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"Up the Down Steroid"
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Episode no. Season 8
Episode 2
Production no. 803
Original airdate March 24, 2004
Episode chronology
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"Good Times with Weapons" "The Passion of the Jew"
List of all South Park episodes

"Up the Down Steroid" is the second episode of Season Eight, and the 113th overall episode of South Park. It aired on March 24, 2004.[1]

Synopsis[]

Jimmy is in training for the upcoming Special Olympics and he's determined to win at any cost.[1]

Plot[]

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

Jimmy and Timmy, two disabled children in South Park, are due to participate in the Special Olympics in Denver, they both ask the boys if they could cheer on them during the event. However, Cartman thinks that this is a farce where handicapped kids could compete against each other to amuse the crowd.

After practicing bench-pressing with Timmy, Jimmy sees Nathan hiding in a dark corner. Nathan offers him some steroids to help him win, assuring Jimmy that these new drugs cannot be detected in urine tests. Jimmy accepts the offer, thinking how hard could it be.

Cartman sees a brochure of the Special Olympics and decides to fake being disabled, beat all the handicapped children in the events, and win the $1,000 grand prize. Stan and Kyle tells Cartman that it is a relatively terrible idea.

To pretend to be handicapped, Cartman undergoes a rigorous, "Push It to the Limit" montage, training regime of reading books of how to be handicapped, sitting on the special education bus while taking notes of how "retards" act, cutting his hair badly, studying a Kid Rock performance, modifying his shoes so it looks like he has a club foot and putting on a bicycle helmet too tight so his face is badly deformed. Cartman later realizes that he requires an adult to sign him up for the Special Olympics on his behalf, and goes to his mom to take him to the event. Liane explains that he cannot go to the Olympics to cheat to other "special" children. Cartman then reasons with her that he just wants to see how do handicapped kids face their challenges every day for once to change. Liane is moved by his words and agrees to take him there.

Timmy discovers the steroids Jimmy has been taking on his bag and feels disappointment on Jimmy for cheating. Jimmy tries to make him forget about witnessing them and to stop him from telling this to the coaches. Timmy frowns on Jimmy's behavior and actions, but being unable to say anything other than "Timmy!!" and "Jimmy!!", he was unable to explain the situation to the school counselor, Mr. Mackey.

Throughout the episode, Kyle tries to talk Cartman out of his plans. Kyle hates Cartman and has always seen him as a thoroughly ruthless boy, but Kyle sees Cartman's plans as so horrible that he seriously worries that Cartman will go to Hell for his antics in this episode. He even goes as far as to call himself Cartman's friend. Cartman does not pay Kyle any attention, believing that Kyle is not in a position to preach morality because he is Jewish.

Meanwhile, Nancy is very worried about Jimmy being different than he was before he buffed up, she then knows that Jimmy is too far from winning in the Olympics and decides to break up with him. Jimmy ends up in a steroid temper, which causes him to be very violent to the point of attacking Nancy and his his mother. Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings" playing as the atmospheric soundtrack as he loses his mind and bawls.

Cartman's plan of course fails, having failed to consider that the handicapped contestants all had weeks of intensive training and are in great shape while he was not. He comes in last while Jimmy comes up in first place in the Special Olympics. However, he gets a spirit award in the form of a 50-dollar gift voucher to Shakey's Pizza. When he comes up to the stand to collect the prize, Jimmy realizes Cartman has been faking his "retardation" and ironically was about to beat him up for being a cheater, but Timmy scolds him for it. Jimmy goes up to the microphone to tell that he learned his lesson, namely that taking steroids is cheating, on a par with pretending to be "retarded" to participate in the Special Olympics. This results in Jimmy giving back his medal and delivering a heartfelt speech to the audience, who applaud Jimmy for being honest.

The episode ends with Cartman trying to convince the rest of the boys that he was pretending to be retarded to teach Jimmy a lesson about steroids. However, the boys do not fall for Cartman's deception. This results in Cartman telling them to "grow up", as he walks away.

References[]


  803: "Up the Down Steroid" edit
Story Elements

Timmy BurchJimmy ValmerEric CartmanNancyNathan • "Adagio for Strings" • "Push It to the Limit"

Media

ImagesScriptExtrasWatch Episode

Release

South Park: The Complete Eighth SeasonSouth Park: The Cult of Cartman

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