10 Seriously Underrated South Park Episodes You Need to Binge Tonight

With 28 seasons and over 330 episodes, there’s plenty of South Park to enjoy. Even the weaker episodes usually have at least one truly hilarious moment. Take “Funnybot,” for example – it features Sandy Cervix, a talk show host who famously starts his segment by announcing he’s deaf in one ear. Of course, the show also has many widely-loved classic episodes, like “Scott Tenorman Must Die,” “Make Love, Not Warcraft,” and “The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers.” All of these are fan favorites and consistently rank highly on IMDb’s episode list.

However, later episodes don’t fare as well – they fall into the lower half of all 332 episodes. It makes you wonder if that ranking is fair. Are they actually worse than highly-rated episodes like Season 18’s “Grounded Vindaloop” (ranked 12th) or “200” and the heavily edited “201” (ranked 34th and 35th)? We’re not saying those episodes are bad, but are they truly among the show’s best?

10) Cow Days

You’ll notice Season 2 mentioned several times because many feel it doesn’t get the credit it deserves. While Trey Parker and Matt Stone have criticized their decision to bring in outside writers for parts of this season, they’re likely being too critical. In fact, Season 2 even more perfectly captures the spirit of what made early South Park so enjoyable in the 1990s.

It’s a real shame that the episode “Cow Days” is ranked so low at 255. The main storyline of the boys competing for cheap Terrance and Phillip dolls is really funny, the Full Metal Jacket joke with Cartman is brilliant, and the darkly comedic twist with the contest winners, Tom and Mary – who just wanted to enjoy the strange cow festival and then become rat food – is perfect. They were such sweet, supportive people, and their fate is all thanks to the foolishness of the town’s residents.

9) Mecha-Streisand

It’s surprising to see episodes from Season 19, generally considered the show’s worst season, still rank highly – for example, “Sponsored Content” is number 47. Meanwhile, the very first episode of Season 1, the critically acclaimed “Pinkeye,” is much further down the list at number 90. Many would consider “Pinkeye” to be a Top 10, or at least a Top 20, episode.

It’s surprising to see “Mecha-Streisand,” a fan-favorite episode from the first season, ranked so low at 257. Also, the episode right after it, “Weight Gain 4000” at 258, is the one that really won over viewers after the show’s initial, somewhat mixed reception to episodes like “Cartman Gets an Anal Probe” and “Volcano.”

8) Roger Ebert Should Lay Off the Fatty Foods

The South Park episode “Roger Ebert Should Lay Off the Fatty Foods” is a great example of the show’s classic style. It begins with a funny bit where Mr. Garrison ‘teaches’ his class by making them watch episodes of Barnaby Jones.

This episode clearly takes inspiration from the classic Star Trek episode “Dagger of the Mind,” and it pulls it off brilliantly. The villain, Dr. Adams, is a perfect example of early South Park’s over-the-top antagonists, and his pronunciation of “planetarium” is hilariously memorable – especially the reaction it gets from the reporter. It’s easily one of the most enjoyable episodes to watch again and again.

7) Sarcastaball

Even if you don’t usually enjoy football, the sixteenth season’s “Sarcastaball” is actually quite funny. It’s always entertaining to watch Randy act immature, though that storyline went on for a little too long with the focus on Tegridy Farms.

The season had several truly hilarious moments. Randy’s immediate realization that “Buttery’s Creamy Goo” was a joke was perfectly timed, and the unexpected sight of a kid being run over while Randy and Sharon drove across the Sarcastaball field – and their complete lack of reaction – was incredibly funny. Plus, it’s hard to think of a better comedic takedown of CeeLo Green than what happened in this season.

6) A Very Crappy Christmas

It’s not surprising that “Mr. Hankey’s Christmas Classics” from Season 3 is rated so low, and the same goes for “#HappyHolograms” and “The Crap Out.” However, ranking Season 4’s “A Very Crappy Christmas” so low at position 271 just doesn’t seem right.

This episode is a standout from the fourth season and really shows how much the show had developed, even by the year 2000. It includes clips from the short film “The Spirit of Christmas” by Trey Parker and Matt Stone – the very project that led to the creation of the series.

5) An Elephant Makes Love to a Pig

Many fans overlook it, but “An Elephant Makes Love to a Pig” is a truly great episode from Season 1. It’s also the episode that showcases Mephesto – a surprisingly underappreciated character – at his very best.

This episode is a standout, featuring everything from a memorable pig character to Trey Parker’s hilarious take on Elton John. We’re also introduced to Shelley Marsh, who initially provides a great contrast to the boys. Her scenes with Stan are genuinely touching, even if they end with a surprisingly dark twist – she accidentally runs him over with a lawnmower!

4) Mexican Joker

Season 23 was a bit uneven overall, but the storylines were more connected than in recent seasons. It proved to be the last full season before production was largely paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with only special episodes airing in 2020 and 2021.

By this point, the Tegridy Farms storyline was getting a bit stale, but Randy destroying people’s marijuana plants in South Park was a strong comedic moment. More importantly, the episode’s main theme, dealing with ICE and its impact on children, feels even more relevant and sadly accurate today than it did in 2019.

3) Summer Sucks

While “City on the Edge of Forever” is generally considered the weakest episode of Season 2 – and it’s hard to argue with that – ranking “Summer Sucks” as the second-worst is just wrong. “Summer Sucks” is classic, great South Park at its finest.

The show was strongest in its early episodes when a major disaster threatened the town, and the boys were mostly just caught up in the chaos. Think of the turkey attack in “Starvin’ Marvin,” the “Mecha-Streisand” episode, or the giant firework snake in this one. The subplot about Cartman being scared of a first grader peeing in the pool doesn’t really go anywhere, but that’s part of what makes Season 2 so enjoyable. It’s endlessly rewatchable, full of charming humor from the late ’90s, and features what might be Chef’s best song, “Simultaneous.”

2) I Should Have Never Gone Ziplining

Okay, so the live-action ziplining bit in “I Should Have Never Gone Ziplining”? Yeah, it really doesn’t land. Not at all. But honestly, is it so terrible that it makes this episode one of the worst ever, pushing it all the way down to number 306? I don’t think so.

While Season 16 had its share of weak episodes, this one isn’t the worst. Episodes like “Jewpacabra” and “Going Native” deserve their lower ratings, but others, such as “Obama Wins!,” “A Scause for Applause,” and “Faith Hilling,” are actually quite good. The Double Dew jokes are brilliantly crude, and the ‘Long story short’ bit feels painfully relatable. It’s the kind of thing that makes you want to dramatically snap a pencil in half.

1) Terrance and Phillip: Behind the Blow

It’s surprising that the Season 5 episode “Terrance and Phillip: Behind the Blow” is ranked so low at number 314. It’s a really good episode, even if you’re not usually a fan of Terrance and Phillip. The episode is funny whether it’s presented like an E! True Hollywood Story special about the duo, or if it focuses on the boys trying to get them involved in a particularly passionate Earth Day event.

I think the low ratings are probably because this episode makes some environmental activists look a little unhinged. It’s ironic, considering they were right about climate change all along! But honestly, putting that aside, this episode is fantastic. Terrance and Phillip’s relationship feels surprisingly complex, and that Canadian Shakespeare bit is perfect – it goes on just long enough to build the joke without it getting old. Plus, the whole thing with the Goat People is just hilarious.

What’s a South Park episode you think doesn’t get enough credit? Share your thoughts in the comments and discuss it with other fans on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-04-06 22:14