Hell on Earth 2006

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Hell on Earth 2006 is the eleventh episode of South Park’s tenth season and the 150th episode of the series. It aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 25, 2006. The episode was written and directed by Trey Parker.

Plot in brief
Satan plans a huge Halloween party on Earth and makes every detail a focus, picking a cake the size of a Ferrari Enzo and hiring three notorious killers to bring it: Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and John Wayne Gacy. He hosts the party at a hotel in Los Angeles and angers the Roman Catholic Church when they’re not invited, though security blocks their attempt to crash the event.

Meanwhile, Cartman, Stan, Kyle, Token, Tweek, and Butters try a Bloody Mary–type ritual to summon Biggie Smalls, just like Candyman. Butters succeeds, but Biggie is frustrated by the trip and keeps being summoned back to South Park.

The three killers mess up the cake and end up killing each other while trying to make a new one. Satan’s assistant Demonius eventually finds a cake the size of an Acura TSX as a replacement. Upset that the party isn’t going as planned, Satan realizes he’s started acting like the guests he’s trying to impress, so he apologizes and invites everyone, including the priests and their nude altar boys, to join in.

Butters uses a makeup mirror in Los Angeles to summon Biggie again, and Biggie accepts an invitation to go in with him, even though Butters worries about being grounded for going to a party he didn’t know about.

Production notes
The episode was conceived as a quick Halloween idea, with Satan throwing a party as the central concept. The My Super Sweet 16 parody was later added because the creators found that show to be a prime target for satire. The episode features the song Oh Yeah by Yello when the killers retrieve the cake, and it includes audio nods to the game Half-Life. Some scenes were edited for later airings, notably the more violent version of the killers’ deaths.

Reception and controversy
Overall, the episode received generally positive reviews, with critics noting its humor and the way Satan is portrayed as a spoiled child. Some reviewers praised the Three Stooges–style chaos and the Biggie subplot.

The episode sparked controversy due to a Steve Irwin joke. Irwin’s widow Terri expressed distress, and other media figures criticized the joke as in poor taste. Comedy Central defended the episode, saying South Park routinely pushes boundaries. Australia delayed the episode for 12 months before it aired in a later weekend slot. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone said they were surprised the Steve Irwin parody generated so much backlash.