If you don't like this show, Chuck Mangione will do this to you.
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I agree
This show would probably tie for my favorite animated sitcom show with Futurama, though for completely different reasons entirely, if I got to see more of it. From what I have seen of it, though, I haven't seen a single episode that's below the quality of being genuinely good, which is a pretty amazing thing in and of itself.
For whatever reason, I've been most partial to the episodes involving Hank's relation with his son, Bobby.
King of the Hill is one of the most unappreciated sitcoms of all time. I can honestly say it's better than South Park, the Simpsons and even Family Guy by miles. My favorite episodes are ones with either Cotten or Dale's schemes
I disagree about South Park, only because I think that people are insanely over-analytical with that show. Its my favorite animated comedy because its mostly consistently funny.
I don't know I've seen people over analyze Family Guy a hell of a lot more than South Park.
I could spend ours just discussing characters and plots, but instead I'll post a pratfall.
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This show did everything.
Quote from: SSJ Jake on December 27, 2010, 07:06:46 PM
I don't know I've seen people over analyze Family Guy a hell of a lot more than South Park.
That only goes in-line with the fact that people tend to over-analyze things in general. It still doesn't change the fact that people do over-analyze South Park all the time. It really shouldn't be compared to stuff like KOTH, or even The Simpsons or Family Guy because its a completely different style of humor altogether, and doesn't contain any serious drama elements to be labeled as an animated sitcom like KOTH, which puts just as much focus into serious character growth as it does into comedic elements (in fact it puts more effort into writing for its characters). And don't get me wrong, that is in fact what makes KOTH such a great and memorable show, IMO. I just feel that South Park, for me at least, is equally as "entertaining" in its overall level of quality because it excels in different areas of entertainment, IMO.
South Park or Family Guy would never really compare since they aim for different audiences.
Still, I would say it is the most consistently brilliant thing Fox ever aired.
tl;dr ahead!
While I was looking up some of my favorite episodes, I decided to focus on the other side. I think season 10 is probably the weakest season of KOTH overall with 9 not far behind. The first six episodes alone show why I don't feel season 9 was as strong as the others (8 was a bit shaky, but had some great stuff that pulled it up, and most episodes still held together), but season 10's real dearth of quality show why it's probably the weakest.
Season 9
A Rover Runs Through It
Continuity wise... What the hell is going on here? We've SEEN Peggy's mother before and she was nothing like this. I mean, she's still basically the same character, if a bit more passive in her malice, but this was nothing like what we've been shown of Peggy's home life before. Continuity aside, the plot... makes no sense. Henry Winkler and Hollywood are ruining the countryside, I guess. It's not very KOTH at all and kind of silly, actually. At least Pigmalion was still heavily character-based despite being very un-KOTH. The best part is easily Peggy's father who is great, but the rest is utterly forgettable and the ending has been done better in other episodes before. Lackluster season premiere.
Mrs. Wakefield
It's Racist Dawg all over again. I don't really need to go further here, but it's not a very pleasant episode to watch. Especially considering it's a Christmas episode.
Death Buys A Time Share
Again, this feels like an exaggeratedly cartoonish version of "The Substitute Spanish Prisoner" where Peggy gets suckered out of retirement money from a con artist and tricks him into getting it back. This time it's Cotton and Bill, and Hank has to sort it out. There's nothing really wrong here, it's just that we've seen this episode before and it was done way better.
Yard, She Blows
Yet AGAIN, this was basically a mish mash of many Bobby/Peggy gets some kind of displayed ornament that Hank hates but can't get rid of. This time it's a lawn gnome named Winklebottom. Honestly, other than the name of the gnome, I have to struggle to remember anything else about this episode.
Dale To The Chief
It's novel seeing Dale have the opposite beliefs for a while, but it's still kind of boring. The sub plot about Hank was done WAY better when it was over a porno tape way back in the early days, too. Seeing a pattern?
The Petriot Act
As an animal lover, and an avid fan of cats and dogs, I really didn't like this episode. They just make the cat an asshole for no reason, not even playing with Hank's assumption that dogs are better for no reason and laying into the standard stereotypes that all cats are like this. Hank gets pointlessly screwed out of money and in the most obviously concocted twist in the entire series, gets out of it. Not really a fan of this episode.
Enrique-cilable Differences
It's nice to finally shine the spotlight on Enrique. He's just such a needy guy, you've just got to love him. This is a fun episode purely because it focuses on something relatively new.
Mutual Of Omabwah
This is a bizarre episode, but it's definitely a step up from the first few episodes of this season [and even a few from season 8] in all the different things going on in the episode. This is a gooden.
Care-Takin' Care Of Business
The introduction of Lucky makes the episode, though the main plot is a bit different from the standard. Again, the season continues the upswing.
Arlen City Bomber
This is something I never thought I would see on KOTH. But I think I like it. It's not every day you get to see roller derby in a cartoon, so savour what little we can get.
Redcorn Gambles With His Future
But then after all the mediocrity and decent episodes comes this gem. Wow, this episode is funny. Diving into John Redcorn, we see his fears and hopes, and we get to see him act on his impulses to finally live his dream only to have it continually shot down until ironically finding a new one. This is easily one of the best episodes of the series and it literally came out of nowhere.
Smoking & The Bandit
Is another great episode. Where did these come from? Dale's rebellion through cowardice is hilarious, as is his desperation to get his son to admire him. The ending when they "catch" the bandit is perfect, as well.
Gone With The Windstorm
Irv Bennett should have been in more episodes. This is another great episode full of funny moments ("Peggy, you die over there"), and crazy situations and is kind of similar to another latter day Simpsons episode. But this one is much better, and funnier.
Bobby On Track
What the hell, another classic? For some reason, watching Bobby attempt, and fail, to do the simplest of tasks never gets old. And watching him get rewarded for doing it? Even better. The "stick" was a great idea for an episode, and it works great.
It Ain't Over 'Til The Fat Neighbour Sings
Great again. Dale's rant at the end would have been the perfect capper to any episode about Bill, but it's even better in this one. As far as the "Bill finding a place of his own" episodes go, this is one of the best in that it's still funny while remaining true to all the characters without purposely making someone out of character for it to work. The singing is great, too.
Season 10
Season 10, on the flipside, is the opposite for me. Unlike season 9's problems of being full of retreads and annoying character beatdowns in the first half of the season, season 10 tries to mix things up and.... sometimes it works. But not always. When I mean "mix it up, I mean "take old ideas and apply them to different characters", or "give someone a job", but nothing really substantial.
It also makes me wonder if they purposely held the best episodes for the latter half of season 9, because nothing really compares to the material in the second half of that season.
Hank's On Board
This is a good episode. No complaints.
Bystand Me
... Uh, Peggy gets a new job. Nothing else really happens. I'll be honest, Peggy at the Bystander was pretty much a dead end. The paper route thing has some funny moments, but it's not enough to really hold anything great.
Bill's House
T'was The Nut Before Christmas 2: Electric Boogaloo.
Harlottown
For a premise as shocking and wild as this... Nothing really happens to make this standout. Another example of taking a great idea, but not really doing anything with it.
Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Clown
Okay, now this was funny. Making fun of modern art and elitism while simultaneously bringing out how just as lame low brow comedy can get is a fun watch. There are a lot of funny moments in here and easily the best episode in this season's first half.
Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Banana?
Racist Dawg but with Kahn instead.
You Gotta Believe (In Moderation)
This one has funny moments, but... It doesn't really stand out much at all. The writing kind of holds this back from shining like it should.
Business Is Picking Up
A solid episode showing Bobby just showing an interest in something different with Hank disapproving. It's too bad this plot set up was used so much, because this is an otherwise alright episode.
The Year Of Washing Dangerously
For such a unique episode and premise, I can never remember a thing about it. Another episode hampered by unmemorable writing.
Hank Fixes Everything
Second best episode of the season, not that that's really saying much, but it is really good. The whole price fixing and chopper subplot come together really well at the end. This one never gets old.
Church Hopping
This is kind of an annoying episode to watch. Hank Hill is not a very passive person and would never just run away from a confrontation. The solution at the end of the episode is kind of annoying since you think they would have done that to solve their initial problem in the first place. It's decent otherwise, but it's held together kind of flimsily.
24 Hour Propane People
This is it. Best episode of the season. Hank and Buck are at their best here, and the plot is hilarious in both how it came to be (Buck's lack of respect for his workers) and how everything plays out (Hank learns how to deal with Buck, finally), plus Hank's coworkers are finally given more time to shine and everything just comes together so well. This is thankfully the template they used for the rest of the show for the remaining seasons, unlike other shows, the KOTH staff learned from their misfires.
The Texas Panhandler
Those annoying hipsters ruin this episode. It's decent otherwise, but they never really get any proper comeuppance and makes this kind of pointless to sit through.
Hank's Bully
Kind of a watershed episode. I like it, even though it's very much a character beatdown episode. But it's one where Hank actually gets the little asshole back and the pay off is awesome. Not perfect, but I watch it when it's on.
Edu-ma-cating Lucky
This was a decent season (and possible series) finale, even though it didn't really close anything off. It was a decent end to a rather mediocre season, but nothing overly great.
All in all, this was the low point of the series. Surprising then, that it wasn't very low. A few episodes are hard to watch, and these seasons are massively uneven, but compared to the lows of other long running series, these really aren't bad overall. Thankfully, season 11 is a massive step up to season 7 level quality, and season 12 is even stronger using twists on the formula that actually work this time, and season 13 winds everything down great both in character and story arcs and in the general tone of the series. A lot of things naturally end in season 13 and it works really well. The last 3 seasons are a fantastic second wind and coda to the series.
But it doesn't change the fact that season 9 and 10 [and a few episodes from 8] are the low point of the series. If you're watching through the series for the first time and you come to these episodes, stick it out. The last 3 seasons are worth it.
Quote from: Desensitized on December 28, 2010, 02:43:03 AM
Edu-ma-cating Lucky
This was a decent season (and possible series) finale, even though it didn't really close anything off. It was a decent end to a rather mediocre season, but nothing overly great.
I watched this one again recently, and I'm a bit conflicted on it. For one thing, I think that it's a great bit of character for Lucky, since it goes into his moral code and ethics very well. On the other hand, Peggy is too damn unlikable in it. I can understand why she is against Luanne being with Lucky, but her actions are unjustifiable. Even for Peggy.
I'm happy with parts of it, but if this was the series finale, I'd be a little disappointed.
I have to agree with you overall that this part of the show was the weakest, and the funny thing is, you can say that this era of the show (seasons 8-10) are similar to the same point in The Simpsons when you look at the path it goes down. Unlike Simpsons which got progressively weaker past the 10th season however, KOTH started to pick up steadily with it's 11th season. The last season was a little flat in comparison, but the last three years more than justified it's legacy.
Season 13 feels a bit more low key, but the overall feel of things winding down and things closing up sets it apart from the rest of the series. I may not laugh out loud as much as other seasons, but it remains interesting to watch throughout as characters are given their final tests and things change (or remain the same) throughout it's run. They were clearly running out of second wind, though. Season 13 was the best place to end it and thankfully it didn't end on a low note.
Season 11 and 12 really are top notch, though. Everything came together great on those seasons and brought the quality closer to the first 6 seasons (I even like these seasons more than season 7) where new things are tried, and the quality remains throughout. However, what works in these seasons are the little things. Little gags and nuances sprinkled throughout and characters' reaction to small events is for some reason very engaging and not something played upon much since the early seasons.
The Simpsons may have showed cracks in season 8 and 9, but they did not learn from them and the series hit an all time low in 11 and 12. KOTH's low was not anywhere near as bad, because when the cracks started showing (remember, season 9 and 10 are practically the same season from the same production order) the staff stepped it up and made it work until the end of it's run.
How many other long running shows did that?
Wow, the first two seasons sure are different, aren't they?
The first season doesn't really delve into the characters, but is more about the world they live in. Season 2 dives in a bit more, with the first few classics emerging within. They started to get it right so early in the series that it is such a surprise how different some of these episodes are.
Three Days Of The Kahndo is such a classic, though. So many great moments, and it wouldn't look out of place in a later season.
Watching the first two seasons of KOTH is jarring, the first one is obvious due to the different art style, and of course, trying to find their groove with the characters. It sort of feels like a different show all together. I mean there are a few episodes I like from the first season.
I will say one thing, I don't think the Hank Hill of now would have gave his son a carton full of cigarettes to smoke as punishment for smoking. I mean, this was the one of the few things that Hank Hill ever did wrong as a parent. Not to mention, that the episode pretty much proved that it would fueled his like for smoking.
The first two seasons are fine, but the show has really progressed since around the halfway point of season 2. That's when they started mixing with the characters a little more and found some common ground for a lot of them.
I don't really go back to season 1 all that much, but when I do, it's interesting t o see how the show has evolved since then. Same with The Simpsons and EEnE.
The smoking episode is funny and I like it, but I'll be honest when I say that it's not really "KOTH funny", it's something any other show probably could have done. It's well executed and funny, but that was my problem with a lot of the early stuff. It felt like it could be a part of any other show.
While episodes like Kahndo would only really work like they did in KOTH.
Was that the anger management episode? Dammit, if I knew who Chuck was back then, I would have laughed.
Anyway, this show making me laugh has made me feel better since I have nerd depression and whatnot. I especially loved those two Joseph and Dale episodes they showed in the last week. Why didn't they do more of that?
The episode is called Texas Silksaw Massacre.
IMO, one of the best episodes of the series.
I'll be sure to watch all of it for once.
I'm going to do a post on each season of KOTH as I get to rewatch them, for fun. Unfortunately, I won't be able to go beyond season 6 unless I'm lucky enough to be able to watch the remaining episodes. The lack of DVD sets truly sucks.
Season 1
Where it all started. From what I can recall, KOTH was heavily anticipated back in 1996 as the follow up to Beavis & Butthead. The show was absolutely huge for the first two seasons before dying out (I blame FOX for this) and it wasn't because it was a repeat of B&B's success. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, season 1 is a bit rough. Much like other first seasons of animated comedies, the framework is there to be built upon and what's there is pretty solid on it's own, but as a whole it doesn't stack up to what was to come. This season mostly focuses on introduction over plots and character, so there isn't much to compare it much with what came later.
1. Pilot
This is not KOTH. I understand what Mike Judge and Greg Daniels were going to do with this series but the first episode is very much generic overall. There are good lines (the fixing the truck moments are the only real KOTH-style moments, though), but as a whole, there isn't much reason to re-watch this unless you like Hank more angry than awkward (I mean, he yells about EVERYTHING here) or seeing Bobby totally out of character. IMO, it was a decent start to a TV show, but it doesn't really do much besides introduce characters and situations with a plot that's completely unlike the show.
2. Square Peg
Now this is more like it. This is one of the few early KOTH episodes that could be rerun in between more recent episodes and fit right in. The characters fit in more, and the plot is a vehicle to get the characters to interact. The only real fault could be because it's so early, the humor can't really go deep enough to really hit any marks. But Dale threatening the sex ed teacher with phone calls is easily an early show highlight.
3. The Order Of The Straight Arrow
Much like the previous episode in that it's an early execution of a great idea, but this one feels more natural in writing and animation. Dale is especially hilarious in this episode, as well as Bobby with his ignorance. This was when we all realized how great this show could get and how much potential it had. The guys' fathers however, are all pretty OOC for what came later on.
4. Hank's Got The Willies
This is a bizarre episode, but has some truly great dialogue. Especially the stuff Willie Nelson says. It feels a bit too much like a "guest star" episode, however, and too much of it seems unnaturally centered on Willie Nelson. Still, it's solid.
5. Luanne's Saga
Mostly a character introduction of Luanne featuring both the first appearance of Chuck Mangione and Buckley, it's an introduction of Luanne as a character. Few shows are able to do episodes like this so early in a series run, but thankfully KOTH was. It's also nice to see more Boomhauer then we had up to that point.
6. Hank's Unmentionable Problem
This was more centered on Hank's embarrassment adding more to the character trait. But there isn't really much to help this stand out.
7. Westie Side Story
Meet the Soupansouanphones. Again, some good lines, but it just doesn't stand out aside from that fact. Kahn's family was done much better later on.
8. Shins Of The Father
Okay, now THIS episode... THIS one holds up to later Cotton appearances. I still quote that Fatty line to this day. Cotton was one of the best characters on the show, and his first appearance easily holds up to what came later. Though the moment where Cotton breaks a plate to fight with Hank and Hank is eager to join in is really strange.
9. Peggy The Boggle Champ
I personally feel this is the best episode of the entire season. It has great character moments, great jokes, and a wonderful one shot character ("AU-HUA-HUA") and succeeds in developing the characters in the process. This is when the show started to get it's own identity.
10. Keeping Up With Our Joneses
I know I've said it before, but this episode doesn't really feel like a KOTH episode. I mean, it's funny and all, but that's because of one gimmick (smoking) that's used throughout it to center all the jokes on. Fun episode, but it doesn't really fit in much with the show.
11. King Of The Ant Hill
The ant stuff is really weird. Dale again has some good moments, but it doesn't shake the fact that the ant stuff is... well, really weird. I'm not sure what the aim of this episode actually is.
12. Plastic White Female
Now unlike the weird ant thing, Bobby's weirdness in this episode makes sense. Hank and Peggy's reactions are both understandable, and add to the episode tremendously. It culminates in a sweet moment between Connie and Bobby. A good episode, and a great end to the first season.
All in all, season 1 is a bit bland in retrospect featuring many ideas that were done WAY better later on in the show's run, but a few episodes still manage to stand out and push ahead of the pack. However, season 2 would really push forward towards greatness and take the show to a whole new level by the end of it.
Anyone else have any opinions on the first season of KOTH?
Season 1 feels very weird in comparison to later seasons, but I do still enjoy it. I pretty agree with you here.
This is also one of my favorite moments from the show (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qWOZne2Vp0), and more than makes the season useful.
Season 1 may be rough, but because it has moments like this, I can't help but like it:
"I was 14, just a little older than Bobby. But I knew Uncle Sam needed me, so I lied and signed up. We had beat the Nazzys in Italy, and they shipped me to the Pacific theater. A Tojo torpedo sent our troop ship to the bottom. I could only save three of my buddies: Fatty, Stinky, and Brooklyn. They were kind of like you fellas [to Bill, Dale, and Boomhauer], only one of them was from Brooklyn. Out of the sun came a Tojo Zero and put fitty bullets in my back. The blood attracted sharks. I had to give 'em Fatty. Then things took a turn for the worse. I made it to an island, but it was full of Tojos! They were spitting on the U.S. flag! So I rushed 'em, but it was a trap. They opened fire and blew my shins off. Last thing I remember, I beat 'em all to death with a big piece of Fatty. I woke up in a field hospital, and they were sewing my feet to my knees."
"Hank, Bobby and me have decided he's gonna stick vegetables up his nose. He's not gonna take over the family gas station."
Definitely one of the highlights from season 1.
Why not do season 2 now? There's really not much to dwell on in season 1.
Season 2
For all intents and purposes, season 2 is basically season 1 but better. Because the characters are now established, we can dig deeper and introduce better plotlines and more interesting subplots. Some of the all time best episodes are included in this season, which was also where the show achieved it's greatest ratings. (For some reason the ratings dipped after this and I have no idea why considering season 3's quality) It's still quite a good season despite a few decent episodes pulling it down a bit.
13. How To Fire A Rifle Without Really Trying
I know people love this episode, but IMO, it's merely decent. The therapist and gun safety teacher are the best parts of the episode, the Cotton flashbacks and the awkward ending are really funny, but as a whole it's merely decent. "I want my Binky back" is gold.
14. Texas City Twister
A better version of an episode you would see in season 1, and has some really good moments including the downed power line quote. I remember this one being advertised heavily back in the day, and for good reason. But I still don't think it's quite up to par with the better stuff.
15. The Arrow Head
This episode started the trend of "everyone's wrong except Hank" episodes that a lot of people tend to dislike. However, this one has a really good payoff at the end that makes the whole thing worth it. I only wish someone would gif that scene. Maurice Lamarche is hysterical as always. As someone who lives on a native reserve, I do get a kick out of how the native artifacts are treated, however.
16. Hilloween
This is a hard one for me to talk about. I mean, it's funny, and has some good character moments... But it feels more like a Simpsons episode to me. I'm not sure what it is, but I guess that the plot feels like it's more important than what the characters are going through. It's hard to explain.
17. Jumpin' Crack Bass
This is when the series picked up steam, for me. The Layaway Ray scenes alone would guarantee this a classic episode, Dale buying a frozen fish, the crazy judge who assigns some really cracked out punishments, and the dealer who I have no idea what the heck he's saying. Seriously classic stuff here.
18. Husky Bobby
Meh. Outside of Andy Maynard, the photo sessions, and the ending, I usually have to struggle to remember anything about this one. Not bad, just forgettable. "Dad! Dad! A man took pictures of me!"
19. The Man Who Shot Cane Skretteberg
One of the best episodes of the series, there isn't anything about this that isn't hysterical. The guys dealing with getting older, their reactions to their humiliating defeats, and the fantastic one liners, this is on of the best things to come out of KOTH. I think the best part about this episode is that it's relate-able, both to kids (all the physical pratfalls) and adults (realizing you're not young anymore) while still retaining all the trademark character moments KOTH is know for. "I laugh at Tony Danza."
20. The Son That Got Away
I think if the Bobby/Connie/Joseph thing ever went anywhere after this episode, this episode would be better. But it kind of made itself OOC for things that would come later. Still, some funny lines and moments make this fun for when the reruns come around. "You'll be sorry! You'll be-AGH"
21. The Company Man
A season 1 holdover, we meet Thatherton (in retrospect, an underused character) and meet quite the annoying Yankee. I'm not going to lie, I like this episode but there really isn't much to say. It's just kind of generic, in the end.
22. Bobby Slam
Better than the last few episodes, but not quite up to the best, Bobby joins the wrestling team and ends up having to fight Connie to stay on it. Quite the dilemma, and it's played up quite well. The wrestling match at the end is easily the highlight of the episode.
23. The Unbearable Blindness Of Laying
This episode kind of depresses me, I'm not sure why. It's a Christmas episode, but for some reason Hank is just so miserable throughout that it just totally brings me down. Gary is a good addition to the series, though.
24. Meet The Manger Babies
A cute episode about Luanne finding a perfect hobby over her own, we meet the best puppets to ever appear on a TV show (I went there!), the Manger Babies. The ending featuring Hank choosing between football and his family is a sweet little moment as is the weird Troy Aikman cameo at the end. IMO, this is one of the best episodes of the early seasons and is quite fun to watch in reruns. "Let's not forget a very British bird, Sir Reginald Featherbottom the Third! 'Charmed, I'm sure, Governor!'"
25. Snow Job
The first episode to really shine a light on Strickland Propane, this one has some great moments both at Strickland and outside of it. I don't think I'll ever forget that strange meathook line, Hank feeding the dogs at Strickland's place anytime soon. Hank's final decision at the end is touching and very true to the character, and is the first to show the true colors of Buck. "Now I know why they call you 'Ma', cuz you're always riding ma ass!"
26. I Remember Mono
Peggy's mom sure is different, huh? This is a cute episode, but it's not really particularly funny overall. The end also seems a bit disjointed in how everything is solved. This is one episode that could easily fit into season 1, but it's not a very strong episode over all.
27. Three Days Of The Kahndo
Hilarious. There's so much going on in this episode, and the dialogue is so sharp that it's hard to imagine this is the same show we saw in season 1. Featuring possibly the best act breaks in the show's history, and a subplot that goes nowhere but is actually funny about it, it even features a surprising sense of patriotism about the whole thing which manages to fit in with the whole thing. I could really gush about this episode because it really is one of the best episodes the show has to offer. "This tastes like turtles!"
28. Traffic Jam
To me, this has kind of the same problem as the Willie Nelson episode, more focused on the guest star than the actual story. Chris Rock works well as Buddha Sack (and later, Roger), but I think the character worked better when Phil Lamarr took over for the character. Hank not "getting" insult comics was interesting, as were his reactions, but plot wise they didn't really do much for it.
29. Hank's Dirty Laundry
Probably the best episode that deals with "Hank Vs. Everybody", sees Hank fighting "the beast" over a porno tape that he didn't rent. Bobby's subplot about his birthday is weird, but funny, and Peggy is at her most annoying, but the plot itself is fun and the ending is among the most satisfying in the show.
