How Randy Marsh from South Park became the main character

Since their debut in 1997, Trey Parker and Matt Stone South Park has expanded its cast list. The focus is primarily on the quartet of Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny, but occasionally others have come in to take the spotlight. For example Butters, Tweek, Timmy, Jimmy and Stan’s father, Randy Marsh. And of the characters mentioned above, Randy is probably the one who has become as much of a main character as the quartet (although Butters has also taken on the lead role).

And in truth, This expansion proved mixed. For a while, Randy’s dominance in the B-plots (and sometimes the A-plots) was an unavoidable situation. But then he became as important for the show as a quartet. The effect began to wear off, especially as his intelligence seemed to diminish with each successive appearance. The show corrected that course a bit, but here’s Randy Marsh evolving for the better And worse.

The beginnings of South Park

Every episode of South ParkThe first season is important. And as for probably the weakest of the year, “Volcano,” that was Randy’s introduction. Although he was established as a geologist, he was not yet established as Stan’s father. That would take a few more episodes.

In fact, his presence isn’t felt at all in the first season. But aside from Kyle’s mother (who, interestingly enough, was first named Carol) and her crusade against it Terrance & Phillipnone of the boys’ parents are particularly present in the first year. This would essentially continue through the second season, but the exception is the second year’s “Clubhouses,” which makes phenomenal use of both of Stan’s parents.

It was in there In Season 3, Randy got some more screen time. Most notable is “Spontaneous Combustion,” an underrated episode that got better with age. This episode and “Two Guys Naked in a Hot Tub” are rare examples of an early episode with Randy directing the A-plot. But the first time Randy was expanded as a character (AKA became less of a mere parental character and more of a memorable presence in the town) was “Something You Can Do with Your Finger” in Season 4.

Randy from South Park starts getting some of the silly stuff

Season 6 is notable for the absence of Kenny as the series progresses. Finally, he was “finally” killed off towards the end of last season. This left room for other characters, namely Butters and then Tweek. But there was also some gold for Randy to mine.

Especially in “Red Hot Catholic Love.” It is one of the few episodes in which Father Maxi played a prominent role Randy was the best part of the B storyline. Cartman may have figured out that people can shove food up their butts and defecate out of their mouths, but the funniest part is watching Randy fret about it and try.

This was the case in some episodes of Season 7 and 8, aka Randy doesn’t lead the B plots, but he is the scene stealer of the episode. Season 7’s “Red Man’s Greed” and “Grey Dawn” serve as examples, as his line “It’s cool on my tongue” as Randy pours beer into his mouth is shown on the first page and plays on the second page he looks to the side to boys in the distance screaming incoherently.

Season 8’s “Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes,” “Goobacks” and “You Got F’d in the A” gave him the task of directing the B storylines. In “Wall-Mart,” which features a handful of Randy Marsh’s most memorable freakout moments, he’s the one who demonstrates the town’s residents’ receptivity to the store’s mysterious charm. In “Goobacks” he plays with his son until his job is taken away. And in “You Got F’d in the A,” one of the best episodes for Butters fans, Randy is the one who tries to teach Stan what to do at a dance-off (and gets comical treatment himself for it).

Leading the occasional A-plot and owning the B-plots in seasons 9 to 14

The progression of seasons six through eight only became clearer in the following half decade. In season 9, Randy led the B-plot of “The Losing Edge” and completely stole the episode. He did the same for this season’s “Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow.” But it’s “Bloody Mary,” one of them South Parkis the most controversial episode in which he was given the most screen time and agency. After all, it’s an episode that essentially abandons the concept of a B-plot and becomes all about a bleeding statue of the Virgin Mary and Randy’s attempt to get there to resolve his alcoholism rather than, you know, to master.

Season 10’s “Make Love, Not Warcraft” is notable for many reasons, and one of them is the fact that Randy really wants to take part in the boys’ activity. Specifically: play World of Warcraft. As in “Red Hot Catholic Love” and “Something You Can Do With Your Finger” it shows this He has essentially become one of the boys, a far cry from his beginnings as a normal parental figure.

Randy and South Park jumped the shark

The problem with Randy’s brain and personality actually aging in reverse is that there are limits to what is logically acceptable, even in a show where there is a war in Imaginationland. At the beginning of Season 18, he performs “C**k Magic” at a kid’s birthday party, which is hilarious. And yet, it was the same season that he dressed up as Lorde. It’s an occasionally funny gag (“I’m Lorde, ya, ya, ya”), but also quite bizarre.

This trait would continue in subsequent seasons, such as his earlier obsession with Christopher Columbus in Season 21’s “Holiday Special.” But it was in Season 22, with the founding of Tegridy Farms, that the character would jump the shark. It’s a good concept for an episode or two, but it’s effectively become the entirety of Randy’s personality and goals, and although the series admitted in one of the Paramount+ specials that the character is basically unrecognizable at this point, the Tegridy Farms aspect is no longer noticeable I haven’t been shaken since the last few episodes. South Park is streaming on Max and Hulu, with some special offerings available on Paramount+.