Tramuzgan's 8 best and 4 worst South Park episodes

I have been a fan of South Park for a long time. Having seen every episode at least once, some of them so many times I know them by heart, I wanna give a little retrospective on the episodes that stuck out to me the most, whether as good or as bad. I will spread it out over multiple posts, and I should also note that this is just a list of personal favourite and least favourite episodes, not so much a recommendations list. I'm saying that because that means I'll leave out episodes like Raisins, AWESOM-O, or Make love, Not Warcraft, those which are great, but I have nothing interesting to say about them that hasn't been said already.


When I say I've been a fan for a long time, I mean I've been a fan since the age of 12-13, so since 2011-2012, which was just when the show had just gone down the pipes. Sorry, I never got to see the golden age when it eas relevant. My first episodes were the last real flashes of quality, like Scrotie McBoogerballs, Poor and Stupid, W.T.F. (another good candidate), but it was Fatbeard that came out on top, if only by a hair. I love all these episodes, but this one, mostly, I find the most rewatchable, due to its light-heartedness and lack of any big low points. Like most of the good episodes at the time, it's about the Cartman and Butters double act pulling some silly stunt, in this case going to Somalia to become pirates.

Rewatching Fatbeard really shows you how Cartman should be written, and especially all the ways they've been messing him up post-2015. Cartman is an idiot, sure, but what makes him interesting to watch is that he's full of initiative, always willing to go through with his schemes, never letting things like reality get in his way. He came to Somalia to become a pirate, so what if it's a complete dunghole and nothing at all like he imagined it? All he has to do is pull the rest of the pirates up to his level. All in a day's work for Eric Cartman.
They also did good to remember that, yes, he is an extreme A-type personality, but that doesn't mean he can't have some fun. You actually see him let loose and enjoy the pirate life, once he achieves it. The episode itself follows suit by largely downplaying social commentary and putting the focus on the characters' antics, witty banter, and some of the funniest sea shanties in television. Yarr harr!

__________________
I'm the Yugoslav cinema guy. I dig through garbage. I look for gems.

South Park is a show known for its social commentary, and while I've never been a fan of it for that, I figure there must be at least one episode that did it right, so what the hell. Here's Cartoon Wars. An episode dealing with the ideas of censorship vs free speech, and the general world of adult animation, it is set off by an episode of Family Guy showing an image of Prophet Mohammed, angering muslim terrorists. Matt and Trey have shown before that they're very much against all censorship, so I got nothing against them sticking to that topic. Social commentary is like the n-word. It only counts if you really mean it. Honestly, going by technical execution and pure fun factor, this episode is probably the worst one on the 'best' list, as it has plenty of dull points and lame attempts at satire (har har, they're burying their heads in the sand), but there's two reasons I put it on here.

First, because it made fun of Family Guy. That's not to say I care about FG that much, in fact, when I first saw this episode, I hadn't even heard of it, but it's just the fact that they did it, that they said their opinion loud and clear, even when insulting your competition may make you look childish, that they had the balls to go ''Screw you, you know I'm right'', is what earns this episode major respect.

Second, the ending joke. I wouldn't dare spoil it, but it might just be the funniest joke in the whole series.

It's late, will finish it up one of these days

Yes, obviously, retarded Cartman is iconic. One of the funniest things he's ever done. Out of all the schemes he's pulled in the show's run, this one has not only the best buildup, in a rocky-esque montage that shows he's actually taking it really seriously, but the best punchline, in how it all falls on its nose, because he's so fat he can't even win at the special olympics. When they kick off and the time comes for all his effort to pay off, and he comes in last in every event, it's such a slap in the face, but it's funny because it makes perfect sense.

Jimmy's half isn't as funny, but I find it interesting from a character writing point of view. He, who was formerly just shown as a crippled kid who for whatever reason wants to become a standup comic, is now shown taking steroids to win at the special olympics. We've never seen this side of him, yet it feels so in line with what we have seen. You can buy that the kid who's into showbiz would be the one to cheat at a big sporting event, not for the money, but for the glory and attention. The arc that flows from that, his interactions with Timmy and his coaches, all work satisfyingly well. Despite being the subject matter done by probably a million sports movies by now, it didn't feel stale at all.