30. The Final Shinsult
Weird. Funny, but weird. There isn't really much I can add to this one. Probably the best part is how fast Dale sells Cotton out, he seriously has no spine at all.
31. Leanne's Saga
Depressing as hell to watch. Leanne is a scumbag, so it was nice to see Peggy kick her ass at the end. Overall though, it's hard to re watch just because of how Leanne treats everyone.
32. Junkie Business
I hate this episode. Not because it's bad, but because of the junkie in it who uses a legal loophole to prevent getting fired. It's not a bad episode at all, and I wouldn't recommend skipping watching it, but I can't stand watching it just because of that guy.
33. Life In The Fast Lane, Bobby's Saga
Hilarious episode. Watching Hank actually kick someone's ass repeatedly is hilarious, as is poor Bobby's plight at his job. In fact, I'd say this is the first episode where Bobby finally grows up a little from being totally ignorant of the world around him and is actually able to hold his own even with a boss as stupid as his is. Boomhauer also takes the b-plot focus, making this a great episode.
34. Peggy's Turtle Song
Eh, not really a fan of this one. Kind of forgettable, and it doesn't really warrant repeat watches. The plot is kinda dull, too.
35. Propane Boom (Part 1)
Great season finale and cliffhanger. A lot happens in this episode, and a lot of characters are put through some tough situations. At the end we are left to wonder if they will truly be able to make it through. We also end with what is probably the most unexpected season finale (if it wasn't totally ruined in the ads) where the Megalo Mart actually blows up leaving us with Hank Hill possibly dead. KOTH was masterful at two-parters, and this first one was just as good as the ones that came later.
So season 2 was uneven, as you can see. Their are some fantastic top shelf episodes, and some mediocre and average ones to round it out. It isn't until season 3 when KOTH really took off, but you can clearly see the potential the show still had in season 2. Not a great season, despite being the highest rated one, but a merely good one. Season 3 is when we truly get to the meat of the show.
I'll leave you with this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FA__4fLBos&feature=related) until my next list... Which will probably take some time. I definitely don't want to rush that one out. :whip:
Season 3
Season 3 is what I believe to be the best season of King Of The Hill. While season 1 was a good start, and season 2 was an uphill set of episodes, season 3 is excellent. This season has the first real ongoing plots weaving throughout the episodes, more layered jokes, and some really interesting concepts that most "edgy" shows these days don't even come close to touching. But best of all, about every episode here is a classic, and there are very few modern shows that are able to claim to have a perfect season, but I'd say outside of classic Simpsons, KOTH has the best batting record in that area.
36. Death Of A Propane Salesman (Propane Boom - Part II)
The first mark of change comes with the death of Buckley, Luanne's idiotic ex-boyfriend. As a season opener, is surprisingly downbeat in everything that's going on, but it does help give it a different flavor than the first part of the episode. There's a shift in tone with this episode that feels really subtle, but from season 3 to about season 6 or so, the show seems to have this weird aura about it where things feel less relaxed and more urgent. It's hard to describe, but it's something I tend to think about when watching these episodes. This is also the first episode Chuck Mangione gets some real time devoted to him.
37. And They Call It Bobby Love
Love hurts, huh? Bobby finds out the hard way in one of the funniest episodes of the show. While we saw Bobby getting used to the idea of girls in season 2, here he seems like he might have a grasp on them... until he is absolutely crushed by one. Thankfully, he bounces back, but it's a real journey for him. Major props has to be given to the subplot, which has an absolutely weird ending. (Why, Bill? Why?)
38. Peggy's Headache
Peggy's musing job was a short side-story going on in KOTH, but I always enjoyed it. This episode, however, is where we really learn how perceptive the "genius" Peggy Hill is. The answer is 'not very'. It's a new side of Peggy that we hadn't seen up to that point, and would be expanded upon in the future, but it's still very well done here. My personal favorite scene is where Hank threatens John Redcorn and the wind blows his hair slightly and Hank awkwardly walks away. A joke like that only works in animation.
39. Pregnant Paws
The Hank and Peggy getting older and contemplating another kid story drifted throughout this season, here Hank uses Ladybird as an outlet for his feelings that he is unable to show Peggy, and Bobby pays for their lack of attention by having to bribe Bill with dog biscuits (Wha?)... The subplot is another plot that drifts throughout the season and beyond, Dale becomes a licensed Bounty Hunter... and is awful at it. (Props to Jim Cummings for doing a funny Dale Gribble impression in the episode, too)
40. Next Of Shin
This isn't really a part two, but it feels like it. Both of the plots from the previous episode are continued, but not directly. Just the Hank and Peggy dilemma, and Dale being a Bounty Hunter. This time, Cotton gets involved and shares his own worries about becoming a father(!?) despite the fact he will be dead by the time his son reaches adulthood.
41. Peggy's Pageant Fever
As much as I love this episode, the best part, by far, is everyone's reactions when they learn Peggy is going to be in a pageant. You really get a sense of every character, as they try to spare (or not, in some cases) her feelings on the issue. Best moment, Minh slinging insults at a dressed up Peggy Hill, only to get ignored and calling her rude. Also points go to Strickland whining about paying money for the pageant only to say "she could have at least smiled..."
42. Nine Pretty Darn Angry Men
Gosh... there's so much I could say about this episode. This episode pretty much epitomizes Hank Hill. He can't express himself emotionally, so he has to work around his inability by showing it to others... through his mower. Not only is it fascinating (as well as being a homage to the great classic film, 12 Angry Men), but it's extremely funny. By far one of the best episodes in the series, I just don't know what to talk about here. It's just too good.
43. Good Hill Hunting
The Bobby season-story of him getting older continues here as he is unable to go on a rite of passage hunt due to his father's negligence at getting a license on time. Focusing on the offbeat father-son relationship of Bobby and Hank, this is another winner that ends the only way it can. By the two of them coming to their own terms on what it means for Bobby to become a man. A great episode.
44. Pretty, Pretty Dresses
Probably one of the darkest episodes in the show's history, Bill hits rock bottom. His yearly Christmas depression finally becomes too much as he is denied being with his friends on Christmas, and is once again destined to be alone. He attempts to kill himself multiple times, but is unsuccessful, and after a tiff with Hank, he completely loses it and creates a new persona where he wears a dress and pretends to be his wife, Lenore. However, despite being dark, this episode is both very funny (and somehow light on dark humor) and touching in how it ends. This is the episode where Bill really comes into his own as a character, and he never really goes this low again. (Despite the random episode here or there where he relapses)
45. A Firefighting We Will Go
Oh come on, I'm not going on about this again. It's the perfect KOTH episode, and there's nothing more I can say on it. Every joke is hilarious, every idea works, and every character is dead on. It's just the perfect episode.
46. To Spank With Love
A funny episode of KOTH where we find out how uncool a teacher Peggy really is. The concept of punishment in schools is brought up here (KOTH comments a lot on the school system), and taken to it's furthest extreme. This also includes one of the funniest running gags in the show, ("Take off your top!") and is just another great episode in a great season.
47. Three Coaches & A Bobby
Watch it, love it, memorize it.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi166.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu100%2FJDesensitized%2F4d606ea7.gif&hash=7cfca3247e1bd715d29fb4700668d18037f7291f)
48. De-Kahnstructing Henry
The first real focus on Kahn here. We learn more about Kahn's personality, his life, and just what exactly he really thinks of Hank Hill. Another important episode, this is the episode where most people finally come around to Kahn even when they hate him beforehand. With good cause, this episode really fleshes him out wonderfully.
49. The Wedding Of Bobby Hill
This is a pretty good gag episode, though it's really more gimmicky like a season 2 episode. So it looks a bit weaker compared to the rest of the season, even though it's a fine episode. It's fun, though.
50. Sleight Of Hank
Hank always needs to know everything. This kind of runs with the same gimmick throughout, but because it's so funny, it never wears out it's welcome. He does get a bit jerky here, but it's nothing too annoying.
51. Jon Vitti Presents: 'Return To La Grunta'
Oh how I wish for audio commentary for a behind the scenes on this episode's title. One of my favorite Simpsons writers delivers a top notch KOTH episode. This one is just really funny from start to finish, with enough quotable lines to shake a stick at. Who knew Bill liked dolphins so much, huh?
52. Escape From Party Island
This one is just drop dead hysterical from start to finish. In many ways, it is like Hank's version of a horror movie as he tries desperately to escape the jaws of an MTV Spring Break party with a gaggle of old ladies led by his mother. "I know your kind" gets a lot of play with me and my friends, too.
53. Love Hurts & So Does Art
Bobby's plot here is both sweet and funny as he finally learns to do the right thing instead of being a lazy cripple with gout. The Hank subplot is a bit boring, though it's nothing bad. This one is mostly about Bobby.
54. Hank's Cowboy Movie
More worrying for the future, this time about the children of Arlen and how there's nothing really there for them when they get older and they'll most likely move. Hank makes an effort to try to get the Dallas Cowboy training camp to move to Arlen in hopes that it will make the town more attractive to new business. It continues the theme of previous episodes, but comes to the conclusion at the end that while things might change in the future, what is important is to live in the now. Nice episode.
55. Dog Dale Afternoon
VIGILANTE! Another really funny Dale episode, someone steals his mower (it's Hank) and he loses his mind trying to get it back. Oh yeah, and he also holes himself up in a bell tower and the local police keep trying to snipe him out.
56. Revenge Of The Lutefisk
I love mystery style KOTH episodes. This one, however, we know the culprit but we can't help but feel bad for him as everything he does is not out of spite, just bad luck. Another fun episode, this one introduces us to Karen Stroup, the new reverend of the Hill's church.
57. Death & Texas
Another different episode, this one dealing with Peggy's trusting nature (her naivety) is another funny episode, but also continues the theme of worrying about the future. Here, the Hill family's future is put in doubt as Peggy might possibly get taken away from them, as they are unable to think of what to do. Fortunately it all works out, but it is a close one.
58. Wings Of The Dope
A touching episode dealing with Luanne. She had a rough year since Buckley died and it is here where she really gets fleshed out more. We also get to see Buckley's trampoline one last time as we learn the porthole to hell is next to Hank's tools. Another funny episode, with perhaps one of the best endings in the show's run.
59. Take Me Out Of The Ball Game
Thatherton(!) has formed a rival baseball team! Let's take 'em out! A fun sport themed episode, we see what happens when Hank is unable to take control of a situation. Dale is also a good catch, surprisingly.
60. As Old As The Hills (Part 1)
This is where the season long plot of getting older reaches it's conclusion. A whole bunch of stuff happens here including Didi having the baby mentioned early in the season, Bobby having to take care of them, Luanne not having any place to stay, and Hank and Peggy skydiving. Peggy's chute however, does not open, leading us to wonder if she lived through her jump. It's a great episode that's mostly internal in the strife the family faces, and ends with the only possible conclusion. Face the future head on! The only question is will the family pull through it?
That's season 3. What I consider the best season of KOTH and one of my favorite seasons of television in general. While the next couple of seasons are just as good and have many other great episodes, I feel season 3 has the greatest number of classic episodes with the fewest amount of duds (I'd say there were none, but your mileage my vary), leading it to be the most re-watchable one.
Any thoughts on season 3?
Loving these. Great stuff. I pretty much agree.
That was a fun one to do. Season 3 is just really that good, but watching season 4 again I think I may have underrated it a little, it's actually pretty close in quality. It's just that it's best episodes can't quite outmatch the best ones here. It's close, though!
I think Escape From Party Island is the one episode I tend to forget about when talking about KOTH, but I really shouldn't. It's pretty much perfect, and it is the first time we get to learn about his mother in a way that actually comes back in the future seasons.
Season 4
Season 4 of KOTH goes a bit deeper into the characters than season 3 does (for the most part) focusing more on the secondary characters and bringing them to the level of our main characters. For some reason I deemed this season to be totally inferior to season 3, but that was judging it as if it was merely attempting to do the same thing as season 3 was. Judging it for what it is, an effort to expand the scope and world of King Of The Hill, it could be argued that it is the best season of the show. It was also with this season when KOTH became the undisputed king of the FOX Sunday Line up, IMO, with no other show quite matching it at the time.
61. Peggy Hill: The Decline & Fall (As Old As The Hills - Part II)
A great season premiere closing of the theme of mortality from the previous season, this time focusing more from the opposite ends of the spectrum, near death and early birth. It gives us a clear window again at how fragile life is and how easily the simple things (like walking and dignity) could easily be taken away. But as the ending showed, there is more to us than simply rolling over and taking the punches we're delivered. It is how we deal with those punches that show exactly what we're made of. At least that was how I saw it. On an aside, this episode really brought out the dumb in Luanne as she was never close to this dumb prior to this episode. Oh well, at least the jokes were funny so all is forgiven, I guess we can just chalk it up to her being emotionally confused by the events of the episode.
62. Cotton's Plot
Sort of a third part to the previous two-parter, we continue seeing Peggy's rehabilitation from her near death experience. Of all people, it's Cotton who gives her the motivation to start walking again, and it is in this episode that we learn a little bit more about the man who killed fitty men. This sort of closes off the mortality theme with Peggy finally regaining her strength to walk again, and Cotton getting the plot he deserves.
63. Bills Are Made To Be Broken
With this episode we move out into the world of Arlen to learn more about it. Bill loses his high school football record because of foul play, and plots to get it back by proving to the world that even as a middle aged bald man he is still "the Billdozer" and well deserving of his old record. It's an inspiring episode that proves to us that Bill isn't merely a pathetic loser, but a man who also lost his fire and direction in life. Underneath it all, he's still the Billdozer.
64. Little Horrors Of Shop
The school gets its first real focus episode (outside of Peggy's job or Bobby's problems) as Hank joins the school as a substitute shop teacher. We learn more about the school system and the students as well as finally get to know Principal Moss, who would become a major player later. This episode also shows exactly what is wrong with teachers between Hank and Peggy, one merely wants to teach his passion to others and bring them together with it and the other merely wants to look smart and isn't really invested in the actual students. Of all the teachers I have ever had in my life, the best ones are closer to Hank, and the worst are much closer to Peggy. A very real, but funny, episode.
65. Aisle 8A
Things change. While Connie begins to grow up, Bobby feels confused and left behind (something that is explored in greater detail later) and Hank feels awkward stuck in the middle of it. Another very funny, but interesting, episode as things begin to change for the kids of Arlen.
66. A Beer Can Named Desire
After some world building, we end up going into backstory, this time for Bill. Easily one of the best episodes of the entire series, this episode is hysterical. The sub plot with Hank thinking about his family's future over a simple toss is intriguing, too, but the real star is guest character Gilbert. Easily one of the funniest characters to ever grace this show. It's a real missed opportunity that he only showed up once more after this, however in a far more serious role. "Dinner; like youth... is served."
67. Happy Hank's Giving
A cute Thanksgiving episode where the family and their friends are trapped at the airport on Thanksgiving, and have to depend on each other to get through it. It's a simple episode, but it works so well, there's nothing to complain about.
68. Not In My Back Hoe
Another smaller episode focusing on Hank finding the "perfect" friend. The episode ends atypically (no, "weird quirk" or anything to kill the relationship between the two... it just ends), and the comedy is as strong as usual. The subplot with Bill and Dale is very funny, too.
69. To Kill A Ladybird
Another one of the best episodes of KOTH, this is probably one of the funniest episodes in the entire show's run. I could probably count all the hysterical Dale lines in this episode off all day, but it's not just him... everything is top notch. Bobby's sense of rejection and Hank's sense of regret over Ladybird is strong as well, this episode is just classic. "FALSE ALARM!"
70. Hillennium
In retrospect, a dated episode, but despite the material, the episode itself is very funny and fully realized in the paranoia it tends to parody. If there's one thing KOTH knows well, it's definitely paranoia. We also learn why there isn't a Mrs. Chappy in this episode.
71. Old Glory
Back at the school, Bobby is tortured by a petty teacher who has it out for Peggy and has her write an essay to raise his grade. When their plan falls apart and they are confronted on what they did, the two go through quite the journey to save their own necks. This wouldn't seem too out of place in a later season like 11 or 12 in it's ideas, and that's not an insult either. This is funny stuff.
72. Rodeo Days
A funny episode, but there isn't much to talk about here. It is weird seeing any episode where Joseph is thought of as "cool" now, though.
73. Hanky Panky (Part I)
One of the best two-parters in the series, a murder mystery filled with twists and turns with some greatly developed characters, this episode is a joy to watch. Special mention should be made of Miz Liz's lawyer, who is truly a character to watch, and we finally get a real glimpse into what Buck is really like outside of the job.
74. High Anxiety (Hanky Panky - Part II)
This is when everything comes together, and the conclusion is glorious. My only disappointment is that we rarely ever see most of these episode specific characters again, as they really do help make this two parter awesome. Easily one of the highlights of the whole show, this two parter really shows how interesting KOTH could get when they wanted to.
75. Naked Ambition
Another episode focusing on the kids becoming teenagers, this time we learn of just how creepy Joseph can get (which we learn in greater detail later), and that bird watching at night is definitely the best time to be bird watching. Another funny one.
76. Movin' On Up
This was a personal favorite of mine because we got to see Luanne grow up a bit as a character. Seeing her deal with the roommates from hell and learning from Hank (who she is surprisingly a lot like in many ways) how to deal with them was a nice touch. Though I did wonder if Topsy and Cotton killed the German one at the end. :D
77. Bill Of Sales
Something I didn't think would be brought up, an episode that deals with Peggy and Bill's awkward relationship. I think this episode is the first time where we learn that Bill doesn't really love Peggy, but the way she treats him as that is all he knows since he was a kid. It's an interesting episode in more ways than one, though the pyramid stuff is where most of the humor comes from. Or is it "triangle"?
78. Won't You Pimai Neighbor?
My opinion is a bit tainted on this episode, because for some reason it was reran into the ground a long time ago, but I won't deny it's a great episode as we see Bobby trying to apply himself and better his life for others which is a truly noble goal. It's also nice to see more about Buddhism on a TV show. Another interesting episode with a great ending.
79. Hank's Bad Hair Day
Another one of the funniest episodes of the show, simply dealing with nothing more than a haircut. This one is just plain hysterical.
80. Meet The Propaniacs
Propane Maniacs! Another of the best episodes of the series, we get to see more of the gang from Strickland Propane, and delve a bit into the Bobby and Hank dynamic where they finally find some common ground (before it unfortunately comes to an end), all from some simple jokes about liquid gas. Fantastic episode.
81. Nancy's Boys
A great episode where everything changes. Dale, Nancy, and John Redcorn all advance in their own relationships and things are never the same again. I love this episode for making both Nancy and John Redcorn fully fleshed out beyond a single affair joke in random episodes. Thankfully, this episode was never ruined in future episodes (they never cheated again), and remains an early reminder at how KOTH wasn't afraid to change the game when they wanted to.
82. Flush With Power
Another mystery-style episode, this time during a damaging drought affecting Arlen. This one is a joy to watch, as politicians once again use their power in order to benefit themselves instead of helping those who need it, and watching as Hank has to deal with all the betrayals going on around him in the face of this.
83. Transnational Amusements Presents: Peggy's Magic Sex Feet
Wow, this is a bizarre episode. I, uh, don't really know what to say about this one besides that it's really funny. And that Hank is, in fact, not the Tickler.
84. Peggy's Fan Fair
Peggy's ego hits an all time high on this episode as she takes over for priests, takes credit for making food that already exists, and is just plain oblivious to how annoying she is. However, the real star is Randy Travis as he is just a complete jerk in this episode taking credit for everything and even belittling the man who saved his life. It's quite the fun episode, if only to see whose ego will win it out. Also, it's nice to have a season not end on cliffhanger, finally. Unfortunately, we never had one again, either.
So season 4 is another unabashed success for King Of The Hill. We're over 80 episodes in and the ball is still rolling and the ideas are still flowing. Will it be able to keep up the pace of greatness, or will it fall on it's face as so many other shows have done in such a long run? Either way, I should warn you to tune in for season 5 when things... get darker for the residents of Rainey Street. But before that, what do you guys think of season 4? Think it still matches up to the best?
I think "Cotton's Plot"is a great advancement towards Peggy and Cotton's relationship. Theirs was a mutual pact of dislike and respect, even if it's mostly dislike. This one gets into that better than pretty much any other episode that isn't "Death Picks Cotton" does.
"A Beer Can Named Desire" is a masterpiece. Like Fire-Fighting, you can list great quotes from it all day.
"I do believe I shall give room service a jingle and have them order us up some etouffees."
Seasons 3 and 4 are probably the best overall, but 12 is no slouch either.
Ah yes, the Peggy and Cotton relationship was a great one. Cotton hates strong women and Peggy hates him because he's... well, Cotton. I did like how that episode showed exactly how alike they really are, even if they can't see it or get past their dislike of each other to see it.
While season 3 was more consistent and laugh out loud funny, I think season 4 succeeded by bringing scope to the humor and branching things out more. I could probably list how each season tries something different from the rest, and I probably will as we go along. Season 5, for instance, is quite considerably different in tone from the rest of the seasons. Season 3 and 4 however, are probably KOTH's best because at their very core they are just straightforward episodes down to the core. Not to take anything away from the other seasons, but I'd say giving someone who wants to watch KOTH seasons 3 and 4 to watch would be a great idea. Even if it starts on a cliffhanger, you can still get a basic handle on what happened in Propane Boom.
Also, looking over the episode guides to future seasons, I may have had wrong impressions about certain seasons and episodes that I will hopefully be able to clear up when I get to them.
Season 5
Season 5 is a noticeably darker season than any other season. While some episodes aren't as straightforward in their dark atmosphere, they tend to feature characters pushed to their limits and at the end of their rope (though obviously not to Bill's extent in Pretty Pretty Dresses), and few episodes are as touching as they are inspiring in seeing the characters break through their issues. I used to consider this the second best season of the show, but re-watching season 4 got me to change my opinion. Season 5 is still one of the best shows of the series, but it's not for everyone. Nonetheless, it's still a top notch season.
85. The Perils Of Polling
This episode is a bit of a subtle shift in tone. Hank's whole world is put upside down because of the aspect of a poor handshake from someone who he believed had character. While this may seem silly in typical KOTH fashion, it also makes perfect sense. Hank is betrayed and doesn't know what to believe anymore and by the end of the episode is forced to make a decision in what he believes is the right thing. It's a bit of a patriotic episode, but goes a bit personal, as you really can learn a lot about someone from a handshake. Special points go towards the communist subplot, the scene where the manger babies try to recruit "Comrade Hill" is one of the best scenes in the entire show's run.
86. The Buck Stops Here
The episode where Hank finally understands what Buck Strickland is really all about. His faith in his boss was shaken before, but it is totally destroyed here. By the way, this episode gets surprisingly dark and seedy at times. I shudder to think what would have happened to Bobby had Hank not shown up when he did. Still, this is a great episode that would be totally out of place in any other season.
87. "That annoyingly long title named after Dawson Creek's theme"
We were being prepared for this episode ever since season 2. The kids were getting older, there was foreshadowing that they were nearing childhood's end, and this particular plot-line started off with Aisle 8A from the previous season. This episode starts at summer's end as Joseph comes back lanky and awkward from his summer camp, Bobby turns 13, and everything is different now. This episode is a mess (in a great way, however) in order to explore the convoluted feelings of becoming a teenager. The ending is also another perfect touch. Also, this episode restarts the Bobby-Connie-Joseph triangle from before only it's much differently executed from this point on.
88. Spin The Choice
John Redcorn has a really bad time in this episode. Unable to pass his teachings on to his uncaring (and still confused) biological son, he also has to deal with being pushed out of his life and denied the land his people lived on. This episode does a lot for John Redcorn as a character and features recurring theme of life-fulfillment he carries with him until he finds his place in the final season. Another great, but dark, episode. Peggy's game is also ridiculously stupid, but it is funny and helps pull off the tension of the main plot.
89. Peggy Makes The Big Leagues
More on the schools. This time Peggy has to teach a student no one else will because he's a great football player and don't want to mess with their winning streak. Thankfully David wises up and realizes that she is actually trying to help him do more with his life and pushes himself to be better at school. It's a nice break from the darker episodes of this season.
