South Park (TV Series) The Return of Chef (2006) User Reviews

Hilariously Depressing

[wyrihu14 · 8/10 · 24 November 2020]

If you don't know the full context of this... odd episode - be grateful.

Just cry at his death, and laugh at his funny chopped-together lines, and the fruity little club, and Darth Chef. Just... enjoy it.

Jeez, I don't know if I love or hate this episode.

My head kinda hurts.

The end of Chef :(

[gangstahippie · 9/10 · 24 September 2008]

Chef was a great character in South Park.Always helping the children with their problems.After the "Trapped In the Closet" scientology episode, Issac Hayes(the man who plays Chef and who is a scientologist), quit South Park.So this is basically the final episode to feature Chef but Issac's voice wasn't used.I think it was actually sound bytes of his previous voices.This is one of the sadder episodes in the series.Chef returns from the super adventure club and becomes a pedophile.He has been brainwashed by this super adventure club, a club which goes around the world molesting kids.So they now must help him like having sex with women again.Chef starts to turn back to his normal self but the club then kidnaps him and brainwashes him again.The boys try to save him but realize Chef wants to stay with the super adventure club.Suddenly, the bridge breaks and Chef falls off getting murdered in a very horrific way.The Return Of Chef is a great episode and marks the final appearance of Chef.

This episode is sad but so funny

[uwucom · 9/10 · 6 September 2021]

This episode is the last one about chef because isaac left south park because of the episode "Trapped in the closet" mainly because it makes fun of scientology which is a really dumb reason but i wanna talk more about the episode and why its so sad and funny at the same time. It's hilarious because of the random clips they put for chefs voice and the part we're he becomes creepy and his death is funny because how evil it is but the reason its so sad is because his funeral it makes me cry every time i watch it its so emotional it breaks my heart but its also sad because its the last time he's ever shown (except for in the game) also i just released why the it says "We shouldn't be mad at Chef for leaving us we should be mad at that fruity little club for scrambling his brains" because that's exactly what happened to Isaac.:(

"we shouldn't be mad at Chef for leaving us, we should be mad at that fruity little club for scrambling his brains"

[RainDogJr · 6 December 2008]

I could get the DVD set of Season 10 and I didn't missed the chance; here is the opening episode, a very clever one, more for the "war" against Scientology, of course about Isaac Hayes and in the end a great and really hilarious episode. I think that if somebody watches this episode without knowing a thing about the South Park-Scientology-Isaac Hayes case it is still a hilarious episode, like Trey and Matt says on the DVD commentary still it makes sense since here we see that Chef joined the Super Adventure Club and when he returned to South Park after his experience with that sick club he is acting in a very strange way and also he only talks about having sex with the children, simply Chef was brainwashed. So pretty much all does make sense but if you know the stuff about the South Park-Scientology-Isaac Hayes case you will appreciate a lot more this episode and actually there is not a lot to know just that the fantastic South Park episode "Trapped in the Closet" satirized Scientology, Isaac Hayes voiced the character Chef but he was a Scientologist and he quick the show because of "Trapped in the Closet". So without Hayes they edited old audio and the result is simply hilarious, certainly this is not our Chef and the boys will try to get him back but the Super Adventure Club want their new f****** child molester, after all they brainwashed Chef to make him think that molesting children all around the world is fine, yes the Super Adventure Club is not at all like the Adventure Club since they don't go around the world seeking for adventure, they only have sex with children be immortals (the founder of the club was immortal until he died!). At one point Chef was together with the boys, they could escape but Chef leaved South Park for a reason, Chef dies, a very crazy and brutal scene but also very funny thanks to Cartman. The conclusion is terrific with the speech of Kyle at Chef's funeral, "we shouldn't be mad at Chef for leaving us, we should be mad at that fruity little club for scrambling his brains". Plus the very last scene is also fantastic, Chef changed the meaning of the chocolate salty balls "no, I mean my balls". 9.5 out of 10

The Saddest Episode of South Park

[devinhaslebacher · 10/10 · 23 August 2021]

This is by far the saddest episode of South Park if you know the context. Throughout the episode you can feel their pain at the departure of Issac Hayes, and at many moments it is so painful because this episode shows the love they had for Issac Hayes. Their attack on scientology is subtle without context, and blatant if you know the story. RIP chef.

