What has always made South Park seem unique to me is the apparent fearlessness of its creators in portraying social and political topics from controversial perspectives. It is surprising to me how often they purposefully deviate from accepted narratives: Whether something is deemed shameful or honorable by society, South Park will often show the opposite side of the coin. South Park has been particularly diligent in this pattern in the 19th season. It's hard to describe why it is so brilliant without talking about the relevant problems with modern American culture... Suffice it to say that the 19th season is an ingenious expose of the incredible narcissism that makes well-meaning people so easy to manipulate.
Episode 8 is amazing in its commitment to truthful portrayal of the ills of PC progressivism, addressing its ironic intolerance, its origins in normative social influence, and its effects on mass media, while also managing to squeeze in some compelling science fiction plot points. I have not watched the rest of the season yet. I am writing this because episode 8 was such an amazing climax of insight that I was utterly blown away. This episode reconfirms for me that South Park is not just a comedy show, but is one the few remaining outlets for honest and serious social critique. I hope that the show continues to reach new heights with the following episodes.