For the first time in years, “South Park” feels like it’s willing to take risks again. Season 28, which premiered last Fall and ran for five episodes, doesn’t just poke fun at politics. It throws viewers into the middle of it, dragging Donald Trump, tech billionaires and internet culture into the chaos of a small Colorado town.

Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, “South Park” is known for its crude humor and satirizing politics, pop culture and current events since its 1997 debut.

Season 28 dives straight into the chaos of modern politics. Unlike some recent seasons, which often relied on disconnected gags or fleeting pop culture references, the latest episodes build a narrative that feels urgent and biting, making the politics of 2025 as central to the story as the antics of Cartman, Stan, Kyle and Kenny.

Episodes such as “Twisted Christian” lampoon tech billionaires and viral trends with a thinly veiled parody of tech billionaire and Republican political operative Peter Thiel, while the Halloween special, “The Woman in the Hat,” blends holiday hijinks with meta-commentary on the show’s own political satire. The season culminates in the Christmas episode, “Crap Out,” which wraps up a long-running Trump-Satan storyline with Parker and Stone’s signature mix of absurdity and social critique.

What feels different this season is a return to narrative cohesion. Political storylines aren’t just topical jokes. They drive the plot and influence the characters in ways that feel organic. Self-aware nods to the show’s reputation, as well as subtle commentary on the cultural climate surrounding speech and satire, give it a sharper edge than recent seasons.

Parker and Stone acknowledged that their process this year was shaped by the unusual mix of politics and pop culture.

“It’s not that we got all political,” Parker told The New York Times. “It’s that politics became pop culture.”

Stone added that they felt a new sensitivity in the air, a sense that some topics had become taboo, which made their usual irreverence feel more necessary than ever.

Online reaction reflects that tension. Some fans call Season 28 a return to form, praising the show for reclaiming its fearless voice. Others note that the heavier political focus sometimes overshadows the character-driven humor that defined earlier seasons. Still, the overall response has leaned toward excitement, with many agreeing that the show feels like “South Park” again. But, student reactions reflect that strong reaction to the political tension in the show and offer a clearer picture, rather than just vague online chatter.

Senior Kylah Rodriguez said she appreciates the shift toward more direct political satire, even if it changes the tone of the series.

“Compared to older seasons, which focused more on the main four and occasionally made fun of celebrities or leaders, this season feels way more centered on what’s happening right now.” Rodriguez said. “I still love the older seasons because of the character dynamics, but I really like the new direction.”

Interestingly enough, research site SeriesGraph reports that Season 28 is currently the show’s lowest-rated season. That statistic complicates the narrative of a triumphant return. However, lower ratings do not necessarily mean lower impact. In a cultural moment where audiences are divided and politics saturates everyday life, a season that fully commits to political satire is bound to be polarizing.

Rather than signaling decline, Season 28’s reception may say more about 2025 than about the show itself. When real headlines already feel exaggerated, satire has to push even harder to stand out. By placing politics squarely at the center again, South Park suggests that in 2025, the line between government, celebrity and spectacle has blurred so completely that ignoring politics would feel more unrealistic than confronting it head on.

The season succeeds by combining biting political commentary with the hallmarks of the series: outrageous humor, sharp social observation and a willingness to go places other shows won’t.

This article originally appeared in the Early Spring 2026 print edition.