4th Grade (South Park episode)
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| South Park episode | |
| "4th Grade" | |
 "Welcome to the fourth grade." |
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| Episode no. | 59 |
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| Airdate | November 8, 2000 |
| South Park - Season 4 April 5, 2000 – December 20, 2000 |
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| ← Season 3 | Season 5 → |
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| List of all South Park episodes | |
"4th Grade" is the title of episode 412 of the South Park television series. This fourth season episode originally aired November 8, 2000 and covers the main characters' first day of fourth grade. The three previous seasons of the program featured the main characters in the 3rd grade with Mr. Garrison in the role of teacher. This grade-change plot device allowed the writers to introduce a new teacher, Ms. Choksondik and also make a new opening sequence in which the show was said to be "Faster", have "more explosions" and that "You love it".
[edit] Synopsis
Upon entering fourth grade, the storyline has the boys lamenting their days in the third grade. Driven by the strictness of their new teacher, they realize that they took the ease of the third grade for granted. As part of the story, they contact a couple of science nerds to build them a time machine so they can travel back in time.
Ms. Choksondik then goes on a journey to find Mr. Garrison in order to learn how to handle her new class. Mr. Garrison trains Ms. Choksondik, then comes to the realization that he needs to admit and confront his homosexuality, which leads to the episode's conclusion where Mr. Garrison openly acknowledges his homosexuality to Principal Victoria, Chef and Mr. Mackey.
[edit] Kenny's Death
Kenny is put onto a relay, which rolls down the road straight on at Timmy's out of control wheelchair. While trying to cut the wires on Timmy's wheelchair, Kenny misses the wheelchair and goes straight past it. Kenny hits a pothole, flips over onto his face and is pulled back, dragging his face along the road, killing him.
Stan comments (sarcastically): "Well who didn't see that coming?"
Surprisingly, in a later scene directly after Cartman says: "Au revoir, teacher," Kenny is sitting next to Stan in the class again. He is seen up until one of the nerds yells: "I'll kill you!" In the next scene, Kenny is nowhere to be found.
[edit] Trivia
- This episode references a "Geek Debate" attempting to determine how many episodes of Star Trek exist. The debate centers on the status of the episode "The Menagerie." Additionally, both amounts of episodes quoted by the geeks (72 and 73) are incorrect.
- Parodies The Empire Strikes Back with Mr. Garrison acting like Yoda while training Ms. Choksondik how to handle the children. Mr. Garrison even speaks in a Yoda-like voice for a moment.
- Timmy, whose vocabulary has previously appeared to be mainly restricted to his own name, manages in this to expand his vocabulary to "Please help me!".
- This episode features a new opening, used until the end of the fifth season.
- The geek's room is littered with aliens from other episodes; including a toy Marklar, a poster of the South Park alien and Spooky Fish on their door.
- Cartman says "Ha ha, charade you are" to Mrs. Choksondik, a reference to Pink Floyd's song Pigs (Three Different Ones). This is the third time he cites this song, first in Cat Orgy and later in Scott Tenorman Must Die
- The situation with Timmy unable to stop the wheelchair or get off it is a parody of the movie Speed.
- This was the first episode to air after the new Comedy Central Logo
| Preceded by: "Probably" |
South Park episodes | Followed by: "Trapper Keeper" |
