Review: South Park “The Woman In The Hat”

Overview

The White House deals with a disruptive spirit from the east wing. While Stan worries that South Park has become too political.

Our Take

In a rare move of self-satire, the long-running animated comedy South Park acknowledged its own critics in its special Season 28 Halloween episode, “The Woman in the Hat,” which uncharacteristically aired on Friday

The episode, which aired out of the show’s usual Wednesday time slot, blended biting political parody with classic South Park absurdity, tackling both White House drama and fan complaints.

The Self-Critique and Crypto Scam

The episode’s meta-commentary is launched by Stan Marsh, whose family is forced to move into his grandfather’s retirement home after his father, Randy, loses his job amid a government shutdown. Frustrated by the state of things, Stan famously laments, “Everyone knows it. South Park sucks now, and it’s because of all this political shit.”

This line directly addresses fan criticism that the show has become overly consumed by partisan politics in its recent seasons but at the same time complain that South Park doesn’t premiere enough episodes which makes you wonder whether or not anyone should listen to the fans in the first place.

To capitalize on this sentiment and escape their dreary new living situation, the boys launch a digital token called the “South Park Sucks Now” crypto meme. The scheme, aided by Kyle’s Cousin Kyle, satirizes the volatile and often fraudulent world of cryptocurrency, planning a swift “rug pull” to turn internet buzz into fast cash. Extending the joke beyond the screen, the domain SouthParkSucksNow.com was registered to redirect to the official South Park website.

A Haunting in the White House

The main plotline centers on President Donald Trump’s controversial demolition of the White House’s historic East Wing to build a new ballroom—a move that mirrors real-world headlines.

The demolition unleashes a “disruptive spirit” that haunts the president. The entity, “The Woman in the Hat,” is ultimately revealed to be the ghost of Melania Trump, who stalks the halls, reminding the president of their “unfinished business.”

A séance, led by the show’s recurring caricature of Attorney General Pam Bondi (who is constantly afflicted by a humorous “rectoplasm” on her nose), attempts to exorcise the White House. The ritual brings together other political figures like Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller, and briefly intersects with the kids’ crypto scheme, as Cousin Kyle is promptly indicted by Bondi herself. The special concluded with the boys resolving to make the most of their current circumstances, leaving several political and supernatural cliffhangers unresolved for future episodes.

Overall this week’s episode was one of the more hysterically dense episodes of the season. For 22-minutes I feel like I’m watching a feature-length movie that has so much going on that it is shocking that Matt and Trey are able to continue to deliver like this every episode. Seeing a portrait of Gerald Ford look down on the White House’s inner circle and introducing Melania to the show are chef’s kisses on a season that might be one of the franchise’s best.