Why South Park’s Creators Love One Of The Show’s Most Hated Episodes

Summary South Park's season 2 premiere was a prank on viewers, featuring Terrance and Philip instead of the main characters.

Terrance and Phillip's solo episode isn't as bad in retrospect, showcasing the creators' commitment to absurdity.

Most of South Park's least liked episodes ignore the main characters, losing what makes the show unique and original.

Although South Park season 2, episode 1, was one of the show’s most hated episodes upon its original release, there is a reason that the show’s creators still love the divisive outing. Since its inception, South Park has always pushed the boundaries of good taste and taken major creative risks. The show began life as a viral e-card depicting a battle between Jesus and Santa Claus over who runs Christmas, and the upcoming South Park season 27 is set to be just as profane and irreverent as this controversial short. South Park isn’t known for its decorum or predictability.

However, some of the show’s less popular outings have been accused of taking this trolling attitude too far. Season 3, episode 4, “Jakovasaurs,” attempted to parody the Star Wars prequels, but many viewers found the eponymous creatures even more annoying than Jar Jar Binks. Similarly, season 13, episode 4, “Eat Pray Queef,” failed to win over fans with its constant scatological humor. South Park’s original premise saw the series satirize adult life through the eyes of children, but the show’s immaturity was sometimes too much for viewers. This was epitomized by one infamous early outing that the show’s creators loved.

South Park Season 2 Episode 1 Was A Prank On South Park Viewers

Trey Parker And Matt Stone Left Season 1’s Cliffhanger Ending Unanswered

Close

This twenty-minute standalone adventure features none of the show’s regular cast members and instead focuses on the titular duo, Terrance and Philip.

Season 2, episode 1, “Terrance and Phillip in Not Without My Anus,” is a perfect riposte to reviewers who claimed South Park’s comedy consisted of nothing but fart jokes. This twenty-minute standalone adventure features none of the show’s regular cast members and instead focuses on the titular duo, Terrance and Philip. A pair of Canadian comedy performers, Terrance and Philip’s comedy consists of nothing more than them laughing at their own ill-timed flatulence. While South Park has its problems, the show has never been as silly and pointless as Terrance and Philip’s comedy outside of this pivotal episode.

South Park’s season 2 premiere was expected to follow the cliffhanger ending of season 1, revealing the mysterious identity of Eric Cartman’s father. Viewers tuned in eagerly to see how this plot would pan out and, although South Park was an absurd series where anything could happen, both fans and critics alike expected that the show would answer this major mystery immediately. Instead, South Park’s co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone defiantly pranked their own audience by taking them on an unrelated adventure starring Terrance and Philip. The mystery of Cartman’s parentage wasn’t explained until season 14, episode 6, “201.”

Terrance And Phillip’s Solo Episode Isn’t That Bad

Retrospective Reviews Were Kinder To The Outing

Considering how tenacious a move this was by the show’s creators, it is tough not to be impressed by the episode’s commitment to absurdity upon a re-watch.

In retrospect, “Terrance and Phillip in Not Without My Anus” isn’t as bad an episode as many viewers claimed. The outing works better as an audacious meta-gag than a story in its own right and, without any context, the episode does seem bizarrely aimless and repetitive. However, considering how tenacious a move this was by the show’s creators, it is tough not to be impressed by the episode’s commitment to absurdity upon a re-watch. Co-creator Matt Stone admitted that everyone disliking the episode only made him like it more in an Entertainment Weekly list of his favourite outings, and it is hard to disagree.

Although South Park season 1’s Cartman proves just how much the show has changed over the years, goofy episodes like “Terrance and Phillip in Not Without My Anus” prove that the show’s early era had its charms. Trey Parker was more critical of South Park’s first three seasons, admitting that he and Stone didn’t know the first thing about writing when they were working on those early outings. This resulted in tighter storytelling and sharper satire in later seasons, but it also deprived the show of the anarchic, “Anything goes” storytelling style that made South Park famous.

South Park Season 2 Still Didn’t Answer Fan Demands

Season 2 Episode 3 Failed To Reveal Cartman’s Father

When South Park’s season 1 finale “Cartman’s Mom Is A Dirty ****” ended on a cliffhanger, viewers naturally assumed that the next episode would reveal the identity of Cartman’s father. “Terrance and Phillip in Not Without My Anus” ensured that didn’t happen, but the next episode of South Park didn’t reveal Cartman’s father either. Season 2, episode 2, “Cartman’s Mom Is Still A Dirty ****” was a direct continuation of the season 1 finale’s plot, but Mephesto was shot before he could name Cartman’s father. He later revealed that Lianne was both Cartman’s father and mother, but this was retconned in “201.”

South Park’s Hated Episodes Fit A Common Pattern

Most Of The Show’s Least Liked Episodes Don’t Center The Main Characters

Close

Although “Terrance and Phillip in Not Without My Anus” was a playful practical joke played on the show’s zealous fans, that is not the only reason the episode was hated. In subsequent seasons, a pattern emerged in most episodes of the series that proved particularly unpopular with viewers. From season 4, episode 14, “Pip” to “Terrance and Phillip in Not Without My Anus,” to season 10, episode 5, “A Million Little Fibers,” almost all of South Park’s least popular episodes ignore the show’s original main characters. South Park consistently struggles with fans and critics when its original premise is ignored.

This makes sense since South Park began life as a satirical comedy told through the perspective of some small-town 10-year-olds. When South Park takes its focus away from Kenny, Kyle, Cartman, Butters, and Stan, the show loses what makes it unique. This is why the recent lack of South Park episodes centering on Kyle is so notably odd, particularly when the show often finds time to focus on Stan’s father, Randy Marsh. This approach loses what makes South Park unique and hurts the show’s appeal as a result, bringing it closer to American Dad, Family Guy, or even The Simpsons.

Randy Marsh is a middle-aged, suburban father like American Dad's Stan Smith, Family Guy’s Peter Griffin, or Homer Simpson. His perspective is one that adult animation fans have already seen plenty of times, making his South Park storylines feel less original and more played out. South Park episodes that dismiss the show’s young heroes to focus on other supporting characters fare poorly with critics and viewers, which explains why “Terrance and Phillip in Not Without My Anus” was met with such singular disdain. South Park’s upcoming season 27 could learn from this episode’s reception by centering its original lead characters.