This was the very first episode I ever watched, so it already has a special place in my heart. When I rewatched it, I realized it was even better than I previously thought.
This is undoubtedly one of my favorite South Park episodes. The whole plot being centered around Stan and Kyle’s friendship makes it a masterpiece of an episode. From the beginning, when we see them having fun together, to the middle when we see just how much they’re not having fun playing without each other’s company, to the end when we see them reconcile and reach the million.
Throughout the episode, music is used brilliantly to underscore the major emotional beats. “Carry On My Wayward Son” being used when the boys are at the peak of their stardom, “Cherry Pie” being used as the song to underscore their fallout, “I Wanna Be Sedated”, representing Stan having fallen too far into Heroine Hero and wrecking his newfound fame, “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” being the song Kyle plays to properly capture his feelings of losing Stan, having to play alone, and missing out on Stan’s fame and fortune, and “I Remember You” being the last song Kyle plays at the bowling alley to masterfully underscore his and Stan’s reconciliation.
One of my favorite bits is seeing the change in expression on Kyle’s face as Stan walks in, and the camera switches to Kyle’s POV as the lyrics “The wind would whisper and I'd think of you” play. The lyrics tie in beautifully with the whole scene.
“The wind would whisper and I'd think of you
And all the tears you cried, that called my name,
And when you needed me I came through”.
Stan’s speech to Kyle about how what really mattered wasn’t the wild parties, but playing with his best friend, was a very touching moment. The way he restores both Kyle’s confidence, and their friendship, is absolutely wonderful character writing.
Then, of course, we get the humorous “YOU. ARE. FAGS!” joke, which is always funny to see.
Speaking of jokes, this episode has quite a few funny ones. The “solo” that Thad plays on the controller, the aforementioned “FAGS” joke, Randy’s scenes in general, the whole “Heroine Hero” fiasco, and my personal favorite: “You BLEW it! You had it all and you BLEW it!”
Favorite moment: Easily Stan and Kyle’s reconciliation.
Funniest moment: “You BLEW it!”
Overall: 9.5/10. A damn-near perfect episode imo.