90. When Cotton Comes Marching Home
Cotton is absolutely hammered in this episode. Both because of his pride and because of the poor ways veterans are treated (even on Veteran's Day), it's an interesting episode to see Cotton so thoroughly confused and at wits end since he's usually so confident. I always get a kick out of Cotton's job being supervising others putting asbestos into schools and hospitals.
91. What Makes Bobby Run?
What indeed? Another great episode where Bobby has to confront his fear of, well, confrontations. I always enjoy episodes where Bobby is put forth to test himself, and this is no exception. You have to give him credit for his plan to get Mr. Crackers at the end. That took guts.
92. Twas The Nut Before Christmas
This episode annoys me to no end. Bill does something good for kids, messes it up (in the creepiest way possible), gets hooked in with a scheming slacker, and does a 180 personality wise at the end to turn on the idiot. Sorry, I just don't like this episode and can't stand watching it. The worst part is that this set up is used for other episodes in the future. Ugh.
93. Chasing Bobby
One of the best episodes of the series, it constantly looks into the many father/son dynamics in the show's relationships all coming down to Hank and his truck. It's a bit of a sad episode, but one that leaves you with hope at the end. Plus it's probably the only time in the whole series we see Hank shed a tear.
94. Yankee Hankee
Man, this episode is depressing. But unlike TTNBC, this episode makes up for it by being both funny and having a great message at the end. Plus, it has a lot of great lines. SUCKER-PUNCH.
95. Hank & The Great Glass Elevator
The first half of the episode is mainly straightforward KOTH with some good lines and plot, but what makes the episode truly memorable is us finally meeting the woman who destroyed Bill's life, his ex-wife Lenore. And not only that, we seem him finally put her behind him (literally!) as he is finally able to move on with his life. (If I'm not mistaken he never even mentions her again after this point except for a reference point of some kind) This is a deceptively important episode in the series.
96. Now Who's The Dummy?
He was disturbed before you got here! We meet Dale's childhood trauma as Bobby learns to be a ventriloquist. This is a really funny episode, and a nice break from the heavier stuff we were dealing with in the series around then.
97. Ho Yeah!
A+. 10/10. Two Thumbs Up. 100%. One of the absolute funniest episodes in the entire series. This is a completely comedy based episode that would slide right in with any season, but it still works wonders here. ALABASTER!
98. The Exterminator
Back to the depressing. This episode focuses on Dale and gives him a new job where he is forced to remove everything about him that gives him an identity and is thrown into the office world and torn apart until he brings out his ugly side in order to survive. I have to be honest, this is a hard episode to watch. If it wasn't for the funny lines and the ending... I'm not sure if I would like it as much, but as a whole it is a top notch episode. It's just hard to watch sometimes.
99. Luanne Virgin 2.0
Thankfully this episode isn't as hard on Luanne (she had a hard enough time in season 3) but is actually more about Hank and Peggy's relationship. This one mostly focuses on the importance of sex in relationships and how easily it can be used as a weapon against the opposite sex. It's not really a serious episode altogether (compared to the rest of the season, anyway), but it sends a nice message that most other adult sitcoms would never send.
100. Hank's Choice
Jon Vitti cranks out another weird one. I always loved that in the middle of all these straightforward episodes we would get one about rodeo clowns, dolphin rape, or a boy living in a doghouse, thanks to Jon Vitti. It's episodes like this that help make KOTH what it is. There isn't much to talk about here, as it's pretty simple, but I just had to point on the importance of these kinds of episodes.
101. It's Not Easy Being Green
It's nice seeing an episode focused on environmental issues where it's more than a simple black and white issue that can be solved by throwing a can in a separate bag. It's also nice to learn more about Boomhauer from the other guys. I always enjoy that kind of character development. It's also nice learning what happened to Boomhauer's "first love" back in the day.
102. The Trouble With Gribbles
Another funny, but sad episode. The Gribbles are put to the test by Nancy getting older and feeling it, and Dale taking advantage of both that and the cigarette company he has been buying from for years. This makes the episode hard to watch, especially if you feel for Nancy, as the couple is almost split apart by simple greed. It's a good thing this one is so funny, or it wouldn't work at all otherwise.
103. Hank's Back Story
I liken this to a far better version of "Hank's Unmentionable Problem". Here the issue is funnier, much less overblown like the constipation was, and leads to some really bizarre moments. Also the mower race at the end.
104. Kidney Boy & Hamster Girl: A Love Story
Mostly Bobby finally coming to terms with himself and his place in life, which was touched upon several times before this it is finally solidified as he stands up to teenagers twice his size to protect his friends and girlfriend. It's a touching end to the season, especially after all the crap that went on. It's nice seeing high school done such justice in an animated show, too. It's usually way over-exaggerated in TV shows, but it's done quite true here.
In conclusion, despite being darker than the seasons that had come before, it did help to add depth to the universe of KOTH and build on the characters. While some episodes border on hard to watch, it is mostly because of the plots and atmosphere this season put off which is different from others. The show never stays this dark again after this point, in fact the main criticism of the next season is that it's too cartoony! (We'll be the judge of that) But this season is another unqualified success for KOTH. Just try not to watch this season if you're feeling too down, otherwise you'll probably enjoy it just as much as the other seasons.
Pigmalion is a season 5 holdover. Boy, does it show it. The only difference is that it manages to be way darker and cartoony than any episode in the season, almost like a satire of season 5.
I haven't rewatched it yet, but it will be interesting when I do.
Pigmalion, wasn't that the one where Luanne got a job from this guy that wasn't right in the head, and he made her dress up like this mascot girl on the box? That was a pretty dark episode from what I can recall. When I was first watching this, I was like "I am watching King of the Hill? Right?"
It's the one that ends with him getting a metal spike through his skull just as he regains his sanity, yes.
I honestly have no idea where that one came from.
That just feels so out of place with the show.
it's not a horrible episode or anything, but it feels like an episode from a whole other show.
Yeah, like I said I really don't understand why it was made. Not that it's terrible or anything.
On another note, anyone who own season 6 on DVD remember this?
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fthetvbay.info%2Fmedia%2Fimages%2FKingoftheHill.jpg&hash=bb1e41907287a9d525716508d66d373ab7641024)
Sigh. I wish they would just bite the bullet and put a full series set or something out there. I would scrimp and save to get it, but I would get it.
When I pull out my season 6 DVD, I'm always saddened when I pull that out.
So close, yet so far away.
On another note... I think season 8 is a better season than 7. I'll explain why when I get there, but it's really weird how out of place 8 is in between 7 and 9. It's still a good season, but 8 is better in pretty much every way.
Season 6
A lot of people consider season 6 where the series lost the plot and became a generic FOX comedy show. While this season isn't anywhere near as in-depth as season 3 or 5, I have to agree that it can get a bit zany at times. But I think that helped it stand out at the time, and it lead to some of the outright funniest episodes of the entire show. Other than focusing on comedy on our developed cast, what else was there besides making it a soap opera? And we sure as hell didn't need that to happen to this show. That said, season 6 is another great KOTH season and here's why:
105. Bobby Goes Nuts
I still remembering watching this on premiere night with a bunch of people and laughing our asses off. And it still plays on multiple watches despite having perhaps the simplest idea of any KOTH episode. The writing team definitely showed no signs of fatigue here, and this episode was a perfect opener to the new "zanier" KOTH while still managing to keep it grounded, while season 7 would go a bit nutty, I think season 6 struck the perfect balance of classic KOTH style pacing with out of nowhere gags.
106. Soldier Of Misfortune
Following up with another of the best episodes of the series, and another one I remember enjoying tremendously in a group, this episode really delves into Dale's paranoia and insecurity while just managing to keep it realistically grounded. To be honest, I don't think this episode would have been nearly as great in any other season, and that makes it all the better. Again, more zany comedy built upon well developed characters, but the comedy is so well done and hilarious that it just doesn't matter if it isn't quite the same as the old style. It's still great.
107. Lupe's Revenge
Quite possibly the favorite episode of every Peggy-hater out there, and another hysterical ride. The problem with doing a summary of this season is that because it's more comedy based than emotional/character based, there's not as much to say about it without analyzing jokes, and I don't really want to ruin them that way. But this does show an interesting side of Peggy, (the cornered side) that we don't see too often.
108. The Father, The Son, And J.C.
After the onslaught of comedy based episodes, we get into this episode which explores Cotton and Hank's mutual "hatred" for each other. It's still funny, but in the more traditionally subdued way of early seasons and less on the gonzo gags. (Though the Jimmy Carter bit kind of is, it's still hysterical) Probably the best aspect is that no matter how much Cotton tears Hank down, he still wants him to love and respect him regardless, even if he knows he doesn't deserve it. The most he can admit to Hank is that he wouldn't incinerate him if given the chance. Touching.
109. Father Of The Bribe
An interesting relationship based episode between Connie and Bobby, where they attempt (and succeed) to manipulate the system and their parents to be together and discover that they don't really want to be together any more. It's a sweet mutual break up that's almost totally ruined by the next episode.
110. I'm With Cupid
If this episode wasn't really funny I'd probably hate it. It's out of character with both Bobby and Bill (Bill is over Lenore, his behaviour here doesn't make sense) and is pretty creepy in the end, but because the jokes are funny I can forgive it. It's still not one of the better season 6 episodes, though. Actually I'd probably consider it one of the series worst for being so annoyingly out of character for both Bill and Bobby here by ignoring two of the best series episodes and rehashing their plots here.
111. Torch Song Hillogy
Sort of a gimmicky episode based around the Olympic torch. The Bobby plot is nice and has a good ending, but this is kind of forgettable overall.
112. Joust Like A Woman
I have mixed feelings on this one. I mean, it's funny, but the whole thing doesn't really feel very KOTH at all. Not much to say on this one.
113. The Bluegrass Is Always Greener
A sweet episode that beings back the friendship aspect of Bobby and Connie that was almost erased, and one that shows us just how similar Hank and Kahn really are. The sub-plot here is very Dale and fits in just nice amidst the Bluegrass festival idea, and this was a nice step back to simpler ideas.
114. The Substitute Spanish Prisoner
Probably one of the more underrated episodes, Peggy gets sucked into a scam and no one can seem to get her out of it because the scammer is simply too smart... Except for Peggy herself. The best part is probably the entire plan Peggy had to trick him that was just a front for a better plan. Even I had to question Peggy's smarts when she came up with that one.
115. Unfortunate Son
Quite the interesting episode about how badly war veterans are treated (sometimes with each other, even) and how important it is to stick together in tight situations. This episode also features some great Hank and Cotton bonding where we learn Hank probably would have made a great soldier.
116. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret Hill
Peggy really gets over her head here. Featuring perhaps one of the greatest Hank lines ("Now that's a clean burnin' Hell, I tell you what!"), and an interesting look at the idea of what faith means to some and to others and how different it can be, this is one of the more interesting episodes of season 6.
117. Tankin' It To The Streets
While still featuring the gonzo humor of season 6, this episode feels far more like it came from season 5. It's a bit of a downer as we learn exactly what might have happened to Bill for him to become the way he is now. But this does have an uplifting ending, so at least the experience wasn't all for naught in the end.
118. Of Mice And Little Green Men
A strange episode, but still a nice one focusing on the father and son relationship of Joseph and Dale and in the sub plot, Hank and Bobby. It is funny to see how much more each father and son have with the other instead of their own, but in the end we learn of how they really couldn't be any more similar to each other. A cute episode.
119. A Man Without A Country Club
A really funny episode where we finally get to see Chane Wassonasong's dad in greater detail. This is mostly a Kahn episode disguised as a Hank one, but that doesn't stop it from being full of great Hank lines. Pinch me, Mr. Ho.
120. Beer And Loathing
The episode where we finally get to see Alamo Beer in depth from the inside and out, and what a horrible company they are. Thankfully despite Peggy's employment at the establishment, she eventually looks into her conscience and realizes just what a terrible place this is, and how it was even hurting the ones she loved. All in all, this is a great one.
121. Fun With Jane And Jane
Blond Jane! Old Jane! A good one that delves into how cults operate and prey on the lonely and emotionally weak and features a goofy sub plot that is just plain hysterical. The way the plots come together at the end is the perfect example of why there is no other show like KOTH out there. Oh yeah, and the final scene would only be perfected further if it was also Buck's final appearance. ;)
122. My Own Private Rodeo
Meeting Dale's father and getting a handle on the character and why Dale is so paranoid all the time (Dale's father was hiding his sexual preference their entire marriage and hiding it from his family) and mistrusting of others. It also features gay jokes (typical of adult shows, I know) but they are at least in decent taste here. I think the only negative about this episode is that Cotton and Bug never meet. That would have led to an interesting moment or two, I'm sure.
123. Sug Night
This is a hard episode to put into words because a lot is going on here and it's hard to sum up. But for some reason, the naked cooking at the end feels like the perfect closer to this episode, even if I don't really know why. I probably need to re watch this again. It is really funny, though.
124. Dang Ol' Love
The episode that made me want more Boomhauer episodes. Even though he got the smaller focus of episodes under Hank, Bill, and Dale, the episodes he did get were always strong enough to make up for the lack of them. This episode is one reason why. Boomhauer is a bit of a kid throughout KOTH, curious about things and horny like a teenager, and here it is revealed to him just how much of one he is and it's up to Bill, of all people, to help him get back in the saddle.
125. Returning Japanese
Another fantastic two parter (and the last in the show, sadly enough), we get to learn more about Cotton's past as we go to Japan and learn that he has a son. The Ladybird and Bill and Dale plots add greatly to the comedy, but the main plot is very touching, even if it focuses on someone like Cotton.
126. Returning Japanese (Part II)
Junichiro proves himself to be quite the interesting character (despite sadly, again, never appearing beyond this episode even at Cotton's funeral), and we learn just how tight the bond between family can be. This episode marks the end of the era of KOTH with it's classic style pacing, IMO, after this the show feels a bit different in style and tone, not that that is a bad thing, but it feels different after this. However, I think if the show would have ended here, the ending would have been good enough.
All in all, season 6 is a great season. After this season 7 goes a bit further into wacky territory, sometimes treading too far into it, but the balance between wacky and emotional still remains here making it one of the best seasons of KOTH. It's not quite perfect, but it is definitely full of quality comedy and heart, putting it on par with the other great seasons. After this, KOTH feels different to me. The pacing, animation, music, and style of scripts changed (evolved?) which does make it feel like there was a deliberate choice to change it up. I'm not really sure why (and thanks to lack of DVD, will probably never know) the show seemed to sort of end in a way here, but I guess that just means we can consider this the halfway point of KOTH.
Find out how the new era stacks up when I tackle season 7 next!
I've been watching a few of Desensitized and Avaitor's recommendations. Once I finish all of them I'll try and give my individual thoughts on each episode, but for now I'll just say that I love how this show can successfully combine great humor with great dramatic elements. When you think about it, the show takes itself more seriously than most other animated sitcoms, and at times it can be a tad bit darker in tone with its subject matter, but it blends it in perfectly with some good comedy, and even if it doesn't always make me laugh out loud, each episode that I watch at least gets some positive reaction out of me, which is definitely a good thing.
Cool, I'm glad you're enjoying it. KOTH is one of those shows that just gets better the more you re-watch it. It's weird that way.
Yeah, it's really one of those shows you can find episodes that you've seen a couple of times before or thought you have and they'll become instant favorites like that.
The rewatch value on top of it's consistency is a big part of the show's quality and why Desen and I speak so highly of it IMO.
Also, the first four episodes of season 6 make for arguably the best side of any KOTH disc ever. Not a weak second from those episodes.
I feel like moving on, so let's hit the next season.
Season 7
Season 7 was basically season 6 but wackier. In many ways it reminds me of season 9 of the Simpsons which itself is still very controversial in the fanbase by being a bit too wacky with not as many down to earth and emotional moments (even though they're still there), but still manages to be a good season in it's own right. IMO, other than the first season, I would consider this the weakest season I have looked at so far (assuming I skipped my old 9 and 10 looks... Because I'm not doing them again), but it still has more than enough memorable moments to pull it up.
127. Get Your Freak Off
The premiere for season 7... Doesn't really work well as a premiere, in my opinion. It's a good episode, but as far as "premiere" episodes go it's not as insane as Bobby Goes Nuts, as interesting as Death Of A Propane Salesman or The Decline & Fall, as "important" (message wise) as Perils Of Polling or as important to core characters as the pilot and How To Fire A Rifle. It's just a funny episode, but it doesn't stack up to previous premieres. That said, the boy band material is surprisingly funny and the sub plot of Peggy trying to make Hank look attractive is also a great character moment. All in all, this is another great episode, even if it isn't really a great 'premiere', and well worth watching.
128. The Fat & The Furious
This is a common staple of season 7, an absolutely bizarre plot with real surreal characters that while funny, is not really that memorable in retrospect. However, I do think this is the first episode where Dale's outright insulting treatment of Bill rears it's head so it is a bit more important than I give it credit for. Still, this is the first episode where I realized something seemed odd about the direction of the show.
129. Bad Girls, Bad Girls, Whatcha Gonna Do
A Bobby and Connie focused episode that instead uses a new character as an obstacle between them. Tid Pau acts as a great foil to both Bobby and Connie and probably would have been a great character to keep around had this episode not ended the way it did, but unfortunately it ends sending her away. My only issue is that the end of the episode is a bit TOO extreme for KOTH, both in how insane the premise for it is and the resolution. The sub plot of Hank and the gang trying to clean up Tid Pau's graffiti works surprisingly well, too. One interesting tidbit, is the guy from the restaurant from Love Hurts is running a sushi joint now. Weird.
130. Goodbye Normal Jeans
Bobby can cook and clean (remember this for future episodes) and basically outdo Peggy in housework! And Peggy can't take it! A lot like Lupe's Revenge, we see Peggy at wit's end, but this time because of her own son! A nice episode, but one I'm sure Peggy haters love since it basically shows Peggy as the mediocre housewife and petty person she is. But the other half of the plot, Bobby and Hank interacting on such a friendly level is quite fun. On the other side, the sub plot with Dale is kind of annoying and Peggy kind of goes a bit too over the deep end at the end. But the end of the episode featuring Hank expressing why he really needs Peggy is fantastic. Great episode.
131. Dance With Dogs
Now this is an example where even if the idea is absolutely insane, as long as it's funny and memorable, it will succeed in being a great episode. This is a great episode despite being so insane in idea and execution. The episode plays well on Bill's insecurity and loneliness as well as the odd competitive nature Bobby and Hank can display towards each other. It's also always nice to see Ladybird, as she is the outlet of most of Hank's emotions, so the contrast between his arguments with Bobby while standing behind Ladybird are quite funny. An episode that could only work in this season, it's kind of a shame that there aren't more of them like this one.
132. The Son Also Roses
Another episode carried by jokes, and funny ones. The plot seems a little forced in order to push Hank into a "girly" area with Bobby, but since it ends up being funny enough it works. Plus, we need more of this dude.
133. The Texas Skilsaw Massacre
Easily one of the best episodes of the series, this episode plays on Hank's anger and brings him to it's absolute boiling in this episode in an outlandish way that only season 7 could do. This is where Hank's anger finally reaches it's plateau leading to both extremely funny jokes and good insights into his character when a friend that he met on equal terms in an anger management class dies from his anger which finally seems to affect Hank. The episode ends with him losing his temper against his friends in order to save their lives, but I think this episode ended up changing Hank as a character. His temper after this episode never really became an issue again as the revelation in this episode proved to Hank that anger is not an emotion that should be swung around like a sword or you might end up cutting yourself. If anything, it seemed to make Hank a much more receptive person. Fantastic episode all around.
134. Full Metal Dust Jacket
An interesting episode focusing on books and their importance while at the same time showing just how overrated they can get by others on the Peggy side of the plot. It's kind of general, but it's fun. Bobby's plot is a bit dull and predictable, unfortunately. The Dale side of the plot is a bit silly to me. This episode is a bit average overall.
135. Pigmalion
So here we are at Pigmalion. An episode made in season 5 finally aired in season 7. Boy, does it show. With all the dark moments of season 5 and the insane humor of season 7... this is quite the messed up episode. But... it feels almost like someone wrote a screenplay for a horror movie and accidentally turned it in as a KOTH script, because it isn't very KOTH like at all. Mostly focusing on a character we had never met before through the eyes of Luanne as he slowly descends into madness and ends up chasing down Luanne and eventually getting electroshocked and impaled at episode's end... Yeah, this is not one for re-watching. That said, it's not really a bad episode. It's just not really a KOTH episode.
136. Megalo Dale
One of the funniest episodes of the series where Dale's paranoia actually ends up saving the day (with Chuck Mangione, of course) from an infestation at the Megalo Mart. While it's not really a very deep episode, it instead succeeds because of it's hysterical nature and reliance of characters we already know a lot about which is what KOTH was beginning to rely more on as they were now able to after 7 seasons on the air. Add that familiarity with season 7's insane style and you have a real winner.
137. Boxing Luanne
An episode where Luanne finally stands up for herself in more ways than one to prove she is more than an attractive woman by beating the crap out of people. Or so she thinks. A surprisingly lower key episode than most of the season (other than the actual premise and fighting, anyway), but a totally welcome one.
138. Vision Quest
John Redcorn's awkward Joseph relationship continues. This time because of Dale's misguided attempts to "guide" his son through things he shouldn't. A surprisingly funny episode despite the material of "going astray" (which is taken quite seriously) as the main plot point. Thankfully we learn that Dale's idiocy isn't the only thing guiding Joseph as both John Redcorn's dire warnings and Bobby's easygoing nature are enough to steer him right. Speaking of Bobby, that ending is weird.
139. Queasy Rider
Other than the great Peggy and Hank dynamic, this is just another weird episode in the KOTH canon. Good, but not great.
140. Board Games
Finally an episode more on the Peggy, Minh, and Nancy relationship, and how they all can both work together and against each other. This is a fun episode, and another surprisingly low key episode in the season of such insanity.
141. An Officer & A Gentle Boy
The Bobby/Cotton dynamic is explored a bit more here, as we find out more about Cotton's youth in an old military academy where Bobby is sent after screwing up a few too many times. Cotton takes the place over and steamrolls the students pushing Bobby to his ultimate limit where we learn just how strong Bobby really is and how highly he thinks of Cotton. This is a great episode in exploring the relationship between three generations of Hill men, and has some great comedy throughout. This is easily one of the best episodes of season 7.
142. The Miseducation Of Bobby Hill
Putting aside the great A-Plot (because there's nothing I can really add to it, it's just a great idea), the B-Plot is the issue I was having with KOTH at the time. While mostly prevalent in the first quarter of the season before being thankfully toned down, the B-plot is way too outlandish for this show. For instance, the A-plot shows us Hank's complex take on the propane business as well as informing his son on the right thing to do which alone would make a great episode. The B-plot focuses on Bill in a flying chair getting lost in Mexico and being beaten like a pinata. Again, it's funny, but it feels like something you would see on the Simpsons or something. But all in all, this is a good episode.
143. The Good Buck
A nice Buck Strickland episode where he is finally out-sleazed and for the first time is almost able to see just how bad a person he is, ironically what his original purpose as a born-again Christian was meant to entail. This is also funny in seeing just how many sleazy guys live around Arlen and hang near the main characters. The B-plot is entirely forgettable, however.
144. I Never Promised You An Organic Garden
I think of this as a KOTH version of a movie like the Mighty Ducks. The losers and slackers of the school come together to do something for the ones who looked down upon them, and find their own niche in the society of school. It's a neat little episode. It's too bad that once again, Peggy almost messes it all up. Still, it's nice to have a quaint episode like this once in a while.
145. Be True To Your Fool
Bizarre. I have nothing to really add to this. It's just weird.
146. Racist Dawg
Quite possibly the worst episode in the entire series, this is a hard episode to watch. Featuring all the worst aspects of KOTH thrown to the forefront, such as character beat-downs, obnoxious behavior, the lack of community involvement over things they should be based on their characters, and the dumbest premise for an episode by far up to this point. I don't want to have to linger on the things wrong with this episode, so I'll just move on. Suffice to say, this is the first real blemish in KOTH's run.
147. Night & Deity
An interesting "switch" of an episode where Dale finds himself attracted to a sexy exterminator and Nancy gets jealous. The Nancy and Dale relationship was always sweet, so it's always nice having an episode focused on it.
