South Park has been probably the most extensively influential tv reveals of the final 20 years, and has surprisingly been capable of preserve a constant degree of high quality because it delves into new materials. South Park might have initially made numerous noise due to its controversial content material, however it will definitely developed right into a surprisingly considerate evaluation of politics, world occasions, the leisure business, and small-town values.
Whereas even a number of the best comedy reveals of all time have just a few missed alternatives, the very best episodes of South Park are nearly as good as tv can get. Whereas most followers would argue that the present’s greatest episodes are in its earlier days, a number of new installments from the present’s newer seasons have additionally managed to win over new followers. Listed below are a number of the greatest South Park episodes which can be just about good.
20
“Sermon on the Mount”
Season 27, Episode 1 (2025)
South Park has confirmed as soon as once more to be probably the most related present on tv, as “Sermon on the Mount” proved that Parker and Stone may nonetheless get their viewers fired up many years after the present’s conception. Though South Park has usually gotten political in the way in which that it assaults public figures, “Sermon on the Mount” supplied a scathing interpretation of President Donald Trump, and even tied again into jokes that had been arrange means again in South Park: Larger, Longer and Uncut.
“Sermon on the Mount” proved that there was nonetheless a future for South Park, because the merger between Skydance and Paramount Footage had briefly threatened to interrupt up the event deal that Parker and Stone had made. Nevertheless, the success of “Sermon on the Mount” indicated that new South Park episodes are nonetheless “must-see occasion tv.”
Season 19, Episode 8 (2015)
“Sponsored Content material” was proof that the serialized strategy to South Park may work, because it was one other chapter within the broader story in regards to the rise of PC Principal that took up a majority of the nineteenth season. Serialized tales can develop stale when the narratives really feel stretched out too far, however “Sponsored Content material” added an attention-grabbing new wrinkle to the story by displaying how Jimmy grew to become a rival of his new Principal.
“Sponsored Content material” additionally supplied a hilarious satire on native promoting and company cross-promotions, which have made it more and more harder to find out what precise information is. Though South Park’s fast manufacturing turnaround time has allowed it to remain forward of the dialog in the case of discussing topical points, “Sponsored Content material” launched criticism of capitalistic entities that also stay related, given the continued stress put upon journalistic retailers by their homeowners.
18
“The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers”
Season 6, Episode 13 (2002)
Any of the episodes wherein the boys play faux are a deal with, as they permit South Park to be versatile with its personal worldbuilding and embrace extra style parts. Provided that the present was airing proper earlier than The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was about to hit theaters, it was the right time for South Park to create an enormous J.R.R. Tolkien parody wherein Cartman, Kenny, Kyle, Stan, and Butters are about to go on their very own fantasy journey.
Parker and Stone are clearly followers of The Lord of the Rings, as “The Return of the Fellowship of the Two Towers” incorporates area of interest references to each the unique supply materials and the movies by Peter Jackson that point out that they know what they’re speaking about. The episode’s success paved the way in which for the present to parody Game of Thrones sooner or later.
17
“Good Instances with Weapons”
Season 8, Episode 1 (2004)
Given how profitable the present’s parody of World of Warcraft was, it made sense for South Park to satirize the popular culture sensation of anime and Dragon Ball Z in a novel episode that modified the stylization. Though it was attention-grabbing to see the South Park creators embrace a special artwork fashion, “Good Time With Weapons” is a hilarious satire of the way in which that Japanese tradition has been depicted within the media, and why that could be problematic when somebody as bigoted as Cartman is concerned.
“Good Instances with Weapons” additionally ties again into themes of censorship, which had been a significant a part of the present since the release of South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut. Though the sport that the boys are collaborating in incorporates a ton of graphic violence, the mother and father in South Park are solely offended by the suggestion of sexual content material.
16
“All About Mormons”
Season 7, Episode 12 (2003)
“All About Mormons” grew to become certainly one of the most controversial episodes that South Park ever aired, because it prompted official backlash from the Mormon church. After a brand new household of Mormons transfer to the city, Kyle is initially inquisitive about their seemingly good household life, however later grows horrified when he learns in regards to the true, disturbing historical past of Joseph Smith and the faith’s basis.
