3 Underrated South Park Episodes

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Over the past 28 years, it’s no surprise that not every South Park episode is a hit with audiences. Some episodes even spark anger among fans. However, some of these controversial episodes may not be as terrible as their reputation suggests. They might not be masterpieces, but they often have a solid secondary plot or memorable moments that stand out. In essence, they contain pockets of excellence hidden within otherwise forgettable material, while episodes like “Make Love, Not Warcraft” and “Scott Tenorman Must Die” are consistently praised for their end-to-end quality.

These episodes stirred up controversy unintentionally, yet they have value hidden within them. In simpler terms, you won’t find any “Jakovasaurs,” “The China Problem,” or “Pip” in this list, as their poor reputations are indeed justified.

“Stanley’s Cup” (Season 10, Episode 14)

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Without a doubt, the Season 10 finale of “South Park,” titled “Stanley’s Cup,” is a challenging watch for those who have been touched by cancer. Yet, it concludes with one of the strangely hilarious scenes that the series has ever produced. Naturally, many viewers might find the final scene questionable, featuring a pee-wee hockey team battling against the Detroit Red Wings.

In this episode, the spotlight is on Stan as his bike gets towed away and he finds himself coaching a youth hockey team. Tragically, one of the players, Nelson, is battling cancer, with his health seemingly connected to the outcomes of their games on the ice. When they receive an invitation to play at the Pepsi Center, the opposing team fails to show up, potentially endangering Nelson’s health. Moved by their situation, the Detroit Red Wings step in and agree to challenge them instead. However, the professionals give the kids a tough time, easily winning the game. As they celebrate their victory, Queen’s “We Are the Champions” plays over their tearful rejoicing.

“Lice Capades” (Season 11, Episode 3)

It’s true that the episode “Lice Capades” wasn’t well-received when it initially aired. Similar to “A Million Little Fibers” from Season 10, it seemed to fall short in delivering what viewers expect from South Park: the main characters, Stan, Kyle, Kenny, Cartman (and Butters). However, unlike its counterpart, “Lice Capades” does bring these characters into the story, albeit perhaps not as prominently.

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At a minimum, the mention of John Carpenter’s “The Thing” is impressive. The main complaint about “Lice Capades” lies in its A-plot, featuring a louse named Travis who struggles to survive on Clyde’s head after being found during a mandatory check at school. However, once you accept that Travis’ story strays from the norm for “South Park”, it becomes quite amusing, if not uproariously funny, but still enjoyable.

“HumancentiPad” (Season 15, Episode 1)

Not many South Park episodes are as disgusting as ‘HumancentiPad’. However, that’s because it’s a good representation of the revolting Human Centipede movies. So, when Reddit users included it in a discussion about the least favorite South Park episodes, it’s somewhat comprehensible but not entirely clear.

It’s quite relatable to find something off-putting due to its “unappetizing” nature. However, I don’t think that particular aspect alone would warrant labeling an episode with a witty Marathon Man reference and an overabundance of A+ Cartman outbursts as one of the worst. Conversely, the cuttlefish or asparagus scene from Season 15 could easily be considered its highlight.

Semi-Honorable Mention: “I Should Have Never Gone Ziplining” (Season 16, Episode 6)

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In the Reddit discussion centered around the perceived “least favorite” South Park episodes, it’s worth noting that “I Wish I Had Never Gone Ziplining” was frequently mentioned. This seems to be mainly because of its live-action sequence. For example, a comment with over 130 upvotes stated, “The ziplining scene was terrible. It went on far too long and wasn’t funny at all. The actors were also quite unappealing.

In general, many viewers who joined the discussion to back the episode still criticized the non-animated segment, as a user previously commented, “I really enjoy that episode. ‘We’ll get up there and hit that fresh gnar gnar’ always makes me chuckle. However, the live-action part was quite bothersome.” It can be argued that the live-action sequence didn’t fully deliver its potential. Given that the entire episode is a clever spoof of survival reality shows, integrating real people into it seems like an extra layer that detracts from the overall effect. The query remains: Is the live-action segment significant enough to make this one of the weakest episodes in the series?

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2025-02-16 18:10