5 Times South Park Brilliantly Referenced Star Trek
Trey Parker and Matt Stone have never hidden their Star Trek obsession. Here are five South Park episodes that brilliantly reference the iconic sci-fi show.
In the rich history of South Park's three-decade-long run, the show has consistently paid tribute to a particular franchise, Star Trek. The first reference to this beloved series occurred in the show's tenth episode, when Stan provided a pep talk to Jesus, quoting a line from Star Trek: First Contact. Co-creator Matt Stone once referred to the film as "such a stupid movie" during the episode's DVD commentary.
South Park's affinity for Star Trek is evident throughout its run, with the show featuring numerous jokes and homages to the series. The exhaustive Memory Alpha fan-wiki has compiled a list of dozens of examples, ranging from quick jokes to more intricate references. Some of these references, like the episode titled "City on the Edge of Forever," are direct copies of Star Trek's episode titles, albeit with minor variations.
One of the most overt Star Trek references in South Park comes from the episode "City on the Edge of Forever." In this episode, a student wearing a red shirt exits the school bus only to be killed by a monster, becoming a perfect example of the fan term "redshirt." Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who grew up watching Star Trek, often subverted this trope in South Park, killing off the main character Kenny numerous times in the show.
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