We all know the budget on this series was hot garbage.
So because of that you get a bunch of broke inexperienced producers (Will Smith was probably barely involved in the day to day) pass down weak material to a room full of inexperienced writers.
- They update every character to get them 'better represent today' (gay)
- They give everyone a critical flaw (coke, infidelity, crooked)
And the reason they chose those specific flaws is because the hottest show on TV right now for their targeted demographic is
Euphoria. And NBC wants their own Euphoria.
This show was never going to get green lit as a carbon copy dramatized version of the 90s.
Edit: if they had $$$$$$$$$ and experience they wouldn't have had to go this far for cheap conflict, which is why those stereotypes/tropes are there (conflict is what every screenplay is built on). Carlton being on coke is easy material to generate conflict. Infidelity causes marital conflict and will eventually come to a head. Being a dirty politician will eventually result in getting caught. It's like the bomb under the table that no one knows about but the audience. All cheap story devices.