King of the Hill is currently in the works on a new revival series for Hulu, so now is the best time to look back on it all with some of the best episodes from the very first season. King of the Hill first debuted with Fox back in 1997 with one of the shortest seasons in the original run. The Mike Judge and Greg Daniels developed animated series introduced fans to the fictional Texas town of Arlen, and the humble and conservative people within it. Offering a more grounded take on its world than seen with hits like The Simpsons, King of the Hill immediately stood out from the pack.
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King of the Hill’s first season is also a much quieter affair than fans might have seen in later seasons to come. King of the Hill had a humble origin as Hank Hill navigated his quiet life in his small neighborhood, but the world around him was steadily changing. The series mined its comedy from how Hank needed to change in order to fit the wacky world around him, and the first season truly had some stellar examples of this initial idea.
Read on for five of the best episodes from King of the Hill’s first season, and let us know which are your favorites in the comments!
Square Peg (Season 1, Episode 2)
King of the Hill really started to carve out a unique path early on in its first season with “Square Peg.” Although the series introduced fans to Hank as he was constantly confused by his son, Bobby, the second episode of the series further expanded this dynamic to the rest of the family to showcase just how the rest of the Hill family would be changing with these new times. As Bobby takes sexual education in school, and Peggy is tasked with teaching it, the first of these conservative views is challenged when Peggy starts openly speaking about the subjects that Hank’s generation would rather keep quiet.
It’s a small glimpse into the dynamic that would be explored through the rest of the series, and a great example of their strong characterization early on.
Hank’s Unmentionable Problem (Season 1, Episode 6)
But this idea of Hank being pushed in an uncomfortable situation gets even more exaggerated with a more hilarious, but relatable problem. When Hank gets constipated from all of the meat and beer he consumes, his inability to relieve himself becomes the talk of the neighborhood. Hank is forced to face this embarrassment head on, but it really takes an emotional turn when he realizes that Peggy only wants what’s best for him.
She’s worried that his lifestyle will kill him, and thus has been pushing all of these embarrassing procedures and medications on him just to help. It’s only when Hank’s emotional state rests that he’s allowed to finally use the bathroom, and really makes for one of the best endings in the first season overall.
Keeping Up With Our Joneses (Season 1, Episode 10)
King of the Hill began with the concept of taking a conservative, old school ideology and mining it to the extreme, and that is especially prominent in “Keeping Up With Our Joneses.” This episode reveals that Hank and Peggy used to smoke cigarettes all the time before having Bobby, and the two of them return to the habit when Bobby himself is caught smoking. Bobby ends up hooked to nicotine just as much as the two of them are when a punishment goes awry, and they’re only allowed to resolve all of this when Peggy’s niece Luanne locks them in a room overnight and gets them to quit cold turkey.
It’s an episode that really shows off new sides of the Hills’ personalities, and gives the series a rather fun edge that would continue to be a part of Hank and Peggy’s characterizations in the years to come. This was one of the better examples of the high kinds of drama that could also emerge from the series’ comedy, and it really sticks the landing when it all comes to an end.
King of the Ant Hill (Season 1, Episode 11)
Hank’s friend and neighbor Dale Gribble had been part of the extended crew since the very beginning, and had stood out thanks to his tendency to go on wild conspiracy theory tangents. But this was the first real episode where we got to see just how unhinged Dale could be as he starts a feud with Hank over the fact that Hank won’t let Dale treat his lawn for insects. It’s here that fans get to see just how far Dale is willing to go when he has a vendetta, and it’s not limited to his enemies as he’ll manipulate his friends. All the while, Bobby is hypnotized by the ant queen to do its bidding. It was the first of many truly wacky episodes in King of the Hill, and the start of Dale’s wild future from then on.
Plastic White Female (Season 1, Episode 12)
King of the Hill is just as much Bobby’s show as it is Hank’s. “That boy ain’t right” has become such a catchphrase outside of the series because of how little Hank and Bobby see eye to eye. That comes to a literal head with “Plastic White Female” as Bobby falls in love with the practice mannequin Luanne needs for school. It’s Bobby practicing just how he would approach women (something every boy of that age seems to do at the time) when he gets invited to his first Boy/Girl party. When Hanks finds out, he destroys it.
This ends up with Hank needing to volunteer to serve as the model for Luanne’s school exam, and Bobby needing to go to the party and somehow shake off everything that happened. The end of the episode then sparks the bigger friendship turned romance between Bobby and Connie, and it’s a perfect finale for this debut season as its a sweet tease for the future. And if it would have been the end, it was a sweet end for Bobby. Just great on rewatch.
