Profane and profound. Shocking and sweet. Absurdist and astute. And above all, hilarious. After 23 outrageous, obscenity-peppered seasons, “South Park” remains television’s most unrepentant animated provocateur, offering up creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s signature, scathing social commentary; twisted characters; deep-dive, pop-cultural references; and off-color, often scandalous, humor that leaves viewers asking themselves, “Did they really just do THAT?”
With over 300 episodes to date to choose from, a top 30 essentials list omits some favorites — classics (“Cartman Joins NAMBLA,” “Christian Rock Hard,” “Tsst”), later-season standouts (“Sponsored Content,” “Skank Hunt,” “Band in China”) and the polarizing Terrance and Phillip canon among them — but what follows represents the series’ delirious highs, figurative and otherwise.