On September 3, 2025, the irreverent animated series South Park returned to Comedy Central with the fourth episode of its 27th season, unleashing a satirical spectacle that took direct aim at President Donald Trump, his administration’s trade policies, and the nation’s latest pop culture craze. Titled "Wok is Dead," the episode continued a storyline that has captivated and divided viewers, with Trump’s romantic entanglement with Satan at its center and a subplot involving the wildly popular Labubu plush toys.
From the opening scene, the episode wastes no time in lampooning the former president. Trump is shown descending from Air Force One, trailed by Satan, his oversized and visibly disgruntled partner for the season. Reporters immediately pounce, questioning Trump about the nature of his relationship with Satan. According to USA TODAY, Trump flatly denies any romantic involvement, while Satan awkwardly insists they’re "just sort of hanging out." The press, however, remains unconvinced. One journalist pointedly remarks, "Come on, President Trump. With everything you've been doing, pretty much the whole country thinks you're (having sex with) Satan now."
The media frenzy only intensifies as the episode progresses. A fictional news segment scrutinizes Trump’s increasingly public appearances with Satan, noting that he’s been seen less with his wife and more with his "new pal." Despite mounting evidence and the media’s relentless speculation, Trump sticks to his denials. Yet, as USA TODAY details, the show piles on the evidence of their relationship, parodying not only Trump’s style but also the way South Park previously caricatured figures like Saddam Hussein—placing real photos of Trump’s face onto cartoon bodies for maximum comedic effect.
In a twist that even longtime fans might not have seen coming, Satan confides in Vice President JD Vance that he’s deeply unhappy in the relationship with Trump but feels unable to leave. The reason? A positive pregnancy test. In a dramatic reveal, Satan announces to the world, "Yes, we're together. We've been together for months, and I want to leave him but I can't because I'm pregnant." The fictional media is shown celebrating their vindication, while Kid Rock, depicted as a Trump supporter, tears up with joy at the news. It’s a moment that perfectly encapsulates South Park’s penchant for blending the absurd with biting political commentary.
But the episode doesn’t stop at skewering the former president’s personal life. It also dives into the economic anxieties gripping the fictional town of South Park, echoing real-world debates. The subplot centers on the Labubu plush doll craze—an obsession that has swept the nation over the summer of 2025, as reported by Variety. Butters, a perennial fan favorite, is desperate to buy a Labubu doll for a girl he likes. However, he’s stymied by skyrocketing prices, the direct result of tariffs imposed by Trump’s administration. These tariffs, meant to target Chinese imports, have inadvertently made the collectible dolls—manufactured by Chinese toymaker Pop Mart—prohibitively expensive for ordinary consumers.
As Variety explains, the episode’s release came on the heels of a significant legal development: on September 1, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that the majority of Trump’s global tariffs were illegal, citing the Constitution’s clear vesting of tariff powers in Congress. The court’s 7-4 decision stated, "The core Congressional power to impose taxes such as tariffs is vested exclusively in the legislative branch by the Constitution. Tariffs are a core Congressional power." The ruling is set to take effect on October 14, 2025, unless the Supreme Court intervenes.
Trump, never one to back down from a public fight, took to his social media platform Truth Social to denounce the ruling. He called the court "highly partisan" and warned, "If allowed to stand, this Decision would literally destroy the United States of America." The timing of the episode, airing just days after this high-profile legal setback, lent an extra layer of topicality to South Park’s satire.
The Labubu dolls themselves have become a symbol of the summer’s consumer frenzy, with limited supply, celebrity endorsements, and a robust secondary market driving prices through the roof. As Variety notes, the dolls’ popularity has only been amplified by their scarcity and the tariffs, turning them into coveted status symbols among children and adults alike. In the episode, the dolls are even used as part of a Satanic ritual, culminating in a scene where Trump and Satan are summoned—blurring the lines between political theater and occult absurdity in classic South Park fashion.
Season 27 of South Park has been relentless in its lampooning of Trump, with every episode so far featuring the former president as a recurring character. The season premiere, which aired on July 23, 2025, first introduced the idea of Trump as Satan’s lover and depicted him as a "thin-skilled bully" who threatens to sue anyone who crosses him. This portrayal has drawn both laughter and ire, with the White House responding through spokesperson Taylor Rogers, who told USA TODAY that the show "hasn't been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention."
The show’s creators have not shied away from controversy, doubling down with each new episode. A previous installment featured a lavish set piece at Mar-a-Lago, with Trump again depicted as Satan’s lover and JD Vance as his sycophantic servant. The episode also lampooned Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, drawing reactions from the real-life figures themselves. Vance, for instance, took to X (formerly Twitter) to quip, "Well, I've finally made it," in response to his animated likeness.
The third episode upped the ante with scenes at the White House, where tech titans like Apple CEO Tim Cook and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg line up to flatter Trump, each presenting him with gifts and compliments. The episode concludes with another scene of Trump and Satan in bed, with Satan lamenting his inability to escape the relationship—a metaphor, perhaps, for the inescapable grip of political spectacle on American life.
Looking ahead, South Park seems poised to continue its biweekly release pattern, with the next episode scheduled to air on September 17, 2025. Given the show’s recent trajectory, viewers can expect more sharp-edged satire that refuses to pull any punches, regardless of which side of the political aisle they occupy.
In the end, "Wok is Dead" stands as a testament to South Park’s enduring ability to hold a mirror to society’s absurdities, weaving together pop culture, politics, and controversy into a blend that’s as provocative as it is hilarious. Whether one laughs, groans, or shakes their head, it’s clear the show remains as unflinching—and as relevant—as ever.
