Been rewatching South Park from seasons 1-3, and it's so comfy. It's just the kids being kids, no preachy politics. Cartman was still just an impulsive kid who could never think beyond his momentary desires, not this antisemitic, premeditated, evil mastermind manipulator.
Interestingly Cartman has been more varied in behavior as a character in the current season. Episode 3 definitely catching people off guard on his kind behavior toward Ike, with people obviously expecting it's some sort of ploy. One YouTuber's thoughts on it was that Cartman being more of a mixed bag in behavior, instead being evil, would go a lot further in explaining the other characters even still spend time around him.
Interestingly Cartman has been more varied in behavior as a character in the current season. Episode 3 definitely catching people off guard on his kind behavior toward Ike, with people obviously expecting it's some sort of ploy. One YouTuber's thoughts on it was that Cartman being more of a mixed bag in behavior, instead being evil, would go a lot further in explaining the other characters even still spend time around him.
My main issue with this is how it permanently changed Cartman's character. What should have been a one-time cartoon hijink of him indirectly getting Scott's parents killed after Scott humiliated him in front of a bunch of people is treated as seriously instead of as cartoon comedy. If anything, Kyle and Stan used to pick on Cartman, and his mom was the only one he could sway.
I know someone will bring up his attempt to bring back the Confederacy or kill Timmy's pet turkey, but he didn't succeed in doing either of those things. There was a weird atmosphere in the Scott Tenorman episode where the ending wanted you to be disturbed. In the other episodes it was more like, "Let's laugh at how messed up Cartman is."
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