South Park Forecast: Chef's Controversial Leave
Although a beloved character, Chef, was permanently killed off in one of South Park's most divisive episodes, the show oddly hinted at this years ago. Although South Park frequently addresses current events and is renowned for its sharp satire, it has also made some future predictions. From the way Miley Cyrus is portrayed in the media to Mel Gibson's fall from grace, the show has an unexpected talent for precisely prophesying future events. Although South Park keeps examining the ridiculousness of the world, one of its most famous forecasts was a more meta one including the departure of a central character.
South Park Chef Departure Foreshadowing
Isaac Hayes's Chef was a central character in South Park over the first decade of its running. Renowned for his soulful voice and musical ability, Hayes gave the performance a distinctive comic presence. For the gang of South Park, his character provided both knowledge and inappropriate humor. But a seemingly unrelated episode years before foreshadowed Hayes' controversial exit from the show.
Episode of South Park 'The Succubus'
In Season 3, episode 3, "The Succubus," the boys discover Chef absent from his regular responsibilities in the school cafeteria. A mystery new love interest called Veronica has drawn the chef away. This new girlfriend rapidly saps Chef of his normal vitality for life. The boys try to alert Chef to Veronica's actual nature, but he stays blissfully oblivious of it. Often straying into the ridiculous, this episode emphasizes the early, more chaotic and surreal narratives of the show.
The ridiculousness soars as the episode runs on. Veronica turns out to be a demonic succubus—a creature devouring souls. She covers her actual form using the theme song from "The Poseidon Adventure". Veronica kills Kenny, the always unfortunate member of the gang. The boys sing the song backwards, so defeating her. A teacher called "Mr. Derp" is engaged in slapstick events among all the anarchy. Chef eventually barely avoids brainwashing and death under The Succubus.
South Park Chef Brainwashing
Although the "The Succubus" episode seems to be an odd and random one, given Chef's ultimate leaving from the show, it becomes shockingly relevant. Hayes left the show following South Park parodying Tom Cruise and Scientology, sparking a public debate. Hayes' son claims that, having a stroke at the time, Hayes' choice to quit and criticize the show's portrayal of Scientology was not his own.
South Park 'The Return of Chef' Death Episode
In an unexpected turn of events, South Park killed Chef in a provocative and divisive way. "The Return Of Chef," Season 10, episode 1, opens with Chef revealed to have been brainwashed by a group of child predators known as the Super Adventure Club. The storyline of the episode remarkably reflects the ideas of "The Succubus." When the lads try to deprogram Chef by bringing him to a strip club, he gets abducted once more. Chef dies in a last, terrible turn of events including a mountain lion attack, a bear attack, and a rope bridge collapse. He never makes reappearance in South Park even though the Super Adventure Club transforms him into a villainous "Darth Chef."
South Park Chef Fate Forecast
Tragic are the startling parallels between "The Succubus" and "The Return Of Chef." The later episode marked the death of a beloved character; the previous one had a happy ending. The show's writers never could have predicted their ultimate conflict with one of their stars about Scientology. Still a sad chapter in South Park history, Hayes's leaving reflects the show's odd prediction years earlier.
