South Park is a phenomenon of television that is still going strong almost three decades since its original debut. In its inception, the filthy content and unsparingly dark humor differentiated Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s television show from other animated programs aimed at adults. However, South Park changed its premise for the better as it honed in on its satirical themes over the course of its later seasons.
Similar to other animated sitcoms like The Simpsons and Family Guy, South Park’s most recent seasons don’t necessarily hold up to the genius of its original classics. That being said, the last ten years of South Park have allowed the show to address such modern topics as corporate sponsorship, the acquisition of Lucasfilm, virtual reality, and the Donald Trump presidency. Here are the ten best South Park episodes of the last decade.
South Park
Comedy
Animation
Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
*Availability in US
- Release Date
- August 13, 1997
- Cast
- Trey Parker , Matt Stone , April Stewart , Mona Marshall
- Seasons
- 26
- Studio
- Comedy Central
10 “The Cissy”
Season 18, Episode 3 (2014)
Although it's a show that has never been afraid to address scandalous topics, South Park took a bold stance in “The Cissy” by showing Cartman trying to frame himself as a victim of discrimination. Cartman claims to be a “transginger” in order to get his own private bathroom at South Park Elementary, much to the anger of Wendy and the other girls in his class. While it's not an episode that is hateful, it does show how a character as selfish as Cartman is able to take advantage of a controversial situation.
“The Cissy” also has one of the better South Park celebrity cameos in recent years, as it is revealed that the musician Lorde is the secret identity of Randy Marsh. Sia contributed the original song “Push (Feel Good on a Wednesday)” to the soundtrack, which instantly ranked among the show’s best musical moments.
9 “Grounded Vindaloop”
Season 18, Episode 7 (2014)
Although it's always been a show that contains a multitude of popular culture references, South Park dug into the controversy surrounding virtual reality headsets in “Grounded Vindaloop.” The episode centers around Cartman pulling an elaborate prank on Butters by trying to make him question his own reality by opening up a VR headset. The series brings this satire full circle by referencing several classic science fiction films, including The Matrix, Total Recall, and eXistenz.
South Park is often at its best when it tackles recent issues, as the show’s quick production time allows Parker and Stone to produce new episodes that feel relevant. “Grounded Vindaloop” was released when interest in VR was peaking, and revealed how silly it would be in the South Park universe. Like any new technology introduced to help people, VR is something that Cartman uses to bully people.
8 “Where My Country Gone?”
Season 19, Episode 2 (2015)
South Park took a deep dive into national politics in its nineteenth season, which explored the rise of Mr. Garrison as a potential Presidential candidate that is clearly intended to be an allegory to Trump. Angered by the rise of political correctness as the result of PC Principal’s tenure at South Park Elementary, Garrison decides to run an extremist campaign that focuses on discriminating against Canadian immigrants.
“Where My Country Gone?” kicked off one of South Park’s most successful serialized storylines, as the rest of the season focused on Garrison’s success in the race and the effect that it has upon the students. While the real results of the 2016 election proved to be more shocking than anything that South Park could come up with, “Where My Country Gone?” was nonetheless a compelling way for the show to comment on recent events.
7 “Tweek x Craig”
Season 19, Episode 6 (2015)
Although much of the humor in its early season would likely be deemed to be offensive today, South Park has always had a strong fanbase among LGBTQIA viewers. One of the longest-running theories among fans of the show is that the characters Tweek and Craig are actually a gay couple, due in no small part to the many hom*oerotic situations that they find themselves in.
“Tweek x Craig” confirmed that the two characters were in fact in love, and showed the struggles that they go through when trying to be accepted in a socially conservative town like South Park. Although South Park is a show that has always been unsparing in its satire of both sides of any political or social debate, “Tweek x Craig” was a surprisingly heartfelt episode that felt like a love letter to the fans.
6 “Member Berries”
Season 20, Episode 1 (2016)
Perhaps the most memorable new addition to the show’s canon in the last decade, “Member Berries” took a hardline look at the rise of the “legacy sequel” concept, and how studios attempted to mine nostalgia for older properties in order to get audiences interested. The critique is certainly aimed at the regime of Kathleen Kennedy and the most recent installments of the Star Wars franchise, but it is applicable to any number of nostalgia-baiting films in recent years, such as Top Gun: Maverick, Terminator: Dark Fate, Jurassic World, Creed, and the most recent Halloween trilogy.
