Ranking Every ‘South Park’ Episode of the 2020s: Which One Takes the Top Spot?

by

From 1997 onwards, “South Park” has been a well-loved fixture in adult animation. The series typically revolves around four main characters – Stan, Cartman, Kyle, and Kenny – as they navigate their adventures in the town named after it. Over the years, the program has expanded to incorporate more political themes, new characters, and other notable changes. Although some fans may nostalgically remember the earlier seasons, the newer episodes still offer much to admire.

As we approach the debut of Season 27, here’s our reorganized collection of episodes from the 2020s. We’ve organized this list based on their humor, social commentary, audience responses, and overall impact on the evolution of South Park.

12
“Back to the Cold War”

1980s nostalgia takes a dark turn as school counselor Mr. Mackey recalls the tense Cold War period. Fearing a nuclear attack, his concerns heighten when he discovers that Butters is participating in a dressage competition alongside a Russian boy named Solokov. Along with Butters’ parents, Stephen and Linda, he grows suspicious that the event is merely a cover for launching nukes. Thankfully, Mr. Mackey’s mother manages to dissuade him from engaging in conflict with Putin, allowing Butters to eventually win the dressage competition.

Not Very Memorable

As a cinephile, I found it peculiar that an episode so deeply centered around memories seemed to fade into obscurity itself. It’s not flawed in any way; it simply doesn’t make as strong an impact as some of its counterparts. However, it deserves recognition for addressing the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and for its daring, albeit exaggerated, exploration of the theme of aging.

11
“Credigree Weed St. Patrick’s Day Special”

The South Park special centered around St. Patrick’s Day sees Randy Marsh’s latest cannabis creation going head-to-head with Steve Black’s, resulting in a brawl that lands Randy behind bars. Later, Butters gets involved after mistakenly accusing a girl of not wearing green by pinching her, and the two end up in jail together. In a twist, it appears that Randy gains leprechaun abilities, but they manage to escape. Upon their release, they discover that Steve has purchased Randy’s weed for resale. However, before any more conflict arises, the genuine St. Patrick emerges and explains the true spirit of the holiday—excess—leading everyone to abandon the festivities altogether.

Not So Special

In my opinion, South Park has produced some truly captivating holiday episodes that never fail to impress – from enchanting Christmas creatures to Black Friday battles reminiscent of Game of Thrones. However, the Credigree Weed St. Patrick’s Day Special, while entertaining, falls short when compared to these outstanding specials. Furthermore, both Randy and Butters are characters that generate debate (each for their unique reasons), and having them together in an episode only amplifies potential objections from viewers.

10
“Help, My Teenager Hates Me!”

Initially unaware that they were taking responsibility for them, the boys started playing Airsoft guns with a group of teenagers. Struggling to cope with these teenagers’ needs and overwhelmed by their persistent complaints, the boys opted to play with their dads (with Cartman choosing Jimbo in this instance). This decision led to a confrontation with the teens where the victor was barred from ever playing again. In the end, the boys and their fathers emerged victorious and proceeded to celebrate their victory.

Don’t Hate it

The humor in the joke about teens disliking their parents and boys struggling with them is amusing, yet it can become somewhat predictable. Contrarily to those portrayed in the joke and the teenagers themselves, we don’t feel animosity towards this episode; however, it doesn’t rank very high on our favorites list.

9
“Spring Break”

During spring break, Garrison and his partner Rick travel to Myrtle Beach. Rick fears that Garrison’s history supporting the MAGA movement might cause problems. After attending a rally, Rick decides to separate from Garrison, leading Garrison to make a heartfelt plea in an attempt to reconcile. Meanwhile, Randy and Stan are left home during the break. Stan hopes to spend the time with his friend, geeking out, while Randy wants to party it up. In the end, much like Garrison, Randy realizes he needs Stan back. Sharon then cuts her trip short and returns home.

A Decent Finale

The last episode of season 26 was called “Spring Break,” and it left viewers eager for more. Not only did it subtly mention January 6th, but it also poked fun at Andrew Tate through a character named Alonzo Fineski who attended Randy’s party. However, there wasn’t much fresh development in terms of the characters, with Mr. Garrison’s storyline being somewhat repetitive. This could explain why President Garrison is no longer around, but the ending suggested he may reappear again.

