South Park is an adult comedy cartoon - children and people who don't like foul language, crudity and such things should leave the building.

Before I tackle 'that', I shall say that this season has some really good episodes, and some average ones. 'The Death of Eric Cartman', 'Ginger Kids' (a fine example of Cartman's Alf Garnet/Archie Bunker side in full swing and a suitable comeuppance), 'Marjorine' and the Garrison sex-change episode are probably the stand-outs, as they are just plain funny. The 'Day after Tomorrow' parody is pretty good, and 'Best Friends Forever' is a great example of when they combine dark humour with subtle poignancy. Others, like 'Bloody Mary' are a little too much, and although the point it raises about the AA is interesting, that point is buried under controversy over the crudity level and the excessive disrespect shown to Catholicism. But that's free speech... not always palatable.

All in all this is not as classic a season as seasons 6-8 were - they were the peak so far, in terms of consistent turnout - and sadly, for reasons connected to the rest of this article, it is the last season to feature fresh material from Isaac 'Hot Buttered Soul' Hayes as Chef.

Okay... (deep breath)

Season 9 is notorious for just one episode... the 'Closet' episode. Now, I like free speech, and as other critics have pointed out, Catholicism and Mormonism come off a lot worse than Scientology. The Scientologists should not be so offended, and nor should anybody else; if the doctrine they portray is inaccurate, then say so; if not, then what the problem is, I don't know, it isn't like this has had some 'Mein Kampf' effect, and if I were Jewish I'd be wishing this is as bad as it had got in Nazi Germany. If you decide to buy something, you expect to be clear on what it is and what it does first... something you choose to buy _into_ should be the same, right...? The accusation that it's all about money is levelled at religions across the board, even by the less-edgy Simpsons... so why all the fuss? Free speech allowed the faith to exist, and it must by default allow its critics. That seems fair, especially as this 20-minute cartoon - which is not their best material by any means - doesn't appear to have had much effect other than depriving the show of a (now sadly deceased) leading cast member.

And on that note, I say this; whether the Closet episode is there or not, it matters little. Some of the other episodes are actually a lot better, so just buy on the strength of those, and remain open-minded. That's what it's all about!

Some people have been complaining about the later series of south park saying they have gone down hill, but this is not the case.
This season is fantastic involving several great episodes such as:
Mr Garrisons fancy new vagina (including great storyline involving plastic surgery)
The episode where Kenny must save the world using the golden psp, the scientology episode which lead to chef's departure, another where the boys become managers of the talented singer Wing, and the episode where the boys try their hardest to lose at baseball, and of course it cant be south park without cartman upsetting a group of people, in this season its ginger people.

So I would recomend seeing all the south park you can including this series.