South Park: Best Randy Episodes

Key Takeaways

• Randy Marsh rises from background to spotlight, stealing the show with eccentric humor in iconic
  South Park
  episodes.
• South Park’s
  biting humor with unforgettable moments shines through controversial material and eccentric characters like Randy Marsh.
• Randy’s eccentricity adds hilarity to
  South Park
  episodes, making him a standout fan-favorite character over the show’s run.

South Park is one of the most popular comedy shows of all time. The show never shies away from controversy and, instead, revels in it, with some of the best episodes being the most controversial. South Park has always worn its unique brand of humor on its sleeve, making for unforgettable moments where the main characters shine their brightest. One particular character that was relegated to the sidelines before becoming one of the funniest parts of the show is Randy Marsh.

Stan’s dad might not be the most logical person around, but his hilarious antics are a joy to witness in a show that is already full of amazing characters. Some of the best Randy Marsh episodes where he takes center stage in South Park are legendary for obvious reasons. He started off as a background character, but it only took a few episodes of Randy’s eccentric personality to make him a fan-favorite character, to the point where both Trey Parker and Matt Stone placed a lot of importance on this character and featured him in a wealth of hilarious episodes.

Updated on October 4, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: South Park is full to the brim with some of the funniest characters in an adult animated sitcom, and it’s a testament to the show’s strong writing that one of its funniest characters isn’t from the main cast. Stan’s dad Randy is one of the most eccentric and ridiculous characters of all time, with his hilarious acts serving as a highlight in some of the series’ most memorable moments. The best Randy Marsh episodes show this character at his very best and prove why South Park has endured as one of the longest-running adult animated sitcoms around that hasn’t lost too much of what made it such a special series.

31 Oh, Jeez

IMBd Rating: 7.1/10

Oh, Jeez is the episode where it was clear that the creators of South Park themselves could not believe that Donald Trump had won the elections. A lot of developing plotlines needed to be either scrapped or reworked, so it’s impressive to see that this episode manages to bring the laughs despite its hasty writing. As one would expect, a highlight of this episode is Randy and his over-the-top antics.

Watching this character talk bleakly about the future of America is hilarious, especially when he faces off against Garrison only to start arguing about Star Wars. This is a common complaint that extends to the family dinner scene too, showing that Randy’s weird personality can salvage an episode that could’ve gone off the rails courtesy of some shocking real-time events.

30 #REHASH

IMBd Rating: 7.3/10

Randy’s stint as Lorde in South Park made for some hilarious viewing, with the sheer ludicrousness of this situation being hard to believe. So, it’s only fitting that one of the best Randy Marsh episodes sees this character’s persona imploding after he’s slated to perform at a concert, only to reveal that he has little to no singing talent. His antics anger the audience and cause things to go haywire, with a hologram of Michael Jackson somehow managing to escape during this confusion.

This culminates with Randy telling his producers that he was going to reveal his secret identity, only for the people behind the scenes to get angry at the prospect of losing their money maker. It’s one of the most ridiculous South Park episodes of all time and something that fans can’t get enough of.

29 Sarcastaball

IMBd Rating: 7.5/10

Sarcasm is something that a lot of people don’t get. This is actively pointed out in “Sarcastaball,” where Randy’s sarcastic comments end up being taken seriously to such an extent that an entire sport is devised from them.

Randy’s arc is especially hilarious, with the man being incapable of being sarcastic after a point. This leads to permanent brain damage, causing Randy to try and stop Sarcastaball from becoming huge due to its emphasis on dangerous sarcasm, and no one taking him seriously because they all assume he’s being sarcastic. Only this eccentric character could get so invested in making sarcastic comments that the entire town of South Park is inspired by his vocabulary.

28 The City Part Of Town

IMBd Rating: 7.6/10

A hilarious episode that takes a look at the evils of capitalism while making fun of people on both sides of the debate. “The City Part of Town” lets City Wok shine, with this hilariously named restaurant being one of the many victims of SoDoSoPa, an area that is meant to make South Park look more posh than it is. Randy is one of the people at the helm of this project, with the whole idea being to attract Whole Foods and convince them to develop a store in South Park.

This doesn’t agree with the owner of City Wok, who fights back by creating CtPaTown as retaliation. It leads to a hilarious battle between the townspeople and the child labor of City Wok, with Randy leading the charge in a hilarious episode. All this happens around Kenny’s house, which is smack in the middle of SoDoSoPa to give it a more “authentic” feel.

