The seventh season of South Park has some weaker episodes of the fifteen there are, but the ones that are good are fantastic and really memorable. It is on par with its previous season quality-wise.
Cancelled is the first one and it is one of very best in here meaning that it opened strongly. The entire idea that the Earth is just one TV show for aliens is such a fascinating and incredibly original one, while being as wild and goofy as expected. And it is incredibly inventive while also being gross and shocking in its depiction of alien sex.
Krazy Kripples is one of the weaker episodes undoubtedly. And it is also an example of how this season has a jarring shift in tone and quality, jumping from one quality episode to a weaker one constantly. This one has an interesting subject matter, but it quickly wears its welcome as it is way too repetitive for its own sake.
Toilet Paper is excellent. It is one of those episodes that on the surface look simplistic, but end up being a whole bunch of things. It wonderfully shows the playful, but mean nature of the kids while also mixing it up with some excellent film references being a solid parody of ‘The Silence of the Lambs‘. Cartman is also terrific in this one.
Now granted, I absolutely hated I’m a Little Bit Country when I first saw it a couple of years ago, but now I think it is pretty good mainly because I now get how smart it is with its politics and its understanding of how US politics works. Yes, the music is annoying, but Cartman is amusing and the commentary is very well done.
Fat Butt and Pancake Head is hilarious! The whole Cartman routine here is something new, but still incredibly funny, portraying his racism and his craziness perfectly. And a whole take on Latino culture and Jennifer Lopez lends to much of the humor along with some crazy sexual scenes as expected.
Lil’ Crime Stoppers isn’t as memorable an episode and is frankly quite forgettable, but it has its moments including the presence of a great supporting character Sergeant Yates who is always stupendous.
Red Man’s Dream is not the greatest episode as well, but it is a great take on gambling and the inclusion of a new guest character lends itself to many hilarious scenes including the ending which is incredibly satisfying.
South Park is Gay! is one of the best episodes not only of this season but of all time. It is absolutely brilliant. It takes its metrosexual subject matter and explores it wonderfully, making fun of it in the most hilarious way possible with the different characters being all dressed up appropriately and acting in the funniest manner possible. It also has Crab People who are hilarious in their twist and the whole episode is just fantastic.
Christian Hard Rock is amazing as well. It is incredible when they manage to mix social commentary with hilarity in a great mash. The commentary on downloading music and celebrity lifestyle is wonderfully done with one scene being just laugh out loud funny, but it is Cartman who is the highlight here with his music and it has one of the best songs here as well. Cartman’s story here is one of the best in this season.
Grey Dawn is an underrated episode that explores a difficult subject matter of elders’ driver’s licenses with many funny moments and it is one of the best episodes for Grandpa Marsh.
Casa Bonita is just spectacular! It is amazing as it is both a Cartman and a Butters episode with the two being extremely funny. The way Cartman manages to get in there at the end and the way it all ends is so satisfying whereas Butters’ story is also incredibly rewarding and so entertaining. It is one of the classic episodes and one of the best to see with both of those characters who are inarguably the best south Park characters.
All About Mormons is another episode in this seventh season that I completely changed my opinion of. Once I understood the song, it added the whole new level of awesomeness to this story and South Park manages to add another religion on their list of religious parodies. And it has one of the best finales ever for the show with such an unexpected line with great delivery and just incredibly funny outcome.
Butt Out is a nicely done commentary on cigarettes but it fails as entertainment as it is a pretty standard and even boring episode that lacks true laughs making it a solid, but not great part.
Raisins is a great Butters vehicle. It establishes perfectly him as a playboy and it has many hilarious parts here. But Stan’s becoming a goth is also extremely rewarding as it is done with great detail and style. Both of these subplots make this episode a truly memorable one.
It’s Christmas in Canada is not the most well-known and the most memorable part as are all stories set in Canada or with Terrance and Phillip, but it has its moments as well with the journey and the animation being a great parody of ‘The Wizard of Oz’.
Overall, it is a very good season that is on par with its previous one, but still lacking when compared to the fifth season. It has excellent Cartman moments, but there isn’t enough Mr. Garrison and not nearly enough Butters here to compensate. But this is nonetheless one of the seasons that dealt the most with social commentaries and most of them are done in a great way. It has some classic episodes including Casa Bonita, Cancelled, South park is Gay! and Christian Hard Rock with all of these belonging on the all-time greatest episode lists. Yes, some episodes are not as good and it is not the most even season, but it still has many hilarious parts and it perfectly mixes social commentary with great character moments.
Worst Episodes: Krazy Kripples, Red Man’s Greed and Butt Out.
Best Episodes: Cancelled, South Park is Gay!, Christian Hard Rock and Casa Bonita.