148. Maid In Arlen
Probably the best episode in the season on an emotional level (and the only real emotional one, unfortunately), we meet Kahn's mother Laoma who is a great character that fits right in with the other characters on Rainey Street, especially Bill. The episode bases it's entire humor on one person disrupting the natural flow of the neighbourhood in a natural way that's purely positive. Honestly, this should have been either the premiere or finale of the season as it just stands out so much amidst the chaos of season 7. Those looking for a more down to earth experience from this season definitely need to see this one. It is the most character development this season has in both Bill and Kahn, but unfortunately it doesn't last beyond this episode. Still, this is a great one.
149. Witches Of East Arlen
A real letdown of a finale. This is an average episode of KOTH all around, and should not have been the finale over the far superior Maid In Arlen which is one the series' best episodes. They should have just held this over to season 8 or aired it earlier, because it doesn't stand out at all. Disappointing end to such a good season.
Despite my overall positive impressions, season 7 is probably the first season where the show felt like it had some cracks in it. There are a lot of great episodes in here (and classics) but also a lot of outright filler with recycled ideas and the crazy humor starting to cross the line of being too zany and obnoxious. Don't get me wrong, it's still well worth watching for the many great moments, but it was the first season that felt "patched together" without a clear goal or ongoing idea. The finale being so incredibly weak and the premiere being a standard episode highlight these problems too well. There's also the total lack of any foreshadowing, character growth, ongoing plots, or new characters that aren't guest characters.
Season 7 also has the first episode I would consider outright bad in it with few redeeming qualities in it, as well as the first where the show felt more like a "TV show" than a universe like all the true classic TV shows do. Thankfully, they address this problem with the premiere of the very next season, but it doesn't mean season 7 doesn't feel a little disappointing as a whole in retrospect.
Next I'll be doing season 8, then a bit of a summary before hopping over to season 11. My season 8 impression might take a little longer than this one did, however.
Season 7 wasn't bad per say, but it was where cracks were beginning to show. I think this is where Mike and Greg were starting to clash in terms of whose influence would take over the show, and it would get progressively more conflicting as it got along. I think by season 11 there was a better balance of the show's humor and heart that was missing a little in this part of the series.
Yeah, it feels like that a lot.
The weird part is that season 8 is basically what season 7 should have been. It's a weird rise in quality across the board that dips back down in season 9 (and 10 since it's a holdover season from 9)... I really wish I knew what was going on here, but from season 7-10 it feels like someone was fighting with someone to push the show in a certain direction, then everyone gave up.
I don't think Mike or Greg had much to do with those seasons, since I think they said they were burnt out by season 6.
Oh, I found this on Wiki:
QuoteJudge and Daniels' lessening involvement with the show resulted in the series' format changing to become more episodic and formulaic.[4] Beginning in Season 7, the series was taken over by John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky, who had worked on the series since the second season, and who tended to emphasize Judge's concept of the series as being built around socio-political humor rather than character-driven humor.[4] Although FOX insisted that the series lack character development or story-arcs (a demand made of the network's other animated series, so that they can be shown out of order in syndication)[4], Judge and Daniels had managed to develop several minor arcs and story elements throughout the early years of the series, such as Luanne's becoming more independent and educated following Buckley's death, and the aging of characters being acknowledged (a rare narrative occurrence for an animated series).[4] Lacking Judge and Daniels' supervision, the series ceased aging its characters and even began retconning character backstories; in the episode A Rover Runs Through It, Peggy's mother was abruptly changed from a neurotic housewife with whom Peggy shared a competitive relationship, to a bitter rancher from whom Peggy had been estranged for several years.
Now, it says Altschuler and Krinsky did this... But they were pretty much ones responsible for season 11's upswing in quality and return to the classic style of KOTH humor from the early seasons, so I'm thinking this means FOX wanted the show to be a gag fest and less like KOTH so Mike and Greg wanted none of it.
Well that explains Luanne dropping out of school and marrying Lucky. That never felt right with me, even though I know people who have done similar things with similar uprisings. As well as the pointless retconning.
Maybe Mike came back for the last couple of seasons and helped Altschuler and Krinsky find a better balance between the styles, while Greg focused his attention on the NBC shows. I don't think Mike could have gone too far, since it's not like he could have given up voicing Hank and Boomhauer.
I always thought that Mike was into darker, more character-based stories while Greg preferred softer, slightly wackier storylines, and was what caused the two to clash. Watching some Parks & Recreation lately, as well as considering Mike's other projects has helped me gain a better understanding of how the two work and how their takes would clash.
I think what might have happened is that FOX lost interest in KOTH near the end and they were less concerned with what KOTH was doing since season 9 and 10 had the lowest ratings in the series' history. So the staff felt free enough to go back to the simpler and more quaint ideas of the early seasons.
I honestly don't mind the wackier style of season 6, but I think 7 goes a bit too out there at times and 9 and 10 really feel stale overall. I'm just glad however it happened we got the last few seasons, because few other long running shows ever get that chance to become as good as that after such a long run.
But looking at the Goode Family (or what little we got) which was essentially done with Judge and Altschuler and Krinsky in a team. The show was very similar to KOTH ideals only more cartoony with more subdued humor like KOTH with social commentary, even if it wasn't close to KOTH quality overall. That's what leads me to doubt those two were responsible for KOTH getting outlandish, judging by the Office that was probably more of Greg's influence. Altschuler and Krinsky seem to like character humor more than gag humor.
Honestly I don't recall enough of Goode Family to say one way or the other but that wouldn't be too far off.
The Office and P&R are pretty wacky, so that wouldn't be too far off of a guess.
Yeah, season 7 is out there, but considering how dark season 5 was, a little while of goofier storylines was a good idea. Season 7 did go a step or two too far however.
Well, either way, we probably wouldn't have gotten some of the gems we did if they toned it down, so I can't criticize it too much.
Racist Dawg still sucks, though.
Yeah, there's no defending that one. Hank really got the short end of the stick there.
Personally thought Mrs. Wakefield was worse, but not really saying much there.
That also isn't worth defending.
There are very few truly bad KOTH episodes. Those are two of them.
The worst part is that they have pretty much the same exact flaws.
But yeah, those are the bottom two episodes without a doubt.
For some reason, if I had to pick a worst episode of KOTH I think it might have to go to Mrs. Wakefield. The whole concept of that was rather... strange, and that is an understatement. To this day, I still don't understand why everyone looked down upon Hank for not allowing Wakefield to die in his own home. I know if some random person came up to my family to ask if they can die in our house, of course we would say NO!
Though, when Desensitized is done with this rundown, I would like to see a feature for the blog where he decides to highlight his Top 10 Best and Worst for KOTH.
Sounds like an interesting prospect. Though to make it different I might make a "most important" episode list over best, since I would rather pull from every season.
As for Mrs. Wakefield, yeah it bother me too. I don't understand episodes like that because these people are a tightly knit community and they KNOW what each other are like. Episodes like that and Racist Dawg make no sense because they require everyone to be out of character to work.
Season 8
Now the weird thing about season 7 was not how the cracks starting showing in the show, (after all most shows that make it to season 7 don't stay strong), but how much they seemed to learn with it in season 8. Season 8 as a whole is not as wacky as season 6 or 7, not as dark as season 5, as expansive as season 4, or as rounded as season 3. No, season 8 is back to basics. I think of it as season 2, if it was made later after the crew found their footing and encompassed everything they learned since. It's actually a great season, though with a few downsides, and easily tops season 7.
150. Patch Boomhauer
Season 8 starts with a bang in perhaps one of the best season premieres in the series, and one of the show's best episodes period. We learn a lot about Boomhauer here, from the reason he can't commit to a relationship (he believes he lost his soul-mate long ago and simply gave up on love) how honorable he is, and how he grew up. It's a great character episode focusing on a character that didn't really get a lot of focus up to this point, and this one episode was enough to make him as interesting as Hank, as complex as Bill, and as fun to watch as Dale. Season 8 brought back the idea of 'big' premieres with Boomhauer's brother Patch being played by Brad Pitt (and he does a fantastic job) and an episode that screamed to the fans that KOTH was back in form.
151. Reborn To be Wild
I always thought this was an interesting concept. Focusing on how youth culture can tear down and demean important aspects of our lives like religion, politics, and what have you, and make them seem like little more than a fad. KOTH tries to assess why that is here, and we learn that it is an effect of the way they are exposed to constant commercialism and really don't know how else to embrace something they like properly like it means something to them. Seriously, it's interesting. The sub-plot is hysterical, too.
152. New Cowboy On The Block
This time back to a smaller scale episode where Hank learns that even sports stars can be jerks. I like this episode because it's one where the neighbourhood bands together to take down a common enemy. Community centered episodes are always fun since we get a lot of every character, and this is no exception. This is also proof of what I said earlier about how Hank's temper had been sheathed. Here Hank is punched in the face, and not only does he roll with it, he quickly thinks of a plan to make it work to his advantage. Season 1 Hank would have just attacked him. That's character development, all right.
153. The Incredible Hank
I'll admit the concept of this episode is a bit silly, but it does work in showing the character of Hank from a more simplified position. "What makes Hank run?", so to speak, at it's most simple. And as such, it's a very fun episode. Also seeing Hank act like a teenager is hilarious, especially his interactions with others (like Joseph), and the ending which shows us just how adult Hank actually is and how he doesn't need youth is a great message. So yeah, this one succeeds despite the somewhat silly idea behind the story.
154. Flirting With The Master
This is clearly a season 7 holdover, and it's... okay. A pretty average episode all together, but more Monsignor Martinez material is always appreciated. But it's standard KOTH, nothing bad, nothing great.
155. After The Mold Rush
Another season 7 holdover, this one is a better episode, but it follows a formula that irks me a bit. Someone tries to profit off off someone's misfortune and almost gets away with it until Hank outsmarts him. At this point it was new territory, but it was a plot that was too heavily leaned upon later. Still, it's fine enough.
156. Livin' On Reds, Vitamin C, & Propane
Finally some fresh season 8 material, and it shows. The material once again works just enough to satisfy, the plot is simple, the jokes are hilarious, and the denouement is satisfying. The sub-plot with the holiday song is surprisingly cute and funny, too.
157. Rich Hank, Poor Hank
Yet ANOTHER season 7 holdover, this one also shows it. Bobby is enormously out of character here (Bobby's Saga already dealt with this concept way back in season 2), and the humor is a bit silly. But it's another episode where that if it's funny enough, it doesn't really bother me, and that's the case here.
158. Ceci N'Est Pas Une King Of The Hill
Much like Reborn, this episode focuses on the idea of what art is. What is considered "real" art, and who are the ones that are allowed to define it and what gave them the right? This episode explores pretty much every avenue of art (this plot is done much better here than in Love Hurts) and exactly how it relates to the common man. The ending, I think, in particular shows what art is defined as. Art is something that everyone can appreciate and see for themselves, something that can't really be explained, but makes perfect sense to the ones experiencing it. This is another great episode of KOTH.
159. That's What She Said
A more simple episode, dealing with office politics, and exactly why the workplace shouldn't be like high school. Ben Stiller does a great job here as Rich, an immature manchild who gets popular by being immature and is thankfully put in his place by the workers. Another great one.
160. My Hair Lady
It's nice seeing Jack the barber again as well as seeing Bill and Luanne move on in their careers. The gay thing might be considered a bit overkill for this kind of show, but as a way to show exactly why "gay stylists" are considered okay over straight ones and Bill is treated entirely different is interesting.
161. Phish & Wild Life
Hippies suck. Yes, South Park constantly tells us this, but I think this episode shows more of why that really is that hippies are just a waste of space. A sillier episode, but since it's funny, who really cares?
162. Cheer Factor
Another episode where Peggy gets in charge of something at the school and goes too far. This one is kind of boring overall, unfortunately. But since it includes more of the school, I can't really dislike this one.
163. Dale Be Not Proud
This is a weird one. Focusing on what makes Dale tick. We learn about his code of honor. Yeah, Dale has honor? Apparently he isn't as selfish as we were lead to believe. No, Dale believes that nothing should be given for free and that something given must have equal value in return (it makes Dale's many 'meditating' jokes make more sense in retrospect, doesn't it?) in order for there to be balance. He takes it a bit too far (he is Dale, after all), but it is an interesting character trait we never really dived into before.
164. Apres Hank, Le Deluge
A fun community episode. All the many plots and character moments make this one stand out from most others, and the final moments at the end where Bill just doesn't want to leave is very telling of the spirit of community. This is one of those episodes that has a bit of everything, and it's all the better for it as it's a great one.
165. DaleTech
Despite the title, this is a Cotton episode. And it's nice to see one where he isn't just being angry and yelling, but actually instead scared of feeling useless and forgotten. The reason Cotton fights so hard is to remain relevant in a world where he is being seen as nothing more than an obstacle. It's a good commentary on how elderly people are treated, and how they deserve much better. Oh yeah, and the episode's really funny.
166. How I Learned To Stop Worrying & Love The Alamo
A siege against revisionist history. To be honest, it's quite deserved here, and it's quite necessary. History is a very important part of any culture, and to treat it with such frivolity and to demean those that lived before us is not only totally disrespectful, but is also no more "the truth" than what actually happened as it is history, and cannot be 100% accurately re-imagined. In short, show respect for those that came before you, even if you don't agree with what happened.
167. Girl, You'll Be A Giant Soon
Man, Hank was angry at that guy when he insulted propane. This was a fun episode that pushed the Hank and Luanne relationship where their mutual interests come together in a fun way. The best line has to be Boomhauer complaining about everyone talking about propane but never asking about his work. Which works much better when you know what his job is. Bobby taking Hank's place in the alley was also a great touch. Fun episode.
168. Stressed For Success
Another great episode focused on Bobby's love of pop culture and how despite totally irrelevant it is, it can be treated just as seriously as "proper" knowledge is. It's a fun episode overall, with some really good lines. Not particularly deep or anything, but it's fun. Plus, it had John Ritter in it.
169. Hank's Back (AKA The Unbearable Lightness Of Being Hank)
Unfortunately, it was at this point where KOTH started losing steam, IMO. This episode is not much different from Mold Rush, simply featuring different jokes (that are still funny) but pretty much the same plot. It is a shame how shaky the series was seeming at this point near the end of season 8, as it carried over into season 9, after the tremendous improvement the beginning of the season showed.
170. The Redneck Of Rainey Street
If this episode is notable for anything, it's obviously because it's the episode that introduces Lucky. As a whole, it's a fun episode to look at the motivations behind Kahn and Minh and how even they can't be so strict and intense all the time. It's a good episode, and one that's surprisingly relevant to the series as a whole. I don't think anyone can say that they saw that coming when they watched this episode.
171. Talking Shop
Unfortunately, this finale has the same problem as season 7's, it's merely an average episode placed into the finale spot. Unlike the season premiere, it seems they didn't learn their lesson by ending the season with a statement or revelation that should carry over to the next. Which is a shame. The episode itself is merely fine.
All in all, season 8 was a step up in quality from season 7, but unfortunately it is held back from a few lesser season 7 holdovers and filler episodes in the second half of the season. It's not quite up to the first 6 seasons, but it isn't far off either. Unfortunately, season 9 and 10 as we have seen, are not quite on par and are much shakier seasons overall, but for a brief moment, season 8 seemed like a step in the right direction for the series. But it would take until season 11 for this direction to get explored further... Anyway, season 8 is a pretty good season and is a lot of fun in retrospect. It's not quite perfect, but it's pretty good overall, and for a series in it's eighth season, that's pretty impressive.
You're pretty much hitting it right on the spot with each overlook here. Always great to read.
Can't wait to see how you tackle the last few seasons.
I actually had to watch through Patch Boomhauer twice just because it was so good, to catch everything in it. I think it might be the best season premiere in the whole show.
But yeah, before I skip to season 11, I plan on making a short piece bridging between 8 and 11. Just to make the transition more smooth.
Nearing the end:
King Of The Hill was one of the most inventive animated shows to ever air on TV, plucking from real life and showing it through a cartoon lens, but still keeping everything that was important to both. Mike Judge's love of poking fun at the nuances of society and subverting cliches, and Greg Daniels' focus on characters and atmosphere lead to the perfect storm that (IMO) they were never quite able to achieve on their own.
The first six seasons features the universe of King Of The Hill growing both in scope and ideas, where every episode feels like a new discovery in it. And throughout it, it still remains really funny.
However, around season 7, FOX wanted the show to be more marketable for syndication and basically brought in Mike Judge to temper the show to be more easily digestible like the first two seasons were. The writing remained strong for the most part, but something seemed off in the show. Season 8 featured Mike Judge once again taking his foot off the gas and letting the staff breathe again, but FOX's influence remained over the show. Season 8 was a step back towards continuity and characters, but it felt like it was being held back still by the whole episodic nature FOX tried to force on the show. Which, had they watched the show, would realize the show was always episodic, it just had ongoing sub-plots and subtle character development that would not be lost on people watching in syndication.
Unfortunately, by season 9, fatigue had set in. While I don't know what was going on with the KOTH team at this time, few would deny that the show started feeling tired and bored with itself by this time. The ratings don't lie either, season 9 and 10 were the lowest rated seasons of the entire 13 season run (from the same production order, too), and KOTH was looking like it was nearing it's end.
But something happened. While season 10 was looking to be the last season, syndication reruns were abnormally strong (KOTH was just beginning it's run on a wide scale) and DVD sales were also rather strong (I don't know what happened there, unfortunately :/), lending confusion to everyone involved with the show. King Of The Hill was suddenly regaining popularity and fast. FOX green-lit a new season of KOTH at the 11th hour, and it turned out to be the best decision for the show.
I don't know what happened to the staff when the 11th season was green-lit, but KOTH came back with a strong second wind and brought the show back to it's earlier roots as a character-based show with an ongoing world that is constantly changing. There were sub-plots again, things changed, nuances were explored, and the passion was back and strong. While there are some disagreements overall, I personally feel seasons 11 and 12 are as good as any of the classic seasons, and season 13 (while not as outright hysterical) is an excellent end to the series that closes off storylines and character arcs, and ends in the most perfect way possible.
So yeah, if you don't like positivity, you might not want to read my season 11, 12, and 13 looks. I particularly feel 13 is very underrated for what it is. People need to understand that a character based show has to end on characters first and foremost. The jokes need to take a backseat for the important events that are transpiring. But that's the way the season was made. It's basically the anti-season 7. Characters first and jokes second.
They aren't always funny in season 13, but that's the point, the world isn't always funny and sometimes I don't think people realize that. KOTH is not just a comedy, it's a show. It's not a gag fest, and that's why it stands out the way it does.
Season 11
King Of The Hill was renewed and, well, no one was that excited. Season 9 and 10 were not very exciting and people felt that it had run out of steam. Well, season 11 proved them TOTALLY wrong. I consider this the second wind of the show, and season 11 is the perfect modern take on classic season 3 and 4 era KOTH. What happened? The writing team seems a lot more confident here, the jokes are more character based again, the plots are centered on them and no longer insane, and the social commentary is now in the backseat behind characters to give it a more subtle impact. Most importantly, the people who made these clearly love KOTH and everything about it.
202. The Peggy Horror Picture Show
The concept sounds season 7 levels of insane, but the episode itself is not. The characters are instantly brought down to more human levels, the jokes are funny (surprisingly funny at the time, too), and the plot totally works. Much like "Ho Yeah!" it takes a silly concept and makes it work because KOTH is just that good. I know I criticized other seasons for not having a "big" opener, but I think this one works here to show that KOTH, even with a silly idea, is still able to work and be great. Season 11 starts out remarkably strong.
203. SerPUNt
I hate puns and love this title. This is the example of what I was talking about earlier. It starts out with a simple concept (and hilarious lines and jokes) and snowballs from there. The plot and characters never go off the rails, the social commentary is great, and most importantly it's all very KOTH. Season 11 built it's own niche of using season 7's "crazy" style of humor only in real life situations and I think that's what makes it so strangely funny. You'd think the town hating Hank would annoy me here but it doesn't because it's played RIGHT here in that it works with the message and that his neighbors don't stupidly hate him over it. Funny, funny episode.
204. Blood & Sauce
Another indicator the KOTH is back in full form, this episode not only brings back Gilbert from one of the series' best episodes, but also fleshes him out more as a character, being Bill's only relative left. It's also a touch emotional and idealistic in a way the show hadn't really been in a while. It's not outright hysterical, but it's more the better for it.
205. Luanne Gets Lucky
This was when I knew KOTH was finally back. This episode reminds me of a modern take on Love Hurts where Lucky is made into a far funnier (less obnoxious, IMO) character, and the episode where his relationship with Luanne finally makes sense. It also has a lot of really funny lines and moments, especially when Luanne snaps at people when she gets dumped.
206. Hank Gets Dusted
Not much to say here, except for a pure comedy episode, it's pretty funny. ZZ Top rocks too, so I've got no issue here.
207. Glen Peggy Glen Ross
Peggy loses her job at the Bystander (and no one cares, because nothing ever came of it) and she gets a job as a real estate agent in an episode that is way better in this episode alone than any episode at the Bystander was. Her new boss is also a great character, which is more than I can say than anyone from the Bystander was. Also interesting is the Connie/Peggy dynamic that was rarely ever used. They bounce off each other quite well.
208. The Passion Of Dauterive
Another sub-plot finally explored. The Bill/Reverend Stroup relationship was teased for a while, and we finally see it happen here. The first minute of the show alone where Bill finds his roof collapsed on his bed where he usually sleeps is the kind of opening we hadn't seen on this show in years. It's a more low key and introspective than the show had been in years.
209. Grand Theft Arlen
EASILY one of the most hysterical episodes of the series, an episode that tackles violent video games and how they can affect us. Though the really funny aspects have to be the reason Hank dislikes them (the way they misrepresent propane is literally the only thing that he disliked about the game) and how the sub plot ties in so well with it. Highlight is easily Bill playing the game straight and pretending he's Hank. So weird.
210. Peggy's Gone To Pots
More of Peggy as a real estate agent, only this time seeing her gets sucked into a devious pyramid scheme. Unlike the previous pyramid scheme ideas though, this one is actually explored in full showing us the extent of how messed up it is. Also, the sub plot addresses a nice little character quirk from Dale that again ties into the main plot nicely.
211. Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
Final closure on the Nancy/John Redcorn relationship and a nice appearance by Nancy's mother. We hadn't really dived into this aspect of the relationship before, so this episode is more than welcome. Plots like this were what really proved to me that KOTH was truly back in the saddle.
212. Bill, Bulk And The Body Buddies
This episode is so messed up. Honestly, as funny as it is, this is probably the weakest episode of season 11. Not technically bad in any way, but doesn't really do much to stand out other than offer a gimmick to play off of. It is better than similar attempts in season 9 and 10, though, but that's because the writing is way better here.
213. Lucky's Wedding Suit
The 'almost' season finale instead works great as a season finale instead. The 'event' finales are back! We finally get to see Lucky and Luanne marry each other, and Lucky grow up as a character which was not something we expected to see from his character. There's a lot of cameos in this episode leading to be quite memorable at the end. Still, as great as it is, it is a good thing it wasn't the series finale. there's still much more greatness to come.
And unfortunately, that was all we got from season 11. Yeah, it's shorter than any other season, but that only benefits it by cutting out the filler and allowed the crew to focus on tempering all these episodes into something truly funny. In fact that's probably the best way to describe this season, it's sharp and sure footed. The craziness, rehashed plots, and OOC moments are almost completely gone here, making this one of the best and most consistent seasons of KOTH.
Up next, the best modern season (on par with the classics without a doubt) season 12. What other show can you truly argue for season 12 being the best season?
I remember when season 11 premiered, I wasn't too excited. I thought KOTH dropped in quality over the past couple of seasons, and this would only continue the trend. That's how most shows work, anyway. There's an article from Cracked about this that I'll try to find later.
But wow, I was blown away when the first few episodes aired. My faith in the show was fully restored and I became an even bigger fan than I was before. Season 12 impressed me even more, but it's still amazing how well the show recovered this late in it's run.
I'm not really sure what happened to KOTH in seasons 11-13, but it was a clear second wind where everything seemed to work and make sense. I find these seasons are more down to earth and slower burn in their ideas, but they hold up remarkably well to rewatchings and are easily the most consistent the show had been since season 6.
The smaller run might have helped with that focus, but season 12 is even better.
I'm in the mood to tackle season 12 now, so here it is in all it's glory.
