It's because they didn't finish it in time.

[Wiz Imp]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2025/09/17/south-park-season-27-episode-5-delay/86203046007/

'South Park' delays new episode hours before airtime: Here's why

A previously scheduled episode of "South Park" is being pushed back.

Comedy Central announced the fifth episode of Season 27, originally set to air Wednesday, Sept. 17, would be delayed another week, to Sept. 24.

"Apparently when you do everything at the last minute sometimes you don't get it done," creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone said in a release. "This one's on us. We didn't get it done in time. Thanks to Comedy Central and South Park fans for being so understanding. Tune in next week!"

A new episode also did not air last week, after a change to the longstanding animation series' release schedule. Instead, the network will likely re-air one of the season's previous episodes. However the season's second episode, which features a parody of Charlie Kirk, continues to be absent from the schedule. Comedy Central pulled the rerun of the Season 27 episode "Got A Nut," in which Cartman imitates the conservative media personality in the wake of his death.