Since 1997, South Park has been entertaining and offending both audiences and haters worldwide. The series follows their antics four boys (Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny) within the titular Colorado town. Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the show has become infamous for its dark humor and disregard of censorship, sparking controversial episodes such as “With Apologies to Jesse Jackson” and “Cartoon Wars.” This American animated sitcom steers far from the path of conformity and, evidently, it is this trait that has kept people hooked for so many years.
Now currently in its 25th season, South Park has certainly proved it is here to stay. Last year, Parker and Stone signed a $900 million deal with Viacom CBS that will keep the show on Comedy Central through to 2027. Further to this, the agreement includes 14 original South Park movies (or long specials) to stream on Paramount +, with a schedule to release two per year; they most recently made the wonderful two-parter The Streaming Wars. Clearly, this Emmy award-winning show has no signs of slowing down, and will undoubtedly produce many more episodes that cause jaws to drop. So, let’s look at the best South Park episodes so far.
11/11 Tweek x Craig (Season 19, Episode 6)
From presidents to reality stars, South Park never holds back when it comes to ridicule, and in this episode, even the fans were not safe from the show’s mockery. In a jibe at the slash fiction genre of yaoi art, beloved characters Tweek and Craig are outed as gay when the Asian girls draw sensually styled pictures of the two. Despite their confusion and clear lack of feelings for one another, the pair soon find themselves to be the center of attention throughout the town. South Park fans had romanticized (or ‘shipped) Tweek and Craig together for years since their fight episode, “Tweek vs Craig,” however, this was the first time creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone brought any fan-fiction to the screen.
Through the town’s obsession with the couple, especially Cartman’s, the show parodied their fans’ fixation on a relationship between Tweek and Craig that did not exist. Nevertheless, it seems that Parker and Stone were won over, as by the end of the episode, the boys decide to continue their relationship for the sake of keeping the town happy. However, as the years roll on, their continued romance has sparked the debate of whether the couple are still for show or if they have blossomed into a genuine love.
10/11 Member Berries (Season 20, Episode 1)
Ya ‘member this one? ‘Member? While fans have generally been split about the often less episodic nature of recent seasons, there is much to be said for the narrative innovations South Park has made with overarching, season-long storylines. Season 20 perhaps attempted this more than any other, and impressively succeeded. The first episode, “Member Berries,” introduced fans to the essential theme of the season — the danger of nostalgia, and how that yearning for ‘the good old days’ and the entertainment of our childhoods helped solidify Donald Trump as president. The ‘Member Berries’ themselves are hilarious, cute, and evil, kicking this season off in wonderful fashion.
9/11 Black Friday (Season 17, Episode 7)
Kicking off an amazing trilogy of episodes (followed by “A Song of Ass and Fire” and “Titties and Dragons”), “Black Friday” adopts the themes and aesthetic of the successful HBO show Game of Thrones. In the episode, Randy Marsh joins the terrified security guards at the South Park mall as they prepare for big Black Friday sales, while the kids divide into factions over which game system to support — Xbox One or Playstation 4. The three episodes are often laugh-out-loud funny, with less acidic social commentary than usual and just a whole lot of fun as Kenny becomes Lady McCormack, Bill Gates makes appearances, and George R.R. Martin can’t stop talking about penises.
8/11 You’re Getting Old (Season 15, Episode 7)
With the occasional exception of Kyle, the boys of South Park are hilariously ruthless, never considering their actions or the consequences it might have. However, things start to feel different when Stan stops caring about… everything. In the season 15 finale, Stan develops a cynical attitude after celebrating his tenth birthday and, as a result, the boy starts to view anything around him as literal poop. Through the sudden depression of this usually enthusiastic character, this episode highlights the challenges of coming of age and dealing with change.
Stan is accustomed to the bubble of fun he once existed in and when it bursts, he struggles to find a balance between the good and bad. Consequently, he begins to lose his loved ones as well as himself, spiraling into a state of pessimism, nihilism, and confusion. Parker and Stone formed the idea of Stan’s existential crisis as a likeness to their own aging (and the show’s), and the abrupt, inconclusive ending of the episode (with a painfully unironic use of the song Landslide) brought an emotionally devastating turn not usually seen in this comedic show.
7/11 Le Petit Tourette (Season 11, Episode 8)
If there is any opportunity for Eric Cartman to be awful, he would take it. After witnessing a boy named Thomas, Cartman discovers the perks of faking Tourette’s syndrome and uses the advantage to say whatever he wants without consequences. Through Cartman’s behavior, Kyle’s denial of it, and Craig’s obsession with Thomas’ syndrome, the show calls out people who do not have an educated understanding of the condition.
It also makes light of human ignorance, with comedic moments such as Kyle’s experience in the Tourette support group and Cartman’s eventual blurting out of his deepest secrets. Despite the offense of this episode, mainly due to lack of censorship, it was praised by the Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA) who believed it was “surprisingly well-researched” and “served as a clever device” to provide accurate information about Tourette’s to the public.
