How South Park Season 26 Changed Kenny - And Vice Versa

It's hard to believe "South Park," a lewd, crude show on Comedy Central, has been around for decades now. What's even more impressive is how the show has managed to remain relevant through all that time, starting as a series about four boys getting into insane situations to a serialized program that comments on the news of the day. Arguably one of the biggest changes to manifest throughout all that time is how the series has handled the characterization of Kenny.

In the beginning, Kenny's bit was that he mumbled everything through his hoodie, and he pretty much died in every episode only to return without explanation in the next. However, as "South Park" went on, it gradually decreased the frequency by which Kenny died. It's understandable, given there are only so many times the show can kill a child and still find ways for it to be funny. But Season 26 did something pretty interesting that could suggest Kenny will undergo some more changes going forward. 

In Season 26's "DiKimble's Hot Dogs," Kenny gets into the hot dog business with Cartman, and during a montage, he appears sans hoodie, instead wearing a shirt that says, "Restaurant Owner." It's not the first time Kenny's face has been shown, but it is the first time it's appeared since Season 16's "Sarcastiball." This was before the show experimented with serialization, and after some missteps, it seems like "South Park" may go back to more individually-focused episodes, with the return of Kenny's face possibly indicating this new direction.

Over the past few seasons, "South Park" has really put Kenny on the back burner. It was an inevitable development in an era of serialization, and there's only so much to be done with a character no one can understand. Season 26 represented a changing of the tide, where Kenny becomes more of an active participant in the plot, teaming up with Cartman to find economic security in the modern era. And that change within Kenny could suggest "South Park" will focus less on serialization moving forward.

Many of the worst seasons of "South Park" deal with overarching storylines where sometimes the main boys are left in the dust so that episodes can focus on the likes of Randy, Mr. Garrison, or Gerald. Season 26's "DiKimble's Hot Dogs" suggests something new is happening. Kenny gets a larger role to play, and the fact he reveals his face is a good sign the show isn't afraid to merely keep him in the background. It's unlikely he'll go back to being killed in every single episode, but it's a step in the right direction for anyone wondering where Kenny's been.

One potential reason for this change could be the massive deal Trey Parker and Matt Stone made with ViacomCBS. This included more seasons of the mainline series as well as standalone movies for Paramount+. Those movies could give Parker and Stone an outlet to pursue more ambitious storylines while leaving the Comedy Central series alone for one-off adventures. Kenny showing his face could be a sign "South Park" will return to episodes more in the style of what they did between Seasons 10 and 14, which should be a welcome sign for long-time fans.