Season 12
While season 11 was a remarkably consistent return to KOTH's better days that no one expected, season 12 is even better with more ideas and remarkably fresh execution that might fool anyone who never saw the show before into thinking it was a new one. We see new sides to established personalities and relationships, more interesting pairings that help add to both the plots and the characters, and it all still remains funny throughout. Don't believe me that a season 12 could stack up to a season 3 or a series? Check this:
214. Sweet Smells Of Excess
The gang (with Bobby) attend one of the biggest Uni football games of the year and accidentally end up effecting it's outcome. It's a big episode that manages to be really funny, and most importantly is that it's a really big episode that works marvelously for a premiere. Despite the scope of it, the episode remains small enough to focus on the characters and their reactions to the events of what's going on. We see little quirks brought out and solved throughout and this is just a joy to watch. Excellent premiere.
215. Bobby Rae
Bobby tries to impress a girl by being someone he's not. Simple idea, right? The reason this episode works is that there is a ton of political and social commentary throughout all tucked into character reactions and the way the plot folds out. This is classic KOTH through and through. Sure it ends with Hank "fixing it" (as some like to complain), but that's only natural considering who he was dealing with at the time.
216. The Powder Puff Boys
An interesting twist on the Hank and Bobby relationship. Usually Bobby wants to do something weird and unmanly and Hank disapproves, this time it's the other way around where Bobby doesn't want to do it and Hank wants him to. One thing I liked about this season is how Bobby seemed to grow up a bit through it. He seemed more level-headed like Hank with the enthusiasm of Peggy. Seeing him as the voice of reason over Hank is quite the treat. A great character episode.
217. Four Wave Intersection
Boomhauer learns what it means to lose your place as the "cool" one during a heatwave. Bill becomes an icon for people suffering in the heat, and Bobby and the gang suffer at the water park. A lot happens in this episode, and it works great as a fun summer based episode. It's got a great scope to it and the humor is fantastic. There's something particularly weird about surfers screaming "locals only" in a freaking water park. Also we learn that Boomhauer was never really cool, he was merely the coolest in his group of friends which makes it more believable that he would hang with Hank with the guys. An episode like this would fit perfectly in season 4, and that's as great a praise as I can give it.
218. Death Picks Cotton
What to say here? Easily one of the best episodes of the entire series, Cotton Hill joins the rest of his war buddies like Topsy and Erwin Linker as he dies in a hospital bed. It's a surprisingly touching episode as Cotton who simply refuses to die is finally given his once over as a character as we finally learn all there is to learn about him. The only knock would be that the sub plot can get a bit annoying, and that we never see Bobby's reaction to Cotton's death, but that's inconsequential as by the end of the episode everyone's relationship with Cotton is totally laid to rest and we have quite possibly the best ending of any episode in the series. There was nobody quite like Cotton. Another excellent episode.
219. Raise The Steaks
An interesting social commentary on the importance of organic foods in our society while at the same time decrying the sometimes overbearing culture surrounding him. It's a pretty nice episode overall, even if it doesn't stand out quite as much as the ones before it. A quieter episode is nice to have.
220. Tears Of An Inflatable Clown
Season 12 focused a lot more on the school than other seasons, and it was all well deserved. This episode shows exactly what can lead to school being so lame and awful at times, and precisely the reason why this episode is so relate-able. The sub-plot too is quite awesome in how weird it is. Lucky fits in quite well with the gang, better than I personally thought he could.
221. The Minh Who Knew Too Much
We hadn't seen many Minh focused episodes before, and this one was well worth the wait. It also weirdly established Dale and Minh as friends, which is not something we would have expected before this episode. We also learn that Minh is not nearly as harsh a person as she puts off to others, and is actually quite the softy underneath it all. A nice subplot tying up with Kahn and Minh finally getting into Nine Rivers, leading this to be quite a good episode. The subplot is also surprisingly funny once again focusing on a trivial aspect of the Hill's life but made funny due to the characters. And Lucky has some bizarre logic. Season 12 continues the streak.
222. Dream Weaver
A smaller scale episode focusing on Dale finding a new passion outside of exterminating. I always love episodes where Dale is fascinated by such seemingly weird things and Hank has to adjust to it. It's not a particularly big episode, but for a smaller scale episode it's quite the fun watch. The sub plot is great, too. "We've had monkeys in here who have weaved better baskets. And by 'monkeys', I mean 'high school students'."
223. Doggone Crazy
Probably the best episode focused on Ladybird, and on the idea of mortality in pets, this is kind of a touching episode as we realize Ladybird might be approaching the end. It works specifically because Ladybird doesn't die by episode's end as it would probably cheapen the emotion involved. The relationship between the seniors and Ladybird in particular is adorable, and the final revelation is satisfying. All in all, this is probably one of the best episode's of the series.
224. Trans-Fascism
A hilarious episode dealing with morals over the law, and having some of the funniest moments all season with Strickland's competition with Rooster, this is another tight episode focusing on social commentary through the characters. It's a far lighter episode than you'd expect however, and that works to its favor.
225. Untitled Blake McCormick Project
An interesting twist on John Redcorn's old cheating days where we learn just how much he was sleeping around. Also, this borders a bit on being creepy for really weird reasons, and it only adds to the whole aspect of the past cheating relationship. It's a hard episode to watch, but in a good way. Once again I feel sorry for Bill by episode's end.
226. The Accidental Terrorist
This is quite the unique episode. Hank gets pulled into a simple plot the snowballs out of control. Similar in execution to Dog Dale Afternoon, but not as wacky, this time it's Hank who is tricked into becoming part of a nutjob activist's extreme scheme. Special attention should be made for the beginning of the episode where we learn just how much of a sucker Hank can be, as he really is naive when it comes to "business" talk. The guy is simply too honest.
227. Lady & Gentrification
More hipster bashing (always love that) and more of Enrique which is always a treat. We also see more of Peggy's job which is always a source of good material. Giving her this job was a fantastic idea. Something else I love is more of Enrique pushing Hank into being his friend more and more. Those two have a weird relationship.
228. Behind Closed Doors
More on the schools, this time on how bad parenting is the root of all evil. Only, of course, it isn't really. Peggy is branded as a bad parent simply because she couldn't get in direct contact with Bobby and ends up smothering her family in order to be labeled a good parent. It's good social commentary, and once again packed with some good jokes. Also gotta love how Dooley is the source of all the trouble. He's such a jerk.
229. Pour Some Sugar On Kahn
No wonder Kahn is such a hardass. Look at what he has to stack up to! Minh's father is quite a tyrant and brow beater that makes Kahn so miserable, and when he finally finds something that makes him happy, he tries to take that away from Kahn too. Quite a good character episode that introduces a really good character, this is quite a good episode. Also worth it for the singing alone.
230. Six Characters In Search Of A House
Even more of Peggy as a realtor, she is given even more of a push in her job and now has to race to sell her houses. It's been a while since we've had an episode that really pushes Peggy to her limits, so this was more than welcome. Special attention has to made for the family in the house Peggy has to sell who are even beyond the rednecks Lucky hangs out with. This episode also has tons of memorable dialogue and lines. "Obviously babies aren't as stupid as they look."
231. The Courtship Of Joseph's Father
Dale once again has no idea how to properly provide for his family, and is of course willing to give his family the best he can as long as he is given the most in return (remember that episode?). This time Dale is forced to reconsider what it is he considers truly important for his family, and it's quite a good dilemma even if he and his son can get a bit overly obnoxious in this one.
232. Strangeness Of A Train
Finally, a mystery style episode that we haven't had in a while. This time of course, we know the culprit, but we get to watch how other characters come to their own conclusions. It's quite the unique episode in that there is no other episode like it in the series in both execution and setting. More of a focus on Peggy and Hank's marriage and their relationships with everyone outside the marriage, this is easily one of the highlights of the season.
233. Cops & Robert
Man, this episode is weird. Both the sub-plot in the Falling Down-style idea of revenge and the main plot with Bobby being paired up with a washed up cop, but as weird as those are it doesn't touch the downright creepy plot of Dale trying to become a Hooters-style waitress. But despite the creepiness the episode isn't unrealistically wacky (well, the Dale plot might be, but barely) and quite down to earth in it's bizarreness. It's also, once again, really funny.
234. It Came From The Garage
Honestly, this is probably the weakest episode of the season in that it does not offer nearly as much as the other episodes of the season. It remains funny with the season's standard of great writing, but the boring plot pulls it down under the rest. Solid episode overall.
235. Life: A Loser's Manual
A great finale where we finally meet Luanne's father and learn just how much of a screw up he is. Lucky once again grows up as a character, and the pieces are finally put together with how Luanne became who she is and why she has such an obsession over having a real family. Peggy and Hank are more mother and father than her actual parents were and she is lucky to find someone like Lucky considering the way her relationships were affected by the way her father and mother treated her over the years. Honestly, this episode is probably the best one to close out Luanne's character arc, and in progressing Lucky's as well. The sub plot is another of Dale's long sought after dreams that is finally fulfilled... er, sort of.
So yeah, that's season 12. A remarkably great season after the remarkable comeback of season 11. I remember even at the time people being legitimately surprised about how such a long running series could manage to gather such a strong second wind so late in its run, but somehow it happened here. There's a remarkable scope to season 12, it has a few emotional and introspective episodes, big and zany (but not too zany) episodes, and quieter character based episodes mixed in with a healthy dose of social commentary. It remains one of the best seasons of the series even now, and well, there was really little else for it to go after this, which is why season 13 was the best place to finally wrap it all up.
So stay peeled for when I tackle the final season of King Of The Hill where character arcs are closed and sub plots are finally resolved leading to the absolute best way for the show to end. It's a doozy.
Season 12 definitely holds up to the rewatchability test. I remember not liking "Four Wave Intersection" when it first aired, but another viewing, and it's higher up now. And then a lot of these never get old.
I also think the weird episodes really work. "Untitled Blake McCormick Project" and "Cops and Robert" are hilarious and have a lot to offer. IIRC, even Foggle really liked the latter.
Easily one of the best.
The reason the weird episodes work so much better here than in say, season 7, is because they are still based around the characters and their realistic universe where the "cartoony" moments are in their reactions to the situations and not the situations themselves.
In season 11 they finally realized that again and improved upon it even more in season 12.
One thing that kind of annoys me about season 13 is the way FOX threw it together. All the season 12 holdovers are thrown to the front of the season which throws off the pace of the season. For instance, the first real season 13 episode is actually perfect for a premiere slot, but I guess because that's the only season done in widescreen (production wise) they kind of messed it all up. Not even mentioning the episodes that were pointlessly held over for syndication, two of which are some of the best episodes of the series.
Oh well, at least it was allowed to end right.
"We talked on myspace and it turned out he was as obsessed with Weezer as I was."
"What's 'Weezer'?"
"Exactly."
Ha, I forgot about this episode.
I'm going to do season 13 in two parts since it's a very odd season in how it's split up. The first 7 episodes are all holdovers from season 12 and really don't follow with season 13's themes at all. They are also separated by about 3 months before season 13's premiere (all of season 13 proper is in widescreen) and are hard for me to lump together. I also need to rewatch more of the second half of the season.
Season 13
We're nearing the end of the road here. The holdovers from season 12 are all very similar in structure, which is a bit odd. Most of these are all social commentary episodes focusing on different characters, but nothing really happens outside of that. I'm sure these were all lumped together because season 12 was not all done in widescreen, but they would have been better off if they were parceled out throughout season 12 instead of all packed together like this. As a whole, the episodes are good, however.
236. Dia-BILL-ic Shock
A very nice Bill episode and a good commentary on how some doctors in the medical field are completely clueless on the common man and how easy it is to set off a large chain of events leading in disaster. But mostly its about how Bill is able to overcome his own disabilities and kick the crap out of that doctor Cotton-style. It's a pretty good one overall.
237. Earthly Girls Are Easy
The best part about this episode by far is how upfront Hank is about how much of a screw up Buck Strickland is, even saying it to his face several times. Otherwise it's another Buck (and Dale) screw up episode, but it's funny enough. This time it's about going 'green'.
238. Square-Footed Monster
Commentary on McMansions, mainly. It's a good thing it's so funny, because if it wasn't for the writing, this probably wouldn't stand out too much.
239. Lost In MySpace
A good Strickland Propane focused episode about the relationship between the online world and the real one. We also learn a lot more about Donna than we ever thought we needed to know. The sub plot is pointless, though. I'm not really sure why it's here.
240. No Bobby Left Behind
Probably the best of the holdovers, this one is a great commentary on the school system and how utterly busted it can be. What really makes this shine is how Carl Moss is finally in the limelight, and we get to learn exactly how great of a character he is. The episode gains points for actually using "Kids In America" the right way, as most don't tend to really understand the irony of the song.
241. A Bill Full Of Dollars
Apparently Peggy, Minh, and Dale hang out regularly. Who knew? Another Bill focused episode, this time on his constant need for attention. This one is mostly about the stock market, and is pretty clever overall, but this is about the time when the episodes start to blend in a bit too much.
242. Straight As An Arrow
This is another one of those episodes that I would probably hate if it wasn't so funny. Hank culture clashing with another is always great, especially when we learn that Hank was actually wrong in the end, but this episode kind of goes against things that were already established before. It's a minor quibble, but it does make watching it a bit annoying.
There's still more to come, of course, but for now I'm going to take a break before diving in to the real season 13. Normally I would have just lumped these in, but they are so different from the theme and general tone of season 13, that I can't really put them together. Up next, the final part.
I remember when the McMansion episode aired, another one of the Fox shows did an episode on those, as well. I forgot if it was Simpsons or Family Guy, but it wasn't anywhere near as good as the KOTH one, and didn't even attempt to make a point.
The first half of season 13 is good, but not as great as 12. You can tell that these were leftovers from then, and they do feel a little samey. They're done well enough to make them all entertaining and rewatchable, though. But it's the latter half where things get really interesting.
Quote from: Avaitor on March 21, 2011, 05:20:24 PM
I remember when the McMansion episode aired, another one of the Fox shows did an episode on those, as well. I forgot if it was Simpsons or Family Guy, but it wasn't anywhere near as good as the KOTH one, and didn't even attempt to make a point.
It was The Simpsons, FTR. But then again, The Simpsons are caught up in trying to be way too relevant to today's audience, so it doesn't surprise me that their episode sucked. At least KotH showed as to why they think that McMansions are bad thing overall.
Oh yeah, I remember that. I think that was around the time I was lamenting that this was KOTH's last season yet the other FOX shows continued on despite being nowhere near as good.
It is funny how two different shows tackled the same concept so differently and on the same night.
And we finally reach the end of this saga:
Season 13 (Production Run)
243. Lucky See, Monkey Do
This is a great "real" season premiere for the show. Luanne has her baby and everything changes. We meet Lucky's sister who is quite the interesting anti-Peggy while still being very similar in ideals. Special mention should be made of the sub plot which is as bizarre as it is hilarious. This is the first episode in the only season filmed in HD, and it well deserves the distinction.
244. What Happens At The National Propane Gas Convention...
The episode where I feel Hank openly dismisses Buck Strickland as the pathetic idiot he is, and learns that while he may have some good qualities (business qualities, really) that he should not have to put up with his overbearing behavior anymore. When Hank realizes he is little more than a glorified babysitter for Buck, is when he finally learns to let it go. Over the years, Hank was searching for a father figure of his own be it Buck, Cotton, Coach Sauers, or even Tom Landry, and here it felt like he didn't need one any more as he was no longer a boy (and was taking care of full grown adults of his own) and by episodes end, he had finally moved on from his ideal vision of a father he didn't have and grew up into the father he wanted to be. Ray Roy (great continuity nod there for those who noticed) is a great character, too. Fantastic episode.
245. Master Of Puppets
This is an inventive comedy episode focused on Bobby tricking his parents, and for that it's great. It's nice having a fun episode like this (which ALSO doesn't manage to be a rehash), as the low key moments are on their way.
246. Bwah My Nose
The best part of this episode is the allegory of Hank's nose to the situation at hand. He's afraid. He doesn't want to face the past, to close the chapter on his youth that ended in disaster and meant so much to him. Why does he act this way? I'm not 100% sure myself since I've never been in a situation like that, so I can't relate to him, but it comes across really well in the moments near the final game. When Hank does win with the boys, it's probably one of the best moments in the entire show's run, closing the book on Hank's youth forever as he was now officially a better person (yes, at sports, but it's a metaphor) and had come a long way since he was a kid. He no longer needed to yearn for the olden days, as the now he was living in was far superior. One of the best episodes in the entire show.
247. Uncool Customer
Another light comedy based episode, once again managing to not rehash previous material and just be funny with the comedy. Again, nice balance of episodes so far. The sub plot is a lot funnier than you'd figure, too.
248. Nancy Does Dallas
This episode is quite a character revelation. The best Nancy episode in the series, we learn that Nancy was a very horrible person in her youth and it was Dale, of all things, that kept her honest. It also perfectly explains her former relationship with John Redcorn, and exactly why it is that she doesn't seem as aware of outside things like she should. Great character episode, and the perfect end to that sub plot of Dale and Nancy's relationship.
249. Born Again On The 4th Of July
Now, while I could easily just dismiss this as yet another really funny light comedy episode, it's a bit more than that. This episode deals with the central theme that has run through the entire series and is even used in the finale of the series. The importance of community in life is what holds us all together, and it is not something to take for granted or forget, the allegory with the 4th Of July is also a nice touch.
250. Serves Me Right For Giving General George S. Patton The Bathroom Key
This is probably one of the best episodes in the series (again), this time dealing with Cotton's remains, in more ways than one, but also Dale and Bill's bizarre relationship that actually seemed to escalate strangely over the seasons. Hank deals with his father's remains in the only way he knows how (by following orders from his father), and in the process learns a lot more about his father than he ever did in life. It's bittersweet when Hank finally gets to say goodbye to his dad, since he never really got to know him, but this episode does a better job honoring the character than a funeral episode would, and it's emotional punch is about as subtle as its ever been for KOTH. The sub plot is also surprisingly effective with how it ties in as well. This is another episode I have to rewatch to catch more things, but the only fault I can see is the lack of GH who was unfortunately overlooked here.
251. Bad News Bill
This is a cute little episode that uses the "Hank's right" formula (Haven't seen that AT ALL this season, though) to surprising effect. The moral of this episode is obviously about moderation, but it's a very welcome break from the underlying theme of ends for the season, so I'll take it.
252. Manger Baby Einstein
... Oh man, this is a depressing episode. This is the episode where Luanne finally leaves her days of being a kid behind her and grows up into the mom her child needs. She learns this by taking the only thing in life she was successful at beyond her job (hair stylist) and pushed it as far as it could go only having it end in disaster. It's a bittersweet episode, ending with the deaths of the most beloved puppets of our generation, but all things must come to an end. Even dreams must take a backseat for those who need us. As a whole, though, this is a positive step forward in Luanne's life. This is also the last appearance of John Redcorn who finally finds his place in the world after struggling for so long.
253. Uh Oh, Canada!
Not doing this. :P
254. The Boy Can't Help It
Easily the worst episode of the season. Very cliche plot and characters, though at least it is funny in typical KOTH fashion. This should not have aired over the syndicated 4, though.
255. The Honeymooners
While we had already realized it before, Hank now realizes it himself. Letting his parental figures go, he's now the adult and his days of having to rely on his parents is long past, it is now up to him to look after them, as is traditional of most societies. He finally begins to understand his mother after years of closing his ears at her in order to preserve her as the person he wanted her to be, unlike Cotton who was too... Cotton for that. Hank is finally able to see people for who they are, and not as he perceives them here as his perception of his mother's new fiance is completely blown. Sooner or later we're the ones who have to become the adults and take control of our own lives and accept that you can't change people who don't want to be changed. This should have aired on FOX with the finale.
256. Bill Gathers Moss
The episode where Carl Moss is fully fleshed out as a character. Hysterical episode that could only have come at the end of the series, but I'm glad it was made. There isn't really much to say here, just that I'm happy it exists at all.
257. When Joseph Met Lori, And Made Out With Her In The Janitor's Closet
This is... kind of underwhelming, actually. It's again, funny, but it doesn't really tell us as much about Dale as it probably should. It has the virtue of being funny, and not cliche, but it's surprisingly shallow for what it could potentially offer us and to the KOTH universe.
258. Just Another Manic Kahn-Day
Probably second to De-Kahnstructing Henry as the best Kahn episode, but man is this a good one. The final piece of the puzzle slides in where we learn just exactly why Kahn is as weird as he is. At the same time, it also manages to be really, really funny. This is really the perfect capper episode on Kahn, as they could never, ever top this one.
259. To Sirloin With Love
And we come to the end of the road. 13 seasons, 259 episodes, dozens of character moments, plot points, crazy ideas, screwy moments, and fun times were had. Here we end with Bobby and Hank finally coming to terms with each other after slowly becoming more and more connected over the years, they finally share a common interest together. The episode is not a huge rush of fan wank, nostalgia, or OOC reveals to satisfy fans, but it does tie everything up in a neat way with final character moments where the community finally comes together through all their problems and realize just how important they all are to each other, and how far they have all come over the entire run of the show.
So that's KOTH in a nutshell. Is it the perfect show? It's probably as close to it as you can get, really. The show was one of the few to not suffer due to network interference for more than a season or two, it remained consistent in its goal from day one through to the end, despite the clashing goals of the two series creators, it never managed to feel like it was fighting between these two extremes. KOTH was the first show to really to create a fully fleshed out "realistic" world and explore it for all it was worth. It contains ups and downs just like our own, but in the end it all comes down to how important relationships are and how important they are to life.
I wouldn't say it was knee-slappingly hilarious all the time at every moment, but I would say it proved that cartoons could have depth, character, and mature storytelling without resorting to a pie in the face or blood and guts. In my mind, it's probably the most consistently great thing to ever come out of the FOX network, and I don't think that will ever change.
Man, I loved these. So much fun to go through.
Now what are you going to do? ;)
I'm not exactly sure, but it was fun to do. Honestly I most enjoyed doing the last season since it always seems to be totally overlooked.
Yeah, the season 12 leftovers from the first half and the fact that 4 of the better ones were saved for syndication didn't really do much to give the last season the credit it deserves.
But still, the show was still able to pull out quality like that in it's final year over a decade on. That alone should give it a grand legacy to live on.
It's actually too bad the last season was in HD widescreen like that, because it threw off the pacing by throwing all the holdovers together like that, but the actual production season of 13 is easily one of the show's best because it focused on finishing off character arcs and giving the show the endings it deserved.
The more I think about it, the more I'm glad it ended when it did.
Normally I wouldn't bump for something like this, but check out this amazing vid (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLyekKEo4g8)!
You can't stage stuff like that!
So, I thought of another discussion question (if you don't know, I said on the hack n' slash thread that I'd post these questions in random threads when I thought of them, in order to boost discussion):
What are some major qualities you guys feel that this series has going for it that other animated sitcoms can't match up to or just completely lack altogether? In other words what makes this series at the top of its particular genre of animation (obviously not everyone would necessarily agree if its the best or not, but I think most people here agree that its a top-quality series, no matter what).
Also, do you feel that there is anything about this series that other animated sitcoms could learn from to improve their quality?
This will be especially interesting for me to read responses to since in this case I'm still not all that familiar with this show whereas the rest of you guys are.
Consistency. Aside from a handful of episodes, the show hasn't really wavered in quality in any way.
One of the key things to me is just how the show was handled. I've always said that KOTH was as mature of an animated series as we could possibly get, and I still stand by that. Each of the main characters and a lot of supporting ones were defined and developed to very sharp points.
You have the adult characters which could handle older reaching situations while still maintaining some level of childhood negligence or damage in their lives, like how Hank still feels neglected by his father and relying on Buck to be his father figure, Peggy's consistent need to be recognized, Bill yearning for his glory days, and Boomhauer still living the bachelor life in his mid-40's. Then there are those moments like when Bill gives up on wishing for Lenore to come back in "Pretty, Pretty Dresses", Boomhauer's arbitrary proposal and breakdown in "Dang ol' Love", and the mini-arc partway through the series where Hank starts to accept the fact that Buck is a mess and not much better of a replacement for Cotton.
There's actual growth in these characters, but it's not a total 180 for any of them. These are still the same characters you've grown to love over the show, but a little wiser and better prepared when their weaker side gets ahead of them. That's just good character development, and not the kind a lot of animated sitcoms have in them.
