The 10 Most Underrated South Park Episodes Worth Revisiting

South Park
Credit: South Park Studios | Fair use for promotional purposes

South Park
Credit: South Park Studios | Fair use for promotional purposes

South Park has some of the most iconic and hilarious episodes in the sitcom world. The show’s creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, have produced over 300 episodes, with fan-favorite gems like “Make Love, Not Warcraft,” “Casa Bonita,” and the “Imaginationland” trilogy — episodes widely regarded as the best in the series and worth watching time and time again.

But there are episodes that might not have received as much attention when they first aired but are worth another watch. Here are 10 South Park episodes filled with great moments and jokes that definitely landed, yet remain somehow underappreciated.

Season 23 Episode 8 - "Turd Burglars"

Stan, Cartman, and Kenny
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Credit: South Park Studios | Fair use for promotional purposes

Season 23 is often regarded as one of the weaker seasons, with people already growing tired of Randy’s Tegridy Farms antics, and the “Band in China” episode being the only one fans generally find notable. Naturally, an episode like “Turd Burglars” became overlooked.

While many celebrate how the show seemed to return to its earlier roots in this episode, with plenty of turd jokes and gross-out moments, not everyone is a fan of this type of humor. Still, its references to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, scenes with Tom Brady, Kenny having unmuffled lines, and Kyle delivering one of his trademark moral speeches at the end mark “Turd Burglars” as one of South Park’s best modern episodes that fans should definitely revisit.

Season 21 Episode 1 - "White People Renovating Houses"

Randy and Sharon
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After the unsatisfying conclusion of Season 20, where the final moments of the fictional presidential election felt rushed due to the creators making last-minute changes, fans were uncertain about whether Season 21’s opening would make up for the previous season’s shortcomings.

Those who were hoping for the show to return to the basics, with the boys embarking on simple but comical adventures without social commentary, Season 21, Episode 1 might have felt disappointing. The episode instead focused on topics such as automatons like Alexa taking over jobs and the fascination white people have with house-flipping shows.

But without these high expectations, White People Renovating Houses becomes an excellent first episode, parodying home renovation reality TV, with moments like Randy goofing around and the ever-scheming Cartman staying true to his character.


Season 11 Episode 13 - "Episode Guitar Queer-O"

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South Park is known for tackling all sorts of relevant topics that impact the world, so video games have naturally found their place in the show. Some of the games featured include Minecraft, Red Dead Redemption 2, and World of Warcraft — the latter being the focus of the widely acclaimed episode Make Love, Not Warcraft.

Because of this, the Guitar Hero episode Guitar Queer-o often goes underappreciated. Yet it delivers memorable moments like Thad Jarvis’ “acoustic” performance, Randy singing “Carry On Wayward Son,” and Stan’s downward spiral — a clever parody of a rock star’s cliched life — that had both video game enthusiasts and rock music fans laughing out loud.

Season 15 Episode 3 - "Royal Pudding"

Canadians
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Season 15’s Royal Pudding includes everything fans of Canada-themed episodes adore: the beady-eyed, flapping-headed citizens, crude humor, and quotable lines. Despite this, the episode wasn’t well-received and had low ratings when it first aired.

This might be because many saw Season 15 as having several lackluster episodes, and Royal Pudding may have been overshadowed by the general criticism of the season's earlier episodes. Even so, Mr. Mackey and Ike truly stand out in this episode.

The creators cleverly hint at their work on The Book of Mormon musical through the kindergarteners’ play, all while humorously satirizing the British Royal Wedding. Over time, these elements have earned Royal Pudding a spot among fans’ favorite episodes.


Season 11 Episode 7 - "Night Of The Living Homeless"

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South Park is overrun by homeless people, pushing the adults of Colorado to their breaking point. Naturally, it’s up to Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny to come up with a solution in the most absurd way imaginable. While this George Romero-inspired episode is considered one of the top picks among fans, it doesn’t quite reach the same level of popularity as other South Park classics.

Night of the Living Homeless puts a fresh twist on the zombie apocalypse genre, especially in moments where Gerald becomes one of the homeless after losing his spare change, offering a clear commentary on the discrimination faced by individuals experiencing poverty.

Season 15 Episode 11 - "Broadway Bro Down"

South Park Broadway show
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When Randy realizes that Broadway musicals contain hidden messages in their songs that influence women to do something beneficial for their lovers in private, he takes Sharon to every show and ultimately tries to create one himself.

However, with Randy once again failing to be subtle, he gets advice from famous composers like Andrew Lloyd Webber and Elton John to stop what he’s doing before women discover their true motives.

This leads to a hilarious “bro down” encounter between Randy and Stephen Sondheim that fans will definitely want to revisit for a guaranteed good laugh.

Season 8 Episode 5 - "You Got F’d in the A"

Goth Kids
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You Got F’d in the A takes viewers back to a time when dance movies like You Got Served were hugely popular, but adds the kind of dark humor that’s purely South Park flavored.

From the surprising dance-off challenge with the Orange County kids to uncovering the fan-favorite Butters' dreadful past, many consider this episode top-notch. However, with the older seasons packed with memorable episodes, You Got F’d in the A became one of the most underrated installments that gained more appreciation from fans after a second watch.

Season 15 Episode 14 - "The Poor Kid"

Mysterion and Karen
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Even though Season 15 didn’t start off with its most impactful episodes, it finished strong with The Poor Kid, starring the resilient Kenny McCormick. This episode features some of the funniest moments, with the show humorously poking fun at the Agnostic religion, but also some of the most heartwarming scenes, especially with Kenny being a caring big brother to Karen, protecting her while dressed as Mysterion.

This episode has also one of the most shocking endings and Cartman gets his comeuppance while delivering the funniest “poor mom” joke he could think of at the situation.

Season 3 Episode 1 - "Rainforest Shmainforest"

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Rainforest Shmainforest from Season 3 deserves more love for several reasons. For one, it has that classic South Park charm, with the boys sounding more like kids their age. Sure, they’re more mean-spirited in the earlier seasons, but they still manage to keep their innocence, completely unaware of societal issues or, in this episode, environmental problems.

The title of the episode perfectly captures the boys’ attitude toward the environment, as they’re forced to visit the rainforest in Costa Rica and end up in dangerous situations that most third graders shouldn’t have to face.

Season 2 Episode 6 - "The Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka"

Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny
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Many long-time South Park fans often binge-watch episodes from the earlier seasons, believing they are among the best. However, an episode featuring familiar characters like Jimbo, Ned, and Jesus is sure to make viewers want to relive the good times, as newer seasons seldom feature them.

Aside from the chaos that ensues in the episode, The Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka offers a clever take on the absurdity of sensationalism in the media, making it a timeless classic that deserves more recognition.