The Anatomy of South Park's Darkest Episode

The Office is one of the most controversial shows ever to run this long or be this celebrated, and I think that's because it's hilarious and its commentary pokes fun at pretty much everybody equally.

If you exist, The Office has made fun of you, but in a way that'll make you laugh along. Now on its twenty fifth season, The Office is one of my favorite animated adult shows although it's definitely not for everyone, case in point the episode I want to talk about.

This is an analysis of South Parks darkest episode, Scott Tenorman Must Die.

[danielprofeta]

Screw you guys, I'm going home.

Actually cannot believe the response this video got. This is by far the most engaged with video I've ever made, and I just wanted to say thanks to anyone who watched this video.

More South Park related videos are on the way. I appreciate you.

[attentionwalmartshoppers]

Fun fact!: It was Radiohead's idea for Scott to eat his parents. Originally Matt n Trey were just gonna have Cartman get em killed but some of the members of Radiohead apparently thought that wasn't screwed up enough and suggested the screwed up cherry on top
...or, well, chili on top

[southshart]

what also adds to it all is that in a banned episode (episode 201) it was revealed that cartman’s dad was actually scott’s dad meaning that cartman killed his own dad and fed him to his half brother! Cartman was more upset at the fact that it meant he’s half ginger- You definitely need to make more south park videos!!!

[Xaaaach]

What’s really funny is: This was the first South Park episode I ever watched.

Such a memorable episode.

[scarebear]

"Cartman's reasoning is very flawed"

That, my dear sir, is the understatement of the century

[Bloomser]

The pig thing is something I never caught on to even after watching this episode countless times. Just goes to show the depth of the writing in this show when it’s at its best. Great vid!

[phacey]

this is one of very very few episodes where you're made to empathise with cartman and he does something so so evil.

[sockruhtease]

My mom didn't let me watch south park until I was 13, when I was "mature" enough for its "immature" content. I don't think she anticipated this was the first episode I'd watch.

Also fun fact: "Creep" by Radiohead was supposed to be a sort of satire, and despite being arguably their most well known song, is actually hated by the band

[ICantRecognizeCelebrities]

For Cartman to have anticipated every other characters' actions is a great way into showing that he had absolutely given up on allowing others the benefit of the doubt. His friends, who hang out with him everyday, actually hate him and want him to fail. Celebrities like Radio Head, which are often looked up to by millions, will jump at the chance to gang up on a crying child. Adults in his community, who he's told are safe, shot and killed two innocent people over a misunderstanding. Scott himself, the supposed genius always one step ahead, will manipulate others around him to get what he wants.
This was the episode that drove Cartman to never trust anyone; and he is proven right that he shouldn't when he ends up victorious. Everyone let him down until he utilized them correctly

[thelaughingman]

What shows how much Cartman wanted revenge in the episode is that he did not plan for Chef to show up with chili. He was willing to eat pubic hair infested chili just to get back at Scott. And what makes this episode really disturbing is that well in later 2 parter (one you showed) is that he killed his own dad and fed him to his half brother.

[nekogamer]

The fact it was the irl Radiohead's idea to have of Scott eat chili that has his dead parents in it happen is funnier

[garuelx]

Cartman has constantly been used and abused up to this point, Scott Tenorman was the final straw. Trey and Matt pulled off a very rare thing nowadays and flipped the status quo at the end showing what happens when you keep poking the bear. But now the genie is out of the bottle and Cartman is now a destructive force the town must reckon with.

[skyofthelivingdead]

Idk, I think the episode where Butters’ family collapses on his birthday to the point where his mom tries to kill him, all while he’s totally oblivious, is probably the darkest episode.

[flipdoesstuff-old]

loved the video! i dont find many good videos like this too often, so good job on you!

[donnadelrey]

it’s 4:00 Am and i’m so happy you uploaded loll loved your explanation on this I had never noticed the reoccurring theme of pigs in this episode

[kalkuttadrop]

Something I’ve always pondered is, if South Park ended sooner, like, S5 or S6, this episode could very well be viewed completely differently.

Because technically, this is a textbook case of flanderization. You took a bully and manipulative kid and boiled him down to a sociopath, which he wasn’t in S1-3. If the show ended here, this would be viewed as a character derailment and might be hated.

But because the show just kept going, people eventually viewed the new sociopath Cartman as the norm, so instead of this being a derailment it’s seen more as a start and S1-4 Cartman is viewed as the outlier.

[Gluttony-wj]

Cartman's start of his villain arc

[Yosef]

Over-explaining Simple Things Because It's Fun is my favorite YouTube show. Of course, this is simply a spin-off of the UK version and the basis of the one set in Mexico, which is now a Telenovela.

[AoiUsagiOtoko]

this episode messed me up a little bit as a kid, and not even in the usual way-- the initial joke was dark but i kept thinking about it harder for a few minutes and it just got WORSE. i was a sensitive kid haha

your channel has very quickly become one of my favorites! your dhmis stuff is some of the best i've ever seen covering that series. and hell this is true for south park as well

[schizoidboy]

Regarding this episode and how characters get humiliated on a regular basis it was genius. We all see this happen in other shows where someone humiliates one of the characters who always gets egg on their face and they're stuck getting humiliated. What the creators of South Park did was turn things around (I think they were watching a lot of Anthony Hopkin's movies including Titus Andronicus as well as Hannibal) and made it so Cartman doesn't end up humiliated at the end, but becomes a deranged kid, who ultimately does what all humiliated and picked on kids wish they could do to those who torment them. I know I used "humiliated" a lot in this comment, but it was either that or "tortured".