Fourth Grade
http://southparkstudios.mtvnimages.com/images/south_park/episode_thumbnails/s04e12_720.jpg?width=285
| Season | s04 |
| Episode | e12 |
| Written By | Trey Parker |
| Production Code | 0412 |
| Original Air Date | 2000-11-08 |
Episode Chronology
- Previous
- Next
Story[edit]
Description[edit]
Freaked out by all the demands that go along with now being in the fourth grade, the boys enlist the help of two college kids (and Star Trek nuts) to transport them back to the third grade. To do this, the nerds rig a time machine out of Timmy's wheelchair. The class is set to be transported back to happier times but instead of opening a time portal, it simply takes off at high speed -- with Timmy on it. After they discover Timmy's chair will explode if his speed drops below 5 mph, the kids run after Timmy to try to help him .
It's the last straw for the boys' new teacher, Ms. Choksondik. She seeks out how to handle the students from Mr. Garrison, who now lives as a hermit in the mountains.. In the process of teaching her how to cope, he has a mystical encounter that helps him to finally accept the fact that he's gay.
In the meantime the police manage to disarm the explosive potential of Timmy's wheelchair, which thenactually becomes a working time machine and hurtles him into the past. The class has the Star Trek nerds open another time doorway, but Ms. Choksondik prevents their departure by telling them that life is about going forward, not reliving the past.
The time portal belches out Timmy before it closes. He's obviously been all over history, but of course can't say a word about his travels. Mr. Garrison comes down from the mountains, admits to Principal Victoria that he's gay and asks for his job back. He's told the school doesn't hire gay people.
What I Learned Today[edit]
"Life isn't about going back, it's about going forward. Yes, there are times in our lives that we wish we could relive, but, if we've already lived them perfectly, why live them again? The adventure of life is that there's always something new, new challenges, new experiences.
A fun game is a game that gets harder as it goes, so it is with life."
Memorable Quotes[edit]
- "I'm as gay as a gymnast on shore leave!" Mr. Garrison
- "Maybe we can stand like this with our wieners pokin' through the back of our legs ya know, and give her a nice fruit bowl" Butters
- "Suck my balls." Cartman
- "I don't want to do it if it hurts, or if it makes you get all sticky." Butters
- "We need to stand up to this new teacher and insert ourselves." Stan
- "Oh weak, you guys seriously, weak." Cartman
- "You see, Chef, Ms. Choksondik has very large honkers. And she doesn't seem to like wearing a bra." Mr. Mackey
- "You work and you work for the children and then people start rumors that you're gay even though you love poontang!" Mr. Garrison
- "When a child says 'Suck my balls', you say 'Present them'." Mr. Garrison
Characters[edit]
Kyle Broflovski
Eric Cartman
Kenny McCormick
Butters Stotch
Clyde Donovan
Wendy Testaburger
Principal Victoria
Jerome "Chef" McElroy
Herbert Garrison
Character Debuts[edit]
Ms. Choksondik. The boys, somehow missing her name's double entendre, insist on referring to her as "Ms. Makes-me-sick." Every time she lifts her arms, a couple of inches of her enormous, grotesque breasts poke out from the bottom of her shirt. Because of this, little kittens start following her around.
Diane Choksondik
We are also introduced to two Star Trek Geeks, who actually are able to build a time machine.
Body Count[edit]
Kenny, dragged to his death while trying to deactivate Timmy's runaway chair. The wheeled cart that he uses to try to effect a rescue is an homage to the one used by Keanu Reeves in Speed. After he's killed, Stan simply says, "Who didn't see that coming?"
Locations[edit]
Tele's
Original Songs[edit]
Cartman sings the tearful, heartfelt piano ode to "3rd Grade", which winds up making Clyde cry.
Behind The Scenes[edit]
Where Did The Idea Come From[edit]
Matt and Trey decided to move the boys into fourth grade because it was "just something to do."
Pop Culture References[edit]
Shout Outs[edit]
Mr. Garrison's novel, In The Valley of Penises, is hailed as the greatest homoerotic novel since Huckleberry Finn. Also, Cartman says "Ah Ha! Charade you are, teacher!" to Ms. Choksondik. It's his second use of the phrase, which comes from the Pink Floyd song Pigs (Three Different Ones). The first reference was in "Cat Orgy". Finally, when Mr. Garrison shouts, "Damn you spirit, haunt me no longer!" he's referencing a line from Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
The Star Trek Geeks that help the boys time travel are constantly referencing various Star Trek quotes and plot lines. Most notably, the line on their shirt reads "Resistance is futile", a popular catchphrase used by the Borg in the TV show. They also argue over Battlestar Galactica, and eventually start a fist fight over it.
Mr. Garrison's ninja-esque teaching of Ms. Choksondik is a nod to Kung Fu movies.
Bonus Factoids[edit]
Pointless Observations[edit]
The two nerds who build the time machine argue ceaselessly about how many episodes of the original Stark Trek series were filmed -- 73 or 72. Both are incorrect. There are 79 total episodes. For their entry into 4th grade, Parker and Stone introduced a totally redone, high-energy, technology-infused opening to the show, complete with Timmy.
Inside the Tree of Insight, Garrison finally comes face to face with his gay side. From this point forward, he embraces his true self until he gets a vaginoplasty and becomes a woman in "Mr. Garrison's Fancy New Vagina".
Season 4[edit]
- e1 Cartman's Silly Hate Crime 2000
- e2 The Tooth Fairy's Tats 2000
- e3 Quintuplets 2000
- e4 Timmy 2000
- e5 Pip
- e6 Cartman Joins NAMBLA
- e7 Cherokee Hair Tampons
- e8 Chef Goes Nanners
- e9 Something You Can Do With Your Finger
- e10 Do the Handicapped Go to Hell?
- e11 Probably
- e12 Fourth Grade
- e13 Trapper Keeper
- e14 Helen Keller! The Musical
- e15 Fat Camp
- e16 The Wacky Molestation Adventure
- e17 A Very Crappy Christmas