South Park

[talonmalon333]

South Park is one of those shows that I should watch more. Anytime I do see it, I laugh. A lot. I love the humor and the idea behind the show. But again, that's only when I see it, which is very infrequently.

Also, this isn't relevant to what I was saying above. I'm just curious, when do people say this show went downhill, anyway? Or, at least, when do people say the golden era ended (since, from the sound of things, you guys still enjoy it enough to keep up with it)?

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

The golden era is generally considered to be seasons 3-8, but I'd argue that it goes consistently strong up to season 10, myself. That's when the show really hit its stride, since the first 2 seasons haven't aged the best, a few noteworthy episodes aside. After that, some people say that the show goes completely downhill,which I veheemently disagree with, and always have. I'll say that, this most recent season aside (which I freaking loved), it does become less consistent, but it also has more hits than misses, IMO, and some of my all-time favorite episodes are from the later seasons.

At any rate, I'd say that if you just wanted to watch South Park at its best, go ahead and start with season 3 and go onto at least the 8th season. However, I'd argue that every season is worth a watch, or at the very least you could at least cherry-pick the best episodes from them, as there are still a lot of great ones in the mix.

To put things into perspective, I'd say that, while I actually liked the later seasons of Futura,a despite some bad episodes, South Park's later seasons were definitely stronger than Futurama's later seasons, on the whole. I can't compare it to The Simpsons or King of the Hill,  though, since I still haven't watched enough of those shows.

[Nel_Annette]

Yeah, general consensus seems to be that season 9 is when South Park hit a bit of a bump. I don't really see it myself. I feel like every season has basically had the same amounts of hits and misses, and that it's pretty much stayed at the same level the whole time barring the first two seasons.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

My favorite South Park episode from each season so far:

1. Cartman's Mom is a Dirty Slut
2. Spookyfish
3. Chinpokomon
4. The Wacky Molestation Adventure
5. Super Best Friends (my very first SP episode ever!)
6. My Future Self n' Me (favorite episode of SP ever!)
7. Casa Bonita
8. Woodland Critter Christmas
9. The Losing Edge
10. Stanley's Cup
11. Imaginationland Parts I-III
12. Breast Cancer Show Ever
13. Pinewood Derby
14. You Have 0 Friends
15. City Sushi
16. Insecurity
17. Black Friday Trilogy
18. Go Fund Yourself

Some of those choices were really hard to make, especially for seasons 4-9, as well 12, 13, and 18; and yes, the most recent season was excellent. I really couldn't pick between that episode, Handicar,  Freemium isn't Free, and Cock Magic, but decided on the premiere for being arguably the best opening episode to any season of this show thus far.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Good choices! For me, they'd be:

1. Mecha-Streisand
2. Chickenpox
3. Sexual Harassment Panda
4. The Wacky Molestation Adventure
5. Butters' Very Own Episode (my favorite episode)
6. Asspen
7. Toilet Paper
8. Woodland Critter Christmas
9. The Losing Edge
10. Stanley's Cup
11. The Imaginationland Trilogy
12. About Last Night...
13. Fishsticks
14. 200 & 201
15. City Sushi
16. I Should Have Never Gone Ziplining
17. Black Friday Trilogy
18. Handicar

My first episode of SP was "Pinkeye," ftr.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Great list, yourself!

3. My second choice, actually
4. For the record, it was super hard to leave out Cartman's Silly Hate Crime 2000
5. This one came up for me, it was real close
6. This may just be my favorite season; you could pick any episode as the best and you'd have a case for it
7. This was my 2nd or 3rd choice (I can't remember if Li'l Crime Stoppers was in this or season 8)
8-11.
13. That goddamn song is still stuck in my head to this day
14. I AM NOT A FUDGE-PACKER!
15.
17.
18. God, this season was so good; I'd say that every episode except for one was a hit, and even the weak link of this season was still decent, IMO

[Foggle]

I've yet to finish season 17 or 18, but here are mine:

1. Volcano
2. Chickenlover
3. Chinpokomon
4. Fat Camp
5. Butters' Very Own Episode
6. The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers
7. Lil' Crime Stoppers
8. Woodland Critter Christmas
9. The Death of Eric Cartman
10. Cartoon Wars
11. The Snuke
12. Breast Cancer Show Ever
13. Fatbeard
14. 200 & 201
15. 1%
16. A Scause for Applause

A fair amount of overlap with you guys. Y'all must have good taste!

My favorite episode overall is a four-way tie between The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers, Lil' Crime Stoppers, Woodland Critter Christmas, and 1%. I just can't choose!

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

From season 17, I'd highly recommend watching the Black Friday Trilogy if you haven't already done so. Aside from getting me into Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire (which of course means that I had never seen or read it prior to these episodes, yet still found them amazingly hilarious as a parody), It has perhaps the best commentary on the current-gen console wars that I have ever seen, and it's an amazing advertisement for South Park: The Stick of Truth. But even more than that, it's just flat-out hilarious from start to finish.

Also, season 18 is arguably the best season since South Park was last in its prime. It also is uniwue in that it has a bit of continuity going throughout. It's nothing too heavy-handed, but it's worth watching in order so that certain jokes make a lot more sense, especially in the final 2-parter.

[Foggle]

I've actually seen all of season 17 except for the Black Friday Trilogy, and I've seen a couple episodes from 18 already. Good to hear that I've got a bunch of great episodes in front of me. I'll be sure to watch them soon.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I also have to say that it was super hard leaving out Super Fun Time, but Breast Cancer Show Ever just overtook it by a smidge, for me. Still, that episode is amazing.

[LumRanmaYasha]

The season premiere was last Wednesday. It was pretty solid, with some fun continuity nods to previous jokes and episodes. I have to wonder if PC Principal is really here to stay, though. Much like last year, I have a feeling another season-long story arc is a-brewing...

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I loved the premiere. PC Principal is a hilarious new character, and the use of continuity and references to earlier episodes was really clever without being overly-intrusive. And I'm just fine with a season-wide story arc again as long as it's handled like last season, where the episodes can still be watched episodically, but where it all connects to a certain theme.

[Daxdiv]

I also echo the sentiments of PC Principal being the best new character they introduced in a while. So much biting social commentary in this episode with Deflategate where Tom Brady walked away without a scratch on him, Caitlyn Jenner coming out as transgender, Jared Fogle pedophilia charges and also the stuff about Europe's immigration crisis. That and PC Principal and his ilk being SJW while also being frat boys also works on a very humorous level. The irony in those scenes were delicious.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

So, yeah, continuity in South Park is definitely a thing, now.

I loved the jab at Donald Trump in this episode.

[Peanutbutter]

So, yeah, continuity in South Park is definitely a thing, now.

I loved the jab at Donald Trump in this episode.

Canadian Trump was a nice touch, but at the risk of sounding like PC Principal I really didn't like Garrison raping him literally at the end.    I think that was way too far at the end, but the rest of episode was great. What's nice is now it seems they're going to continue with Garrison going political in addition to PC Principal still being in town.  Considering the fraternity they set up last time I have a feeling they'll do an episode on the UAV false rape scandal soon.