I Rewatched South Park’s First Christmas Special For The First Time In Years, And Was Shocked By All The Ways The Show Has Changed

by

With the recent finale of South Park’s latest season being a Christmas episode, I started thinking about how often the show has featured the holiday over the years. Since it’s unclear if new episodes will air in 2026, I felt a bit nostalgic and decided to rewatch the very first South Park Christmas special using my Paramount+ subscription.

Seeing the “Mr. Hankey” Christmas special again was surprising. It wasn’t deeply upsetting, but it really highlighted how much the show’s humor has evolved since 1997. It makes sense that it has, as all shows that run for a long time change over the years, but that didn’t make the differences any less noticeable.

The Special Is Loaded With Musical Numbers

Music has always been important to South Park, and this episode really highlighted how much the show, especially in its earlier seasons, relied on memorable musical numbers. This episode is packed with singing, from Chef’s signature songs to Cartman’s famous tune about Kyle’s mother.

I’ve noticed that recent South Park episodes sometimes include singing, but it’s been ages since we’ve had an episode packed with music – like, seven full songs! I really hope the writers bring that back sometime, even if it’s not in every episode. A full musical episode would be amazing, especially now with everything going on in the world – they could really have some fun with it!

Randy Marsh Is Barely A Presence In The Episode

TopMob recently ranked the best characters from South Park, and Randy Marsh came in at number two, only behind Eric Cartman. This ranking makes sense – Randy is responsible for many of the show’s most hilarious and unforgettable moments. I especially enjoyed the storyline where he pretended to be the singer Lorde, and it still makes me laugh thinking about it.

If you could show a current ranking of these characters to someone watching the first season, they’d be really surprised. Randy barely appears in the “Mr. Hankey, The Christmas Poo” episode, and his few lines don’t add anything funny – they’re just there to keep the story moving.

This episode of South Park is so good, it made me wish they’d include a storyline focusing on Randy. I was imagining a *Back to the Futurestyle plot where present-day Randy has to step in for his younger self, and it would be hilarious to see how he handles all the craziness. Just an idea for the writers if they’re brainstorming new episodes.

Cartman Has Catchphrases

I went into this episode specifically looking for this connection, after seeing the recent South Park episode about AI-generated videos. It’s a classic “The Simpsons predicted it” moment, because I noticed a lot of similarities between how Bart Simpson and Eric Cartman developed in the early seasons of their shows. Both characters were incredibly popular with viewers, and the writers consistently put them in over-the-top situations and gave them memorable catchphrases.

These days, Eric Cartman rarely mentions Cheesy Poofs or his catchphrase, “Screw you guys, I’m going home.” Though, I won’t spoil anything for those who haven’t seen the latest episode, but he does say one of those phrases in it!

It’s clear that Eric Cartman, and South Park overall, have improved a lot since the show first started. The writing has gotten better over time, likely thanks to a more skilled team and possibly a larger budget. The character has evolved, and there’s no need to try and recreate his earlier versions – the current approach is much stronger.

Overall, The Episode Holds Up

You know, even though South Park has evolved over the years, it still manages to be hilarious. I recently rewatched “Mr. Hankey, The Christmas Poo,” and it honestly holds up – it’s a genuinely fun Christmas special. And surprisingly, the episode’s message about believing in what matters to you still feels really relevant today.

More On South Park

Does Paramount Have A South Park Problem? What The New CEO Says

This episode focuses on the town trying to make the holidays inclusive by avoiding anything that might offend anyone. At the same time, Kyle feels left out because he’s the only Jewish kid among his friends, who are all enjoying the Christmas celebrations.

Kyle unexpectedly meets Mr. Hankey, a rather unusual Christmas character, and this helps him feel the spirit of the season. However, people in town start to worry about Kyle’s sanity, and he’s mistakenly sent to a mental institution just before the holiday show. Luckily, he’s proven to be okay in the end, and the whole town comes to accept Mr. Hankey, realizing that everyone celebrates the holidays in their own unique way.

While it’s not quite the best Christmas special South Park has ever made – “Woodland Critter Christmas” still holds that title – this year’s special is excellent and definitely worth watching before the holidays end, especially if you have Paramount+. It’s a memorable episode you won’t want to miss.

Since we don’t know when new episodes of South Park will air on Comedy Central, now is a great time to rewatch the series on Paramount+. You could even have a movie night with all the holiday episodes—just be aware that the show isn’t always appropriate for children.

Read More

2025-12-25 02:11