South Park once again showed its willingness to examine both sides of the argument, as much of “Member Berries” focuses on Cartman using his fandom of Star Wars to justify spewing hateful comments on the Internet. Considering the rise in review bombing of recent Star Wars shows, this storyline feels particularly relevant.
5 “Put It Down”
Season 21, Episode 2 (2017)
As odd as it may seem, South Park is actually a quite cathartic viewing experience for those struggling to cope with real-world issues, as the series is far more cynical in its approach than most adult animated shows. “Put It Down” focuses on Tweek having a mental health crisis over the state of world politics, including the tensions with North Korea that resulted from President Trump’s angry tweets.
“Put It Down” showed that the younger South Park characters were capable of being surprisingly empathetic, as Craig has to go out of his way to help soothe Tweek’s anxieties as he grows more concerned about the future. The episode also features some surprisingly charming insights into the development of Cartman’s relationship with Heidi, a surprisingly nuanced dynamic that ended up strengthening one of the show’s most ambitious seasons to date.
4 “Dead Kids”
Season 22, Episode 1 (2018)
South Park has never been afraid to tackle controversial issues, but “Dead Kids” may be one of the darkest episodes that the series has ever aired. The episode examines the rise of school shootings and other gun-based crimes, exposing how violence has become normalized because of the refusal to install background checks. It’s particularly morbid to watch Cartman, Stan, Kyle, and Kenny try to survive a barrage of school shootings as they make their way to class each day.
“Dead Kids” also examined the cultural phenomenon of Black Panther, which Cartman feels is an overrated movie that doesn’t deserve to be considered one of the greatest superhero movies of all time. Cartman’s obsession with getting Token to admit that the film didn’t deserve the praise that it received once again shows that there’s no low that he’s not willing to sink to.
3 “Band in China”
Season 23, Episode 2 (2019)
One of the greatest hallmarks of South Park is that it often satirizes the production constraints that other rival programs go through. “Band in China” analyzes how American productions will attempt to censor their own content in order to appeal to Eastern audiences, thus compromising their integrity. This is seen as Randy Marsh attempts to extend his “Teggridy Farms” marijuana empire overseas, all while Stan’s new death metal band begins to grow in popularity.
“Band in China” was a great example of how South Park was able to continue its serialized storyline without ever compromising its inherently episodic nature. While the “Teggridy Farms” storyline grew less interesting in subsequent seasons, it still felt like a relatively fun way to expand on Randy’s character arc in “Band in China.” Randy’s capture and brainwashing at the hands of the Communist Party are particularly amusing.
2 “Shots!!!”
Season 23, Episode 3 (2019)
Notable for being the 300th episode of the long-running animated series, “Shots!!!” allowed South Park to work in a timely bit of commentary about the rise of conspiracy theories circulating around the connection between required immunizations and the development of intellectual handicaps. Terrified that taking shots will in some way compromise his mental activity, Cartman goes to extreme lengths in order to prevent his mother from taking him to the doctor’s office.
“Shots!!!” shows just how ridiculous anti-science activists are, and makes fun of Cartman for his antiquated viewpoints. While the most recent few seasons struggled to feel quite as shocking and insightful as the show had been during its “Golden Age,” “Shots!!!” was a reminder that South Park was evolving with current times, and was still capable of making strong arguments that appealed to a wide variety of viewers with different beliefs.
1 “The Credigree Weed St. Patrick’s Day Special”
Season 25, Episode 6 (2022)
Although the series has had more than a few classic Christmas episodes, South Park took a look at the Irish holiday for the first time in “The Credigree Weed St. Patrick’s Day Episode.” Another installment lampooning just how ridiculous Randy could get, “The Crediegree Weed St. Patrick’s Day Special” featured South Park’s premium weed dealer going to jail after trying to pinch people for not wearing green. This inevitably takes a more drastic direction when both Towlee and the ghost of Saint Patrick himself show up to guide Randy.
“The Credigree Weed St. Patrick’s Day Episode” also served as a clever commentary on racism, as Randy uses the guise of celebrating his Irish heritage as a way to justify white supremacy. Ironically, it’s Randy’s ridiculous behavior that ends up ruining the holiday for everyone, effectively leading to its cancellation by the entire community.
NEXT: The Best 'South Park' Episodes of All Time, Ranked According to IMDb
