In this episode, a ninth grader, Scott Tennorman, tricks Cartman out of $10, and every attempt to get it back leads to Cartman being even more humiliated or in a financial hole. Before it is all over, Cartman tricks Tennorman into eating chili made of his ground-up parents. Okay, first off, if you've never seen South Park before, then this should tell you it isn't for kids or those of weak stomachs. But seeing as the series is in its 12th season at the time of this DVDs release, I would expect that only people who are already fans of the series (and know what they are getting into) would be reading this review.
One of the reasons I like this particular episode isn't really for the extreme measures that Cartman goes to get his revenge, it's the fact that it is referenced in about a half dozen other episodes throughout the rest of the series, and quite a few of those episodes are actually in this collection.
In "The Death of Eric Cartman," everyone gets fed up with Cartman and decides to ignore him. This is really effective since Cartman actually believes he died the night before and is a ghost wandering around. When Butters sees Cartman and starts talking to him (Butters isn't aware of the plan, you see), Cartman believes that he must use Butters to make amends with everyone he wronged. While listing his various naughty incidents, Cartman briefly mentions the Scott Tennorman episode.
Cartman also mentions the event in the two-parter "Cartoon Wars" where Cartman vows to get Family Guy off the air. He mentions it to a Bart Simpson lookalike when the two are trying to figure out who is the right person to convince the executives an episode involving the image of Muhammad must be cut. What's good about "Cartoon Wars" is that it has several moments where the characters speak to specific people in the real world. That is to say, the characters are talking to others in the show and not breaking the fourth wall, but you the viewer is aware that the writers are actually talking to someone outside of TV Land. In this case, it is the general audience since Cartman (and thus South Park) hates to be compared to Family Guy since Cartman claims Family Guy's jokes are random and lend nothing to the episode's story.
Another episode included in this 2-disc collection that speaks directly to real people is "Up the Down Steroid." Here Jimmy and Timmy are preparing for the Special Olympics, but Jimmy's desire to be the best leads him to using steroids. And of course, Cartman believes that a non "special person" competing in this competition is a shoe-in for the gold medals. But in the end, when Jimmy wins the award for most outstanding athlete, Timmy reminds him how much he cheated and he gives up his medals. At the ceremony are Jason Giambi, Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire, and when Jimmy gives his speech about how bad it is to use steroids, it is painfully obvious that he is actually talking to this trio directly.
Other great episodes on this disc include "Le Petit Tourette" where Cartman learns about Tourette's Syndrome and decides to fake the disease, or "Awesom-O" where Cartman disguises himself as a robot to pull a prank on Butters, but when he finds out Butters has a tape of an embarrassing moment, he keeps the costume on much longer than is healthy. In other episodes, Ms. Garrison decides she wants to be a man again while Cartman takes over her classes. Cartman also ends up giving Kyle AIDS in "Tonsil Trouble" (don't worry, they cure it with a healthy injection of concentrated cash).
A nice addition to South Park: The Cult of Cartman that makes it more than just a gathering of episodes is the fact that each one is introduced by Cartman and is designed to teach one of The Eric Theodore Cartmand Society lessons. You know like, "If you are wronged, be prepared to take revenge 1000 fold" or "What awaits each person in heaven is eternal bliss, divine rest and ten thousand dollars cash." These are short clips that simply feature Eric on a white screen with his words of wisdom, but they are pretty funny and very relevant to the episode that is about to play.
Quite frankly, this is a great collection of some really good South Park episodes. If you don't already own every season, then this is one of those boxed sets that you will want to pick up. Heck, you might want it anyway since 3 of the episodes are from the current season and not actually on DVD yet. South Park fans should definitely look into The Cult of Cartman, it's just that simple.
