Summary

• South Park season 27 may focus on the 2024 US election, departing from the usual release pattern.
• The show's creators are taking a risk with a potential serialized storyline, after a failed attempt in season 20.
• South Park's traditionally apolitical stance could be challenged if it sides with one candidate in the election.

Although South Park season 27 will not.

January and April 2024 came and went without any new South Park episodes, and May 24 brought the unexpected arrival of the year’s first feature-length special. South Park: The End of Obesity parodied the Ozempic craze, body positivity, and the infamously bureaucratic American healthcare system. This standalone special was released before season 27 even though earlier specials arrived after their respective seasons, and no follow-up has been announced as of July. It seems increasingly clear that South Park season 27 may follow a surprising release strategy that is tied to one of the bigger news stories of the year.

South Park Season 27 Will Likely Focus On 2024’s US Election

The End of Obesity’s Early Arrival Makes A Later Season Likely

Since the rest of South Park’s feature-length specials arrived in the months after their respective seasons wrapped up before May, it is fair to say that South Park season 27’s release date isn’t following the show’s usual pattern. There is no sign of season 27 as of early July and South Park already released one of 2024’s two specials. South Park’s creators seem to have something planned for later in the year, and this may relate to the 2024 election. This year's US election is likely to be a major news event and could be season 27’s focus.

Although it is almost impossible to predict the winner of an election, the rest of the news cycle surrounding the event is something that South Park season 27 could center its story around. South Park’s 2024 plans are already a little unusual thanks to co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone working on an unrelated feature film while simultaneously creating the series. As such, it could be a relief to plan a serialized season around the election instead of relying on weekly events to provide each episode's plot. That said, South Park tried this gambit once before and failed.

South Park Season 27 Centering 2024’s Election Is Risky

The Series Famously Failed To Call The 2016 Election

In 2015, South Park began experimenting with serialized storytelling. The show pulled off a relatively cohesive season-long storyline in season 19, mocking topics like political correctness, native advertising, and bro culture. However, the series struggled to repeat this feat a year later. The entirety of South Park season 20 centered around 2016’s election, but the storyline was premised on an inevitable victory for Hillary Clinton. This resulted in a messy, nonsensical ending that failed to skewer either candidate as it became increasingly clear that South Park’s planned ending was swiftly altered before the final episodes aired.

It is tough to imagine South Park revisiting season 20's risky storytelling style in season 27.

South Park tacitly acknowledged this issue with the title of season 20, episode 10, “The End of Serialization as We Know It.” As such, it is tough to imagine South Park revisiting this risky storytelling style in season 27. South Park’s attitude towards elections has historically been ambivalent, with most of the show’s outings betraying a nonchalant attitude towards the outcome. South Park outright ignored the 2020 election, which makes the prospect of an entire season centered around the 2024 election all the more surprising. However, this theory would be more likely if the show changed one major facet.

South Park Season 27 Could End A 27-Year Trend

The Satire Series Is Often Surprisingly Apolitical

In its earlier seasons, South Park mostly refused to portray one presidential candidate as superior to their rival. If they’re basing an entire season around this election, they may plan to change that approach. South Park rarely takes any side in political debates, but the show would likely need to pick a candidate to favor if the show was to center the election and its impact throughout season 27. South Park has barely acknowledged Joe Biden's existence and the show’s version of Donald Trump is an alter ego of Mr. Garrison, so it is hard to predict who the series would favor.

South Park’s apolitical perception could take a hit if the series were to side with one candidate over the other.

Portraying one candidate more favorably than the other would be a very high-risk ploy given how much South Park’s popularity is rooted in its perceived ability to mock both sides of any given issue. As such, South Park's apolitical perception could take a hit if the series were to side with one candidate over the other. That said, it is tough to see how South Park would release an entire season in late 2024 without tackling the biggest news story of the era.