Turns out South Park seasons 27 and 28 were always supposed to have 5 episodes each – here’s when to watch the next one

• South Park season 27 episode 6, which aired on October 15, was revealed to actually be the season 28 opener
• The series will return on October 29 with season 28 episode 2
• Sources claim each season having five episodes was always plan

Comedy Central and Paramount have somehow managed to make South Park's weekly release schedule even more confusing, so let's break it down.

When South Park season 27 began on July 23, it was thought the season would comprise 10 episodes. However, when what fans assumed was season 27 episode 6 aired on October 15, it was revealed to instead be the premiere episode of season 28.

This means that season 27 and season 28 consist of five episodes each, which sources have told The Hollywood Reporter was the plan all along.

South Park season 27 and 28 were supposed to have five episodes each all along

As THR's Kevin Dolak reports, "It turns out that this is a case of misreporting, a rep for the show suggested on Friday. Season 27 was never meant to be a full 10 episodes, and the showrunners had planned all along for Seasons 27 and 28 to bow at five episodes each."

Effectively, seasons 27 and 28 are one continuous season. Long-running storylines such as Donald Trump and Satan’s love child, and Jesus being South Park Elementary's counselor still have legs in season 28, and don't seem to be winding down any time soon.

But there's another factor potentially adding to the confusion: the existing two-week delay in the season 27 schedule. The season 27 premiere started with an unexpected delay which bled into episode 2, with episodes airing every two weeks from them onwards.

Creators eventually confirmed that they needed more time to get episodes ready for fans, explaining “So much happens right now in just one day with Trump. No one’s going to sacrifice getting it right, even if we have to push getting it to air, and if that makes the season longer, so be it.”

So now we have a sudden season jump, existing two-week delays, and media misreporting to contend with until the end of the year, all just to enjoy a little slice of South Park comedy. Don't forget that if you're watching episodes on Paramount+, you've also got to wait an extra day to stream them (in the US and UK).

As I've said before, if it turns out that something else has been going on behind the scenes, I wouldn't be surprised.

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