Up the Down Steroid earns its spot on the list due to the sum of its parts rather than the synergy thereof, but the two parts are so strong that either one, by itself, would've at least earned it a consideration. One that's an interesting twist on a recurring character, other that's just ******* hysterical.

There's episodes that outdo The Losing Edge in a number of ways. Some have funnier individual jokes, some have smarter social commentary, others have more interesting writing, but this one remains on top as simply the most fun episode. It deals with all the boys of South Park making it to the baseball state championship, but being so sick of the game that they want to lose. The problem? So does every other team. The episode is a race to the bottom, the boys doing whatever they can to get eliminated, lest they advance to the national league and lose their whole summer.

While I always loved this episode, it's not until I started writing novels that I truly understood why it works. The key is in that, the boys hate baseball, yes, but so do Matt and Trey themselves. They took a cast of established characters and placed them in a place they know absolutely nothing about. The best fun I have while writing is when I do the same. My personal favourite chapter of my book took place in chemistry college, and hell, I dropped out of chemistry. You do that and you'll constantly be studying the setting and its rules, finding out what could happen, thinking of ways to circumvent your inexperience without the story losing its believability, i.e. the audience must still believe the boys are playing baseball. You end up drawing attention to less-recognized aspects of the setting. You, as an outsider, give fresh perspective. It is also impossible to write on autopilot since you're working with something unfamiliar, so in your effort, you always end up loading your writing with fun character interactions or creative plot points. That's all the case here, and then some. Almost every character gets at least one moment to shine. There isn't one dull point in the entire episode. Kyle's cousin Kyle appears and he's incredibly funny and quotable, Randy provides top-notch comic relief throughout, and the final boss of his campaign, Bat Dad, is the best one-off character you could ask for. Just pure comedy gold, top to bottom.

I changed my mind, I wanna talk about this thing.

I am far from the first person to call this episode one of the best. This was made at the time when World of Warcraft was the hottest thing out there, and other cartoons like Kim Possible would try to get in on the conversation, but few would pull it off as well as South Park, creating an episode which can be watched and enjoyed no problem, even 15 years after the fad is over. Following the conflict between the boys and an absurdly overpowered player who kills them every time they log in, the episode is praised by many for its creative plot, solid entertaining dialogue, sharp but unintrusive commentary on the rising obsession with the virtual world, and funny resolution where the boys defeat their enemy by becoming even bigger, fatter and nerdier than him. I agree with all these points. Though, I'd chalk it up to the same thing I said about The Losing Edge, where it's good because they worked outside their comfort zone. It's present here as well, just not as strongly. These are all the reasons this episode is great, but not all the reasons it's one of my favourites. There's a personal side to this as well.

First, as you all know, I'm a bit of a sucker for 2000s pop culture. I've talked about it with Spider-man 2. That pastiche of Through the Fire and the Flames, Splinter Cell, Bleach, Lord of the Rings, Halo, Yu-Gi-Oh, Shrek, Avatar: the Last Airbender, Newgrounds flash cartoons and flash games, George Bush, Sonichu, Kim Possible, Encyclopedia Dramatica, internet lingo that sounds like ''LOLZOR''... I just like it. Always have. I don't care that it's dumb. Seeing the characters in my favourite childhood show (which also peaked in that era) play WoW to Live to Win by Paul Stanley just hit me in all the right spots.

Second, while I've only played one MMO in my life, I first saw this episode very shortly after I quit it. While some fine details differed, for example, I played with filipinos and not koreans, that doesn't change the fact that I found it relatable. The deteriorating physical state, the slow incorporation of internet slang into the real world... this is also the first time I heard the phrase ''having no life''.

Third, while I never played WoW myself, I like classic blizzard. WC3 is one of my childhood favourites. Diablo 2 and Starcraft would come later, but that didn't stop me from geeking out a little when I saw a poster of Sarah Kerrigan in the background. Should've had Gerard DuGalle as well, but hey, you can't win them all.