I also like how the kids act like middle schoolers but are still enjoyable to older viewers. Bobby, Joseph, and Connie are as awkward as just about anyone from that age, which is sometimes both funny and painful to watch, but moreso funny IMO.
I think since KOTH is meant for older audiences than the Nick and Disney shows, it got away with more honest sentiment of what it's like to be a preteen, and has some really funny and poignant episodes based on the kids. I can't think of a TV show with better episodes focusing on puberty or a girl's first period as the ones this show did, and I severely doubt we'll see anything to compete with those in the near future, considering how narrow every other show is nowadays.
Now shows like this are meant for either younger audiences aired on networks that aren't willing to make an episode like "Naked Ambition" or older audiences that want a much raunchier version of "Naked Ambition".
And then there's the dialogue, which we've spoken plenty on. Among many other points where I'd just be repeating myself or Desen.
Adding on to what Avaitor and Insommy said, I think KOTH has one thing a lot of adult shows don't and that's heart. Every character is part of this community of characters and they all contribute to the show's style and success. Outside of classic Simpsons (and I still think that might be a stretch in this case) there are no shows where every single character adds to the world in such a way and make it work nearly as well as KOTH does, and that includes one shot and minor characters as well.
It feels like a consistent world and that no matter what happens in it, the characters never manage to feel fake or artificial, they all react to situations like they should and they all are the reason the plots exist and not just the reason for jokes. But it could also only be done in animation as there's a certain cartoon logic or take on life at play here that would absolutely be lost in live action, certain jokes would not play and certain plots just wouldn't have the same impact.
So, I seen "Racist Dawg" for the first time the other day... and woah boy, you guys weren't kidding; this episode really is terrible. I was almost half-expecting this was some big joke or something, but that probably was, by far, the worst episode of this series I've ever seen. Between the overblown villainization of Hank, and certain characters (especially Peggy) acting completely out of context, it's just... ugh. I'll be glad if I never see this one again. It actually had a couple of decent one-liners in spite of all this, but the plot and overall ass-backwards nature of this one just destroys any amount of enjoyability it may have had.
...on a more positive note, I've been catching up on the earlier episodes lately, courtesy of DVD. Season 2 is actually a lot of fun, and I really like some of these early adventures. "Snow Job" is a great episode; I love Hank's almost deadpan-like delivery on some of his one-liners. "Hell no, I'm going to open up a General Store"; the way he says this is just perfect.
Season 2 has a few classics in it, and as a whole its quite a great season. But you're right, a lot of the humor comes from the voice acting delivery and weird beats in animation in the first two seasons. The writing is quite good (great at times), but it takes a backseat over atmosphere here.
Racist Dawg and Mrs. Wakefield are easily the worst episodes in the series for the same reasons. I don't know exactly why they were written as the really add nothing to the show as a whole, and are quite unbearable to watch.
King of the Hill got loaded onto Netflix watch instantly. :thumbup:
It's been there for a while. The whole series.
Where have you been? :P
Quote from: Kiddington on April 25, 2011, 12:34:08 AM
So, I seen "Racist Dawg" for the first time the other day... and woah boy, you guys weren't kidding; this episode really is terrible. I was almost half-expecting this was some big joke or something, but that probably was, by far, the worst episode of this series I've ever seen. Between the overblown villainization of Hank, and certain characters (especially Peggy) acting completely out of context, it's just... ugh. I'll be glad if I never see this one again. It actually had a couple of decent one-liners in spite of all this, but the plot and overall ass-backwards nature of this one just destroys any amount of enjoyability it may have had.
The set-up doesn't even make sense. Who immediately jumps to the conclusion "a dog is barking at me, therefore it is racist"?
D'oh, why the heck WAS it listed in "new TV series" then?
EDIT: okay, WAS, they moved it off the new TV series for Watch Instantly, but it was there along with Ally McBeal.
Quote from: Daxdiv on February 22, 2011, 10:43:42 PM
For some reason, if I had to pick a worst episode of KOTH I think it might have to go to Mrs. Wakefield. The whole concept of that was rather... strange, and that is an understatement. To this day, I still don't understand why everyone looked down upon Hank for not allowing Wakefield to die in his own home. I know if some random person came up to my family to ask if they can die in our house, of course we would say NO!
Though, when Desensitized is done with this rundown, I would like to see a feature for the blog where he decides to highlight his Top 10 Best and Worst for KOTH.
Oh, that episode. There was an episode of The Boondocks that had a part like that.
#5 on the list.
Well deserved, IMO. A series that only gets better with age, has a high level of quality throughout, and never fails to remain engaging.
Anyone else wanna chime in on this?
pimphathank.jpg
It reminds me of a thread I saw on /co/ yesterday that started off like this
>12 Years Old, Hank Hill is boring.
>22 Years Old, Hank Hill is my hero.
Which I do agree with for the most part. As I got older, Hank is actually a better character. However, my stance on Peggy has still stayed the same, once a bitch, always a bitch.
Yeah, one of my friends hates her, too. I find her overconfidence both hilarious and awesome at the same time. Something about her can do attitude is just always fun to watch, even when she clearly doesn't get it.
Though sometimes, yeah she can be a bitch.
Yeah, I'll admit that Peggy can be funny sometimes with her overconfidence, One of my favorite Peggy moment was that one time she had to defend herself in court whist speaking Spanish. Something about that scene always makes me laugh. It's just that her attitude gets on my nerves in most of the episode that center around her. Maybe I'm better off writing that she's like that because of her mother, even if that was a retcon.
Too far is too far from Peggy sometimes. But even that has her moments, as well.
I was going to bump this with another one of my top tens, but kept on stalling it. I'll do it tomorrow, then.
I still don't know why they tried to retcon Peggy like that. I dunno, I just think of that episode as some kind of weird fever dream, as Peggy's mother appeared in other episodes before in her other incarnation. She was also a much better character then. She was stern and proper, always judging Peggy and putting her down. It made more sense for Peggy to turn out the way she did, striving to be perfect in not just smarts but in looks too (her mother put importance on that too, IIRC) while trying to be the "fun" parent that she never had. The truth is that Peggy's overconifdence is what kills her most often. She actually is a smart person (as we've noticed from time to time, like how she scammed the scammer), but its her overconfidence that limits her from actually admitting to being wrong or making mistakes that drives people nuts.
I did enjoy her father in that episode, though. It makes her obsessions with musings make more sense as a character trait. Even if her father is really just senile... or brain damaged. :D
Quote from: Desensitized on July 12, 2011, 10:23:08 PM
#5 on the list.
Well deserved, IMO. A series that only gets better with age, has a high level of quality throughout, and never fails to remain engaging.
Anyone else wanna chime in on this?
pimphathank.jpg
I hate Lucky and the Manger Babies
How can anyone hate Tom Petty?
Or a communist penguin who wears a top-hat and monocle.
I can understand not liking Lucky (I'm not the biggest fan of him either) but how can you hate the Manger Babies? They're awesome.
People hate the Manger Babies? Have you no soul, man? They're awesome and deserve praise.
As for Lucky, I liked him.
I was working on my top 10, but it's so hard to do something like that for a show with as many episodes and character arcs as this. I don't know if I rightfully can make a list after all.
I'd do my own, but I think you could probably guess them all before I'd even started. I think I might talk about this show more than anyone in existence.
Well, someone should. :P
I also haven't made another top 10 since no one replied to my earlier ones, anyway. But if I would do one for KOTH, I do know that I'd put "A Fire-Fightin' We Will Go" at only #2 to make it look different from yours.
What would be my #1, then? I dunno, maybe "A Beer Can Named Desire".
Quote from: Eddy on July 13, 2011, 07:28:31 PM
I can understand not liking Lucky (I'm not the biggest fan of him either) but how can you hate the Manger Babies? They're awesome.
:bleh:
How about a best of a specific character list? It might lead to some different picks.
You already know what I would end up putting in my top 10 for favorite episodes. That's right; at #1... Racist Dawg! :happytime:
...actually, I'd have to re-watch the series from start to finish before I could make an actual list of this sort. I have a general idea of what would be in my top 10 ("Propane Boom", "Grand Theft Arlen" being a couple of my favorites), but there are a couple of episodes that I haven't seen in quite a long time (notably the late-run stuff that isn't on DVD) for me to be absolutely sure that I'm not missing something good.
Does anyone like Racist Dawg? Somehow I doubt it.
I've actually seen a couple of people support it on tz, including Speedy Boris. But I don't think anyone would put it on a list of the best episodes.
Having seen it again fairly recently, I do feel the need to point out that it isn't an entirely forgettable output. There are some decent lines; really, the writing is OK, all things considered.
What really kills it is the character degradation; IE, Hank being villainized by the entire community, Peggy being even more of a bitch than usual... and wow, Bernie Mac's repairman outfit is a forgettable one-shot if there ever was one. There's that, and the fact that the plot doesn't make a lick of sense, either. I mean, honestly; how does one possibly draw the conclusion that a dog is racist because it barks at someone? It doesn't make any sense whatsoever.
It isn't completely without merit, but damn... it's still pretty bad. In a series with so few duds, this one simply stands out as being the worst of the bunch.
A bit of a bump, but according to Speedy Boris over at toonzone, Season 7-13 are available for purchase off of the iTunes store. So if you can purchase that, more power to ya. This is probably the closet thing we'll ever get to owning everything past what Fox didn't release on DVD.
Similarly, the whole show has been on Netflix for quite some time now.
Honestly, Fox should just release a complete series box set at this point, rather than individual season sets. Many other shows have done this.
Apparently, the cost of music licensing, combined with the fact that KOTH DVD's have, historically, never been good sellers is what's keeping the rest of the series on the shelf. Or so I'm told (this was at least one explanation I've heard in the past, but who even knows if it's actually true or not).
Whatever the case, count me in favor of a Complete Series DVD as well, even if it did mean six seasons worth of double dipping on my end. It's a series worth owning from start to finish, and one I'd be full willing to pay the money for.
Another show we don't have on Netflix here. Shame as I'd love easy access to the last 3 seasons and season 8 especially.
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/s720x720/522188_346701228717403_169514256436102_870702_267793268_n.jpg)
We need more of this in our lives.
Newer episodes of he Simpsons say otherwise.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGcdYB8vF_c&feature=related
Always appropriate.
Awww, some of those aren't really Bwaahs. The Luane and Boomhauer one was just a "Nooo!".
Hank's bwaahs were always funny because they were always the absolute best reaction to the situation.
I've been on a King of the Hill kick lately, working my way through almost every episode starting with season one. I'm in the middle of the season three right now.
Good lord, this show was hysterical.
It really is a great show, one of the few adult sitcoms I can't seem to get sick of no matter how much I see.
"Suite Smells of Excess" was on AS the other day. Still one of my favorite episodes.
"We can't leave this box! If we go now we'll somehow break the momentum and Nebraska will take back the game! And then Bobby will lose his interest in football! And then he will be miserable! And then he will die!"
It's a shame so many people label the show as "boring" and are not really willing to watch it. I don't understand why. Is it the realistic art style? The lack of "wackiness"? It's easily one of the funniest and well written adult sitcoms ever.
And unlike other shows that lasted as long as it did, KotH never really went down in quality.
I can't name another show where the eleventh, twelfth, or thirteenth season is in contention for the best one. That has to count for something.
http://www.comicvine.com/forums/gen-discussion/1/why-is-king-of-the-hill-ending/392534/? (http://www.comicvine.com/forums/gen-discussion/1/why-is-king-of-the-hill-ending/392534/?)
I will never understand the haters. It's not like Fox ever forced this down anyone's throat, it survived for longer than a decade despite its complete burial on the schedule on an almost weekly basis.
That it lived is a testament to its quality.
Not that I complained about it or anything, but how KOTH was one of the shows to survive at that slot at all still puzzles me to this day. I mean Futurama was sent there and it only got back thanks to Adult Swim. I remember the days KOTH got pre-empted for a football game, only for when the game would end that they would say some message like "Due to the length of today's Football game, we now return to King of the Hill. Already in Progress." or if the game went extremely long like 8:20 or something, they would give The Simpsons and everything else regular time and push everything back, even local news started at 10:20 for me on those days.
The show always managed to have even decent ratings when it was pre-empted by Football, even more than Futurama did. It had a pretty sizable fan-base that Fox never embraced or even tried to appeal to, even to the point that when it first went into syndication the ratings shot up tremendously for the channels it was on.
People always assumed it was some sort of boring show about nothing, but for anyone who tried to get to know it, they got a lot out of it.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on August 15, 2012, 07:43:19 PM
I will never understand the haters. It's not like Fox ever forced this down anyone's throat, it survived for longer than a decade despite its complete burial on the schedule on an almost weekly basis.
That it lived is a testament to its quality.
Amen. It's like if a show doesn't have obvious loud comedy and explosions, people ignore it.
Well, it's good to see that AS is taking care of it anyway (I know a lot of people want to see 9:00 go back to CN, but IMO, I think it's a solid timeslot for KOTH). They probably appreciate it more than Fox ever has.
I remember seeing an episode of Drawn Together where Foxxy Love went into a Hot Topic and found a King of the Hill hat and put it on. Then she said "Wow! This is almost as boring as watching the show itself!"
Drawn Together, you're one of the worst pieces of shit to ever air on TV. You have some nerve making fun of a show that trumps you in every single way.
:D
Yeah, that joke got me laughing due to the irony.
... I'd like a King Of The Hill hat. :)
Give me a Gribble hat.
Quote from: gunswordfist on August 15, 2012, 10:46:49 PM
Give me a Gribble hat.
Dale had the best hat out of any character in the show. Sorry, I liked it more than Hank's pimp hat from Tammy.
Is it just me, or does Stephen Root's voice for Bill kind of... change towards the end of the show? Something I always notice about the newer episodes is that Bill's voice seems a bit off.
Quote from: Nel on August 31, 2012, 08:44:49 PM
Is it just me, or does Stephen Root's voice for Bill kind of... change towards the end of the show? Something I always notice about the newer episodes is that Bill's voice seems a bit off.
All of the voices change a bit. Dale used to sound more stoic and noncaring, Hank was a bit more brash, and et cetera.
Are those changes late into the show's life too? I know that voices can usually change in the first few seasons to the "normal voice" a character gets known for, but with Bill's it's just really noticeable to me, I suppose.
Stephen Root adds a lot of inflection to his voice acting of Bill. He can make Bill seem the worst and most despicable character on the show and the most sympathetic (or empathetic) character almost flawlessly. But I think your beef is that near the end of the show (the last few seasons) Bil sort of found his niche and the voice acting sort of reflected his more relaxed nature... other than relapse episodes like the wheelchair one that is.
By the way, I hadn't watched an episode in months (been a bit busy) and watched Jumpin' Crack Bass the other night while flicking through channels. I honestly don't think this show will ever get old.
Out of nowhere, this little exchange came to mind yesterday.
"I know why they call you Pa- cause you're pathetic!"
"And I know why they call you Ma- cause you're always ridin' ma ass!"
Great stuff.
Quote from: Avaitor on September 17, 2012, 01:55:48 PM
Out of nowhere, this little exchange came to mind yesterday.
"I know why they call you Pa- cause you're pathetic!"
"And I know why they call you Ma- cause you're always ridin' ma ass!"
Great stuff.
LOL.
Another one was in the bass episode where Dale follows Hank to see "Jack" and the exchange is something like:
"Dale, what are you doing here?!"
"I tailed you through every twist and turn through this labyrinth of dead end roads and stop signs... By the way, I need directions home."
Something like that, it was just too funny.
The wrestling episode. God damn, I love the wrestling episode.
HANK: I thought you were busy teaching girls to blow up basketballs. When did this turn into a desire to ruin wrestling?
PEGGY: Oh, give me a break. I don't see how having a girl on the team would ruin it. Did a woman judge ruin the Supreme Court?
HANK: Yes, and that woman's name was Earl Warren!
BOBBY: Uh-huh. Wrestling. It's the best sport ever, Dad! There's no running!
HANK: Way to go, boy! Wrestling's a damn fine sport. Hell, it's an Olympic sport! And this is offered through the school, isn't it? Not some guy in a van with a camcorder?
and
PEGGY: Well, Dooley, a pre-teen girl is like a skinny little tree about to enter the hurricane of adolescence. And if we don't protect and nurture this little tree, before you know it she'll be bitter and pregnant. For that reason, I'm asking the principal for a new basketball for the girls.
If I posted every quote from this show that I love, this post would be waaaay too long.
Y'no, tz has threads for Simpsons and Family Guy quotes, we could make fill one with KOTH quotes no problem.
I second that.
Last episode I've seen, by the way, was Chasing Bobby (the one where Hank's truck "dies"). Great stuff.
"I have a girlfriend!"
"Well, way to go son! ...She is real, right? She isn't imaginary or on a cereal box or something?"
"This girl who lives here said I like fruit pies..."
"Nonsense! A tough guy like you? You like sports!"
If you want an episode with tons of great quotes, "And They Call It Bobby Love" is chock full of them.
I honestly never realized there was a full, two-minute long version of the opening theme. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAvGUIvQblg&feature=g-vrec)
Pretty cool.
Oh whoa. I'll be watching that later.
Oh my God, this is beautiful. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWGpD7rrzTo&feature=fvwrel)
They couldn't find a way to add in "that boy ain't right"? Huh.
"I'm gonna kick your ass!" still makes it work, though.
"Do you mind if I open this window, and let this kitty in??
Caught "Be True to Your Fool" for the first time last night. I don't recall having seen this one before.
Uh... :whuh:
Season 7 as a whole is a step down from season 6 and not as good as season 8.
There are too many "wacky situations" instead of plots.
I don't mind the "wacky situations" just as long as they're funny. See; Dale, Bill, and Boomhauer's flying chair in "The Miseducation of Bobby Hill".
This one, though... this was just weird. Hank's mancrush on Bill during the flashback sequences was just way too out of character, and the plot itself really didn't do it for me. It's a pretty weak episode as a whole.
Yeah, that's what I mean. The plot seems constructed for the sole purpose of those sorts of jokes instead of any real conflict. At least the flying chair was a sub-plot and not the main story.
But yeah, I agree that the episode isn't all too great, but I think the same for most of season 7. It's kind of shaky.
This was posted on Cartoon Brew. (http://imgur.com/a/PiJLk)
Really worth checking out.
#10 made me laugh (#16 even funnier) and it shows just how serious the staff was with the show.
But that's cool to see, it help explains why the direction was so good.
I love seeing tools like this guideline being used and implemented into the show. I will admit that I never realized half of this stuff, but the stuff that I did recognize holds true. Kind of makes me wonder what other guidelines other shows have for the animation team.
Reading the list again, one rule I can see that they became more lenient on as the show went along was #6. Bobby started becoming increasingly giddy and energetic the longer the show went on, so the earlier, deadpan Bobby started becoming a little out-of date.
Of course #23 has been broken a couple of times, as well.
Blank-faced Bobby also started becoming very one-note after a few seasons. Once he got a proper dynamic with Joseph it became entirely useless.
"I like Jeff Gordon. He's handsome. :)"
"Uh, heh, Bobby, you keep saying things like that and people are gonna think you're not right."
The haircut episode. So much win every time.
"I can't do that! I don't have my stapler!"
"...and how the hell would you know I'm not a good barber?! ...I'm sorry Hank, but when I come here and see a phonebook in front of you it's like you're calling me AN IDIOT!!!"
"Who here knows how to cut hair?"
"Don't answer. It's a trap."
"You eliminated Bill! Billiminator!"
Definitely one of my favorite episodes.
"Well it was on TV. You didn't hear about the highspeed chase?"
KOTH <3
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F25.media.tumblr.com%2F0fcc3f2b3265767e0e00330852c1fc6b%2Ftumblr_mkhvynFq4y1rdlm2no1_1280.png&hash=8ba8b308ef166dce81304bcb9ac87038436f3b45)
This should become a thing.
Cotton is rolling in his grave. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ah5K4tsycAI)
"Why does everything I love run away from me?"
"Because you have to pet everything like an idiot!"
http://youtu.be/E0z4TcwlKfU
This happened. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzoEpooL8RM)
Quote from: Avaitor on May 31, 2013, 10:55:34 AM
This happened. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzoEpooL8RM)
Nice.
Thoughts (http://www.avclub.com/articles/10-episodes-that-made-king-of-the-hill-one-of-the,99687/)?
The scene in Cartoon Wars is still the most memorable part of it to me.
Of those the ones that list among my favorites include And They Call It Bobby Love, Returning Japanese, and Patch Boomhauer on the list. Their honorable mentions are pretty good too with Propane Boom, Wings Of The Dope, Bobby Goes Nuts, Dances With Dogs (One of the few 'wacky' episodes that totally succeeds), Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Clown, and Death Picks Cotton all being some of the best in the series.
A Firefighting We Will Go, Three Days Of The Kahndo, and Three Coaches & A Bobby might be the funniest the show has ever been, though.
I can never really decide what my favorite episode of KotH is but, if I had to pick one, I think I might have to go with "Aisle 8A". It's a great episode about growing up and Hank putting a blanket over Connie to take her to the hospital never fails to crack me up.
I think the one episode I always come back to is the volunteer firefighting one. I'd say that's my favorite episode as a whole.
Boomhouer's retelling of the story is probably the best part of "A Firefighting We Will Go".
Death of a Propane Salesman
And They Call It Bobby Love
Peggy's Headache
Pregnant Paws
Next of Shin
Peggy's Pageant Fever
Nine Pretty Darn Angry Men
Good Hill Hunting
Pretty, Pretty Dresses
A-Firefighting We Will Go
To Spank with Love
Three Coaches and a Bobby
De-Kahnstructing Henry
The Wedding of Bobby Hill
Sleight of Hank
Return to La Grunta
Escape from Party Island
Love Hurts and So Does Art
Hank's Cowboy Movie
Dog Dale Afternoon
Revenge of the Lutefisk
Death and Texas
Wings of the Dope
Take Me Out of the Ball Game
As Old As the Hills
Spoiler
Season 3 is just about perfect
Seriously though, my top 10 would probably be:
1. A-Firefighting We Will Go
2. Death Picks Cotton
3. And They Call It Bobby Love
4. Nine Pretty Darn Angry Men
5. Serves Me Right for Giving General George S. Patton the Bathroom Key
6. Three Coaches and a Bobby
7. To Kill A Ladybird
8. Bwah, My Nose
9. Patch Boomhauer
10. Three Days of the Kahndo
That was incredibly hard and I'm still missing classics.
Bottom 10:
1. Racist Dawg
2. Mrs. Wakefield
3. Junkie Business
4. A Rover Runs Through It
5. Twas The Nut Before Christmas
6. Pilot
7. King Of The Ant Hill
8. I'm With Cupid
9. Keeping Up With Our Joneses
10. Pigmalion
I would only consider the first half bad episodes, the other half suffer from some strange OOC material or just aren't what I look for in KOTH. I think the last two are actually really good, for instance, just not "KOTH good".
Can't you see that I am knitting!
Quote from: Avaitor on August 28, 2013, 08:54:10 PM
Can't you see that I am knitting!
FUNCTION DAMN YOU.
Funny stuff. It just never comes off as KOTH to me. That doesn't mean it isn't funny, though.
I like Pigmalion, but it really is a rather dark and creepy episode.
It's a good episode, but it's not really King Of The Hill. It's like they produced a script for the wrong show.
But again, it's not even bad. Just out of place.
I saw Bobby Goes Nuts was coming on and sat down and watched it for the first time in years since Avaitor spoke so highly of it. He was right. I ended up recording the entire episode because I was laughing so much. The look on Hank's face when he heard the part of Bobby's fight story about letting go his purse was priceless.
YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE?
That's incredible.
Quote from: gunswordfist on August 29, 2013, 11:28:10 PM
I saw Bobby Goes Nuts was coming on and sat down and watched it for the first time in years since Avaitor spoke so highly of it. He was right. I ended up recording the entire episode because I was laughing so much. The look on Hank's face when he heard the part of Bobby's fight story about letting go his purse was priceless.
Edited
What did I do? It was your idea to send him to the "Y" in the first place, so if anything, I could point a finger at you! But I won't. But I could.
This is probably one of episodes where Peggy I'm actually laughing with Peggy, rather than at her.
Yeah, Peggy usually is either getting easily scammed or overestimating her teaching abilities.
