After the release of the incredible game South Park - The Stick of Truth, it has started a resurgence of the television series, with it gaining just as much interest as it had in its prime. South Park is notorious for its ability to be able to offend every single type of person on the planet, yet get away with it with absolute brilliance and be one of the funniest shows to exist. The main reason for South Park's longevity is down to the fact it has stayed refreshing for more or less every episode.
These are my top five South Park episodes:
5. Mr Hankey, The Christmas Poo (Season 1 Episode 9)
This iconic episode was one of the first that I was "allowed" to watch as a kid. The episode brings light to religion and the "true meaning of Christmas" but flips it on its head completely when introducing a piece of poo as an archetypal figure for main character Kyle who is not allowed to participate in the traditions of Christmas because of his strict Jewish background which is accentuated by his mum. The reason why this episode is so good is because it is extremely eccentric and will have you rolling with laughter. It is also the beginning of the South Park creators testing their limits to see how controversial they can get away with being.4. Scott Tenorman Must Die (Season 5 Episode 4)
If you've ever watched South Park, then you'll know this episode is regarded as one of the most contentious and cringe-worthy episodes the show has made. At first it seems innocent, or as innocent as South Park can get, but then it takes a horrid, yet brilliant twist. The episode begins with the main children's warped perception on puberty, with Cartman announcing his journey into puberty ... after buying "hair" off of 8th grader, Scott Tenorman. After finding out that this is not how puberty works, and feeling ripped off, Cartman seeks revenge on Scott. Without spoiling the episode, it is a clever twist as to how Cartman takes revenge and it is a recognisable moment that every South Park fan cherishes.3. Make Love, Not Warcraft (Season 10 Episode 8)
This episode is probably the least offensive episode on the list but there are still so many comedy moments throughout. To summarise, the kids start playing World of Warcraft, which sees them getting hooked. However there is one player who repeatedly kills everyone on the game without consent, which brings rage upon the children. So they decide to team together to defeat this evil player. A simple storyline, yes, but it is a prime example of South Park nails stereotypes, as it is revealed to us that the evil player is nothing but a typical overweight, geeky looking man who spends all day every day sitting on his computer. Maybe it's South Park sending out a genuine message, but regardless of that it is a fantastic episode which sees South Park favourite Randy Marsh (Stan's Dad) say some of his best lines.2. The Death of Eric Cartman (Season 9 Episode 6)
I personally feel this episode gets overlooked by South Park fans but for me it is outstanding in a number of ways. The boys are treated to KFC for dinner, courtesy of Stan's mum and Cartman being the mischievous bugger that he is decides to steal the skin off the chicken, which we all know is the best bit ... This is the final straw and the rest of the boys decide to apply the silent treatment, unbeknownst to Cartman. When he sees that everyone is ignoring him, he assumes he is dead, as would most people ... right? He confides in Butters who is unaware of the situation and he helps Cartman to perform good deeds to help his soul achieve peace so he can make it into heaven. But when he finds out in the end that it was just his friends ignoring him and that he's not dead, Cartman then goes berserk. The fact that Cartman is willingly doing good deeds is such a change from his usual bad antics but it makes the episode that much more entertaining.1. Up the Down Steroid (Season 8 Episode 2)
This is one of those episodes just like the Scott Tenorman one where you feel wrong to laugh but you just can't help it. The two disabled characters Jimmy and Timmy are due to participate in a Paralympics-esque event. Cartman hears of a large cash prize and wants to enter to beat all the kids and win. However the only way he is to do this is to pretend he has a disability. Whilst this is going on, Jimmy is persuaded to take steroids in order to improve his ability. It then changes him as a person when he becomes aggressive and ends up losing Timmy as a friend. The Olympics begin and Jimmy wins all of the medals due to his steroid consumption. Cartman who somehow manages to enter the competition ends up losing anyway due to his unhealthy lifestyle. Feeling guilty for taking steroids, Jimmy doesn't accept his medal and apologises. This episode although being hilarious in parts, has a strong moral and makes you think. South Park is one of them shows that does everything "wrong" but always with the best intentions.
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