South Park Revealed Cartman's Real Dad With A Dark Callback

The 201st episode of "South Park" has no shortage of shocking moments and hilarious references. However, it features a grim callback to a very dark part of the show's contentious legacy that ended up being connected to the long-sought-after mystery revolving around the identity of Eric Cartman's father.

There are five entries of "South Park" not available to stream on HBO Max, and one of them is the episode titled "201." Not only is the iteration drenched in controversy, but it also brings one character's heinous actions full circle in the most devastating ways while figuring out who could be Eric Cartman's biological dad. The episode revealed that Cartman's pops did turn out to be a member of the Denver Broncos, as previously alluded to in the Season 1 finale, and he was a right tackle named Jack Tenorman. 

If that last name sounds familiar to "South Park" fans, it's because it has come up in the past as one of the worst things Eric Cartman has ever done. In a Season 5 entry fans still find outrageous, Cartman gets revenge on Scott Tenorman by feeding him his murdered parents in a bowl of chili. Unfortunately, one of the parental units making up the vengeful dish was also Cartman's father, Jack Tenorman. Not only did he kill his dad, but he destroyed the life of his half-brother as well. "Scott Tenorman Must Die" not only set the stage for the colossal reveal in the 201st episode of the series, but some fans might not realize how it truly changed things for the long-running comedy.

"South Park" is not for young audiences, and there are times mature individuals who watch it find some things that go down too much to handle. When it comes to Season 5, Episode 4 of the series, the shocking conclusion most certainly got people's attention, and according to an interview with Pitchfork, co-creator Matt Stone referred to "Scott Tenorman Must Die" as "one of the most notorious episodes" the show has ever put out. But the revolting chili revelation didn't just shock home audiences. The patricidal main course also demonstrated how far the show was willing to go for comedy. Rolling Stone arguably put it best when they revered the shocking moment saying in regard to the effect it had on the comedy series overall that it revealed the show had no boundaries and that "this episode is the perfect high-low amalgamation of the show's ability to be both shocking and brilliant at the same time." 

And to top things off, not only is it one of the highest ranked "South Park" episodes according to IMDB, but it also helped change the story structure of the series, allowing them to stay relevant with viewers. And to add to the list of tragic accomplishments, the entry features the line from Cartman, "Your tears are so yummy and sweet. Ohhh, the tears of immeasurable sadness! Yummy, you guys," which IGN hails as one of the maniacal fourth grader's best lines. Despite the dark subject matter and grotesque behavior displayed, the ill-fated Scott Tenorman saga that concluded in "201" had a substantial impact on the franchise and served as a fine example of the depths Cartman's depravity and the show could ultimately reach.