Fans have been left asking why after South Park Season 27 abruptly ended after five episodes. The hit animated comedy series has been running for nearly 30 years on Comedy Central, following the R-rated exploits of four boys living in a snow-covered Colorado town. After several years away from traditional episodic seasons, the series returned in late August, debuting the long-awaited Season 27; however, just a handful of weeks later, it was already over.
It was revealed with the release of what was supposed to be South Park Season 27, Episode 6, that, in fact, Season 27 is done, and this latest entry into the show's animated canon is considered the Season 28 premiere.
Variety confirmed the change in a recent story about the series, reporting that a spokesperson for Comedy Central announced Season 27 was ending after only five episodes (despite being announced as 10), and Season 28 has now officially begun.
The reason behind Season 27's sudden end this week is likely to help align South Park's upcoming Season 30 with the show's 30th anniversary.
In 2027, the series will celebrate 30 years on the air. If it can get Seasons 27 and 28 out of the way now, followed by Season 29 next year, then Season 30 will align with the show's 30th anniversary.
South Park was previously on pace to hit its 30th anniversary with Season 30, but with no new episodes in 2020, it fell behind. This could be a way to get things back on track, setting up an epic celebration of the beloved satire in a couple of years.
Season 27 was already supposed to have an unorthodox release strategy for the show, so what's the trouble with switching things up even more five episodes in?
Season 27 of South Park is streaming now on Paramount+. The R-rated animated series, created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, follows the zany residents of a sleepy Colorado town, with a particular focus on a quartet of kids: Stan, Kyle, Eric, and Kenny.
What Else Is Behind South Park Season 27's Abrupt End?
While the 30th anniversary theory may explain why South Park Season 27 ended the way it did, there could be a few other factors at play.
Notably, heading into the show's 27th season, creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker signed a new deal with Paramount, making Paramount+ the exclusive streaming home of the hit animated show.
This new five-year agreement gave the notoriously 'play by their own rules' creative team even more free rein over the franchise. So, ultimately, this change could have just been another one of Stone and Parker's stunts (of which there have been many over the years).
The first five episodes of Season 27 had a particular feel, lampooning controversial topics like the current U.S. presidency. Perhaps the team decided that this next chapter in the South Park story is so separate from those first five entries into the season that they opted it was best to turn the page.
This also comes after the series found itself in hotter water than ever before, after it aired an episode poking fun at right-wing political pundit Charlie Kirk mere days before his public assassination in early September.
This prompted the series to take an extended break from releasing new episodes. While it came back towing the line of controversy just as tightly as it ever had, this may have resulted in a change in direction for the rest of the season, potentially leading to the decision to start Season 28 and not carry on with Season 27.
Either way, Season 28 has started and is expected to last through at least the next five episodes.
