South Park is a cultural juggernaut that is still related in the present day, as Trey Parker and Matt Stone proceed to push the medium of animation ahead with their caustic, darkly hilarious collection. Though it began off as simply one other animated sitcom with raunchy content material, South Park started to develop extra formidable because it tackled severe ideas referring to world politics, fashionable tradition, existentialist themes, and the human situation.
South Park has incessantly ventured exterior of the “quiet mountain city” with a purpose to inform tales about different elements of the fictional universe, a few of which trek into science fiction or fantasy territory. In reality, among the present’s finest episodes so far have been those who sort out extra surrealist themes or analyze present information occasions. Listed here are the ten finest South Park episodes which are set exterior of the city of South Park itself, ranked.
10 “Are You There God? It is Me, Jesus”
Season 3, Episode 16 (2003)
Making enjoyable of faith has grow to be regular on South Park, as Parker and Stone are greater than prepared to make jabs at spiritual extremists who don’t take heed to logical reasoning. In an elaborate parody of the traditional coming-of-age novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, the South Park episode “Are You There God? It’s Me, Jesus” options the 4 essential boys touring to New York and Las Vegas as they expertise the results of puberty.
Jesus would finally grow to be a recurring character on South Park, and this episode did a very good job of realizing elements of Catholicism within the present’s fictional universe. South Park has by no means been a collection that’s complacent with appeasing those that are simply distressed by upsetting content material, and “Are You There God? It’s Me, Jesus” comprises a number of very excessive jokes concerning the crucifixion.
9 “Canceled”
Season 7, Episode 1 (2003)
Though the collection has typically headed into science fiction territory, South Park pulled off an elaborate parody of the Robert Zemeckis house movie Contact within the controversial episode “Canceled.” After discovering that aliens have positioned a tool in Cartman’s anus, the South Park children uncover that the planet Earth is a part of an elaborate actuality present meant to check the bounds of mankind’s perseverance.
South Park is at its most cynical concerning the future in “Canceled,” because it reveals the futility of making an attempt to make a distinction when humanity is destined to simply be a blip in existence that’s destined to be forgotten. The themes of “Canceled” could be a complete lot extra miserable if the episode wasn’t so humorous, as Cartman’s response to the aliens’ existence is without doubt one of the most side-splitting moments within the present’s early historical past.
8 “Woodland Critter Christmas”
Season 8, Episode 14 (2004)
South Park typically hits a few of its highest factors in its holiday-themed episodes, however “Woodland Critters Christmas” is actually one of many darkest installments that the present has ever aired. In an elaborate parody of traditional animated specials like A Charlie Brown Christmas and How The Grinch Stole Christmas, the episode focuses on Stan discovering a bunch of magical woodland creatures within the first exterior of the city, solely to find that they’re really a part of a loss of life cult.
The stunning use of physique horror in “Woodland Critters Christmas” confirmed simply how far South Park ’s animation had superior, and revealed that Stone and Parker might create some really horrific imagery if the plot referred to as for it. The episode is much more efficient as a result of it’s instructed from the angle of Stan, who has all the time been one of many present’s most rational characters.
7 “Cartoon Wars”
Season 10, Episodes 3-4 (2006)
The 2-part “Cartoon Wars” episodes of South Park are easily the most controversial within the present’s historical past, as they obtained a lot backlash that they really usually are not accessible on streaming providers like Max and Paramount Plus. The episode steps exterior of the city of South Park to try Cartman’s journey to hitch the author’s room of Family Guy.
Parker and Stone ruthlessly satirized the writing means of an episode of Household Man, as Cartman learns that the present’s jokes are created by a whale that connects numerous fashionable tradition references with cutaway gags. Though it’s actually potential that many viewers who watch South Park additionally get pleasure from Household Man, the evaluation of Seth MacFarlane’s writing course of is by far one of many present’s sickest burns. It’s virtually unimaginable to look at Household Man the identical manner once more.
6 “Make Love, Not Warcraft”
Season 10, Episode 8 (2006)
South Park has quite a lot of nice episodes centered on the world of video gaming, however “Make Love, Not Warcraft” was an creative evaluation of simply how addictive on-line multiplayer video games could be. After a very impolite participant retains killing them off in brutal vogue, Cartman, Kenny, Kyle, and Stan determine to dedicate each waking second of their lives to being the perfect World of Warcraft gamers that they will.