“All About Mormons” allowed Parker and Stone to do a deep dive into the origin of Mormonism and the weird practices carried out by members of the church, which that they had been analyzing since their underrated movie “Orgazmo.” This may ultimately encourage them to write down, produce, and create the Broadway musical The Guide of Mormon, which grew to become one of many largest smash hits in current reminiscence and gained a number of Tony Awards, together with the highest prize for Finest Musical.
15
“The Demise of Eric Cartman”
Season 9, Episode 6 (2005)
“The Demise of Eric Cartman” is certainly one of the most complex episodes about Cartman, because it explores how genuinely difficult it’s to punish somebody who reveals no indicators of eager to redeem himself. After the opposite boys stage a darkish model of It’s A Wonderful Life wherein they faux that their most obnoxious pal doesn’t exist, Cartman decides to enlist Butters in a mission to find the reality.
“The Demise of Eric Cartman” reveals the extremes that Cartman is prepared to go to to be able to get consideration, despite the fact that genuinely being a greater particular person would have solved these points; he even goes as far as to control Butters. Arguably, the team-up between Cartman and Butters is among the episode’s greatest parts, because it appears like a throwback to basic motion films like Lethal Weapon and 48 Hrs.
14
“The Dropping Edge”
Season 9, Episode 5 (2005)
“The Dropping Edge” is a hilarious satire of inspirational sports activities films like The Sandlot and The Dangerous Information Bears, because it reveals how difficult it’s for the children of South Park who hate nothing greater than taking part in baseball. Stan, Kyle, Kenny, Cartman, and Butters all play baseball as a result of they really feel obligated to by their mother and father; because the season proceeds, they resolve to sabotage their very own success in an try to finish the season early.
“The Dropping Edge” is a good way of displaying the generational divide inside South Park, as it’s evident that the worth that the mother and father positioned upon baseball and athletics isn’t shared by their kids. South Park is all the time nice when it will get to make enjoyable of cliches that have been widespread in different genres, and the present’s anarchic lampooning of family-friendly baseball tales produces some really surprising moments of humor.
13
“The Story of Scrotie McBoogerballs”
Season 14, Episode 2 (2010)
South Park is filled with comparatively attention-grabbing notions of social satire, which are sometimes made extra compelling due to the usage of gross-out humor. “The Story of Scrotie McBoogerballs” is a surprisingly scathing takedown of literary criticism; after the boys develop pissed off with having to learn The Catcher within the Rye at college, they resolve to write down a vulgar e book of their very own to show that there isn’t actually something price praising in J.D. Salinger’s work. Nevertheless, the plan backfires when their e book receives immense reward, and Butters is subsequently hailed as a literary genius.
“The Story of Scrotie McBoogerballs” underlies a problematic aspect of all forms of criticism, wherein worth is ascribed to one thing that wasn’t meant to be a standout. Though it’s a surprisingly salient level that has grown much more related in recent times, the episode consists of sufficient vomit-related jokes to maintain common South Park viewers entertained.
12
“Simpsons Already Did It”
Season 6, Episode 7 (2006)
Though the collection has proven disdain in direction of lots of their rival grownup animated reveals (significantly Family Guy), South Park does appear to have numerous respect for The Simpsons, because it was such a groundbreaking collection that clearly ranks among the many greatest ever made. The problem is that since The Simpsons has been so consistently great for a number of many years, it may be onerous for reveals like South Park to do one thing considerably totally different that doesn’t really feel like an entire retread.
“Simpsons Already Did It” examines the pressures placed on South Park writers, and explores what it’s wish to be revolutionary throughout the realm of animated comedy within the post-Simpsons world. Whereas South Park is often fairly scathing when it makes references to different packages, it does seem that Parker and Stone appear to have some real respect for The Simpsons.
11
“Lifeless Children”
Season 22, Episode 1 (2018)
“Lifeless Children” is well one of many darkest and most controversial South Park episodes, because it offers straight with the disaster of faculty shootings which have grow to be much more frequent in the US. The grim portrayal of the longer term that South Park imagines is one the place having to dodge gun violence is only a actuality that Cartman, Kenny, Kyle, and Stan should take care of; the problem turns into so excessive that Randy has to settle down his spouse and guarantee her that nothing that’s taking place is an enormous deal.
“Lifeless Children” calls consideration to the overabundance of violence on tv, and the way it has desensitized viewers to truly caring in regards to the security of youngsters. Whereas many followers would agree that South Park has not been as robust in its current few seasons, “Lifeless Children” proved that the collection nonetheless had the power to shock.
