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"Death"
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S1E6-Thumbnail
Episode no. Season 1
Episode 6
Production no. 106
Original airdate September 17, 1997
Episode chronology
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"Death" is the 6th episode of Season One, and the 6th overall episode of South Park. It first aired on September 17, 1997.[1]

Synopsis[]

Grandpa's sole birthday wish is for Stan to take part in his assisted suicide. Meanwhile, Mrs. Broflovski has organized a protest against the boys' favorite TV show, "Terrance and Phillip".[1]

Plot[]

SPW pic -- Spoiler Spoiler warning!
Plot details follow.

The Marsh family is celebrating Marvin Marsh's 102nd birthday but Grandpa isn't having a great time. He wishes he was dead, and, while he and Stan Marsh watch Terrance and Phillip after the birthday festivities, he attempts to shoot himself but misses, hitting a picture on the wall instead. Grandpa realizes that he is too old to do it himself, so he offers Stan a dollar to shoot him, but Stan, not wanting to get into trouble, refuses. This makes Grandpa annoyed, claiming that he shot his own grandfather when he was Stan's age.

Meanwhile, at Kyle Broflovski's house, Kyle and Ike Broflovski are also watching Terrance and Phillip when their mother, Sheila Broflovski, comes in and gets upset by the content of the program. The next day at school Kyle discovers that Sheila has called everyone else's parents and is leading a boycott of Terrance and Phillip in front of Cartoon Central headquarters in New York City. During the school day, Stan seeks out various adults to find out whether or not he should assist his Grandpa in killing himself, but no one wishes to discuss the issue, so Stan talks to the guys about it.

Meanwhile, still, Kenny McCormick's case of some explosive diarrhea is spreading to the whole town, particularly to the adults protesting Terrance and Phillip. Despite their protest of the show, they are shown laughing at various bits of "real life" toilet humor.

At home, the boys have been left alone to watch Terrance and Phillip at their leisure, as most of the community has followed Sheila to Cartoon Central to demand the show be taken off the air. All the while Grandpa Marsh is trying to convince Stan to kill him. During one attempt, he has a distracted Stan hold a length of rope, while Grandpa attempts to hang himself. Shelly arrives in time to stop Stan from doing so, who is horrified by Grandpa's trick, and the boys are put on TV in which they inadvertently place the blame on Terrance and Phillip, adding more fuel to Sheila's protest. In order to show Stan what its like to be live like him, Grandpa traps Stan in a room playing Enya, at which point he and the rest of the boys agree they must do it. They hang a cow from a tree to drop on Grandpa when Death shows up. Although Grandpa is yelling, "I'm over here, you son-of-a-whore!" Death is really after Kenny instead.

Back in New York, although a dozen people have been sling-shot and smeared on the face of the network building, the network refuses to take Terrance and Philip off the air until an executive comes out (in a gas mask) and announces; "Ladies and gentlemen, your Nazi-esque tactics of trying to stink us out with rancid feces...has worked. Therefore, today we will be officially taking Terrance and Philip off the network (ends up getting back on the air later on) and replacing it with reruns of She's the Sheriff starring Suzanne Somers."

In South Park, while chasing the boys, Death stops at the window of a TV store and watches an episode of Terrance and Philip. The boys join him in watching until the announcement of its cancellation.

After Death touches Kenny, his touch kills him, Grandpa appears on the scene and argues with Death about not taking him. Then, the ghost of Grandpa Marsh's Grandpa shows up, he tells Marvin that he was wrong to ask him to kill him and that he ended up in limbo as punishment. Great-great Grandpa tells him to not kill himself or he will be punished like him (and Kenny). When he leaves with Death and Kenny's ghost, he tells Grandpa Marsh he must wait to die of natural causes. However, Grandpa Marsh still misunderstands his grandpa's words, taking them as advice. Grandpa Marsh then plans a trip to Africa where over four hundred people are eaten 'naturally' by lions every year.

At the end, Sheila and the other parents return and show the boys to watch She's the Sheriff and are again upset with the content and prepares for another boycott. Without Terrance and Phillip to watch, Cartman, Stan, and Kyle discuss doing drugs and watching porn to ease their boredom. The episode ends with them laughing at Grandpa Marsh's plans to go to Africa.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Death (Season 1, Episode 6). southparkstudios.com.


  106: "Death" edit
Story Elements

DeathMarvin MarshStan MarshCartoon Central • "Happy Birthday to You" • "Gonna Fly"

Media

ImagesScriptExtrasWatch Episode

Release

South Park: The Complete First SeasonSouth Park Volume 2

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