King of the Hill isn’t just a show made for Texans. It’s for anyone who enjoys a mirthful, frank depiction of surburbic Texas. Fans know there’s universal appeal to this series. The show lasted a whopping thirteen seasons, and every one offered insight into the blue-collared average joe. Something else people forget is the nuanced emotion. And with Arlen being set in the conservative South, there’s the habit of biding or silencing one’s feelings. The show captures this aspect perfectly.
So, in memoriam of every pang big or small, here are ten times King of the Hill broke our hearts.
Hank finally accepts Luanne
Luanne Platter’s uncle Hank and her maternal aunt Peggy took her in when she had nowhere to go. Her mother was in prison, and her father was not in the picture. Peggy welcomed her niece with open arms, but Hank was more resistant. He always assumed Luanne would eventually leave, and he didn’t see her as family for a long time. That changed in season 2’s “Texas City Twister” when Hank basically sends Luanne back to the trailer park she escaped from. So while it takes the threat of a tornado to do it, Hank finally regards Luanne as family.
Bill and Peg’s excellent adventures
The uncomfortable dynamic between Peggy and Hank’s friend Bill continues in season 4’s “Bill of Sales”. Fans know Bill has been enamored with Hank’s wife for a long time, and that’s why he helps her with her new job. And Peggy needs all the help she can get because she’s trapped in a pyramid scheme. The more Bill helps her, the more Peggy realizes he doesn’t respond well to kindness or gratitude. She pretends to be cruel and bosses him around to the point where his feet bleed. This is a pitiful sight that makes one’s heart wrench for Bill.
Taking care of Kahn, Jr.’s business
Hank watches over Kanh, Jr. as her parents Kanh and Minh go on a business trip in season 4’s “Aisle 8A”. All seems to be going well between Kahn, Jr. and Bobby until puberty kicks in for Miss Souphanousinphone.
With Peggy not around, Hank handles the situation by himself despite how uncomfortable it makes him feel. He even takes her to the one aisle at the Mega Lo Mart he never thought he’d step foot in. Seeing Hank care for Kahn, Jr. at the best of his ability is the kind of slice of life story people can relate to.
The land of the Rising Son
The episode of the The Simpsons where they go to Japan is beloved, but King of the Hill’s season 6 finale “Returning Japanese” is equally delightful. This two-parter entails the Hills visiting Japan with Hank’s curmudgeonly father Cotton. Cotton was wounded in WWII, and his feet were reattached to his knees. So, Cotton’s PTSD stems from his service in Japan. However, it’s revealed that Cotton shares an estranged son named Junichiro with a woman he met over there. This also means Hank has a half-brother. These episodes are proof the show is good at plucking heartstrings without ever being maudlin.
Boomhauer or bust
Boomhauer has always been considered a ladies man. His near unintelligible, cluttered manner of speech and good looks make the women of Arlen swoon. Yet in season 6’s “Dang Ol’ Love”, it’s Boomhauer who catches feelings. He falls hard for a woman who has no interest in dating him. This causes him to spin in a way that audiences were not expecting. After all, Boomhauer was never developed to be more than a drinking buddy for Hank and the guys. Seeing the tables turn on Boomhauer shouldn’t be so affecting, but it’s like watching a teenager experience his first heartbreak.
Mommie dearest
In season 2’s “Leanne’s Saga”, Luanne’s mother and Peggy’s sister-in-law is released from prison after stabbing her daughter’s father with a fork. Leanne’s claims to be sober now, and she’s trying to patch things up with Luanne.
Hank’s excited over the fact that Luanne may finally move out of his house. It doesn’t take long for Leanne to return to her old ways, though. She drunkenly ruins a party and attacks Peggy, who has been biting her tongue for Luanne’s sake. No longer able to stay quiet, Peggy kicks Leanne to the curb and consoles her disappointed niece once again.
Father figure
Kahn Souphanousinphone gets in big trouble at work in season 3’s “De-Kahnstructing Henry” and is fired. To save face as he searches for a new and better job, he ups and leaves Minh and Kahn, Jr. behind. This urges his neighbor Hank to step in and help them at every turn. From fixing things around their house to bringing them dinner, Hank becomes a surrogate father to Kahn Jr. and a shoulder to cry on for Minh. This situation is not ideal for Hank personally as there’s too much emotion involved. Nevertheless, Hank proves to be a very good egg.
Breakdown alley
Bill is a troubled, lonely man whose wife Lenore left him years ago. And he never quite got over it. In season 3’s “Pretty, Pretty Dresses”, though, Bill really snaps. His deep-seated depression manifests in him dressing up in Lenore’s clothes and pretending to be her.
Hank is frustrated by his friend because he doesn’t understand Bill has severe mental health issues that were never addressed or treated. It feels like Hank is being a jerk, but he really swoops in and saves Bill at the last second. He’s able to give Bill something he was never afforded before — closure.
Father of mine
Up until season 3’s “Peggy’s Headache”, Hank’s wife had no idea Dale Gribble’s son Joseph wasn’t his biological child. It was a well-known secret among the gang that Dale’s wife Nancy was having a long-term affair with her masseur John Redcorn. And Joseph is their son. Like Dale, Peggy was absolutely clueless about Joseph’s paternity. It’s when Hank forbids Peggy to stop seeing John Redcorn for massage therapy — legitimate massages, too — that she learns the truth. She wants to tell Dale, but she doesn’t have the heart as she sees the secret would devastate him and his relationship with Joseph.
100% Cotton
King of the Hill did something most other animated sitcoms cannot bring themselves to do — it killed off an important character. In season 12’s “Death Picks Cotton”, Hank’s rude, misogynistic father Cotton becomes gravely ill following an accident. Hank refuses to accept that his father is dying, and Cotton’s deathbed behavior isn’t making the inevitable farewell any easier. Hank tries to say goodbye to Cotton, but the WWII veteran mocks him for acting weak. Peggy steps in and sends Cotton off in a manner he deserves. In addition, she lies to Hank and said Cotton finally admitted he loved him.
