United States on 13 August 1997. A total of 309 episodes have been aired over 23 seasons in the quarter of a century since its debut. The show has consistently earned the highest ratings for any basic cable program.
SOUTH PARK
South Park follows the wild adventures of four friends; Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny, in and around their hometown of the same name. The adult-orientated program has become infamous for its hard-boiled hilarity, shock value, sacrilegious satire and ingenious use of expletives. The episodes of South Park are often themed around global hot-topics, snarky social expositions, in-depth analysis and current pop-cultural citations.
South Park was initially developed from an animated short film titled; The Spirit of Christmas, which was one of the very first videos to go viral on the internet. The popularity and critical acclaim of the movie led to the production of the satirical sitcom we have come to know and love.
COMING SOON
Trey and Matt recently (August 2021) announced that they have secured an epic deal with ViacomCBS, worth an estimated 900 MILLION US DOLLARS! Congratulations and well deserved! The terms guarantee the production of another seven seasons of South Park by 2027, and 14 films – two of which are set to premiere later on in the year. YAY!
We have listed our all-time favourite (so far!) episodes, our Top 10 list is based on the episodes that wholeheartedly embrace the spirit of South Park and the residents who call it home. Movies and specials like The Pandemic Special or South ParQ Vaccination Special were not considered for this list. For a frame of reference, we have included the IMDb scores for each of the episodes.
TOP 10 EPISODES OF SOUTH PARK
#10 TEGRIDY FARMS
Season 22 Episode 4 premiered on 17 October 2018, the IMDb community has scored the Tegridy Farms Episode 7.9/10.
Life in South Park is getting crazy, Kyle’s baby brother Ike has joined the vape craze that is taking over the town with friendly faces everywhere. Randy Marsh has had enough, he decides to uproot the entire family and move to the countryside to embrace a simpler life. The fresh air inspires Randy to venture into cannabis cultivation and Tegridy Farms is founded with the specific goal to farm with (in)tegridy. Towelie makes an appearance as an official that visits Tegridy Farms to inspect the facility and of course, sample the weed! Meanwhile, it turns out Butters is the kingpin supplying the kindergarteners with all their vaping necessities.
#9 THE HOBBIT
The Hobbit premiered on 11 December 2013, Season 17 Episode 10 has an 8.5/10 IMDb score.
Wendy convinces Lisa, a fellow cheerleader with insecurities, to ask Butters out on a date – to help boost her self esteem. Butters turns her down because he would prefer to date a woman as gorgeous as his crush Kim Kardashian, leaving Lisa devastated! Wendy responds by saying that Kim is actually a short fat hobbit who relies on Photoshop to make herself look attractive. Kanye West snaps back like only he can, campaigning to convince the world that Kim K is indeed NOT a hobbit. The Hobbit episode raises awareness around the harmful impact the media has on body image and unrealistic beauty expectations for young girls.
#8 YOU’RE GETTING OLD
Season 15 Episode 7 premiered on 8 June 2011, You’re Getting Old has an 8.6/10 score on IMDb.
After Stan celebrates his tenth birthday, he starts developing a profound sense of cynicism. Everything seems like crap; music, movies, food and life in general, it is all just crap! Diagnosed as a “cynical asshole”, Stan eventually loses all of his friends. Meanwhile, in an attempt to be hip and cool, Randy latches onto a new music genre. Sharon is not happy with Randy’s new passion project of farting into a microphone eventually causing the couple to separate. The You’re Getting Old episode ends abruptly with none of Stan’s problems being resolved. A not-so-subtle reminder that we all grow up, things change and sometimes that sucks!
#7 REVERSE COWGIRL
Season 16 Episode 1 has a 7.8/10 IMDb score, Reverse Cowgirl first aired on 14 March 2012.
A tragic death occurs in South Park when Clyde forgets to put the toilet seat down. The first time he left the seat up; his mother Betsy had narrowly escaped falling in. Regardless of the very public scolding he received, Clyde again forgets to return the seat to its rightful position. This time Betsy was not as lucky, she falls into the toilet, causing a severe suction that eventually rips out her organs. Her death sparks the foundation of the Toilet Safety Administration (TSA), a regulatory body tasked with implementing regulations for people’s toilets. The safety regulations required ALL toilets to be fitted with a safety belt and security cameras, and be subject to surprise inspections while in use. Reverse Cowgirl takes on the classic battle of the sexes debate; do men have to leave the toilet seat down? Or does the responsibility fall on the women to ensure the seat is down before they sit?
#6 GROUNDED VINDALOOP
Grounded Vindaloop premiered on 12 November 2014, Season 18 Episode 7 earned a score of 9.2/10 on IMDb.
Cartman tricks Butters into believing that the world as he sees it is actually a VR simulation. Geared with a set of virtual reality goggles, Butters is coaxed into believing an elaborate delusion by the voice of Cartmen via a walkie-talkie connected to Butter’s headphones. Truly believing his actions would have no consequences, Butters goes on a “virtual” rampage that starts with him punching his father in the dick. He then goes full Grand Theft Auto by stealing a car and assaulting a sex worker – as only a GTA protagonist could. Grounded Vindaloop goes full sci-fi; leaving the crew wondering what is real and what is a simulation. A Matrix-inspired paradox much!
