COME ON DOWN TO SOUTH PARK WITH THIS EPIC BOX SET! Over 35 classic episodes from Seasons 21 through 25 of South Park have been packed into this one kick-ass Collector’s Edition! The residents of everyone’s favorite little mountain town contend with the vaping epidemic, the Underbelly of Social Media, and the return of ManBearPig! So join Cartman, Kyle, Stan and Kenny as they take on COVID-19, tackle the consequences of immigration, and correct a long-held misconception about one of their classmates. For them, it’s all part of growing up in South Park!
For thoughts on South Park: Seasons 21-25, please check out our previous reviews here, here and here.
Video Quality
South Park: Seasons 21-25 collects all five of the previously released individual Blu-Ray sets into one package. Since we have already reviewed most of the individual seasons and the quality is remarkably consistent between them, you can find the most recent evaluation below:
These five seasons come with a gorgeous transfer that is as bright and detailed as you would expect from the series. The show has been rolling largely in the same groove for the past several years, so there are no big surprises in store. Colors are vibrant and bold throughout these six episodes, but the actual level of detail in the animation is not too nuanced due to the production style. The thick lines and details are crisp and maintained well without any bleeding into other portions of the screen. There is the occasional issue with banding in the background, but most will probably overlook it unless they are on the lookout. This is a clear presentation free of any dirt, debris or damage. South Park maintains the high level of quality it has always displayed on Blu-Ray.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray set comes with a well executed Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack that does everything it needs to. Dialogue is the focus of the mix with a clear presentation anchored in the center speaker that subtly creeps into surrounds during moments where it is necessitated by the narrative. There are an array of environmental sound effects throughout the town that makes the area more three dimensional. Music is prominent with impeccable fidelity and stings accentuating certain scenes in the rear channels. While not the most sonically dynamic series, this one provides some nice moments to show off a bit.
Special Features
Season 21
- Audio Commentary: Trey Parker and Matt Stone provide a commentary track for every episode that gives some fun insights into the development and execution.
- #SocialCommentary: Every episode is given an option to view with a pop-up video style trivia track which gives some interesting background on various elements.
Season 22
- Audio Commentary: Trey Parker and Matt Stone provide a commentary track for every episode that gives some fun insights into the development and execution.
- #SocialCommentary: Every episode is given an option to view with a pop-up video style trivia track which gives some interesting background on various elements.
- Deleted Scenes: There are eight minutes of deleted scenes provided here featuring a mixture of finished and rough sketch scenes that provide a good amount of chuckles even if you understand why they didn’t make the cut.
Season 23
- #SocialCommentary: Every episode has the option to watch with social pop ups that provide some interesting tidbits about the season and how it connects to previous seasons. It is fun to learn when certain characters or storylines were previously introduced, as it is easy to forget minor details after so many seasons. There are also references to real world developments such as how a certain episode got them banned in China.
- Concept Art: Viewers are given the option to skip through twenty something pages of early art from developing the episodes that spans throughout the season. It is interesting to see how certain shots were envisioned prior to completion.
Seasons 24-25
There are no special features provided on these discs.
Final Thoughts
South Park: Seasons 21-25 is an interesting flashpoint in the show’s history, as it got upended halfway through this run by the COVID-19 pandemic, which was the basis of Season 24. It should be noted that this release does not include the separately released Post COVID special. Throughout these five seasons, the series showed its age at points by running certain jokes into the ground and feeling a bit less clever than the show in its prime. Yet, more often than not, we found ourselves laughing – a lot. This series still has a pretty strong pulse, and when it hits it is still one of our favorite comedies to spend time with. Paramount Home Entertainment has released these seasons together on Blu-Ray with a great A/V presentation and some fun special features for the earlier seasons. If you want a more economical, shelf-friendly release for this series, this will treat you well. Recommended
South Park: Seasons 21-25 will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD on July 18, 2023.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Paramount Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.