6/11 Kenny Dies (Season 5, Episode 13)
The killing of Kenny is a long-standing running gag in South Park, one usually only acknowledged with “Oh My God! They Killed Kenny!” before the show resets for the next episode. However, in “Kenny Dies,” the boy’s apparent immortality runs out as he is struck with a terminal illness. Along with the bizarre side plot of Cartman’s possession of 33 aborted fetuses, the episode deals with the heartbreak as the three remaining boys come to terms with losing their best friend.
Stan in particular finds it the hardest, and when he finally builds up the courage to visit Kenny in the hospital, he has already passed, with his last words being “Where’s Stan?” In a surprisingly tragic turn, South Park abandons its usual satire and mourns the death of a long-time friend and character. Parker and Stone decided this twist as they were running out of original ways to kill Kenny, and rather than the character reappear in the next episode, he does not show up again in the series until the end of season 6.
5/11 Put It Down (Season 21, Episode 2)
This episode sees multiple subplots merge into one, with Tweek’s freakout over a threat from North Korea, distracted driving, social media, and Cartman’s attention-seeking suicide prevention rants. Two years after their initial coupling, South Park finally gave fans hope of a real relationship between Tweek and Craig, with pet names in private and dates to the theme park. However, the real test to their strange and delightful romance is displayed when Craig learns not to problem-solve during Tweek’s anxiety attacks but just to listen, suggesting that sometimes the best way to help someone is by simply being present.
This results in a performance of “Put it Down,” a song mocking Donald Trump’s social media posts by urging individuals to put down their phone if they ever became president. While Cartman’s intentions were selfish, his interruption of the song with a rap about suicide awareness adds to the catchy tune, and makes it no surprise that this episode was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.
4/11 The Big Fix (Season 25, Episode 2)
In one of the greatest twists of South Park history, the show revealed the name of long-time character Token Black to actually be Tolkien after Lord of the Rings author, J. R. R. Tolkien. Through Stan, the show exposes the error and even breaks the fourth wall to condemn “anyone else” who also mistook the name. This episode not only discounts what audiences have believed for years, but it also calls everyone out, including themselves, highlighting the acts of tokenism people display.
Randy Marsh’s inclusion of Steve Black in his Tegridy farm business merely due to the color of his skin depicts the ignorance people can have. On the other hand, Stan unintentionally alienates Tolkien with assemblies and presentations to prove he’s not racist, despite the two being close friends before with no issue. While it’s clear that Tolkien’s name has recently been changed, South Park has certainly given their viewers plenty to think about.
3/11 The List (Season 11, Episode 14)
While South Park is definitely not a children’s show, episodes like “The List” remind us of how young the characters really are. The fourth grade girls create a secret list that rates every boy’s looks from cutest to ugliest, and when the boys finally get their hands on it, the results are hard to deal with. Although previously mocking the ridiculousness of the list, Kyle becomes depressed after being rated last, while Clyde develops a cocky attitude after scoring at the top.
This episode takes audiences back to their younger days, sarcastically portraying how looks and popularity felt more important than anything as a kid. However, it also takes a sinister turn when it is discovered that the girls rigged the list in order to get what they wanted, like shoes from Clyde’s father’s store. In the end, the real list is not released, as apparently not knowing you are good-looking is better than becoming a pretentious fool.
2/11 Scott Tenorman Must Die (Season 5, Episode 4)
While current audiences know Cartman as a merciless maniac, “Scott Tenorman Must Die” was a turning point that marked the beginning of the character’s true psychopathic antics. After eighth grader Scott Tenorman tricks Cartman into believing that eating pubic hair will make him come of age (i.e. reach puberty), Cartman instantly begins to plot his revenge. Following a back and forth of vengeful acts between the two that results in a cook-off, Cartman makes Tenorman unknowingly eat a chili made with the dead bodies of his parents, and then drinks his tears.
The horrifying realization causes the older boy to suffer a mental breakdown, and everyone around agrees not to anger Cartman ever again. The disturbing nature of Cartman’s deed is what causes this episode to be so unsettling, especially after Scott discovers his mother’s finger in the bowl. However, with this shockingly brilliant moment, the show proved it would really go however far it wanted to, and there was no predicting how far that would be. It is no surprise that this is one of the most acclaimed episodes of South Park, with Vulture naming it one of the best sitcom episodes of all time.
1/11 Butters’ Bottom Bitch (Season 13, Episode 9)
Hoping to stop being teased by friends and get his first kiss, Butters starts The Kissing Company and inadvertently becomes a notorious pimp. Eventually, the boy’s company expands from peers to adults and soon, he is being pursued by Sergeant Yates as an undercover prostitute, although the policeman enjoys the sting operation a little too much. In spite of Butters’ new lifestyle, there is a satisfaction through seeing this usually timid and naive character with power, money and influence. Therefore, the threats he makes to his friends seem excusable, especially towards Cartman who thrives on pushing Butters around.
Although ultimately deciding to give up the pimp profession, Butters’ change of character caused the episode to receive a lot of attention, especially due to his visit to the ACORN office, a reference to the 2009 ACORN scandal. However, while many praised the episode as funny, most were relieved to see this beloved character return to normal.