27 Stunning And Brave

IMBd Rating: 7.6/10

Caitlyn Jenner is one of the most controversial figures in modern times, and the fact that she was given the honor of being the Woman of the Year in 2015 by Glamour magazine certainly didn’t quiet the controversies down. All of these developments sparked a conversation about Trans rights and celebrity culture that was explored in the South Park episode “Stunning and Brave”.

After being confused about Caitlyn Jenner and the impact she has had on society, Randy decides to educate himself by going to a woke fraternity, where he becomes a pledge to the PC gang. They conduct regular hazing assaults on Kyle since he refuses to accept Caitlyn Jenner’s legitimacy. Meanwhile, Jenner herself is depicted as little more than a constant vehicular danger, as she frequently runs over pedestrians during her entrance and exit from every scene she’s in.

26 Holiday Special

IMBd Rating: 7.6/10

After Columbus Day is officially axed as a holiday by Randy, his son brings up the hypocrisy of his dad dressing up as Columbus for the longest time. This leads Randy to try and prove that he was one of the marginalized communities that were destroyed by Columbus and his troops.

He does this in the most hilarious manner — by taking an oral DNA test after making out with an Indigenous man. “Holiday Special” is a hilarious episode where Randy’s crazy antics harken back to the classic days of South Park. The lengths to which he goes to manipulate his DNA test are Randy in a nutshell.

25 Tegridy Farms

IMBd Rating: 7.8/10

The later seasons of South Park aren’t exactly beloved by the masses. However, they do have some interesting angles, and “Tegridy Farms” puts Randy front and center in a bizarre yet fitting storyline for him. In this episode, Randy decides to start a marijuana farm, moving his entire family in the process.

However, things become more complicated when the vaping market starts taking over, causing Randy no end of distress as he tries to sell his weed at a time when vaping has become a new craze. This eventually leads to Randy getting into a physical altercation with the vape company ‘poisoning’ South Park in his mind, ending one of the best Randy Marsh episodes on a high note.

24 Pinewood Derby

IMBd Rating: 7.8/10

An over-the-top episode that encapsulates everything great about the show, “Pinewood Derby” focuses on this annual racing event and how obsessed Randy is with helping the boys win this year’s race. He takes things too far like always, stealing a superconducting magnet from the Large Hadron Collider to achieve this victory.

In classic South Park fashion, this episode becomes wilder and wilder, to the point where aliens enter the fray and decide to test Earth to see if they’re worthy of joining an intergalactic committee. Suffice it to say, greed triumphs and Randy ends up manipulating the world leaders to keep a bunch of space cash for themselves, causing everyone to fail this test in spectacular fashion.

23 Broadway Bro Down

IMBd Rating: 7.8/10

One of the funniest episodes of South Park sees Randy become obsessed with Broadway musicals because of the emphasis they have on third base. After taking Sharon to see these musicals one too many times, he decides to create a play of his without any subtleties. It’s a ridiculous setup for a plot that makes for one of the best Randy Marsh episodes fans can check out.

This attracted the attention of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Elton John, Stephen Sondheim, and Stephen Schwartz, who decided to convey just how important it is to keep the secret of musicals under wraps. After some hilarity, Randy eventually reveals the truth of these musicals to Sharon and apologizes, albeit in his unique way.

22 Bloody Mary

IMBd Rating: 7.9/10

“Bloody Mary” is one of the most disgusting episodes of the show, yet it still manages to be hilarious. The show takes a look at an alcoholic, Randy, who can’t stop himself from drinking and seeks out the blood of the Virgin Mary to cure himself.

This blood comes from the statue of this divine figure, who is bleeding out of an orifice. It’s a ridiculous episode that aligns perfectly with the comedic brand of South Park.

21 Tweek X Craig

IMBd Rating: 8.1/10

One of the funniest episodes in South Park history, “Tweek x Craig” deals with real-life “shipping” yaoi drawings of Tweek and Craig, causing them to become the hottest topic at school. Everyone infatuated with this art tries to ship the two boys together, leading to the duo being ridiculed by their guy friends and eventually duking it out after the social pressure gets to them. The entire episode features just a handful of the hundreds of real yaoi drawings of Tweek and Craig that Trey Parker and Matt Stone have received from fans over the years.

Randy, who tries to explain to Stan what yaoi – and by association, homosexuality – is, without having any actual knowledge about it, just spouts random information, which eventually spreads through the whole town. He claims the Japanese decide who is gay, leading to a hilarious and yet oddly heartwarming exchange between Craig’s dad and Craig:

You can’t fight being gay. I used to think being gay was a choice, but you don’t get to decide. Japan picks who they pick and that’s that.