"Mr. Gribble, how would you like to make this your permanent job?"
"Firing Gladstone? Sure! HEY GLADSTONE!!!"
I actually know people who wouldn't watch King of the Hill just because they didn't like Peggy. It's truly their loss.
Quote from: Lord Il on September 02, 2013, 10:23:14 AM
I actually know people who wouldn't watch King of the Hill just because they didn't like Peggy. It's truly their loss.
Get them to watch "Lupe's Revenge". My friend was a Peggy-hater, but that got him to at least tolerate her.
I have a love-hate relationship with Peggy. Sometimes I find her hilarious, other times she pisses me off, but no matter what she's always entertaining.
Hank: Stealing money from his own mother's purse? Who does that?
Peggy: Thirteen is that critical age when boys come to a fork in the road. And when Bobby gets there, he might use that fork to kill us.
Hank: Isn't there some prison we can take him to? Make him pee in front of some criminals? That'll scare him straight.
Luanne: Do you think that Alex Trebek is sexy, Aunt Peggy?
Peggy: Get out of my mind, Luanne.
Peggy: I am going to scare my students exactly the way President Reagan scared hundreds of millions of Russians with his Star Wars death beam.
Hank: ... I miss voting for that man.
Peggy: Hank, you need to let Bobby learn from his own mistakes. Will he lose a finger? Maybe, but he will gain a finger of knowledge in his brain.
Peggy My uncle wasn't a cowboy, Hank! He was a dirty, drunken rodeo clown!
Hank: Don't tell me... Uncle Boffo?
I can't hate Peggy with stuff like that.
And a bonus:
Peggy: Honey, Trip had a mental breakdown and is now a sausage. That's not a better place.
(See how un-KOTH-but-still-funny that is?)
Peggy gets my love for "Death Picks Cotton" alone.
Still one of my favorite moments on the show.
That one really showed exactly how much alike they really were. I think Peggy might have been the only person (not just woman) that Cotton ever respected outside of his war buddies.
He wasn't dying until somebody told him off.
Peggy and Cotton were always butting heads in the show but I really loved the episode "Cotton's Plot" when we saw them gain somewhat of a mutual respect for each other.
Another great Peggy quote: "Hank, the day after Thanksgiving is, in my opinion, the busiest shopping day of the year."
Quote from: Eddy on September 03, 2013, 07:18:52 PM
Peggy and Cotton were always butting heads in the show but I really loved the episode "Cotton's Plot" when we saw them gain somewhat of a mutual respect for each other.
Another great Peggy quote: "Hank, the day after Thanksgiving is, in my opinion, the busiest shopping day of the year."
The great thing is, doesn't she say that in another episode about another holiday? :lol:
Quote from: Nel_Annette on September 03, 2013, 08:47:03 PM
Quote from: Eddy on September 03, 2013, 07:18:52 PM
Peggy and Cotton were always butting heads in the show but I really loved the episode "Cotton's Plot" when we saw them gain somewhat of a mutual respect for each other.
Another great Peggy quote: "Hank, the day after Thanksgiving is, in my opinion, the busiest shopping day of the year."
The great thing is, doesn't she say that in another episode about another holiday? :lol:
I remember she said something similar to that about traveling during Thanksgiving in that episode where they were trapped in the airport. So it was basically the same holiday week.
Quote from: Lord Il on September 02, 2013, 10:23:14 AM
I actually know people who wouldn't watch King of the Hill just because they didn't like Peggy. It's truly their loss.
Go ahead and unknow those people.
Yeah, in the Thanksgiving episode when they get stuck in the airport Peggy says that Thanksgiving is, in her opinion, one of the busiest travel days of the year.
The first four episodes of season 6 might be the absolute funniest episodes in the series. Season 6 doesn't have quite the balance as season 3, 4, or 5 has when it comes to subtlety and comedy, but... man, those episodes never fail to make me burst out laughing.
Seriously, the side A of that season's first disc was perfect.
I bought a knife from an ad in the back of that magazine.
Said it wouldn't break off in a man's skull.
Crap.
"Hank. Bobby and I decided he's going to stick vegetables up his nose. He's not taking over the family gas station."
I've only seen a few scattered episodes of this show back when I actually watched TV. (I really liked it, though.) Anyway, I just watched the episode Soldier of Misfortune and it was hilarious! :thumbup: I need to start carrying around pocket sand.
Quote from: Foggle on September 05, 2013, 10:51:27 PM
I've only seen a few scattered episodes of this show back when I actually watched TV. (I really liked it, though.) Anyway, I just watched the episode Soldier of Misfortune and it was hilarious! :thumbup: I need to start carrying around pocket sand.
Which one of you fellas is afraid of drowning?
Glad you enjoyed it, that episode might be the most quotable one, and it's definitely one of the funniest. ;D
Quote from: Foggle on September 05, 2013, 10:51:27 PM
I've only seen a few scattered episodes of this show back when I actually watched TV. (I really liked it, though.) Anyway, I just watched the episode Soldier of Misfortune and it was hilarious! :thumbup: I need to start carrying around pocket sand.
Me and my oldest brother love that scene. :D I also like the part where Hank admits he was calling the police and Dale telling his story at the end like he actually planned for everything to go that way.
As much as Peggy's ego can annoy me, episodes like tonight's (the tainted Alamo beer one) show off the best parts of her character. Switching the board member's beers with the tainted ones is just beautiful.
Coming off Netflix October 1st.
Fuck.
That's awful, I hate when Netflix takes shows down. Especially shows that are not on DVD.
Yeah, I'd obviously be fine with this if they didn't stop the DVDs with season 6.
I'm really hoping that Fox considers a complete series set mow.
They're taking it off? No! This is my number one background noise show!
DAMN IT NETFLIX!!!!
I just saw "Death Picks Cotton" again, and while I generally love the parts of the episode about Cotton and his effect on the characters, I don't like how Bobby was treated in this episode. He may be younger than the rest of the cast, but he's barely still a kid. Luanne getting on his case early on in the episode wasn't necessary, and their entire subplot almost ruins the rest of the episode in a way.
The good does out weigh the bad, but barely.
I understand why they did it, because the episode was kind of dark, but I would have liked at least a follow-up episode where Bobby finds out.
Sort of like the episode where Hank has to do the things on his father's list and we don't get to see GH. That would have been nice to at least see him one last time.
I was also bothered that we never got to see Bobby and Cotton share a final moment or ever see Bobby's reaction to Cotton's death. Like Hank said, Cotton hated a lot of things but he loved Bobby and Bobby loved him.
Agreed. Especially since the beginning of that episode was the two of them hanging out, wasn't it?
Yeah, Cotton was babysitting Bobby.
"But I left you a lasagna in the fridge."
"And I left it on the floor."
Yeah, there are very few things that Cotton actively loved, but Bobby was definitely one of them.
GH was another, yet we didn't see him or Didi in years by that point. You'd think they would've brought them back at least for that episode or a following one.
Quote from: Avaitor on September 30, 2013, 08:43:51 AM
Yeah, there are very few things that Cotton actively loved, but Bobby was definitely one of them.
GH was another, yet we didn't see him or Didi in years by that point. You'd think they would've brought them back at least for that episode or a following one.
Jesus, really?
This probably needed to be posted in this thread. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcHAebR9Aa8)
Because it's freaky.
'tis a classic. I can't wait for Breaking Hank to come out.
"Say my name."
"Heisenberg"
"You're gad-dang right, I tell you what"
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ba2CWH0CMAAnPEt.png:large)
I liked the Kill La Kill one best.
Quote from: Kiddington on December 07, 2013, 03:46:14 AM
I liked the Kill La Kill one best.
I think you mean
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FceZ7lkD.jpg&hash=a01c00988754d72cd10afedef5a6156fa14d0887)
Beautiful.
So, Ensatsu-ken, have you managed to see many more episodes of the show?
I'm planning to marathon it (along with other shows) over the Summer.
(https://scontent-a-mia.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/t1.0-9/q71/s720x720/10330272_10202208506000558_1886120724294858338_n.jpg)
Check this out!
^Nice find!
Couldn't make out the date so I gave it a Google looksee... July 12-18, 1997
[source] (http://outpostdaria.info/media_art13.html)
Didn't fully come to the realization until now that Hank and the gang had such a really nice run.
I hope ensatsu-ken is still planning to marathon this over the summer.
Anyway, of all the "waves" of prime-time animation that has happened since the Flintstones first came out, I think the late-90s wave (that happened around South Park's early popularity) was the most interesting. It was certainly the most varied.
King of the Hill had a great run, though it was a shame that it never quite reclaimed its early popularity even if it has had quite a strong afterlife with audiences.
Am I the only one here whose curious as to what the centerfold looked like?
Quote from: Daxdiv on May 26, 2014, 06:51:05 PM
Am I the only one here whose curious as to what the centerfold looked like?
There's presently a copy of that very issue for sale on ebay....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TV-GUIDE-JULY-12-1997-HANK-HILL-KING-OF-THE-HILL-DARIA-DR-KATZ-NO-LABEL-/380689681065?pt=Magazines&hash=item58a2df8aa9
You should buy it and tell us what you find. :il_hahaha:
Did you guys ever get this added back to Netflix? We still haven't gotten it at all yet.
Nope. It still hasn't been re-added yet.
I can't believe I never did this before, but here we go.
Season 1 - 7/10
All things considered, this is fairly characterless outside of a few shining spots. That said, it's still fairly solid across the board and is an enjoyable show. "Peggy The Boggle Champ" is the clear winner for best episode here.
Season 2 - 8/10
This starts out as a continuation of season 1, only better, though as soon as "Jumpin' Crack Bass" rolls around, it's easy to tell that this show is going to be something special. This is where King of the Hill starts to form into the show that managed to last 13 seasons spread over ten years and deserved every bit of that air time. I've never met anyone who didn't think "Three Days of the Kahndo" wasn't hysterical and wasn't on the edge of their seat after "Propane Boom" aired. From this point on, it only gets better.
Season 3 - 10/10
The best season of the show. Everything finally comes together to form a remarkable season covered in highs without a low to be found. Sure people always go on over how The Simpsons had a pretty spotless run between season 3 and 9 (or 8, depending on who you are), but King of the Hill managed a run just as strong. Between "Death of a Propane Salesman" and "As Old As the Hills", you will find some excellent television waiting for you. And yes, "A Firefighting We Will Go" is enough to make anyone a fan for life.
Season 4 - 10/10
This is more of a world-building season with more episodes focused on side-characters, and they basically all work. The writing quality remains high throughout and there's tons of fun to be had. Though "Hillenium" is easily the most dated episode in the show, and as such is probably the weakest episode here, it's still remarkably strong with many great lines. "There isn't a Mrs. Chappy, is there?"
Season 5 - 10/10
As a whole this might be the second strongest season after 3, but it has a bit of a darker edge to the episodes. Characters frequently have to deal with the dark side of life and make it out through the other end. Though about every episode is successful ("The Exterminator" is one of the best), one is the clear weakling with "Twas the Nut Before Christmas" being a rather infuriating episode with an ending that sort of pops out of nowhere and should have happened much sooner. Nonetheless, it's another home-run season.
Season 6 - 10/10
You getting tired of these ratings yet? Give it a bit longer. This is probably the funniest season of King of the Hill on a gag basis. That is my purse, after all, and I'm not quite sure I'm aware of who you may be. While deeper plots and ideas take a backseat to comedy, it all manages to work here. "Old Jane! Blonde Jane!" It all ends in an excellent two-parter that has a downside to it. That being the fact that this is the last two-parter in the entire run of the show.
Season 7 - 7/10
Oh, man. Now, this isn't a bad season. There are quite a few classics here ("Megalo Dale", "Texas Skillsaw Massacre", and "Dances With Dogs"), yet it also contains the most boring premiere episode (Not worst, just most boring) in the show's run as well as the blandest finale. It also contains the single worst episode in the show's entire run. That hurts it. The network apparently caught wind that the KOTH writers were trying to establish a world and made them go back to Simpsons-styled "What's continuity?" which ended up hurting the show in the long run. It isn't until season 11 that they got it back. That might also explain the death of two-parters.
Season 8 - 8/10
Second wind in a major way. One of the best premiere episodes followed by a strong batch of episodes, season 8 is fairly underrated being that it's between the disappointing seventh and ninth seasons. It's not up to the standards of season 3 through 6, but it's a step-up. Unfortunately, the lack of continuity lead to a limit on how far this format could go.
Season 9 - 7/10
I almost gave this a six, then remembered how the season was far better by the end and gave it a seven. The season starts with three of the worst episodes in the show (The third more uninspired than bad) and steadily slogs forward until "Enrique-cilable Differences" where it makes a quantum leap forward. "Redcorn Gambles With His Future", "Smoking & The Bandit", and "Bobby On Track" are too excellently done to push it down further than a 7. But that first half is rough.
Season 10 - 7/10
Same ranking as season 9 because it has the same issues. Though the lows are nowhere near as bad as season 9, there aren't as many highs as that season either. That said, "24 Hour Propane People", "Hank Fixes Everything", and "Portrait of the Young Artist as a Clown" are all top notch.
Season 11 - 9/10
While the premiere isn't anything amazing, and the finale could have gone further, the season is the beginning of the second wind of KOTH. "SerPUNT", and "Grand Theft Arlen" being particularly absolutely hysterical. The best part? This is the only season that doesn't have a low point or weak episode. Watch any episode here and you're guaranteed to have fun. This season pretty much saved the show from obscurity.
Season 12 - 10/10
Yep, I went there. Season 12 is one of the best seasons in the show's whole run. There isn't a blemish to find here. It has the scope of season 4, the deeper aspects of season 5, the explosive comedy of season 6, and even the focus of season 3. Should I pick favorites? No need. Just sit down and watch them all. This might be the only show in history where the 12th season might be considered one of the best of the show's entire run.
Season 13 - 9/10
The season suffers from holdovers from season 12 to kill its tone (the only reason I dropped its ranking), but if judged on the episodes specifically made, it might be another 10. There are no bad episodes. Still, front-loaded by seven holdovers does effect it as it is about a third of the length. This is one of the best final seasons I've ever seen all of which close things off that have been danging for years ("Bwah! My Nose", "Serves Me Right..." and "The Honeymooners" especially) and others are just really well done episodes with a touch of melancholy in the knowledge that soon it'll be over. Some episodes could have been stronger in this aspect ("Joseph met Lori" would have been fine in an earlier season, but here it's out of place) and the holdovers are fairly average, but when it ends, it feels satisfying. The ending of "To Sirloin With Love" is one of my favorite endings of any show.
So, as a whole I'm clearly a fanboy. That said, it's probably always going to be one of my favorite shows. Nothing really tops it in consistency or the incredible highs. If you haven't sat through the 250+ episodes of this show, you're missing out. Don't believe the lame-oids who call this show boring, or the hipsters that tell you its second to Beavis & Butthead or The Office for the creators' other works. They're wrong.
Give this show a chance. It's one of the best animated shows ever.
I was using my uncle and aunt's on demand service the other day, and [as]'s section had a handful of later season 3 episodes. Wow, that year was on a roll. But it's a shame that we never saw Tilly's friends again.
I'm not sure how I'd do my rankings (they'd probably be very similar to yours), but 3 and 4 are definite 10's.
Yeah, I'd really dig a complete series set, but at least I got the first six seasons. You can really sit down and enjoy about every episode on them, but man, I'd really like the last seven, too.
Season 3 is undoubtedly the peak, but it says a lot that a chunk of the later seasons manage to live up to it.
I have links to the entire series in iTunes quality (including 720p for the HD episodes).
You guys want them?
I already have ways of watching 'em. But, thanks. :)
It's so disappointing that the back-end of the series isn't more readily available. You'd think something that ran this long would be a little more appreciated.
..........anyway, great post. I think I'd give Season 11 a perfect 10 just for Grand Theft Arlen alone though. Definitely one of my all-time favorite eps; "where's the button to turn myself in?"
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Yeah sorry, I just had to.
Anyway, one other thought I wanted to add; reading through this all again, Dax mentioned something to you about maybe doing a Top 10 best and worst episode list, which I think would be a pretty cool idea. Racist Dawg and Ms. Wakefield obviously go without saying, but I wanna see your other 8 worst eps.
I already did a top and bottom 10, but I think I'll adjust it a bit.
1. A-Firefighting We Will Go
2. Serves Me Right for Giving General George S. Patton the Bathroom Key
3. And They Call It Bobby Love
4. Nine Pretty Darn Angry Men
5. Bwah, My Nose
6. Three Coaches and a Bobby
7. To Kill A Ladybird
8. Death Picks Cotton
9. Patch Boomhauer
10. Three Days of the Kahndo
My bottom 10:
1. Racist Dawg
2. Mrs. Wakefield
3. 'Twas The Nut Before Christmas
4. A Rover Runs Through It
5. Junkie Business
6. I'm With Cupid
7. Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Banana?
8. The Petriot Act
9. The Texas Panhandler
10. Be True To Your Fool (It was a coin toss between this or "Bill's House")
Ah, I guess I missed it the first time then.
But anyway, good list! I think for me on the Top 10 best my rankings would be pretty similar (if not a bit shuffled around), but I'd try to find a way to sneak "Ho Yeah!" and "Grand Theft Arlen" in there (probably pulling out "Death Picks Cotton" and "Bwah My Nose"). That's just on a personal level, as those are two of my absolute favorites. Good choices for both though, and I think it really speaks to the quality of the series that something like "I'm With Cupid" (which IMO is actually a pretty funny episode, even though everybody is horrendously out of character) is on the bad end of things.
I'd probably put "Be True To Your Fool" higher on the worst list though. That...........is a bad one. Very hard to watch, just given how weird and generally unfunny it is.
I was considering putting it higher, but despite its issues (and it has them), they didn't grate on me nearly as much as the other nine did. Any episodes that has irritating characters without comeuppance, OOC moments pouring out of everywhere, and character beat-downs goes to the top of the list. "The Petriot Act" should probably be last on the list, but the whole episode just doesn't work for me on any level at any point.
The top 10 is a lot harder to put together due to the amount of classic episodes, so I just put the episodes with the highest re-watch factor. "Ho Yeah!" and "Grand Theft Arlen" would be in the top 20, for sure. Probably with "SerPUNt", "24 Hour Propane People", and "Doggone Crazy" not too far off. Then there's "Texas Skillsaw Massacre", "Soldier of Misfortune", "Pretty, Pretty Dresses", "Megalo Dale", "Returning Japanese"...
Saw some of the firefighting episode a few weeks ago and meant to say I liked what I saw. :thumbup:
I don't think I could sit down and come up with a top ten episodes list but I know Aisle 8A would be in there somewhere.
I lose it every time I see the scene where Hank escorts Connie out of the house, covered in a blanket.
My favorite part is when he hangs up on his mother. He's just so far out of his element.
I've never really gave it much thought before now, but right now I'd say my top ten would look like:
10. What Happens at the National Propane Gas Convention in Memphis, Stays at the National Propane Gas Convention in Memphis
9. Nine Pretty Darn Angry Men
8. De-Khanstructing Henry
7. A Beer Can Named Desire
6. Soldier of Misfortune
5. Serves Me Right for Giving General George S. Patton the Bathroom Key
4. A Fire-Fighting We Will Go
3. Returning Japanese parts 1 & 2
2. As Old As the Hills/Peggy Hill: The Decline and Fall
1. Death Picks Cotton
Hmm, looking at it, I really like a lot of Cotton episodes. Never realized that before now. :D
Great list. I have to say all of those are some of the best episodes in the entire run of the show.
Cotton is one of the best characters in the show. Actually, all the elderly characters in this show are great now that I think about it (aside from Mrs. Wakefield) all of which are quite different from each other. One of my favorite parts of the show is the dynamic of Hank's parents and the obvious reason of why they didn't last, and how he harbors the best traits of both of them as well as their worst (His mother's passiveness and his father's temper) and ends up being the mediator for them so often.
My personal favorites, in no particular order (sorry, can't limit to it just ten):
1. Chasing Bobby
2. Hanky Panky/High Anxiety
3. Jon Vitti Presents: Return to La Grunta
4. A Firefighting We Will Go
5. Bobby Goes Nuts
6. Husky Bobby
7. Hank's Dirty Laundry
8. Nine Pretty Darn Angry Men
9. Hank's Bad Hair Day
10. A Beer Can Named Desire
11. Joust Like a Woman
12. Sleight of Hank
13. Life in the Fast Lane, Bobby's Saga
14. To Spank With Love
15. The Hank's Giving Episode
Runners up:
-How to Fire a Rifle Without Really Trying
-Hillennium
-Revenge of the Lutefisk
-Texas City Twister
-Hank's Unmentionable Problem
-Propane Boom/Death of a Propane Salesman
-Old Glory
-Peggy's Fan Fair
-Luanne Virgin 2.0
-Good Hill Hunting
-Beer and Loathing
-The Texas Skilsaw Massacre
-That's What She Said
-Death Picks Cotton
-Ho Yeah!
Least favorites, in no particular order:
1. The Arrowhead (rather dull and not much to it)
2. Pigmalion (I like it more than I used to, but I'm still not a big fan)
3. Of Mice and Little Green Men (because Dale's idiocy really stretched it)
4. The Petriot Act (mainly for how blatantly anti-cat the episode is, even though there are some good jokes)
5. Dances With Dogs
6. Transnational Amusements Presents: Peggy's Magic Sex Feet
...And much of the last couple seasons. They weren't horrible but if you compare them to the show at its peak (seasons 2-6), they're definitely not up to that level. The energy level is much lower, for one thing.
Pigmalion isn't a bad episode, but it is surprisingly dark and creepy compared to most King of the Hill episodes.
Yeah, "Pigmalion" has an interesting concept to it, but the episode is way too dark to enjoy as more than just a unique diversion. "The Petriot Act" isn't meritless either, but as you said, the show's anti-cat bias is showing a bit too much, and this comes from a lifelong dog lover. On top of that, the episode just isn't that memorable.
I can't agree with the last few seasons being a step down, however. The energy did shift a little past the halfway point, but there are some fantastically written episodes in the last 3 seasons.
Okay, I can't believe I forgot "Sleight of Hank". Edited my list.
"I can't agree with the last few seasons being a step down, however. The energy did shift a little past the halfway point, but there are some fantastically written episodes in the last 3 seasons."
They were well-written, sure, but definitely didn't generate as many LOL moments as the show at its peak. Maybe putting them in the "least favorite episodes" category was a bit much, though.
Personally, I thought the last three seasons were way better than season 7-10. They were too episodic and wacky for my tastes. I much preferred the slower burn of the last few seasons.
The Petriot Act's strange anti-cat bias was off. Usually when one of Hank's phobias is confronted either he learns it was wrong or he learns a new layer to it that makes him see it in a new way. For some reason this episode just played cats as jerks and did nothing with them then lead to a forced ending that was pointless.
The episode would have been much better if it was about Hank liking cats and the situations that would have sprung from that. But no, we got every anti-cat stereotype in the book instead. As someone who has taken care of quite a few sick cats in my neighborhood, I really didn't like how they were handled here.
I dunno guys, I like Pigmalion; yeah it is pretty dark, but I've always thought it was a funny episode. It (along with Texas Skillsaw Massacre and Megalo Dale) stand out amongst a crop of some pretty boring/bad eps, even if Pigmalion was a holdover.
Season 7 was weird though; while we got some really good episodes, this was also the season that gave us Racist Dawg and Be True To Your Fool (IMO the ladder really is one of my least favorites; everything about it is just so off, and it's a really hard one to watch). Actually, now that I think about it, 7 might honestly be the worst season for me, just given the extreme peaks and valleys between quality; whereas Seasons 9-10 were pretty dull throughout, 7 gave you glimpses of what could have been with a couple of gems, but it also had some real busts. Just me though.
..........and while we're on the subject, I need to watch Petriot Act again; for some reason I don't really remember it all that well, and it's been a while since I've seen it. I don't think I was too crazy about it though, if it's been this long between rewatches.
I like Pigmalion as an experiment and as dark comedy, but not as a KOTH episode. It was originally on my worst episode list until I remembered that I didn't actually hate it or even dislike it.
Season 7 or 10 might be the worst overall season. 7 had lows, but a bunch of classics, 10 was pretty bland, and only really had like two classics-- it was like a more boring season 9.
