AlthoughSouth Parkseason 27’s trailer promises a lot of laughs, the teaser also proves that at least one of the animated comedy’s biggest issues remains a major problem.South Parkhas changed a lot in the show’s 18 years on the air. Re-watchingSouth Park’s pilot in 2025, it is striking to see just how goofy and random the show’s gross-out humor once was. Before season 4,South Parkrarely focused on current events and timely news stories, centering on gory mayhem and foul-mouthed antics instead.
AsSouth Parkseason 27’s release datenears, it is tough to align these early episodes with the show’s current reputation. For two decades,South Parkhas been equally lauded and infamous for mocking political, cultural, and social events as they unfold. NewSouth Parkseasons and specials are expected to address the latest events almost in real time thanks to the show’s extraordinarily fast turnaround, and the series seldom disappoints. However, after a quiet 2024 saw the series only release a single special,South Park’s 2025 comeback planis already at risk.
South Park Season 27’s Trailer Proves Randy Marsh Is Still The Show’s Star
Randy Became A Major South Park Character Around Season 10
South Parkseason 27’s trailer proves that the show will not be pulling its punches when it comes to addressing major news stories. The one-minute teaser features a string of airline crashes, disgraced producer and music mogul Diddy chasing children, and Stan’s father Randy Marsh abusing ketamine. However, while all of these gags rely on recent news stories for their efficacy, that is not the problem withSouth Parkseason 27’s promised stories. Instead, the issue is a larger structural fault with the long-running show.
Randy emerges as the primary focus ofSouth Parkseason 27’s trailer and his outsized presence in the promo appears to promise another season focused on his antics.
Judging by the show’s trailer, Randy Marsh is still the main focus ofSouth Parkseason 27, despite how tiresome this dynamic has become in recent years.South Parkcan mock itselfas much as every other subject under the sun, so it is not surprising that the show has already parodied its reliance on Randy as an interminably wacky main character over the years. Despite this, Randy emerges as the primary focus ofSouth Parkseason 27’s trailer and his outsized presence in the promo appears to promise another season focused on his antics.
WhenSouth Parkbegan, Randy was a mild-mannered suburban father who didn’t play a major role in the series. As the show’s focus on current events became more central to its setup after season 4, Randy often played a part in whatever craze was taking over the town’s adults. However, from around season 10 onwards, Randy emerged as one ofSouth Park’s main characters, sometimes earning as much screen time as Kenny, Kyle, Cartman, Stan, and Butters. Subsequent seasons began to highlight him even more than the show’s heroes, withSouth Park’s young characters taking a backseat to Randy’s latest scheme.
Randy Marsh’s South Park Season 27 Storyline Explained
South Park Seems To Be Using Stan’s Father To Mock Ketamine Abuse
In what is likely a reference to divisive billionaire Elon Musk’s documented use of the controversial drug (viaPsychologyToday),Randy spends most ofSouth Parkseason 27’s trailer extolling the virtues of ketamine. This will come as no surprise to viewers familiar withSouth Park’s Randy Marsh, who has never encountered a drug he didn’t want to abuse. Randy’s cannabis farm has been his main income source since season 22, and he began selling cocaine from the same business in season 23, episode 10, “Christmas Snow.”
It is hardly surprising to see Stan’s father turn to ketamine as his latest obsession.
However, Randy’s love of drugs predates both these plots by some stretch. As early as season 14, episode 3, “Medicinal Fried Chicken,” Randy intentionally gave himself testicular cancer to obtain medical marijuana, while 2024’s specialSouth Park: The End of Obesitysaw him use the weight-loss drug Ozempic in a thwarted attempt to get high. As such, it is hardly surprising to see Stan’s father turn to ketamine as his latest obsession. However, it is frustrating to see season 27 promise another outing centered on Randy afterSouth Parkpreviously admitted the shortfalls of this approach.
South Park Already Admitted Randy’s Character Change Isn’t Working
2022’s South Park: The Streaming Wars Part 2 Mocked Randy’s Character Devolution
Long beforeThe End of Obesity’s ending,South Parkpointed out Randy Marsh’s limitations as a main character. Since he began life as an average, unassuming suburban father and gradually revealed himself to be an absurdly unhinged, unpredictable figure, it was initially fun to see Randy play a bigger role in the show. However, viewers now expect Randy to act ridiculously, soSouth Parkconstantly has to up the ante to make his behavior appropriately shocking. In season 26’s finale, few viewers were surprised to see Randy host a wild drug-fueled house party with alleged sex trafficker Andrew Tate in attendance.
South Park: The End of Obesity
July 27, 2025
When a character is already this uninhibited, uncouth, and unstable, it is hard to see whereSouth Park season 27 could take Randy Marsh to genuinely surprise viewers.South Parkitself even mocked this issue in2022’s specialThe Streaming Wars Part IIwith the song “We Miss You Randy,” an ode to the gentle, quiet geologist Stan’s father was originally depicted as. While this song calls for Randy’s switch into a raucous hellion to be reversed, the show never committed to changing his character devolution after acknowledging these issues.
South Park Season 27 Must Reverse The Show’s Randy Marsh Trend
Randy’s Main Role Ruins South Park’s Original Appeal
AsSouth Park’s co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone themselves have noted, the thing that makes the show stand out in a crowded marketplace of adult animated comedies is its kid-centric perspective. Despite only being suitable for adult viewers,South Parkutilizes the innocent perspectives of its young heroes to highlight the hypocrisy and absurdity of adult life. WhileThe Simpsons,Family Guy,American Dad, andKing of the Hillall focus on self-centered suburban fathers and their wacky hijinks,South Parkused to be a breath of fresh air that broke with this tradition.
This South Park Episode Was Offensive Enough To Anger A Country’s Actual Government
South Park has gotten its creators into all manner of hot water over the decades, but only one episode was offensive enough to upset a government.
However, centering Randy has ledSouth Parkto feel more like its competitors and cost the show its edge.South Parkseason 1 has its flawsbut, looking back on the show’s early episodes, it is easy to see its anarchic potential. Now, asSouth Parkseason 27’s release date rapidly approaches and the show promises another season centered on Randy’s bad behavior, it is hard to see how the show will offer viewers something they haven’t seen before.
