Top 5 - South Park Season 4

9/10/2017

Honorable Mention - Fat Camp

This is more of an episode to watch just for a good laugh. It's pretty basic altogether, but it's something audiences may question - what would happen if you tried sending Eric Cartman to Fat Camp?

The result ends up being pretty funny, and somewhat what one would expect from a kid like Cartman. I won't spoil it too much for you 'cause it's pretty funny, but he manipulates the necessary people as only Cartman can. Just another step toward true evil (remember that for next season's list).

As far as the other boys go, the side story here involves Kenny becoming a "prostitute". Starting with the classroom offering him some cash to eat a manatee spleen, it continues on to eventually have him become a star. Eventually, he ends up on the Howard Stern Show with Johnny Knoxville and Tom Green, to give you some idea of just what kind of star he becomes. It's a good one, but there's just not enough to it to make it.

Honorable Mention - A Very Crappy Christmas

This one very nearly made the list, and probably would have if it was... well... just a better episode overall. It involves the boys going into the sewers to investigate why Mr. Hankey didn't show up on Christmas morning. They soon discover that Mr. Hankey has a family, and because of this, he's been dealing with various family issues - not the least of which is a raging alcoholic wife.

The boys then take it upon themselves, with the help of Hankey's children, to somehow bring Christmas spirit back to South Park. It starts with failed caroling, and evolves to the idea of making an animated Christmas card. The animated Christmas card in question is 'The Spirit of Christmas', which was the original animation by Trey Parker and Matt Stone that lead to the idea of 'South Park' in the first place. So that's a really cool Easter Egg for anyone interested in the show's history.

However, when all said and done, the episode just isn't that memorable to me. Of all the Christmas Specials, I'd probably put this one on the lower end of the list, despite the interesting Easter Egg.

#05 - Fourth Grade

Right around the middle of Season 4, Trey and Matt said "these dudes need to develop a little", so they aged them by one year, gave them a new teacher, and started bringing the background characters to the foreground. The whole idea was great for keeping the show fresh without ruining what people loved about it.

They get their new teacher, Mr. Choksondik, and they give her a hell of a time as she tries to be a proper teacher. Frustrated on not being able to get through to them, she visits their former teacher Mr. Garrison, who had fled to the mountains after being fired when he was accused of trying to solicit sex from Cartman (seen in 'Cartman Joins NAMBLA').

Meanwhile, the boys reminisce enough about third grade and how good it was. They seek out the help of the town's tow most superior 'Star Trek' geeks in order to make a time machine. I won't say what the machine ends up being, but it yields hilarious results. It's a great episode to kick of the "new and improved" 'South Park'.

#04 - Something You Can Do With Your Finger

Before the boys enter Fourth Grade, one of their final Third Grade adventures has Cartman convincing Stan, Kyle and Kenny to form a boy band. This stems from a dream Cartman has in which he gets a taste of what fame must be like.

With this, Kyle points out that most boy bands out there have five members. Several of the students go through an audition to become the fifth member, but only one manages to nail it. And it's not Randy, as the accompanying picture may suggest.

Actually, that brings me to my next point about the episode. Aspects of it make it a Randy episode, and perhaps the first time we see him go, as I like to say, "Full Randy". He doesn't want Stan to join the boy band due to his own tortured past of being in one, himself. It's a fun episode, and the 'Fingerbang' song the boys sing will likely get stuck in your head once you finish watching.

#03 - Helen Keller the Musical

By this point in the game, Timmy has been established as perhaps the biggest new name in the show. Why do people love him so much? Because he's just that lovable! He's always happy, having a good time, clearly enthusiastic, and you can tell he's a good kid despite the fact all he can seem to say is his name. So, it makes sense to make an episode in which you seem to genuinely care what happens to him.

The fourth graders are made to put on a play for a 'Thanksgiving Extravaganza' at their school. The selection is 'The Miracle Worker' - the story of Helen Keller. When Butters mentions the kindergarten class has the best show he's ever seen in the works, however, the class decide to up their game. The biggest idea they have is to make it lean more towards the theme of Thanksgiving by changing Helen's dog to a turkey who can do stunts. Timmy helps to pick out the turkey, and falls in love with a disabled turkey, calling him "Gobbles".

Meanwhile, Cartman has also decided to head the play, change it into a musical, and bring in Jeffrey Maynard, who once played the lead in 'Les Miserables'. Eventually, a much fancier turkey is also brought in through Maynard, named "Alinicia". Because of this, there are assassination attempts on Gobbles as we see Timmy doing what he can to protect him. All in all, it's actually a pretty sweet episode with a fairly surprising (even for 'South Park') ending. But don't worry, all the humor you want is here, and it includes Timmy's discovering of his new word "Gobbles".

#02 - Timmy 2000

'Timmy 2000' serves as our proper introduction to the new handicapped character, Timmy. In an attempt to find out what his handicap is, Mr. Mackey decides he has ADD, and he is given Ritalin taken off homework (by the way - NOT how it woks!). With the idea of getting no more homework, the boys claim they have ADD as well, and it's easily given to them.

On one side of the story, we see how the boys react to the calming effects of Ritalin, as it makes them boring and creepy. Cartman ends up seeing little pink Christina Aguilera monsters as well. Eventually, the adults join in the trend as well, leaving Chef the only one in town not on it. It plays as a sort of 'Body Snatchers' scenario.

In the meantime, Timmy, not taking his medication, comes across a garage band. They hear how Timmy talks, and allow him to be the lead vocalist for their new band 'Timmy and the Lords of the Underworld'. The people of South Park fall in love with the band, but on the sidelines, Phil Collins tries to break them up due to seeing how the audience laughs at Timmy's antics on stage. It's an episode that gives me a good laugh, especially having been on Ritalin once, myself and understanding it's zombifying effects (which, granted, are extreme in this case).

#01 - The Wacky Molestation Adventure

This is another easy #1 for me, as I've always considered it my favorite episode of Season 4. Much like 'Rainforest Shmainforest', I didn't even really need to watch it again for it to end up here. The title may throw some, however, so allow me to explain.

It all starts when the boys get tickets to a concert featuring a band called the 'Raging Pussies'. Everyone makes up alibis to make sure they can go, except for Kyle, who foolishly asks their parents who very predictably say "no". In trying to figure out how to get to go, Kyle even manages to achieve something deeply political that ought to be impossible. I won't say what it is, but it's funny stuff. He's still denied, however, and Cartman suggests he call the authorities and tell them his parents molested him. That way, the parents are out of the way, and he can go. However, having no parents around rules just a little too much, and all of the kids follow Kyle's example.

Some time passes, and we see a couple named Mark and Linda drive into town, looking for directions. To make a long story short, to know that I'm a sucker for the episodes that focus on the kids playing some adventure game, or as I say "just being kids", this is the most extreme and even somewhat horrific example of that. It's essentially post-apocalyptic mixed with the idea of 'Children of the Corn'. It's easily the most fun I had with an episode from this season. It's ten times funnier if you get the 'Children of the Corn' references throughout. It also has one of my favorite Kenny deaths, but that's just me.

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