Tweek x Craig: the Analysis (Bigger, Better, Longer and Uncut)

Part 3: Realistic relationship (As shown in TFBW & 'Put it down')

South park is not known for its canon couples healthy relationship, Wendy and Stan have broken up twice and well, Cartman and Heidi... have quite the weird, corrupt and toxic relationship.

This is why Tweek and Craigs relationship may come off as a shock to some, it's stable unlike most of the other couples. This doesn't mean it's perfect, and it's imperfections make it all the more better.

Let's start with S21 EP2 'Put it down'

It begins with Tweek screaming his head off while frantically (not even playing at this point) smashing the piano keys. His worries revolve around how the ahem 2017 President of the United States was handling the situation with North Korea.

Afterwards Craig is told by Cartman and Stan to try and calm Tweek down, to take a leadership role.

Don't worry, I won't explain the whole episode to you- only snippets. I'm sure you've already seen it.

Taking the advice, you can see that throughout the episode Craig is shown trying to calm Tweek down: buying him fidget spinners, taking him to an amusement park and most of all attempting to reassure Tweek that North Korea wasn't going to bomb anyone, logically explaining why.

Tweek didn't need calming down, he didn't need to be reassured. All he needed was to express his emotions with someone, someone who would understand and simply listen. Tweek needed that more than anything, and he needed it from Craig.

Craig is not entirely at fault, he's genuinely trying to calm Tweek down as he's worried for him and cares. There's no doubt taking care of Tweek is hard work so I'll give him props. The problem, as Tweek later hints, is that he's trying to get rid of Tweeks hectic, paranoid emotions by distraction and logic when really all Tweek needs is for him to be there with him and talk through everything.

It's when Tweek starts to try and subtly tell Craig that he doesn't need reassurance that they break into an argument. Tweeks most noteable lines here are:

"Why do you have to be so logical!? I don't need you to problem solve all the time, I need you to, ngh, I DON'T KNOW!!" &
"You haven't been dealing with it! You've been trying to make it go away because my emotions are freaking you out!!"

Tweek is desperately trying to tell Craig that he doesn't need his problem solving antics right now but is in just such a state and fails to do so.

Craig doesn't see Tweeks point, it didn't make sense to him. Fed up with his reoccurring failure to make Tweek feel better he loses control of his own emotions, leaving Tweek alone and more frustrated than ever.

Regarding Heidi x Cartman, their canon state is the furthest thing from a swell relationship- but that's mostly thanks to Cartman. Heidi is the equivalent of an angel and in the following scene stands against Cartman for what she thinks is right.

Something Heidi said stuck out to Craig:

"People need help sorting out their emotions sometimes, and the best thing isn't always quick answers but just being there, supporting eachother and talking through those feelings!"

This is a eureka moment for him. He finally realizes what Tweek has needed this whole time and he smiles to himself before heading out to make Tweek feel better, successfully this time.

Craig talks through Tweeks feelings with him, and rounds up to finding a solution to his problems. Encouraging Tweek to think outside the box, he comments on how insurmountable it would be to take control of himself again, concluding with Tweek brushing everything off to focus on the episodes main topic- distracted driving.

It's an extremely comforting and warm scene, Tweek and Craig exchange smiles as Tweek thanks him. Tweek is no longer alone, and so our next scene references our opening to the episode: