| "4th Grade" | ||||
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| South Park episode | ||||
 The new teacher, Ms. Choksondik |
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| Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 12 |
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| Written by | Trey Parker | |||
| Directed by | Trey Parker | |||
| Production no. | 412 | |||
| Original airdate | November 8, 2000 | |||
| Season 4 episodes | ||||
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| ← Season 3 | Season 5 → | |||
| List of South Park episodes | ||||
"4th Grade" is the title of episode 59 of the South Park television series. This fourth season episode originally aired November 8, 2000 and focuses on 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 as their teacher. This grade change plot device allowed for the introduction of a new teacher, Ms. Choksondik, and introduced a new opening sequence in which the show referenced The Six Million Dollar Man. It is also the final resolution to a three-part mini-arc involving Mr. Garrison coming out of the closet.[1]
Synopsis
This episode marked the boys' move into the 4th grade. Not knowing their new teacher, the boys plan to exert dominance over the teacher. Before the beginning of class, they come up with an idea: at 8:35 AM, they would stand up on the desks, pull their pants down, and say "Kiss my ass." After Ms. Choksondik explains that fourth grade will be different, the children are frightened. Cartman alone stands up and pulls down his pants, very annoyed no one else followed the plan.
Ms. Choksondik is depicted as a middle-aged woman with disgustingly saggy breasts that she neither notices nor is ashamed of. In a twist of irony, the children do not notice her obscene-sounding name; instead, they come up with their own insulting nicknames. The children eventually realize that they took the ease of the 3rd grade for granted and do not want to go through a whole year in 4th grade. They seek help from two scientific Trekkies and ask them to create a time-traveling device so they can return to the 3rd grade. The Star Trek fans then construct the device using Timmy's wheelchair.
Meanwhile, it is revealed that the teachers don't like Ms. Choksondik any more than the students do, especially as when she lifts her arms up, a small section of her breasts come into view. Ms. Choksondik reports to Principal Victoria, Mr. Mackey and Chef that she is unable to teach the children in her class and attempts to speak to Mr. Garrison (who was fired after "Cartman Joins NAMBLA" after he was accused of trying to solicit sex from Cartman), but she is unable to get any information. The next day in class, the children begin their plan of traveling back to 3rd grade. However, the plan backfires and instead of creating a portal back in time, Timmy is driven through the classroom wall in his uncontrollable wheelchair. He is unable to stop the wheelchair as it would explode if he slows down or if he gets off (a reference to the movie Speed), because of the materials used to convert it to a "time-travel" device. Kenny is dragged to death in an attempt to disarm the device. Eventually, a portal does open and Timmy is thrown into the pre-historic past.
Ms. Choksondik goes on a journey to find Mr. Garrison in order to learn how he handled the class. Mr. Garrison trains Ms. Choksondik and then comes to the realization that he needs to admit and confront his 'gay-side' [in a parody of Luke Skywalker confronting his dark-side in The Empire Strikes Back]. The children try to convince the two Star Trek geeks to build another time machine but they refuse to work together because of a disagreement over how many original Star Trek episodes were made. The arguments are notably inconsistent; the fan wearing green says there are 72 and not 73 and then claims the opposite minutes later. His friend starts out claiming that there are 73, then goes back to 72, then claims 73 yet again. All of these are incorrect, however, because there are in actuality 79 episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series. In the end everyone accepts the 4th grade and realizes that the 3rd grade was never as good as they remembered it. Timmy comes back with "souvenirs" from the eras he had visited. Mr. Garrison openly admits his homosexuality to Principal Victoria, Chef, and Mr. Mackey, and asks for his job back. They reply with "I'm sorry, we don't hire gay people," and laugh derisively.
See also
| Preceded by “Probably” |
South Park episodes | Followed by “Trapper Keeper” |
References
- ^ Parts one and two were "Cartman Joins NAMBLA" and "Cherokee Hair Tampons".
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