8
“Pajama Day”

Fourth grade students will no longer have a Pajama Day due to their uninterested response to Mr. Garrison’s personal life events. The town rallies behind them by wearing pajamas, causing issues when supporters and opponents of pajamas collide. Facing the dilemma, PC Principal assigns Wendy to resolve this predicament. However, as tensions escalate, he decides that it’s Opposite Day instead, allowing fourth graders to wear whatever they choose on that day.

Classic ‘South Park’

The scene about Pajama Day aligns perfectly with typical South Park humor. It was both cute and laugh-out-loud funny to see the kids display their pajamas, and the town exaggerating the concept to extreme levels is consistent with their style. However, the ending could have been more impactful, and some Nazi jokes might not sit well with everyone. Nevertheless, it undeniably captures the essence of a classic South Park episode.

7
“Japanese Toilet”

Following his bathroom break, Randy acquires a modern, high-tech Japanese toilet and proudly displays it to the townsfolk. This boasting, however, invites ridicule from Stan’s friends, except for Jimmy who deems America’s excessive toilet paper usage as appallingly wasteful. After Randy delivers a speech championing his new toilet and criticizing the use of toilet paper, he narrowly escapes an attempt on his life. It is later revealed that Jimmy too had faced repercussions from the toilet paper industry for a critical essay he wrote about them. In response, Stan decides to challenge the industry, but a recovered Randy intervenes, fearful that the companies may retaliate against them once more.

Good Episode, Cr*ppy Industry

In this particular episode of South Park, they tackle an industry or topic seldom brought up in mainstream discussions. The humor is offbeat, making it all the funnier. While not everyone might find the comedy appealing, it’s undeniable that the episode stands out due to its originality and dedication to the joke.

6
“City People”

In a turn of events, Liane Cartman has taken up work as a new realtor at South Park Realtors. As a result, her son, who craves attention, finds this job an opportunity. Believing it would be effortless, he establishes the South Park Realty Group, with his mother. They engage in a competition for sales. However, the townsfolk become displeased with more outsiders moving in and retaliate against the Cartmans. To save themselves from harm, Liane resigns from her job, choosing to focus on her son again. This decision brings him joy until he learns it implies their potential relocation to the Aspen Park Hot Dog, which dampens his spirits.

Prime Real Estate

In my humble opinion as a film critic, “City People” boldly ventures into uncharted territories while skillfully weaving past connections and character dynamics. However, the urbanites’ actions can become somewhat predictable, and there’s an undercurrent of melancholy as Liane encounters yet another setback in her pursuit for control. Nevertheless, Cartman’s actions remain true to form, eliciting hearty laughter with his hilarious antics. His ultimate destiny is a cause for celebration!

5
“DikinBaus Hot Dogs”

In the series, “DikinBaus Hot Dogs” unfolds after “City People,” set in Cartman’s brand-new hot dog establishment. Following a disappointing tenure at an ice cream shop, Cartman dreams of starting his own venture with Kenny as partner and Butters as their financial backer. However, his professional attitude mirrors fan expectations, suggesting the eatery is on track to flop. In the nick of time, Butters steps in to secure a successful debut. Later, he sells the restaurant and uses some of the earnings to relocate Cartman back to his original residence.

Sure to Put A Smile on Your Buns

This episode encompasses a broad spectrum of comedy, from playful wordplay like “dick and balls” to ongoing gags about mental health breaks. It also includes typical South Park antics and culminates in serving Cartman a taste of his own medicine, as promised by the show’s creators. In their words, it will undoubtedly bring a cheerful grin to your face.

4
“Deep Learning”

After Wendy voices her discontent over the scarcity of romantic texts from Stan, Stan resorts to utilizing ChatGPT to compose messages for her. Simultaneously, multiple students, including Garrison who grades their work, start employing AI for their school assignments. However, when Mr. Mackey suspects one student of using AI for classwork, Wendy is falsely accused, as Stan’s messages are saved on her phone. Feeling perplexed about how to rectify the situation, Stan asks ChatGPT to create a story resolving his predicament, surprisingly, it appears to resolve the issue.

