Spoilers ahead for all ofKing of the Hillseason 14!
King of the Hillhas returned after a 15-year hiatus, and one storyline has been defended by the showrunner.King of the Hillseason 14picks up years after the original series finale and features older versions of the characters. Hank and Peggy return to their home in Arlen, TX, from Saudi Arabia, where Hank was selling propane and propane accessories.
In an interview withTVLine,showrunner Saladin Patterson details exploring Bobby’s sex life in the premiere episode. He notes that he and series creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels all have children in their 20s and that part of parenting is adjusting to seeing their “own kids in adult situations.” Bobby accidentally calls his mother during sex, which Peggy hears and assumes Bobby is eating something.
We went back and forth about how much we wanted to push the envelope in that first episode. [We] all have kids who are in their 20s…and I think that’s a common parenting experience. We’re not ready to see our own kids in adult situations, right? Because in our minds, we like to keep them as kids. But time moves on, and a part of our own personal growth is starting to accept that they, too have grown.
King of the Hill, if it’s never been anything else, it’s always been a good example of grounded, real-life interactions with people and characters, right? So we wanted to take the audience on that journey that Hank himself is going through. In [Peggy’s] mind, she creates a whole other situation going on because she can’t really wrap her head around what it could be.
What This Means For King Of The Hill
King of the Hilltakes Bobby in a new direction. No longer a young pre-teen boy, Bobby is now neck-deep in the modern world of dating and being in his 20s. AlthoughBobby is constantly frustrated by the dating world, he is very successful at it. Throughout 10 episodes, he has sex with two different women, is offered a casual hookup, and is dating Connie by the finale.
One of the funnier aspects of dating in the show is seeing how much of Hank is in Bobby. Despite being in his early 20s,Bobby is befuddled by texting culture, what punctuation means, and how to digitally flirt. Connie is shown in an open relationship with Chane Wassanasong, much to the dismay of Bobby, after Connie’s parents were always trying to set them up in the original series.
Bobby admits to Hank that he is still in love with Connie, and his trying to navigate being in his 20s is realistic.King of the Hillhas always been more grounded than other animated sitcoms, and seeing Bobby dating in a modern context makes sense. However, much like for Peggy, it’s strange for viewers to think about Bobby having sex, considering he’s always been a child in our minds.
Our Take On The Aged-Up Characters
King of the Hill’s time jumpis one of the benefits of the series. Given how long it has been away, the audience has gotten older. While the time jump doesn’t line up with real time, that’s less of a concern. Having the characters be older allows for new stories, which makesKing of the Hillfeel fresh with its return.
King of the Hillreviewshave been primarily positive, even though some of the storylines may make viewers uncomfortable. As much of the original run features Hank and Peggy finding themselves in uncomfortable situations, theKing of the Hillrevival continues that tradition.
King of the Hill
Cast
King of the Hill is an animated series centered around Hank Hill, a propane salesman in Texas. The show explores Hank’s life with his confident wife Peggy, son Bobby, and niece Luanne, as they navigate challenges to Hank’s conservative values involving family and his beer-drinking neighbors.