I like every other season a lot, but those three are harder to get through than the others just because so much of it blurs together.
Yeah that's the thing about 7 for me; it's highs (especially Megalo Dale, that'd be in my Top 15-20 for sure) are some of the series best, but its lows are pretty miserable. 9 and 10, for me, are just really boring; there aren't any real classics (not on the level of other seasons anyway, even 7-8) and other than Ms. Wakefield, we didn't get a ton of clunkers either; just a lot of unspectacular filler eps that don't really leave any kind of impression on you either way.
This is one era of the series I do think I should watch again though, since it's probably the portion of the series I've gone the longest without watching (along with Season 1, which is..........I dunno, not really characterized yet and, looking back on, just not all that interesting to me). Would you have any recommendations for 9 and 10, something I might've glossed over the first time? I know there's some decent stuff in there (I remember Mutual of Omabwah being a good one), any others?
Highlights from season 9 and 10? This shouldn't be too difficult, let me see...
Season 9 (This is like, half the season)
Enrique-cilable Differences
Care-Takin' Care Of Business
Mutual Of Omabwah
Redcorn Gambles With His Future
Smoking & The Bandit
Gone With The Windstorm
Bobby On Track
It Ain't Over 'Til The Fat Neighbour Sings
Season 10 (Most episodes here are just bland, so the best ones easily stand out)
Hank's On Board
Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Clown
Business Is Picking Up
Hank Fixes Everything
24 Hour Propane People
Hank's Bully (Watershed episode so you should probably see this even though I don't know if you'll like it)
Edu-ma-cating Lucky
That's about 15 episodes, which is about one season worth of great episodes. Two bad they're spread over two seasons. All in all, "bad" KOTH is more boring than bad outside of the real stinkers.
Wow, I don't remember "Be True to Your Fool" at ALL. I kind of want to look it up, to see what it's like.
Aww man, I forgot 24 Hour Propane People was from that era! Yeah that's definitely a good one, hard to believe that's from a season as generally dull as 10; are we sure that wasn't meant as a holdover for 11?
A lot of these I've kinda forgotten about though, it's been a while. I definitely need to check some of them out again.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on August 18, 2014, 11:15:12 PM
That's about 15 episodes, which is about one season worth of great episodes. Two bad they're spread over two seasons. All in all, "bad" KOTH is more boring than bad outside of the real stinkers.
Really, the series
true clunkers are very few and far between. For me, I'd go:
1. Racist Dawg - goes without saying
2. Ms. Wakefield - goes without saying
3. Be True To Your Fool - I've gone at length about this one, it's just bad and one of my least favorites from top to bottom
4. A Rover Runs Through It - by far the worst "major" episode of the series, this is a hard one to forget
5. Bill's House - I caught this one recently, and the episodes that pile on Bill and victimize his loneliness are some of the worst for me; it's very similar to Nut Before Christmas, but I think the writing is just a bit better in that one, even if the end result is arguably worse
..........and that's about it. Granted there are a lot of eps I haven't seen in a while, but I tend to remember the stinkers (probably because the series has so few), and these are really the only five that truly stand out. Anything else I didn't like is just boring but not necessarily bad or unwatchable like these.
Quote from: Avaitor on August 18, 2014, 11:31:45 PM
Wow, I don't remember "Be True to Your Fool" at ALL. I kind of want to look it up, to see what it's like.
The one where Hank learns he has a tattoo on the back of his head that says "Bill" after Bill gave the crew lice.
And he ends up confessing to a crime so he can stay in jail in order to "matter" to the inmates...
It's REALLY weird.
Quote from: Kiddington on August 18, 2014, 11:39:22 PM5. Bill's House - I caught this one recently, and the episodes that pile on Bill and victimize his loneliness are some of the worst for me; it's very similar to Nut Before Christmas, but I think the writing is just a bit better in that one, even if the end result is arguably worse
The best one is the one where the doctor destroys his confidence and makes him a wreck.
Seeing Bill realize he was taken advantage of in a realistic way that ends with him better than before is refreshing. But what makes this episode truly better than Bill's House or Twas the Nut Before Christmas? It ends with Bill kicking the crap out of the jerk doctor who was a totally deplorable person. The ending of the other episodes are fairly lame in comparison.
As far as I'm concerned its the only episode of that type that's watchable without getting annoyed.
"Twas the Nut Before Christmas" may not be a great episode but it has one of the best act breaks in the history of the show: "Hey dad! I like beer!" "BWAH!!!! YOU, YOU, YOU, GO HOME NOW! I've had enough of this Christmas crap! Bill!"
Let me ask you guys a question: If you hate "Racist Dawg", do you also hate the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode where Larry wonders if his dog is racist? Is your issue with premise, or execution?
Execution, since Larry's supposed to be the guy dumb enough to wonder if his dog would be racist. Hank's supposed to be the straight man, so doing that just leads to more awkwardness than anything.
The execution falls flat. Not to mention its one of those episodes that makes a bunch of characters out of character for it to work. It's also not a very funny episode all things considered as most character beat-down episodes aren't.
Hank trying to clear his name of renting the porn tape was a much better execution of this idea and had far better jokes to go with it.
And it's a complete waste of Bernie Mac as a guest voice. Racist Dawg is bar none my least favorite episode of the series. To the point that I will change the channel if it's on. To me, it's pretty much the equivalent to that Iggy episode of Hey Arnold. A lot of series I love have at least one episode like that, it seems.
the bunny suit episode?
Quote from: gunswordfist on August 19, 2014, 01:49:44 PM
the bunny suit episode?
Yep.
You know, Foster's had at least 3 of those- the episode with Bendy, the one with that super fake looking imaginary friend that actually was one, and the Europe episode. No wonder I don't come back to that show anymore.
i wish they would air the show again.
Back to KOTH: Added "Transnational Amusements Presents: Peggy's Magic Sex Feet" to the least favorites list. Never really cared for that one.
Are there any episodes you appreciated more the second or third time around?
For me, I initially disliked "Pretty Pretty Dresses" because of how downbeat it was, but now I kinda like it, due to the psychological aspects to Bill coping with depression and how it affects everyone around him. It's not really a LOL episode but it's not supposed to be.
"Peggy Hill: The Decline and Fall" is another one; it actually has more funny jokes than I initially gave it credit for. I guess I was focusing too much on Peggy's condition (which was a downer, despite that it could've been much worse and she was staying positive about it) to see the humor that was there.
"Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Clown" was one I thought was average until I re-watched it and found I missed a lot of good jokes and moments. Though I think the episodes I eventually came around to were a lot of the early episodes from season 1 and 2 that were still a bit shaky. Judging them from what they are, most of them are pretty good.
I have a friend that came around to Peggy after watching "Lupe's Revenge" and "The Substitute Spanish Prisoner". While he still doesn't like her, he no longer longs to kick the screen in when she's talking.
Even though I'm not a big Peggy Fan, Lupe's Revenge is one of my favorite episodes, if only for the moment she's defending herself in court and everyone realizes how much her Spanish sucks. I'll admit that Peggy did make some amateur mistakes like the word for years and anus in Spanish are close to one another. I though I still want to know what the hell she meant by "Cigar Factory" at the end of that speech. How can you confuse cigar factory for prison?
"Dad, don't bring us another Japanese skull again, it's just gonna gather dust."
"Hank don't! Alabaster may be a small guy but he will mess you up!"
"No offense, but he's from Oklahoma."
Ho Yeah! is such a classic.
My favorite is the reveal after Alabaster leaves that the guys are standing right there in the alley and saw the whole thing.
"Hey, he ran a red light, you can't do that!" Love that episode.
"I have a friend that came around to Peggy after watching "Lupe's Revenge" and "The Substitute Spanish Prisoner". While he still doesn't like her, he no longer longs to kick the screen in when she's talking."
I like both of those. Generally, I enjoy any "outcon the con" plot.
"Lupe's Revenge" is definitely up there as one of the best.
"Uh, Peggy? There's a little Mexican girl in the utility closet."
"Is this show accurate?"
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/King-Hill-Seasons-7-and-8/20245
Holy shit.
Just, wow!
Damn! I never expected that would ever happen. I was holding out hope for a complete series release someday, but now I think I'll just finally start collecting the dvd sets.
I actually pawned off my old sets, but I can probably get them again for cheap. I'll ask for these for Christmas, if there's room between all the Haunted Mansion stuff I'm asking for. :P
Yes! Fuck yes! Seasons 1-6 have been sitting on my shelf for years, longing for their other half.
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Most surprising DVD news of the year, next to The Wonder Years.
That said, it'll be interesting to see how well it sells. KOTH seasons 7 and 8 were released on iTunes a few years ago, so I could see impatient fans (like myself) going for those and not buying the DVDs because they already own them in -a- format. And personally, I'm low on shelf space so I'm not sure I'll double dip.
Has anyone picked up the sets yet?
I actually just saw these in person for the first time when I went to a further away Barnes & Noble- for $35 each. Yikes, not yet. I was hoping they'd be, like, $20. But Best Buy, Target, WalMart isn't carrying them.
Maybe after my next paycheck, I'll check online to find them for a cheaper price.
I haven't had the spare money due to Christmas shopping. I'll get them soon enough, though.
I saw them at the local record store for $23 each. But my money's tight right now, so yeah. :(
whoa, lupe's revenge, bobby goes nuts and that kidney boy episode in 2 days? if they keep on showing ones this good, i might have to start watching this show regularly again. yesterday was the first time i watched the full hour in a long time.
The first 4 episodes of season 6 is nothing short of perfect.
so that's where they are.
Well, Kidney Boy was the season finale, but it was a good episode nonetheless.
I had enough extra to buy one set from amazon, so I got season 8. Why season 8? Well, for one it's a better season than 7. For another it was $10 cheaper and I could only get one of them.
First, the menus are the same as season 1-6, so nothing sticks out like a sore thumb. They play clips from the episodes in the main menu ("Dad, I accidentally used your toothbrush again." "Throw it out.") and the episode selection gives the episode description as it always has. The first disc has eight episodes and the other two have seven. They're single-sided. The interior cover lists the episodes and houses the three discs without issue.
I watched "Patch Boomhauer" (still a classic) and am pleased with the presentation. Sharp picture and sound, Olive Films did a great job on these DVDs. I'm really hoping the rest of the seasons will follow.
April 7 for seasons 9 and 10!
Quote from: Avaitor on January 21, 2015, 10:59:41 PM
April 7 for seasons 9 and 10!
You're kidding me! They're bringing these out fast! I still haven't gotten season 7 yet!
Interesting that they're doing two discs for each season. I suspect this means season 11 will be released on its own and not packaged with season 12. Not that I'm complaining, but I would hope for lower prices for lower episode counts. Either way, I'll be getting them.
Season 9 and 10 covers (http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/King-Hill-Seasons-9-and-10/20680)
The cover for season 9, man. Not a fan.
Yeah. That one just looks...off.
That's what they chose for representation for S9?
Meh.
What would you have rather they chose? I don't have a problem with the season 9 cover, and I like how it references a specific episode from that season. The season 10 one by comparison is just generic.
Anything but the episode with the worst continuity errors. Personally, I would prefer a generic episode, but then season 9 is probably my least favorite season so it probably wouldn't help me much.
Continuity snarl aside, I didn't mind "A Rover Runs Through It", so perhaps that's why I'm not disliking that cover.
Imagine if they went with the puking Duke for the cover! :lol:
I didn't realize that Dennis Burkley (voice of Principal Moss) died two years ago. What a shame. He was excellent on the show.
oh man, r.i.p...
"Mr. Boomhauer had grown-up sex with the ice cream lady and dumped her, and now you'll never have ice cream again, Bobby."
Season 11 for August! (http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/King-Hill-Season-11/21254)
Yes!
Just two more left!
I've seen the later sets at smaller, generally more expensive places for a little while now, like MovieStop, FYE, Barnes & Noble, but I just found season 7 at WalMart! It's $25 there.
I can probably get that and 8 for a better price in the near future, but this is worth noting for those who want to pick up the later sets.
Thanks for the tip. Next time I'm at Walmart, I'll keep an eye out. I still need to pick up season 7.
Nice, nice.
That should do it then. I've still gotta pick up 9 and 10 as well, but these should be great housewarming gifts for myself when I no longer have cable next month. It's been years since I've seen some of these later eps.
Season 12 in September! (http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/King-Hill-Season-12/21377)
I can't say that I'm too found of how plain the cover is, but it's just nice to get more of the series out, especially so soon. I would not be surprised if we get the last season by the end of the year.
One of the best seasons.
Olive Films said that there was a good chance that the whole series would be out by the end of the year. I'm betting at this rate that season 13 will be out by November.
I'm impressed. I never thought we'd finally get the whole series on DVD, but here we are! Only a few more months to go.
I need to jump on these when I have the chance. I still only have the original six season releases.
Though considering Hank's character, the covers being as plain as they are is kind of fitting in a way.
I certainly like the plain covers more than season 9's, anyway.
But my favorite is still season 5:
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Too cool.
God, I'm so bad; I honestly forgot all about season 13. :rtard: I don't even know how, it has one of my favorite episodes (the propane convention in Memphis). I think a lot of these I've never seen though; I never did get around to watching those 4 syndication eps from after the fact, and a lot of the others actually don't sound familiar to me at all for some reason.
Such great news though, can't wait to finally own the whole thing. It was bad enough only having the first couple seasons, but then when they completely took it off Netflix and having only scattershot reruns to rely on.....ugh.
Quote from: Kiddington on July 31, 2015, 09:47:50 AM
I never did get around to watching those 4 syndication eps from after the fact
Three of the four are some of the best episodes in the show's run.
You're in for a treat! ;D
Words can't describe my love for this bit. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stUIMKuPs8c)
Best under 10 second exchange ever.
The entire episode is full of great little moments like that. It's easily one of the best episodes and early classics. But that's definitely a great exchange.
...I forgot which episode that was.
Season 13 will be released on October 20th (http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/King-Hill-Season-13/21493)- with a twist!
It makes sense that this season can score a Blu release, since the non-S12 leftovers were made in HD. When I get around to completing my collection, I might actually opt for Blu, since it's the same price either way.
I'll be sticking with DVD, but it's good to see the option being offered. I can't believe after so many years, KOTH will finally be completed on DVD.
Finally!
Yeah I'll probably stick with DVD as well for consistency's sake, but still cool either way.
It'll be so cool to finally have the whole thing. I feel like there's a lot of the later stuff I missed out on (Season 13, other than about 2-3 eps, sounds completely unknown to me), so this is a great to finally get caught up after all these years.
Man, "I'm With Cupid" isn't very good, is it? It was pointless for Bobby to miss Connie, when they ended on mutual terms in the previous episode, just as his dedication to getting her back became increasingly creepy.
Additionally, while Bill remained pathetic throughout the entire series, he was all but over Lenore by this point, so he also feels out of character. And Boomhauer isn't very likable here, either.
I don't think it's entirely worthless, though- there are some good lines and funny moments scattered around.
"I'm not supposed to talk to you, Mr. Dauterive. My mom gave me this whistle in case you start giving me advice."
"Well, I guess Boomhauer's secret isn't in housewares."
"And it's not in the portrait studio, although I did see a very ugly baby there."
But even with these, it's still not a particularly episode.
That is one of my least favorite episodes, for sure. It relies on character degradation to work and setting two characters back in a way that negates some really good episodes in the process. The only thing that could make it worse is if there was a Racist Dawg/Mrs. Wakefield style character beat down at the same time.
There are some good lines (almost all of them have good lines) but it is not one I ever go out of my way to watch. For a character-based show this episode makes too many mistakes.
"Bobby Hill, put that phone down! The school could be calling me in to sub at any moment. What if an algebra teacher died in a car accident? It would be a tragedy if they couldn't reach me."
I really do appreciate Peggy now, for better or for worse.
She's the best. :swoon:
Pocket sand is one of the funniest moments in the show's history.
"Soldier of Misfortune" is one of the funniest KOTH episodes ever.
I'm alright. I fell in the hole again.
"It's not what it looks like! I was calling the police!" To paraphrase.
I also love how Dale just drives right into a car that's in his parking space, without apologizing or exchanging information.
Oh, and I'M TOO FAT!
I refuse to believe this aired on TV in any way, shape or form. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtGT7x2eMgM)
That's almost as good as this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1FLRlVnHJQ).
I mentioned a while ago that I found seasons 5 and 6 for $2 each. So, I was about to watch an episode from season 5, and I noticed that I don't actually have the second disc for it- instead, I have disc 2 for season 2. I do still have the other discs, and all of the right ones for S6.
Damn. I'll have to keep an eye on eBay, since they get replacement discs sometimes. Blah.
Did you know that John K is a big Mike Judge fan?
Well, now you know. (http://www.adweek.com/news/television/king-hill-s-hank-returns-promote-ufc-200-new-adult-swim-branded-spot-172298)
I thought John K hated clever writing as opposed to physical gags, non-rubbery animation, and simplistic character designs? Because KOTH is all those things he's ranted about.
Right? Go figure.
He's a big fan of Beavis and Butthead, and apparently really likes KOTH "when Judge's influence is evident".
I went to another MovieStop before it closed, and guess what I found there- season 11 for $6!
It's nice to own of the later seasons. If only I could have found the other sets for this cheap.
Still can't believe it's been almost 3 years since KOTH was taken off of Netflix.....and that at this point in 2016, it isn't streaming on any of the "big 3". You'd think Hulu would've at least made a play for it by now.
I appreciate the fact that it's finally on DVD (and I'm slowly getting caught up), but after having lived in small apartments these past few years I've really come to appreciate the minimalistic approach of streaming. I've been a supporter of physical media for years, but I think as I'm becoming less materialistic as I've gotten older, it doesn't mean as much to me as it used to.
Oh, but I'd absolutely love a "complete series" set of this though. That'd be worth the price of double-dipping.
Hmmmm... (http://www.avclub.com/article/fox-has-had-preliminary-talks-about-reviving-king--259187)
I hope not. It had a good ending and ended exactly where it needed to.
Problem is a lot of fans didn't want to let it go. All it will take is enough of them together to chime in to convince the suits its a good idea.
Personally, I liked the show despite never being an avid watcher of it and still haven't seen the final seasons. But I'm not sure how this will do, especially with Brittany Murphy's tragic death necessitating Luanne getting recast.
They could always just have Luanne and Lucky relocate. She's not as important of a character as the Hills, Dale, Bill, Boomhauer, or even Buck and the Souphanousinphones, at least not near the end of the run.
But really, I don't want this either. The show ended at a good time and in a good place. Instead, Fox could do us good by putting the show back on Netflix.
As much as I like KOTH, it had a good run. They could still make some great episodes out of it, but even so not everything needs to be brought back.
I'd be interested in more KOTH just to see how the show would work in today's time. The show often had a bipartisan approach to society and life, as it was meant to satirize middle-aged Texans and their conservative values while taking a very skeptical view on liberal ideas (like that episode where Bobby and his friends learned to feel guilt for their ancestors' crimes, but it's portrayed as annoying and Hank's telling him to stop it). So I wonder how modern day politics would affect the show's writing.
KOTH's thoughtful neutrality would certainly be refreshing in an increasingly polarized political climate Looking at how has the Trump presidency has affected life for regular folk in Arlen would be interesting, especially in regards to Hank trying to teach an easily-impressionable Bobby what it means to be a good person.
(https://i.imgur.com/TAINRcC.png)
Okay, what is this clip from? (https://twitter.com/myanimewaifu/status/964680473090797569) I don't remember this happening at all in KOTH.
The immediate Tweet under it:
QuoteOkay, so it appears this was produced for theaters as part of a fundraiser for the Will Rogers Institute, where the theater would donate a portion of the money they got from selling food combo packs.
Adult Swim is losing KOTH on June 30. (https://www.toonzone.net/forums/threads/as-losing-king-of-the-hill.5666201/page-2#post-86415512)
I'd be lying if I said that I've caught it on the block recently, but I do think that it sucks that the show doesn't really have a home anymore. It's not airing anywhere else, it has no streaming since it left Netflix years ago, and the later season's DVDs are still a little pricey. For as good as the show is, it's not that easy to catch anymore.
Quote from: Avaitor on June 29, 2018, 01:10:43 PMI'd be lying if I said that I've caught it on the block recently, but I do think that it sucks that the show doesn't really have a home anymore. It's not airing anywhere else, it has no streaming since it left Netflix years ago, and the later season's DVDs are still a little pricey. For as good as the show is, it's not that easy to catch anymore.
It will still air in syndication. KDOC, a local station by me, is still airing it.
You may need to check your local listings if you want to see
KOTH anymore. It might not be on a major network, but it should still be there.
Yeah, it still airs on a local station here. It might not air on 4 different networks at one time like Family Guy does, but some places are still running it on syndication.
IIRC music rights was one given reason for the DVD sets stalling for as long as it did; could that have anything to do with KOTH's lack of a streaming home as well? It continues to defy me how a show like this hasn't been available on a legit streaming service (Netflix/Hulu, etc.) in nearly 5 years.
Double post but worth mentioning; KOTH is moving to Comedy Central starting July 24th (https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/king-of-the-hill/tv-listings/100241/).
So it looks like it will have a regular cable home after all. Pretty bad timeslot though.
I guess Comedy Central got tired of airing Chappelle's Show reruns at late night forever?
I don't think KOTH seems like a good fit for Comedy Central. Then again, neither does The Office, which is apparently a quarter of their schedule, so what do I know?
I also thought that Futurama wasn't the best fit, which probably explains why the episodes from that run went weirdly political.
A video in case you ever wanted to eat out Peggy (https://youtu.be/iq6_iUhLHo4)'s recipes.
IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING (https://twitter.com/TristanACooper/status/1057976447749578755)
Never made sense to me why it wasn't here to begin with given the Fox partnership, but whatever.
And now I get a Hulu account.
A Dale Gribble spin-off was hiding on YouTube this entire time. (https://youtu.be/ptqWMF5qhp4)
Quote from: Daikun on August 10, 2017, 01:03:33 AMHmmmm... (http://www.avclub.com/article/fox-has-had-preliminary-talks-about-reviving-king--259187)
They're trying again. (https://www.techradar.com/news/animated-sitcom-king-of-the-hill-is-close-to-a-revival)
I don't want KOTH to come back purely as a reaction to Trump. For one thing, the show was rarely about that. It definitely got political and was absolutely a reaction to the landscape at the time as plenty of the later seasons can attest, but it never focused on being a "Clinton" show or a "Bush" show. Even when Bush showed up in an episode, it never dwelled upon him as a person and was just about Hank's opinions on voting in general. And the other thing, we're in the Biden era now. Making Trump jokes now is like making Bush jokes in 2009 or 10. And unlike other topical shows like South Park, I don't want to see Hank Hill talk about the pandemic.
A 15-year timeskip's also a little concerning. I wouldn't mind a couple years just to explain away Luanne and Lucky's deaths, but not that far along.
So starting Monday, KOTH is coming back to [adult swim].
No, really.
Well, I guess AS has a reason to hog the 8PM hour again.
Mike Judge founded a new animation studio (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/greg-daniels-mike-judge-animation-king-of-the-hill-revived-1235076296) and he's using it to revive KOTH.
King of the Hill revival will follow in Futurama's footsteps and be streamed on Hulu. (https://deadline.com/2023/01/king-of-the-hill-revival-hulu-original-cast-returning-1235245072/)
One of the really interesting things here is that Lauren Tom is named to return as Minh, but Toby Huss isn't for Kahn. I wonder who'll replace him.
Not to mention what they'll do with Luanne and Lucky.
Edit: I'm conflicted about this happening, FTR. I don't really see what untreaded ground the show needs to touch on today, but also, if anything, I trust Mike Judge after getting two high quality revivals of Beavis and Butthead. At the same time, I feel like B&B is easier to revive for modern sensibilities than a show set as firmly in its place in time like KOTH. I want it to be good and I hope Judge wouldn't come back for just a quick paycheck.
In memoriam (https://www.tmz.com/2023/08/10/king-of-the-hill-dale-johnny-hardwick-voice-actor-dead-dies/)
POCKET SAND!
RIP to a legend.
I'm now curious as to how they're gonna handle this in the revival. I've seen people say that maybe his voice got messed up due to years of chain smoking catching up to him & now he has to use a voice box. So that way, no one will notice the difference.
The best series ever !