South Park Season 9 (2005)
South Park Season 9 Review
The ninth season of South Park is nowhere near the quality of the previous season, but it is still pretty good with many classic episodes.
Mr. Garrison’s Fancy New Vagina is one of the classic South Park episodes and a fantastic vehicle for the character. It is interesting how they went in every direction possible when Garrison’s sexuality is concerned. And this one is one of the best episodes concerning the character. He is hilarious and he got me laugh many times, but the Kyle and Mr. Broflovski subplot is genius as well with a couple of truly hysterical puns.
Die Hippie, Die isn’t as good naturally, but it has Cartman at his best when his disgust for hippies is concerned and he is the reason why this particular part works, mainly near the beginning where he has many memorable lines.
Wing is one of the weaker episodes of this season as it is never particularly great or that funny. It is a good commentary, but fails as an entertainment and the humor in this one is never as good.
Best Friends Forever is a return to form for the season as it finally features Kenny and he is great here with a particularly great ending. The subject matter of the vegetative state is wonderfully explored and the heaven scenes, although not as funny, are still amusing and well incorporated into the storyline. And of course Cartman is phenomenal here.
The Losing Edge is not on the level of the other episodes here, but it does have Randy in one of his funniest moments and it is overall an interesting story and the one that treats baseball in a refreshing and honest way.
The Death of Eric Cartman is without a doubt a classic. It is the prime example of how South Park used to be great and did not rely on social commentary all the time. This episode is just pure fun and it is one of the most entertaining and hilarious parts of the season. It has a brilliant premise executed perfectly and it has probably the best Cartman/Butters storyline as their relationship is terrific here, funny and even touching at times.
Erection Day is one of those episodes I did not like at first, but grew to like it later on as I saw how surprisingly funny it is. It just might be the best episode for Jimmy as he is so stupendous here and this is overall quite satisfying.
Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow has a great premise and is a fine parody with Randy in particular being so funny and it parodies the disaster movies wonderfully. It also has such a superb conflict between Kyle and Cartman in a fantastic and hilarious climax.
Marjorine is such an underrated part. Butters is hysterical in this setting and the development is so authentic and shows the kids at their most foolish and innocent. It is the best use of the school girls yet.
Follow that Egg! is again a showcase of the superb storyline given to Garrison. He is the funniest here and even funnier than in the first episode as his accent here is more emphasized and he is the most hateful. It is of course a great commentary on gay marriage and all of that egg plot and especially the assassination is ridiculous and hilarious in a typical South Park style.
Ginger Kids is a masterpiece. Erik Cartman gets his best episode here with such a sophisticated take on discrimination. The finale alone with his memorable line is so funny and such a satisfying conclusion to this incredibly entertaining story. The supporting character of the doctor is so funny and the beginning is probably the funniest with Cartman’s presentation about ginger kids which is filled with his disgust and shows that he is the funniest with his expressive facial expressions.
Trapped in the Closet wonderfully mixes the parodying of Tom Cruise and John Travolta with the closet pun being repeated countless times and providing many laughs. But of course their controversial take on scientology is not only important, but also extremely well handled and hilarious. It combines those two elements beautifully into a coherent whole and works as both entertainment and social commentary.
Free Willzyx is an underrated episode that isn’t that strong, but is still an authentic parody of that movie with such a funny and interesting outcome. It also has those two marine workers who steal the show whenever they are on screen with their incredibly funny dialogue. It also handles animal activists so well and mixes it all up in a great manner and it has one of the most satisfying and ridiculous endings ever. It is one of those episodes which time forgot, but is still so good and definitely worth a watch. It is hugely underappreciated.
Bloody Mary is a revelation. This is one of the rare instances of warmth as that can almost never be found in this series. Yes, it wonderfully explores alcoholism and the support groups and mixes it stupendously with controversial, but hilarious religious theme, but the highlight here is not only Randy who is hysterical and this episode is one of his best, but the father-son relationship between him and Stan which is so unique and even touching. It has a wonderful finale, both heartwarming and truthful and sophisticated.
This ninth season is inferior to the previous one because it started off rather weak, but it improved later on with its second half being particularly great. It has its original stories, while also having parodies and political and social commentaries. It also has its fair share of classic episodes that should belong on any all-time best list and it is a great vehicle for the characters of Butters, Cartman and especially Randy and Garrison who are fantastic here.
Worst Episodes: Die Hippie, Die, Wing and The Losing Edge.
Best Episodes: Mr. Garrison’s Fancy New Vagina, The Death of Erik Cartman, Marjorine, Follow That Egg!, Ginger Kids and Bloody Mary.