Great, great, GREAT!

[egunderson24 · 10/10 · 2 May 2019]

After the Scientology episode, Chef's voice actor left South Park for good, stating that the show had crossed the line from satire to intolerance. However, that wouldn't stop Trey and Matt from giving his character one last appearance. In this episode, they worked with all the sound clips that they already had from previous episodes, mashing them together to form sentences. And the effect actually works pretty well! Sometimes it is clear when the clips would change, but other times it would blend surprisingly well. Like Kenny Dies, it's another episode that is a worthy sendoff to a character. Except this time, the decision is never reversed. This makes it more impactful and I think this episode is even better than Kenny Dies. The ending here is very strong and the rest of the episode is just as good. While Chef changing from a caring friend to a child molester seems like a weird storyline, it actually works pretty well in that they are all realizing he isn't the same as he used to be. The episode isn't one of the funniest but it has its good moments. Plus the episode's focus is more to give Chef a good sendoff rather than to be as funny so it's not really a flaw. It intrigues me to see what will they do next for a sendoff of a character. So many characters we haven't seen in years could benefit from a sendoff and the creators have proven that any time they attempt it, it would result in one of the strongest episodes of the show.

SouthPark's MO

[lukasjlukasj · 10/10 · 18 March 2023]

Despite the controversy, this is a well-crafted episode that showcases the show's signature blend of satire, humor, and social commentary. The episode's portrayal of brainwashing and cults is both hilarious and unsettling, and the boys' efforts to save Chef are both heartfelt and absurd.

I really disagree with how some may dock the episode since it makes them uncomfortable, this is SouthPark's modus operandi, poking fun at things that may make us uncomfortable. Matt and Trey have been pretty clear, it's either all okay or none of it is. If you were okay with the Muhammad episode then there's no reason to have an issue with this episode.

Farewell Chef/Issac Hayes

[hellraiser7 · 10/10 · 2 June 2018]

Warning do not read unless seen episode.This episode is another honorable mention and is also one of the saddest episodes I've ever seen. It was part 2 for the cliffhanger left in season 9, though due to Isaac leaving the show due to his misguided beliefs (Scientology, yeah, I know bummer), Trey and Matt had to change certain things. Which makes me sad, this isn't a bad episode it's a good one; but all the same it one of those episodes that makes you wonder what would have happened in season 10 had Isaac not left, I'm sure Trey and Matt had further plans for Chef in this season, but we'll never know. Though I'll admit this episode is even sadder as it hits a little too close to home as Isaac Hayes passed away two or three years latter; which is one of the reasons why I sometimes get choked up watching this episode.

Isaac Hayes didn't voice act in this episode so technically part one of the two parter was literally his last. So, the staff had to voice edit Issacs vocal clips, and I think they did an excellent job I honestly didn't even notice and at the time I saw this episode I didn't know Isaac departed early. This is also a different kind of episode for that show as it's indeed not all laughs but a tragic drama.

The only bad thing about the episode was some of the final minutes at the end which was a sequel baited ending, which obviously didn't happen due to the actor passing away, but it was just one of those clichés I feel need to die, don't advertise if you're not going to deliver. Just push stop once Kyle finishes his elegy, to me that is where the episode really ended.

Other than that, everything else is fine. When we first see Chef, we know there is a funk in his groove, your kind of already know he's been brainwashed as you see he's repeated certain exact words and answered in one to two word responses. You really hoping somehow the South Park kids will be able to save Chefs soul from the Super Adventure Club which isn't very adventurous at all. It's a sect full of child molesting scumbags and since Chef is a person that is good with kids they want to use him to extend their reach. This sect is obviously representing Scientology and the bull crap they sell, which is always the same with every cult making false promises while having corrupt ulterior motives and using people to fulfill them.

