5 Underrated Episodes Of South Park (& 5 That Are Overrated)

The zany animated comedy, South Park, has made quite a name for itself in its vast, rich history spanning over two decades. It’s consisted of a wide range of wacky, often edgy material which has run the gamut from childish fart jokes to nuanced sociopolitical commentary.

Considering many episodes lean on specific subjects to satirize, and that SP now has over 300 episodes to its name – there’s bound to be some that are overhyped, as well as others that are unjustly overlooked, generally speaking.

With that said, let’s go on down to South Park as we examine 10 of the more underrated episodes, along with 10 that are overrated.

10 Overrated: Woodland Critter Christmas

South Park is known in part for its memorable holiday specials, and “Woodland Critter Christmas” is no different in a sense. Yet, this one tends to stick out more for its absurd randomness and shock value than a gripping narrative or nuanced comedy.

You’ve got cute critters who apparently revel in gruesome murders and evil rituals – which end up being a depraved made-up tale by Cartman? Sure, why not…

In fairness, the showrunners of SP were on record for having a brutal case of season finale burnout which backed them against the wall. This led to a mad scramble to get this out in just a few days. Given these circumstances, it’s impressive that a coherent episode was crafted at all. Still, at the end of the day, this is an odd one; and not in the typically charming SP kind of way.

9 Underrated: I Should Have Never Gone Ziplining

Even some of the most diehard SP fans will admit the series hit something of a lull in the early 2010s. Still, this unique parody from season 16 doesn’t quite deserve the slagging and disregarding that other episodes around this time received.

Certainly, there are a few caveats that come with “I Should Have Never Gone Ziplining.” It definitely helps to have the relatable experience of embarking on a lengthy hike or outdoor event that the plot’s centered around. And given its obscure spoof of the survival program, I Shouldn’t Be Alive, the audience who “gets” this humor might be limited.

Still, this has some underappreciated moments of clever humor, capped off with a particularly hilarious bit featuring a live-action Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny.

8 Overrated: Cartoon Wars

By 2006, another animated comedy by the name of Family Guy had earned a clout comparable to Parker and Stone’s show.

Cue the inevitable response, featuring a parody of the similarly edgy, goofy cartoon. The notion of one of the most prominent cartoon comedies spoofing another makes for a fun premise, albeit a strange one.

The episode tends to fall a bit flat once you strip away the novelty of this spoof. Both the plot and the pacing feel chaotic, as a simple cartoon war escalates into a fight against censorship. Additionally, Cartman’s odd rants in explaining the merits of how their brand of comedy is superior to Family Guy‘s makes it feels like it’s got an axe to grind, which resides over the enjoyment.

7 Underrated: Sarcastaball

You’ve likely heard the complaints about American football becoming “too soft” or otherwise marred, coupled with increasing worries of its knack for causing harmful concussions. Season 16’s “Sarcastaball” is the result of Parker and Stone taking these notions to an extreme and satirizing them to an absurd – but hilarious – degree.

The plot is a creative one in terms of social commentary and comedic impact. Randy’s tirade regarding apparent paranoia about football leads to the creation of a far softer alternative in which players wear bras and compliment each other, as no one seems to pick up on his sarcasm.

There’s just something about Randy’s over-the-top sarcastic ramblings throughout which are uniquely humorous.

6 Overrated: 200

This climactic episode garnered a ton of heat for its build-up of the supposed reveal of the prophet Muhammad, which was ironic given its prominent anti-censorship theme. Still, getting past the hype and controversy, the two-part episode itself felt chaotic and overly-dense to the point of lacking entertainment value.

The episode is chock-full of random celebrity cameos from previous episodes which don’t seem to serve much purpose other than the novelty that they’re there – all in one grandiose episode. Because of this, and the general hype surrounding this 200th episode, there’s a self-congratulatory air to it all that comes across more as a novelty than a fun, well-crafted romp.

5 Underrated: The Tale Of Scrotie McBoogerballs

While we somewhat already had our SP parody of the medium of literature, this season 14 episode vastly eclipses “Chickenlover” in its creative narrative and nuanced satire.

Basically, the four boys decide to cobble together a blatantly lude and goofy story, which they pin on Butters. Unexpectedly though, it manages to blow up in popularity, as “sophisticated” readers try to insert hidden meanings and project their own value system to highlight the nonexistent depth.

It’s an over-the-top, yet immensely clever social satire that tends to get overlooked. One amusing example includes a caricature Morgan Freeman solemnly narrating Butters’ book that includes excerpts like “weiner poop,” passing it off as nuanced literature.

4 Overrated: Cripple Fight

In terms of SP historical significance, season 5’s “Cripple Fight” stands out with its amusing parody of a They Live brawl and the introduction of the renowned Jimmy Valmer. But now that Jimmy has long since been established as a mainstay character with several appearances, this once-fun episode tends to lack the luster it once had.

The funny Jimmy zingers and relevant Big Gay Al B-plot isn’t enough to prop up the rest of the tepid plot, which drags on thanks to the drawn-out Timmy and Jimmy fight at its conclusion.

3 Underrated: Terrance And Phillip In Not Without My Anus

Context and timing can mean a lot when it comes to art and entertainment.

This is certainly the case with this season 2 premiere, which has scarcely been given a second look even two decades later. Basically, the episode’s main purpose was to troll its viewers who were anticipating the reveal of Cartman’s father, only to be greeted by hastily-animated farting Canadians seemingly separate from the show’s main setting.

Still, despite being essentially an April Fools gag, this romp featuring the two now-iconic characters has plenty of funny moments when viewed on its own merits. It’s a nice example of classic SP in its more juvenile days, which has since been lost by many as it’s gotten more nuanced.

2 Overrated: Good Times With Weapons

Fanbases tend to be split on this one, but the general consensus seems to be that this season 8 debut is one of the more iconic, hilarious episodes. This notion is basically confirmed by its sky-high IMDb rating of 9.1. But is it really all that it’s cracked up to be?

Those who have at least casually dabbled in anime will certainly find much to appreciate about this specific, on-the-nose parody, especially with its silly theme song.

Yet, it’s tough for those who aren’t fluent in Dragon Ball Z to get much out of this. This is particularly the case after the gruesome ninja star accident to Butters, which is followed by some awful treatment of the character which manages to outdo the usual abuse.

1 Underrated: D-Yikes!

It might be a bit hypocritical of us to turn around and praise this blatant 300 spoof after we just knocked the previous entry for a similar satire of Japanese anime. And yet, in the case of “D-Yikes,” this pop culture reference tends to be done in a more clever and entertaining manner overall. This is true on both a narrative and visual level; both of which are spot-on and creative.

Fans have voiced their displeasure of the goofy Ms. Garrison-centric romps, but this is actually a rare bout of hilarity with this character – sans annoyance. It’s certainly funnier and more entertaining than its tepid 7.7 IMDb score lets on.

About The Author

Stephen Lagioia
(250 Articles Published)

Stephen is an avid Nintendo, Indie, and retro gamer who dabbles in Xbox on occasion, mainly in the form of binge sessions of Overwatch. He’s a history buff, an aspiring writer of short fiction, and a devout metalhead who enjoys poorly drumming along to Black Sabbath on his cheap drum set. When his beloved Chicago Cubs or Bulls are not playing, he typically likes to watch random documentaries or campy horror films.

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