South Park season 27 episode 3 is bringing back one of its most unhinged characters, and I’m already scared

South Park season 27 episode 3 has already been delayed by a week thanks to a planned break in the schedule, but judging by the first-look trailer, it was well worth the wait. It's reintroducing Towelie, the talking towel first seen all the way back in season 5. This time, he's set to take on the National Guard as he visits Washington DC – and I’m already dreading what’s to come.

After its controversial premiere and a second episode showing US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem shooting puppies in a pet store, the Paramount+ show is holding nothing back against the current US government. Unsurprisingly, the start of season 27 has drawn a lot of public criticism from those featured, which now includes a naked version of Donald Trump and a much smaller version of JD Vance. If anything, switching to Towelie's perspective is an incredibly smart move.

While we don't yet know what will happen in South Park season 27 episode 3 other than the initial teaser of Towelie getting off a bus in front of the US Capitol (which you can see below), a talking towel can't be taken as seriously as any human character seen facing off against political parodies. However, longtime fans of the show will understand how much damage Towelie could actually do... and frankly, I'm dreading it.

Towelie heads to Washington D.C. in South Park season 27 episode 3, and that's dangerous

In his initial character description that can be found on South Park Fandom, Towelie "is usually seen either appearing out of nowhere to give towel advice to the citizens of South Park or getting high". If there has ever been a sensible decision made by anyone living in South Park, I've yet to see it, and my best guess tells me that any advice given to our political parodies is either going to fall on deaf ears or escalate the situation. As you can see from the above clip, the National Guard has been deployed in the heart of Washington DC, with President Trump also deploying troops to the capital in real life as of August 11, 2025.

There's bound to be references to the US Capitol insurrection of January 6, 2021, especially considering the famous DC museum The Smithsonian changed an exhibit's wording on August 8 to recant Trump's involvement in inciting the violence. In short, it's the hottest national topic South Park could have chosen to illustrate, and surely nobody is coming out the other side unscathed.

Perhaps I'm being too pessimistic and Towelie will merely be able to reconnect with his long-lost son Washcloth against the backdrop of tanks and deployed soldiers, showing him the city's cultural offerings before anything further changes. But let's face it, that's not what we're doing here. Given that Towelie is almost always high, you best bet that Washington DC's views on marijuana are also going to be featured, and maybe, just maybe, we'll see some others indulging too.

I won't be surprised if Paramount+ follows in the footsteps of episode 2 and offers up another exclusive post-credits scene, either to show more content that couldn't be broadcast on cable TV (South Park airs on Comedy Central) or to add new scenes they've created since the episode was originally submitted. This is speculation for the time being, but I'd say it's worthwhile keeping an eye out.

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