“Make Love, Not Warcraft” was an efficient detour from the present’s commonplace narrative as a result of it befell solely within the recreation, and utilized a unique fashion of animation that followers of multiplayer franchises could have acknowledged. The truth that a lot of the episode focuses on the idealized variations of themselves that Kyle, Kenny, Cartman, and Stan have made the cutaway gag to the slobs that they’ve grow to be much more hilarious as some extent of comparability.
5 “Go God Go”
Season 10, Episode 12 (2006)
South Park tackled extra controversial matters within the episode “Go God Go,” which centered on Cartman’s need to freeze himself at an area mountain in order that he could be despatched to a time by which the brand new Wii program is launched. What begins as one other selfish action on Cartman’s part finally ends up inflicting a non secular disaster concerning the existence of God that ends in a convention in New Hampshire with an alliance of atheists.
South Park has all the time been nice at making enjoyable of either side of each debate, and “Go God Go” is stable as a result of it reveals how unrewarding it’s to try to change the minds of those that have already got sturdy beliefs and are unlikely to alter. It was additionally one other humorous instance of how Cartman’s seemingly remoted misbehavior would find yourself producing repercussions that affected individuals throughout the nation.
4 “Improbable Easter Particular”
Season 11, Episode 5 (2007)
It wouldn’t be a South Park vacation episode if issues didn’t get shockingly darkish, and the present’s “Improbable Easter Particular” includes Stan dealing with a surrealist nightmare after asking his father about what the Easter Bunny and Jesus should do with the vacation celebration. The episode takes a darkish route when Stan and Kyle head to the Vatican to find a conspiracy on the coronary heart of the Catholic Church, which serves as a very intelligent satire of the Dan Brown novels The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons.
“Improbable Easter Particular” allowed South Park to deal with some real-world issues, as despite the fact that the controversy concerning the Easter Bunny is totally ridiculous, there are actual points concerning the modernization of the Catholic Church in relation to newer scientific developments. The episode additionally options the return of the fictional model of Jesus launched in earlier seasons.
3 “Imaginationland”
Season 11, Episodes 10-12 (2007)
The three-part “Imaginationland” storyline of South Park is the present’s finest multi-part installment, because it took a break from the traditional construction of the collection to happen in a world stuffed with goals and nightmares. After Kenny, Kyle, Cartman, Stan, and Butters grow to be trapped in an odd imaginary world, they have to rally forces with figures from numerous fashionable tradition franchises with a purpose to defeat evil.
“Imaginationland” is among the many most visually gorgeous installments of South Park, and comprises greater than sufficient enjoyable references for followers of Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and superheroes to get pleasure from. The episodes have been so fashionable that Comedy Central selected to launch an edited model as a standalone DVD movie, which can function the closest factor that followers will ever get to the 1999 musical South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut.
2 “Fishsticks”
Season 13, Episode 5 (2009)
Though the collection has quite a lot of playful jabs at numerous celebrities, South Park completely decimated Kanye West within the episode “Fishsticks,” which was penned by guest writer Bill Hader. After Jimmy and Cartman get right into a feud over the creation of a joke that finally ends up circulating on numerous late-night discuss reveals, Kanye takes offense and tries to find out why everyone seems to be making enjoyable of him.
South Park is all the time nice at making enjoyable of tendencies throughout the leisure trade, and “Fishsticks” is ready to present how foolish it’s to get overly invested in movie star feuds. The unique music “Homosexual Fish” sung on the very finish of the episode is without doubt one of the finest numbers that Stone and Parker ever got here up with, and proved that their Tony award-winning work on The E-book of Mormon was not a fluke.
1 “Member Berries”
Season 20, Episode 1 (2016)
“Member Berries” turned probably the most iconic South Park episodes of the final decade, because it addressed some very actual issues concerning the overuse of nostalgia in advertising legacy sequels and franchise movies. Though the episode begins off by exhibiting how Stan and Kyle are handled by their elementary faculty therapist, “Member Berries” tackled the upcoming presidential election cycle by exhibiting the rise of Mr. Garrison as a far-right extremist candidate meant to lampoon Donald Trump.
The fast turnaround time on South Park episodes allowed Stone and Parker so as to add their very own evaluation to present occasions as they have been occurring, leading to a present that by no means felt prefer it was commenting on outdated information. Trump’s election could have taken the whole leisure trade by storm, however Parker and Stone have been capable of intertwine it into the seasonal narrative arc in a manner that made sense.
