South Park’s Latest Halloween Episode The Woman in the Hat Calls Itself Out for “Sucking Now”

The long-running animated satire South Park is back in the spotlight thanks to its latest Halloween-themed episode titled “The Woman in the Hat,” which aired as part of the show’s 28th season. The episode has gone viral for its sharp self-awareness and wild storyline that mixes politics, horror, and pop culture chaos.

In the episode, Stan Marsh bluntly declares that “South Park sucks now, and it’s because of all this political shit,” directly addressing a criticism that many fans have voiced in recent years. The show’s creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, lean into that complaint and turn it into a central theme — showing they’re still unafraid to make fun of themselves, their network, and just about everyone else.

The plot takes two major directions. First, in Washington D.C., the fictionalized Donald Trump administration is busy demolishing the White House’s East Wing when strange things start happening. Trump, who’s now expecting a child with Satan, becomes haunted by a vengeful spirit of Melania Trump, portrayed as “the woman in the hat.” The haunting kicks off after the construction disturbs supernatural forces beneath the White House. It’s classic South Park absurdity — politically charged, offensive to some, and undeniably bold.

Meanwhile, back in South Park, Stan is struggling with his family’s situation after his dad Randy Marsh loses his job due to the government shutdown. The Marshes move into Stan’s grandfather’s retirement home, and Stan grows increasingly frustrated with what he sees as the decline of his town — and by extension, the show itself. His complaint about how “South Park sucks now” becomes the setup for a running gag that cleverly blends self-criticism with humor.

In one of the episode’s most bizarre and memorable twists, Stan and his friends create a crypto meme coin called “South Park Sucks Now.” They hope it’ll make them rich enough to solve their family’s financial problems. Of course, the joke doesn’t end with the show — Comedy Central actually bought the domain southparksucksnow.com, which now redirects to the show’s official website, proving that the network is fully in on the gag.

This episode’s meta humor feels like a direct response to the debates surrounding Season 27, which was criticized for going too hard on political content. Those earlier episodes featured Trump romantically involved with Satan, a deepfake video mocking the President, and parodies of political figures like J.D. Vance and Kristi Noem. The White House even responded at one point, publicly condemning the show’s portrayal of national leaders. Vance took it in stride, joking that he’d “finally made it,” while Noem was reportedly angry about how the show depicted her appearance.

The Season 28 Halloween episode doubles down on that controversy while also acknowledging it. By having its own characters complain about the show being too political, South Park manages to poke fun at its critics, its audience, and itself all at once.

As of now, it’s not clear when the third episode of Season 28 will air, but given the creative momentum, fans can expect more provocative satire and boundary-pushing storylines. Until then, viewers can catch up on the new season through Paramount+, where the show continues to thrive despite (or perhaps because of) its constant willingness to offend.

This latest episode, “The Woman in the Hat,” shows that South Park hasn’t lost its bite — it’s just learned to laugh at its own evolution.