Randy even mistakenly calls Xi Jinping to figure out what yaoi is, despite the term being Japanese. His hilarity knows no bounds, flaunting his status as a PC dad while spreading rampant misinformation about homosexuality without a care in the world.

20 Spontaneous Combustion

IMBd Rating: 8.1/10

One of the oldest episodes on this list shows Randy Marsh at his very best. “Spontaneous Combustion” has a truly ridiculous plot in which people start combusting randomly for no apparent reason.

After Randy is put on the case, he deduces that the combustions are happening because people are constantly stifling their farts when with their partners. It’s a ridiculous twist, yet it makes sense, given how odd South Park can get.

19 More Crap

IMBd Rating: 8.1/10

Toilet humor is something that South Park never shies away from. In this regard, the episode “More Crap” is one of the most notable.

Along with a hilarious look at Bono, “More Crap” also takes a look at Randy’s obsession with letting out the biggest piece of crap the world has ever known. How he accomplishes this by the end of the episode is a laugh-out-loud moment that’s a blast to witness.

18 Fantastic Easter Special

IMBd Rating: 8.1/10

“Fantastic Easter Special” is a great episode in which Randy plays a minor role, but a memorable one regardless. After his explanation for Easter doesn’t satisfy Stan, he decides to reveal the truth — he and a bunch of other people are part of a group called “The Hare Club for Men.”

His child and their friends get into a series of events where they have to protect one hare from the various threats that come around. Randy’s goofy mysteriousness is what makes this episode great, even if he may not be at his very best.

17 Creme Fraiche

IMBd Rating: 8.2/10

Gourmet food shows have become quite popular, and South Park couldn’t resist making fun of that too. “Creme Fraiche” is a great episode that takes a look at the married life of Randy and Sharon Marsh.

After Randy starts fetishizing cooking, Sharon takes on a bold new approach to rekindle their marriage. It’s a great and fun episode and makes it clear that the adults of South Park need their screen time once in a while.

16 Insecurity

IMBd Rating: 8.3/10

The idea of someone cheating with the delivery man is a notion that is pretty common in modern times. This is the plot that drives at the heart of “Insecurity”, which is a pretty great South Park episode.

The idea of men being insecure about what their wives are doing is presented comically, with the security system in this show named ‘Insecurity’! As was to be expected, this mob of angry men was led by none other than Randy Marsh himself.

15 Cock Magic

IMBd Rating: 8.3/10

“Cock Magic” is one of the funniest episodes of South Park, with Randy playing a muted but hilarious role here. After mishearing about the boys’ obsession with cock fighting, Randy talks about his literal cock magic, with things taking a turn for the bizarre.

Watching Randy use his penis for magical purposes is incredibly funny, and words can’t explain just how stupidly hilarious his brief moments of cock magic are. That being said, watching roosters play Magic the Gathering to “fight” is also a highlight.

14 A Nightmare On FaceTime

IMBd Rating: 8.3/10

This notable Halloween episode of South Park parodies The Shining, with the location of the abandoned hotel being replaced by an outdated Blockbuster instead. Randy’s obsession with making this chain great again is a futile endeavor that leads to the man delving further into madness.

It’s a great episode that proves once again why Randy is one of the greatest characters on the show. The kids might be featured prominently as well, but Randy steals the show once again.

13 Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow

IMBd Rating: 8.5/10

After a beaver dam breaks and causes mass hysteria, Randy and his friends decide to take matters into their own hands. Despite not being the focal point of the show, he still becomes a part of the funniest instance in the episode when he dresses up for an Ice Age despite the weather being mild at best.

As a result, he collapses because of extreme heat and dehydration. Still, the man won’t be deterred from what he believes to be the right cause, attributing his state of extreme fatigue to the last stages of hypothermia in a moment that will make fans guffaw with laughter.

12 The Cissy

IMBd Rating: 8.5/10

This is an episode where both Cartman and Randy get to shine. Since most people consider both these characters to be the best parts of South Park, it’s no surprise why “The Cissy” is one of the show’s more hilarious episodes.

Watching Randy confess about the events that led to him becoming Lorde is simply gold. It’s one of the best parts of the show and cements Randy’s character as one of the very best in South Park once again. Lorde herself has spoken publicly about the honor of being featured on South Park and even sang one of Randy’s versions of her songs in an interview.