For a while we see the South Park kids get the upper hand in their rescue mission, really like it when Kyle hit one of the scum bags with a bat, I wish he kept at it little longer would have liked to of seen Kyle or any of the other characters beat the crap out of those scum bags.

It then comes down toward the pivotal moment when the kids cross the bridge to salvation, Chef is so close as he is one foot away. But suddenly temptation rears its ugly head as the scum leader of the cult then keys in on Chef's deep desires. It's really heartbreaking as we just see the looks on the kids and what they say to Chief, it's exactly what we're all thinking, that last thing Stan said "We love you Chef" that really tugged a heartstring, it's reflected exactly what Trey, Matt, I and every other fan felt for Isaac. I remember thinking, "Chef, I understand your wants and desires, we all have them, but this is not the way to get them, their promises are empty." But unfortunately, Chef's unfulfilled desires override his better judgement, and starts to go back on the wrong path; it was just heart sinking because it was like Chef was abandoning his family and worst of all us. Fate or God doesn't look kindly upon the terrible choice and punishes Chef for it, though to me it was really that terrible sect that killed him with promises of adventure that turned out to be one big lie.

What Kyle said at the end I thought was beautiful, to remember Chief for all the things he's done right and not for what he did wrong. This I also can't help but feel is a little elegy to Isaac himself which is part of what makes this episode put a tear in my eye.

Farewell Isaac Hayes, I and everyone else are going to miss you.

Rating: 4 stars

Hilarious and depressing at the same time.

[jeremiah_v · 10/10 · 29 August 2023]

I'm pretty sure most are aware of the context in this episode. This was a sad and funny send-off to Chef/Isaac Hayes. In this episode you can definitely see the great pains Parker and Stone went through. I've heard a lot of people say that this is a slap in the face of Isaac Hayes, but I believe it is a tribute to him, before "the fruity little club" brainwashed him. Yes they killed him off in a brutal fashion, but the Chef/Hayes that was okay with the show making fun of every other religion died, and the Chef/Hayes that was "reborn" as Darth Chef couldn't take what he dished out. So the tribute was for the man he was, not the man he became. It was sad that it ended the way it did with Isaac Hayes, but Chef is still one of the best characters the show has ever had. So RIP Chef and the bad mother...shut yo mouth Isaac Hayes!

A Tough One to Watch

[totalspamarama · 6/10 · 6 August 2018]

This wasn't necessarily a bad episode, but it was very upsetting. Given Isaac Hayes' bee with "Trapped in the Closet, he quit and his character needed to be written out. Therefore, Matt and Trey decided to do it in the most unflattering way possible: making him be brainwashed by a society of pedophiles. That alone is screwed up, given the fact that some of his best friends are the four eight year old boys. But the worst part is the fact that the boys almost win him back, but he ultimately turns his back on them for the pedo society. It is true that this episode is very clever and respurceful; they use cut-up bits of Hayes' dialogue to make Chef sound weird and ultimately brainwashed. It's also clever that they use the allegory of a secret society overtaking Hayes, except without using Scientology. That being said, this one is truly bleak and heartbreaking, especially near the end. The sadness is almost unbearable when Stan tries to convince Chef to stay with them, saying "Chef...we love you." What follows is a sequence that rips your heart out, much like the mountain lion did to Chef's face. Again, I cannot say this is a bad episode, but I personally didn't like it because of how unapologetically brutal it was. Seeing Stan, Kenny, Kyle and Cartman's father figure, friend and mentor torn to pieces is a lot to bear, especially considering how sweet of a character he was. That being said, Kyle is abld to give a beautiful eulogy for Chef, insisting that "the good part of him is in everyone of us." This heartfelt scene elevates it and invites everyone to remember the good times. Although it's hard to not be frustrated over the unfairness of Chef's (and Isaac Hayes') death, it was probably something close to the best send-off that the South Park creators would want to give to them. RIP to a great singer/voice actor and a wonderful, heartfelt and funny character.