Good work so far, Tram; keep those write-ups comin'!

I wanted to have two episodes that revolve around Stan and Kenny, respectively. They would, in theory, be my favourite characters of the show, if they were ever properly used. The thing with the two is that both have a personality that lends itself more to a reactive than a proactive position within a story, and thus makes them a worse fit for South Park's juvenile style of humour than, say, Cartman. Still, they did try a fair number of times, with episodes like Whale Whores for Stan and Major Boobage for Kenny also being considered, but these two, I feel, did the best job at being payoff for getting to know these characters.

I always took Stan as this laid-back, introspective kid who spends all his classes daydreaming. Not a recluse or a weak person, just someone who's not interested in getting the best grades or winning at every sports event, instead being happy with the friends and life he has. The only time you'll get a reaction out of him is when the status quo of the things he loves is brought into question (like when Kyle moves to San Francisco), but then, you can expect the reaction to be pretty intense. Such is the case here, where he is dumped by Wendy and he doesn't take it well, to say the least. It's an oddly serious plot line for such a goofy show, but it works. Its running theme isn't heartbreak or romance per se, more so misery in general, where Stan's own treatment of his own pain is contrasted with both the goth kids, who choose to dwell on it forever, forming a mopey and self-pitying social circle, and Butters, who doesn't try to ease his pain with rationalizing rhetoric, instead he just lets it hurt, in the same way one would let a vomiting fit take its natural course. Just let it out of your system. I'll admit the speech he gave at the end was a little hammy and out of character, but still, for a show's first attempt at being more drama than comedy, I can't really complain beyond that. I also thought seeing all of Stan's friends trying to be supportive and lift him out of his moaping, all without losing their usual chemistry, to be really cute and wholesome. And despite being a decidedly serious episode, it still has a couple of really funny jokes up its sleeve, like Jimmy's stuttering fit, or the Goth kids' advice on being non-conformist. Finally, the goths themselves are some King of the Hill-level voice acting. Top-notch stuff.

Kenny always seemed to me like this wild, exuberant monkey who chases girls with dog turds at the end of sticks and gets in fights with teachers all the time. The kid who you know will end up smoking pot by the age of 12 and selling it by 13. His antics will be fondly remembered by his entire class, for years to come. When I was 9, I was friends with this gypsy kid who was exactly like Kenny. This story of him being dragged down to acting like a boring old man by some Disney fad isn't as interesting as what happened to Stan, but it's believable, and gives Kenny lots of room to act out his schtick, which is as entertaining as you'd think. What makes up for that (in its own way) is the b-plot concerning the Jonas Brothers. Not for its satire, though it is still solid, but for the portrayal of Mickey. Hearing him abuse his workers and cuss in that high-pitched voice and say ''haha'' as an angry tick... it was everything my 13-year-old self could have asked for.

I don't like these gimmick entries in theory, but this episode really is simultaneously one of the best and one of the worst the show has to offer. You really have to watch it for it to make sense, but it does exhibit the best traits of the show alongside some of its worst habits, both in equal measure, neither lessening the other.

What's so bad about it? It takes the side of Wendy Testaburger. I hate Wendy Testaburger. I hate her constant spouting of SJW rhetoric, more so because of her whimpery ''please take me seriously'' voice, even more so because she's a 9-year-old kid, so whoever wrote this is condoning little kids being suffocated with this political crap. Don't bring up Lisa Simpson as a comparison, there was actual depth and greyness to Lisa that isn't present in Wendy. Another problem is the portrayal of Cartman in this episode. You know how in SJW fiction, because the wusses who write them don't actually like having their strength of character challenged, the white male villain always has to be real diminutive and pathetic, instead of a real respectable threat? Well, Cartman shows traces of that here. Those ''what's up, dawg'' poses are an example. To be fair, it's not as bad as, say, Kylo Ren, but even one trace of that type of writing is too much.