Practices What it Preaches

Interestingly, the credits for this episode list both Trey Parker and me as writers, and it offers some insight into the challenges and possibilities that artificial intelligence presents. As demonstrated in the boy’s essays and messages, AI is not a panacea, but as shown by the episode itself, there is definitely potential to leverage AI to enhance storytelling.

3
“The Worldwide Privacy Tour”

After his friends play a game without him, Kyle frets about his reputation, so Butters suggests approaching CumHammer Brand Management for assistance. Simultaneously, the Royal Family of Canada moved next door, causing an uproar, demanding privacy. This distraction causes Kyle to miss another game night. When he apologizes to his friends, they seem indifferent. Growing more concerned about his reputation (and Butters’s), Kyle revisits CumHammer, only to find the Royal Family discussing their own brand within. It was at this moment that he decided he’d rather be seen as a person than a product, and so he, Butters, and the Prince left to play with the others outside.

A Public Spectacle

In “The Global Privacy Expedition,” the onscreen royals were caricatures of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Despite repeatedly stating a need for privacy, they often appeared on talk shows, posted social media updates, and even authored a book. Now, it’s their prerogative to do so, but it also provided ample material for “South Park” to satirize what seemed like inconsistency in their actions. However, it’s important to note that “South Park” overlooked a significant aspect of the situation, which is understandable why the real-life Duke and Duchess weren’t fond of the portrayal.

2
“Cupid Ye”

In a twist of events, when Stan feels left out because Kyle spends more time with Tolkien, Cartman resorts to spreading malicious, anti-Semitic rumors as a supposed means to end their friendship. A character named Cupid Ye, reminiscent of Cupid Me from “Cartman Finds Love,” emerges and instigates students to harbor hatred towards Kyle by shooting them with arrows. The students turn against Kyle, but Stan and Tolkien step in to defend him. In the midst of this, Tolkien admits his regret for falling for the falsehoods, while Stan acknowledges his own jealousy. Eventually, Cartman compels Cupid Ye to take his medication, causing him to transform back into the affectionate and endearing Cupid Me.

Worthy of Hollywood

The transformation of Cupid from Cupid Ye in this instance appears to be a subtle jab at Kanye West’s recent controversial comments about antisemitism. Viewers may recall that he was previously parodied in episodes like “Fishsticks” and “The Hobbit,” and this latest installment is no exception, offering both humor and a critique of West’s actions, as well as expressing worry for his mental state. It was also enjoyable to see Cartman step up and be the hero for once, and the episode leaves us with the impression that more character development for Cartman may be on the horizon.

1
“The Big Fix”

In light of consumers choosing to boycott farms that don’t hire people of color, I decided to encourage Stan to invite Tolkien and his family over for dinner. My hope was that by working with Tolkien’s father, Steve, we could make a positive impact on the farm industry. However, things became even more uncomfortable when Stan and I realized we had been misspelling Tolkien’s name all these years – it turns out he wasn’t named after the “token” Black kid but instead was named after J.R.R. Tolkien, the renowned author!

Worried he might be harboring racist thoughts, Stan seeks a doctor’s advice who fiercely validates his concerns. However, he unsuccessfully attempts to mend things with Tolkien before the two eventually patch up their relationship. Simultaneously, upon understanding that Randy was trying to manipulate him, Steve and his family decide to purchase a farm nearby and establish a rival business, Credigree Weed.

Fixing Past Episodes

In this instance, Tolkien’s name has consistently been spelled correctly as Tolkien. However, following a specific episode, Matt Stone and Trey Parker decided to correct the spelling in earlier subtitles where it was misspelled as “Token.” Although some visuals from these episodes continue to incorrectly display his name, this initiative represents an initial effort towards rectifying the error. It was also quite amusing and surprising (especially for those who find themselves problematic), serving as a testament to South Park’s willingness to acknowledge mistakes and make amends when necessary.

Read More

2025-01-19 22:32