#5 SHOTS!!!
Season 23 Episode 3 aired for the first time on 9 October 2019, SHOTS!!! has an IMDb score of 7.5/10.
Earning $ 300 000 in profits from legal marijuana sales, Tegridy Farms has reached a huge milestone! Randy Marsh organizes a parade to celebrate the massive achievement, but his wife Sharon is not impressed. Back in South Park, the elementary school has threatened anti-vaxxers with expulsion should they refuse to be inoculated. Eric Cartman, who is petrified of needles, poses as a conscientious objector quoting fears the vaccine might make him “artistic” – an eggcorn of the word autistic. After a failed attempt to jab Cartman in his sleep, the town conspires to hire an expert pig wrestler to restrain the reluctant little piggy.
#4 HUMMELS AND HEROIN
Hummels and Heroin has an IMDb score of 7.3/10, Season 21 Episode 5 was first aired on 8 October 2017.
A kid, Marcus Preston, from South Park Elementary is celebrating his birthday. A character costumed as Chuck E. Cheese is hired as the entertainment for his party but delivers a horrible performance. Next thing you know the mascot is bent in half hurling the content of his stomach, before he dies on the spot of an overdose.
Motivated by the recent overdose deaths of multiple costumed characters, Marcus decides to take vengeance on whoever is responsible. After he learns that all of the recent deceased costumed characters had Hummels stashed in their anal cavities, Marcus is determined to expose the source. Hummels and Heroin parodies the opioid epidemic in the United States, and compares life in a retirement community to that of a prison captive’s experience in jail. Granpa Marsh is having a hard time as he adjusts to the prison-like conditions at the assisted living facility. His fate changes when Stan helps his grandpa grow his collection of Hummels to dethrone the current drug kingpin and become the “top bitch”.
#3 TWEEK X CRAIG
IMDb scored Tweek x Craig 8.1/10, Season 19 Episode 6 premiered on 28 October 2017.
The students at South Park Elementary school are being introduced to yaoi, a Japanese art form that celebrates homoerotic relationships between male characters. In a bid to educate the students about Asian culture, PC Principal and Wendy host the assembly in honour of the expanding Asian community in South Park. The presentation is filled with pictures of manga-style drawings of Tweek and Craig occupied in homoerotic and homosexual activities. In his office, PC Principal tells Tweek and Craig that if they are indeed engaged in a relationship, they should have affirmative consent between them.
Stan has a discussion with his father about his confusion as to why “the Asians” casually decide who to portray as gay in yaoi. In an attempt to appear politically correct, although he knows nothing about the art form, Randy concerts that Asians have the power to decide who is gay and who is not.
#2 UNFULFILLED
Season 22 Episode 9 was aired for the first time on 5 December 2018, Unfulfilled has been rated 7.6/10 on IMDb.
South Park is getting ready for the town’s annual bike parade and nobody is more excited than Butters. Determined to win the first prize, he purchases a bunch of decorative accessories online to increase his chances of winning. Stephen Scotch recently started working at the Amazon fulfilment centre as a floor manager. However, he is worried his family’s habitual need to order from the online behemoth is driving them into irrecoverable debt.
Meanwhile, at the fufillment warehouse; a worker accidentally gets grabbed by a sorting robot and shoved into a small box. Enraged that Amazon maintains the accident was caused by “human error”, the other boxers go on strike. The shutdown causes major delays, which does not sit well with the residents of South Park, as the arrival of the Amazon filfillment warehouse forced most of the local stores to close their doors. A counter-protest is arranged by a bunch of townies to encourage the Amazon boxers to return to their posts, and fulfil their orders that have been held up.
#1 PUT IT DOWN
Season 21 Episode 2 has been scored 7.8/10 on IMDB, Put It Down premiered on 20 September 2017.
Motivated by the apatheticness of the townies, Tweek decides to raise awareness about the growing tensions between the US and North Korea. He delivers an emotionally charged performance during assembly, where he warns of the mounting political pressure between the two countries. Craig is egged on by the boys to do something about his boyfriend’s anxiety, but Tweek fails to compose his trepidation.
President Garrison aggravates the situation with a queue of militant tweets specifically directed at the North Korean leader; Kim Jong-un. In an attempt to de-escalate the tension, Tweek decided to send a batch of cupcakes to the North Korean commander-in-chief. Tweek is delighted to find out that the baked goods managed to de-escalate the situation. His contentedness is short-lived when the Trump-esque President Garrison alleges that Tweek most probably defecated in the batter.
Meanwhile, Cartman falsely claims that he and Heidi have only gotten back together because she threatened to commit suicide if he didn’t. Cartman’s attempt to draw attention to his planned suicide is vetoed by PC Principal, as the school administration already decided to raise awareness for drivers distracted by the president’s tweets.
Do you agree with our pick of the all-time TOP 10 episodes of South Park? What are your favourite episodes? Let us know in the comments below, or share our post with your friends on social media to get their opinions. TIA.