What's so good about it? It's Cartman. Aforementioned goofs aside, what makes him funny is still here, and it's actually pretty strong. He's in an unusual position where he finds himself prey rather than predator, so he's forced to come up with all sorts of creative ways to wriggle out of his predicament. It's also a very well-scripted episode, where the tension between Cartman and Wendy may relax and tighten, but there's always a feeling hanging in the air that something hasn't been resolved yet. His schemes have more punch to them when you know why they matter.

Finally, I gotta bring up the ending fight scene, specifically how much Butters is enjoying it. It's all so much like him, and I'd say I loved that touch if I could understand how can one enjoy the idea of Wendy Testaburger winning.

Basically all of post-2015 South Park could make it into the worst list, but I don't recall any episode that quite captured the ''ugh'' factor of that era as much as this one.

What irks me the most about all this isn't the fact that it focuses too much on politics, or that it's become more about the adults of the town than the kids, or that the town itself has lost its old hick appeal and has become like a San Francisco lite, or even that the jokes aren't funny. Not that all those aren't big problems, but the biggest one is that the writers have started acting like they know everything. Like they've figured out the treatment of illegal immigrant kids, how their entire families feel in those situations, the profile of person that works for the ICE... because as we all know, nobody understands the suffering of the poor and downtrodden better than two cushy, pampered jewish city boys living in Hollywood. They understand it so well that they decided the best medium to portray it is a silly paper-cutout cartoon aimed at 13-year-olds. Seriously, the people who make this garbage are the same people who come up with words like ''latinx'' and ''bipoc''. It all feels so stupid and phony and masturbatory.
To be clear, I'm not here to white-knight third world countries and claim that I understand how things work there. I don't. And I know I don't, that's why I don't make crap like this. Seriously, whoever made this needs to touch some grass.

In late 2013, there were 3 episodes about the launch of the ps4 and the Xbox one whole style closely mirrored that of the TV show Game of Thrones, which was highly popular at that time. However, unlike Lord of the Rings, Russell Crowe and Family Guy, which were at their time used as foundation for original and funny stories, this is just ''look, Game of Thrones! We've seen it to! Aren't we relatable?''.
I don't care about Game of Thrones. I didn't care about Family Guy either before I saw Cartoon Wars, but I still enjoyed the episode, because it had something of its own to offer. When I tune into South Park, I wanna see South Park, not Game of Thrones. The three episodes lack any original vision, so as a result, they're just boring. That ''joke'' with the elmo doll didn't help either.

To be fair, I did like some instances of the boys talking about video games, the ending was unexpectedly good, and just the association with South Park: The Stick of Truth, a game I really like, does earn the episode some credit, but it's still one of the worst because it represents a practice that's a certain mark of lazy writing: imitating what's popular and trying to pass it off as parody.

I could've also put ''canada on strike'' here, but that music number was just so fun, I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Alright, this one has been in my kill list for a long, long while, because believe it or not, this is the first episode I saw that I knew was outright terrible. Yes, the show had already gone bad by 2012, but I was 13 and had no real standards, so I couldn't tell, but A Scause for Applause was such ass that even I knew it. Such pointless, brain-dead garble. When I was done watching it, I could barely understand what just happened. I could recall the phrase ''stan your ground'' being uttered, something about Jesus preforming his miracles on drugs, then they went to some WIlly Wonka-type land there they make bracelets for political causes... I can tell it was just a cluster**** of them trying to comment on a buch of fads or world events. I don't know which ones, and I don't care, and neither did the writers. If they did care, they would have given it some substance. This is exactly what I meant when I said social commentary only works when you really mean it. If you don't care about something, don't talk about it. I know having a platform to have your opinion heard can be tempting, but you don't have to have an opinion on everything. You've met people who think they do, those who just keep babbling, no matter what the topic is, and never let anyone else get a word in. They never say anything interesting, or even anything coherent. They're not here to say anything, they're just here to be heard. Those people are the worst, and it is exactly them that A Scause for Applause reminds me of. Complete garbage episode.