From the very beginning, Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s South Park was putting out episodes that were hilarious, iconic, and even ambitious. There isn’t a single episode of Season 1’s 13 total that doesn’t at least have its moments, and it says a lot that it’s genuinely difficult to narrow down just what the five best are. However, in spotting the show’s best of its first offerings, you’ll easily see what won over South Park audiences from the start.
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Just missing the cut was the hilarious Kathie Lee Gifford-focused “Weight Gain 4000,” the crossbreeding themed “An Elephant Makes Love to a Pig,” the Grandpa Marsh story “Death,” the Satan-introducing “Damien,” the Natasha Henstridge-starring “Tom’s Rhinoplasty,” and the series’ first installment of a two-parter, “Cartman’s Mom Is a Dirty Slut.” In fact, it’s only really the series’ first two episodes (“Cartman Gets an Anal Probe” and “Volcano”) that don’t hit a particularly high bar. Other than those installments, Season 1 remains an amazing debut season for an animated sitcom.
“Big Gay Al’s Big Gay Boat Ride” (Season 1, Episode 4)
At least one episode of Season 1 is mean-spirited. “Big Gay Al’s Big Gay Boat Ride,” however, is sweet as can be. It’s also impressively progressive for a 1997 TV-MA season of television.
There are a few things that work heavily towards the episode’s advantage. One is how it treats the homosexual title character with a tender, respectful touch. The other is the cultural curiosity factor, given George Clooney himself guest stars…providing a few little yips and barks as Stan’s dog, Sparky.
“Pinkeye” (Season 1, Episode 7)
Plenty would point to “Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo” as the best episode of South Park‘s first season. And fair enough, it’s certainly the episode that catapulted the show firmly into the pop-culture zeitgeist overnight. But in actuality the very best episode was “Pinkeye,” a hilarious riff on 1985’s horror-comedy The Return of the Living Dead.
Everything about “Pinkeye” works. The zombie apocalypse being started via Worcestershire sauce accidentally being used in an embalming? Perfectly random. Cartman dressing up as Adolf Hitler for Halloween and joyfully watching an educational video on that dictator? Both hilarious and a development for what is arguably the show’s most famous character. Chef doing an undead Michael Jackson impression? Priceless.
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“Starvin’ Marvin” (Season 1, Episode 8)
Trey and Matt didn’t spare feelings from the get-go, and the best proof of this in Season 1 is their takedown of All in the Family‘s Sally Struthers in “Starvin’ Marvin.” Is it entirely kind? Not really, the actress was just trying to help starving children with her Christian Children’s Fund commercials at the time. But the South Park creators found it humorous and ironic that she was heavyset in those commercials, so they felt it appropriate to stick a knife in and twist. Even if it’s a joke that offends people, it also shows how much guts South Park has.
The title character has only appeared in two episodes of the series total, but like Towelie and Mr. Hankey (more on him in a second) he continues to feel like an integral guest character. This is likely due to the razor-sharp accuracy in scenes like the town’s residents taking Marvin to a buffet, where his mouth drops and eyes widen at the sight of Cartman scarfing down more food in a single meal than his entire village eats in six months. Oh, and then there’s the A+ Braveheart reference.
“Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo” (Season 1, Episode 9)
As mentioned, this episode did a lot to expand South Park‘s profile. Fans were already shouting “Beefcake!” to Trey and Matt on the street, but with “Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo” South Park suddenly became the most talked-about show on television.
The title character generated some controversy, which is odd considering he’s actually just a kind little fella who loves Christmas…and happens to be made of excrement. But, in the end, the best part of the episode is not Mr. Hankey or even the fact it introduced Mr. Mackey, it’s Kyle’s lovely song “The Lonely Jew on Christmas.”
“Mecha-Streisand” (Season 1, Episode 12)
“Mecha-Streisand” is one of the earliest major signs that South Park could have a 22-minute stretch of high ambition and large scope. Sure, everything from a volcano and zombies to the Grim Reaper and mutant turkeys threatened the town before this, but a Barbra Streisand version of Mechagodzilla that was turned into such via a mysterious stone triangle and then must be taken down by The Cure’s Robert Smith, actor Sidney Poitier, and film critic Leonard Maltin?
The best aspect of “Mecha-Streisand” is Trey and Matt’s clear disdain for Streisand. They’ve made fun of plenty of celebrities, but none as harshly as the “Evergreen” and “The Way We Were” singer. See Season 2’s “Spookyfish” for further proof.
