The surprise Season 28 Halloween episode delivers a chaotic blend of political satire, paranormal parody, and sharp self-critique as ‘South Park’ confronts backlash over its recent direction.
South Park leaned fully into self-parody this week, using its surprise Season 28 rollout to address long-running criticism about the show’s political tone.
The special Halloween episode, “The Woman in the Hat,” takes aim at the show itself, the 2024–25 political climate, and the cryptocurrency craze—packaging it all into the kind of over-the-top satire that has defined the series for decades.
The episode opens with a major upheaval for the Marsh family. Randy loses his job at the U.S. Geological Survey amid a government shutdown, forcing the family to move into Grandpa Marsh’s retirement home. The change pushes Stan to make a startling meta-admission that mirrors what many critics and fans have said in recent years. “Everyone knows it.
South Park sucks now, and it’s because of all this political shit,” he says, acknowledging complaints that the series has become too focused on modern politics, especially during its controversial Season 27.
Seeking a way out of the retirement home, the boys turn to a new scheme: creating a “South Park Sucks Now” crypto meme coin. Stan hopes the self-deprecating stunt will go viral and generate enough profit to fix their problems.
Predictably, the idea becomes more absurd as the episode progresses, culminating in a desperate attempt to get high-profile political approval for the token.
Meanwhile, the storyline takes a darker comedic turn at the White House, where Donald Trump is being stalked by an ominous spirit resembling Melania Trump, who hides under a broad hat and lurks menacingly in corners.
The haunting prompts a bizarre, star-studded seance led by Pam Bondi, depicted throughout the episode with poop on her nose—a typical South Park flourish of crude humor. Among those present are Brendan Carr and Kristi Noem, who join in the frantic attempt to free Trump from Melania’s ghost.
According to Stephen Miller, the supernatural disturbance began after the demolition of the White House’s East Wing, which he claims unleashed Melania’s “vengeful wrath.” To contain the crisis, paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren are summoned, adding another layer of absurdity to the already chaotic plot.
The episode ends with a final jab at crypto culture. Kyle’s cousin Kyle is arrested at the seance after seeking Don Jr.’s endorsement for the boys’ crypto coin—only to publicly admit the entire project is a scam.
It’s a classic South Park conclusion: irreverent, messy, topical, and unafraid to mock everyone, including itself.
