The eighth season of South Park is such a great one with each and every episode being just fantastic. It is without a doubt the finest season of the series and one of the best seasons of any show ever. So incredibly good.
It has fourteen episodes and that is a high number and all are top-notch. It contains political episodes, parodies but also just episodes that are pure fun without any commentary which is terrific. Good Times with Weapons is a perfect parody of anime shows with all of the boys here being super fun and of course with Butters being the standout, he is very good and provides many laughs. It also has a great anime song and the animation is phenomenally well used.
Up the Down Steroid is a great Cartman vehicle and it provides many of the best moments from him in this season. The whole special Olympics setting is just ingenious and the two subplots work well together and mash well with Cartman’s being naturally better but even Jimmy and Timmy are great and the ending is fantastic.
The Passion of the Jew is one of the classic South Park episodes. It is a great satire, it is probably the quintessential episode when Cartman and Kyle’s rivalry is concerned and the story is just great, perfectly mixing hilarity with social commentary and it makes fun of the movie and its star wonderfully.
You Got F’d in the A is such a hilarious part with such a crazy and seemingly ridiculous concept, but the one that the creators used and executed superbly providing us many true laughs with Randy being especially good here and naturally Butters getting a terrific backstory with hilarious results.
AWESOM-O is one of those episodes that proves how South Park can and was great back in the day with just great stories they told. Here they don’t rely on any commentary, social or political, nor do they rely on any parody or references. They just have fun with the story and whereas The Passion of the Jew was a quintessential Cartman and Kyle episode, this is a quintessential Cartman and Butters episode that proves what a great duo they are and how great they counteract against each other. They are just so good together, it is hilarious and very charming and just fantastically entertaining.
The Jeffersons isn’t one of the highlights of the season, but it is still memorable with a great parody of Michael Jackson, an excellent use of its characters and Sgt. Yates is simply hilarious here and he proved what a great supporting character he is with his racism and funny behavior. They made great use of him here and they will thankfully repeat it later on.
Goobacks to me just might be the best episode of the entire series, it is surely one of the very best, but it just might be the finest. It is a great high-concept idea and one of their most crazy and yet incredibly authentic and original pieces created. But it is above all filled with many instantly quotable lines and the humor is just brilliant.
Douche and Turd is rather underrated and at first I did not like it as much, but now I adore it as its political commentary on voting is top-notch and so clever but it also mixes it up perfectly with an attack on animal activism and both of those subplots are fantastic, both mash well together and both are funny as hell and so incredibly smart.
The ninth episode is Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes and to me is definitely the weakest one here but that is by no means bad as all parts are great here and this certainly is as such. It isn’t as funny, but it surely is very atmospheric and creepy and Randy is brilliant here.
Pre-School is another episode that is just fun without any commentary. And it’s arguably one of the best episodes ever with every character getting his due and with many laugh-out-loud moments. It is definitely one of the funniest episodes of this season which is really saying a lot.
Quest for Ratings is slow and at times uneventful, but it is such a great take on journalism with many funny scenes and a very smart approach. It is a great school story with all of the kids being excellent.
Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset is one of the best and undoubtedly one of the raunchiest parts of the whole series. Mr. Slave is phenomenal here along with Mr. Garrison of course, but it is Mr. Stotch who is the highlight and who proves he is one of the finest supporting characters in the series. Everything with him and Butters is pure gold, but Cartman gets his scenes to shine as well and is so memorable and the episode is very smart and a great attack on Paris Hilton.
Cartman’s Incredible Gift is another authentic story, this time perfectly handling psychic detectives. Cartman is naturally fantastic in this one and the whole concept is so smart and it produces many funny parts.
Woodland Critter Christmas is a rare episode in which Stan is funny which really is rare. But it is above all such a violent Christmas- themed story that is seemingly innocent, but turns out to be anything but and the whole plot is wrapped up beautifully in a great conclusion. And the critters are definitely some of the best animal characters on the show.
This eighth season is definitely the best in South Park history with a great emphasis on the characters of Butters, Cartman and some phenomenal supporting characters and a great mix of parodies, social commentaries and just plain fun episodes. It is the only season where each and every episode is not just good, but great and that is such a great accomplishment.
Worst Episodes: Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes and Quest for Ratings.
Best Episodes: The Passion of the Jew, AWESOME-O, Goobacks, Douche and Turd, Pre-School, Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset and Woodland Critter Christmas.
