‘South Park’ Fans Already Have Conspiracy Theories on the Latest Delay

With a cheeky little note, South Park pushed tonight’s scheduled episode by another week. This is the second time in the show’s history that there’s been a delay in episodes. “Apparently when you do everything at the last minute sometimes you don’t get it done,” a statement from the show read. “This one’s on us. We didn’t get it done in time. Thanks to Comedy Central and South Park fans for being so understanding. Tune in next week!”

In an already unusual season, this would be against the norm but not hard to believe if it weren’t for a spate of other recent events. The delayed episode follows the show pulling its recent episode making fun of Charlie Kirk following the conservative activist’s murder on September 10th. The decision was made amid accusations from right wingers that the episode “caused” Kirk’s shooting. 

Inevitably, in a time when conspiracy theories rule society, South Park fans also jumped to speculate on the “real” cause of the delay. Namely, suspicious fans observed that the show had two weeks to put an episode together, and yet, somehow, the week of one of the most insane news cycles in recent political history, they’re “running late.” 

In the comment section of the Instagram post announcing the delay, theories sprouted in every direction. Here are some of the top statements:

• “I am guessing Cartman was going to reappear as Kirk, and they have to axe the entire planned storyline.”
• “It was definitely finished. Just not allowed to air”
• “100% positive that Charlie Kirk was supposed to be in this episode”
• “As someone who also makes content weekly, I’m thinking they likely had to pivot due to recent circumstances.”
• “Blink twice if they’re silencing you, Matt and Trey”
• “RELEASE THE CUT, WE KNOW THE EPISODE IS DONE AND WONT BE SHOWN!!!”
• “its giving ‘this week was so insane that we had to basically rewrite the whole thing so we wouldn’t be outdone’ and i’m here for it”
• “I think Charlie Kirk Cartman was a big factor in this season and they have to redo everything now”

From a very informal survey of nearly 3,000 comments, the prevailing theories seem to be that Paramount forced South Park to pull the episode or that the episode too heavily featured Cartman’s Kirk character to air after his death. Dozens of comments even reference the “Kirk Cut.”

While there’s no evidence that there was any episode that was pulled, it’s likely not to slow internet gossip down. The only way to know if South Park plans to pull any punches is to tune in next Wednesday, when the episode originally slated for today will air.