South Park Season 10 (2006)
South Park Season 10 Review
The tenth season of South Park has its weaker episodes, but is mostly fantastic with a number of classic episodes.
The Return of Chef is a weird episode. The unfortunate departure of Isaac Hayes meant that this beloved character was going to die and he did die here and it was done in the most brutal, disgusting way possible. Now, while that seems excessive and the child molestation theme is something the creators have done countless times by now, this episode is still pretty good because it was above all incredibly emotional and a memorable goodbye to the character of Chef.
Smug Alert! is absolutely hilarious! This is probably the best use of Gerald Broflovski ever as he is so funny here. The subject matter is very relevant and interesting and is explored wonderfully here and the Cartman/Kyle dynamic is really terrific in this one as it finally shows you that Cartman, in his twisted way, cannot live without Kyle and that was a great development.
Cartoon Wars is a superb two-parter. Cartoon Wars Part I is a great introduction with a great use of Mr. Garrison and Cartman, but while that part is admittedly great, Cartoon Wars Part II is the highlight because it has a lot more going for it. I absolutely adored their ridicule of stupid Family Guy and those jokes were just so on point and hysterical. The twist at the end is so funny, the use of Bart is quite good and Cartman/Kyle dynamic is once again terrific here. The Muslim ridicule of Americans was so funny as well and this is a great political episode with an important message, but without sacrificing its humor in the process.
A Million Little Fibers has to be one of the most purely entertaining and hilarious episodes of the show and definitely one of their most underappreciated. Towelie has never been better than in this episode, Oprah is wonderfully parodied and that story with her vagina and anus being alive and being the main characters here is just so ridiculous, but also incredibly offbeat and funny. The ending in particular is uproariously funny.
ManBearPig is a classic! It is an undisputed masterpiece and one of the finest episodes of South Park ever. Cartman of course gets many memorable moments, but it is Al Gore who steals the show with unforgettable catchphrases, ridiculous behavior and some fantastic lines that instantly made me laugh out loud. He is one of the very best celebrities on this show as he is perfectly parodied as well as being so funny and memorable.
Tsst is a superb Cartman-centric episode that explores his personality the most with a couple of genuinely creepy and very well realized sequences that take you right into his psyche. But Cesar Millan is absolutely phenomenal as one of the few people that posed real threat to Cartman. And this story wonderfully explores the incredibly troublesome and complex relationship between Cartman and his mom.
Make Love, Not Warcraft is another classic. It makes fun of the titular game and its players in an incredibly inventive and realistic manner, but the animation here is wonderful as it actually uses the same animation from the said video game. Randy steals the show here as some of his scenes are just so uproarious and this has to be one of the best and most entertaining episodes, period.
Mystery of the Urinal Deuce is a letdown after a couple of really strong parts mainly because it focuses on politics way too much with the humor lacking. It has its funny moments and it’s an interesting take on the subject matter, but it needed more humor to be enjoyed more.
Miss Teacher Bangs a Boy is yet another story about child molestation and while that is a really clichéd subject matter for Trey Parker and Matt Stone by now, this is still a fun episode that has the best use of Ike and some fun Cartman moments as well.
Hell on Earth 2006 is one of the weaker parts of this season because it is too weird and gross at times. However, I changed my mind about this one as I hated it before, but I kind of like it now because Satan as a teenage girl can produce a lot of laughs.
Go God Go is absolutely fantastic and one of the classic two-parters and quite possibly South Park’s very best. The first Go God Go has absolutely hysterical moments with Mr. Garrison being just hilarious here and so crazy. His relationship with Richard Dawkins leads to a lot of interesting scenes, but of course his mockery of evolution leads to one of the best and most instantly recognizable sequences of the show.
Go God Go XII is as brilliant as its predecessor and finishes this story in a remarkable manner. The title itself is funny, but the futuristic scenes are a lot of fun as they make fun of Star Wars in a great way with the robots being greatly ridiculed. Also, those otters are just ingenious and the mockery of atheism is incredibly inventive and on point. But Cartman is just awesome here and this whole story is incredibly original and so entertaining.
Stanley’s Cup is a decidedly odd conclusion to this season. It is a bit slow and boring, but once again makes fun of those clichéd sports movies perfectly with an entirely different and brutal ending. And Stan is at his best here as these kinds of episodes suit his character the most.
