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.
Review of The Return of Chef
