The Return of Chef
| "The Return of Chef" | |
|---|---|
| South Park episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 10 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Trey Parker |
| Written by | Trey Parker |
| Original air date | March 22, 2006 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
|
Peter Serafinowicz as Darth Chef |
|
Peter Serafinowicz as Darth Chef
"The Return of Chef" is the first episode in the tenth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 140th episode of the series overall, it first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 22, 2006. The episode was the first after the departure of actor Isaac Hayes, who voiced the character Chef. Hayes, a Scientologist, left after a falling-out with the creators over their treatment of Scientology in the previous season's episode "Trapped in the Closet". Scientology has been accused of using brainwashing techniques, and the episode portrays Chef as having been brainwashed.
In a press statement, Hayes was quoted as saying: "There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins." The statement, however, did not directly mention Scientology. A response from South Park's co-creator Matt Stone said that Hayes' complaints stemmed from the show's criticism of Scientology and that he "has no problem – and he's cashed plenty of checks – with our show making fun of Christians, Muslims, Mormons, or Jews." Stone adds, "[We] never heard a peep out of Isaac in any way until we did Scientology. He wants a different standard for religions other than his own, and to me, that is where intolerance and bigotry begins." During the episode, Chef is voiced by Hayes from splices of archived recordings.
After leaving South Park to join the "Super Adventure Club", Chef returns and the boys quickly notice that he is acting strangely as he expresses a desire to have sex with them. They go to the Super Adventure Club headquarters and discover that the group is made up of explorers who travel worldwide, molesting children. When the explorers' leader, William P. Connelly, unsuccessfully tries to hypnotize the boys, they realize that the club has brainwashed Chef. In an attempt to restore Chef to his former self, the boys take him to a strip club. Chef returns to his old self, but the Super Adventure Club members appear, and kidnap him. The boys follow them back to their headquarters and rescue Chef.
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