# King of the Hill fans? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 20, 2006, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895 "2006-01-20T21:11:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895/41 "2006-01-21T23:34:32Z")
> [@](#): > > And the one where Bobby takes a women’s self-defense course. “That’s ma purse! I don’t know you!” Yes! That one’s a catch-phrase around my house. Also, when Bobby falls in with a bunch of supposedly 'with it" Christians and starts listening to Christian Rock. Hank tells him, “They’re not making Christianity better; they’re making rock-and-roll worse.” I say this to my daughter (who likes ‘worship music’ or whatever the hell they call it) all the time. You know how Peggy calls her spaghetti “spa-peggy”? Now when I make spaghetti, we call it “spa-tammy.” ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895/42 "2006-01-22T02:18:24Z")
How many seasons of KoTH are there? I ask because it airs on Fox (the local fox cable station over here) and they only seem to show a handful of episodes, which get played over and over and over (the one about cotton’s Japanese son I’ve seen at least four times in the last few months), and some you’re talking about are completely unfamiliar to me… I may have to start hiring the DVDs if I’m not careful. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895/43 "2006-01-22T02:33:02Z")
> [@Sierra Indigo](#): > > How many seasons of KoTH are there? This is the 10th season. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895/44 "2006-01-22T02:36:32Z")
Good lord. I would have never imagined there was that many seasons. The number of episodes that fox keeps showing and re-showing over here would lead me to believe that there was only three, maybe four at the utmost. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895/45 "2006-01-22T02:44:38Z")
> [@neutron star](#): > > IThe next new episode airs on January 29th, then there are just nine more to go until the end of the series. I’m going to miss it. It’s not quite dead [yet](http://www.thefutoncritic.com/cgi/newswire.cgi?id=7061): > [@](#): > > No, there is a chance that it will come back. We are in discussions with the show runners. And we have to have an announcement one way or the other soon. If we are able to renew and are able to bring the show back, it would probably come back in January of '07. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895/46 "2006-01-22T02:44:39Z")
> [@Sierra Indigo](#): > > Good lord. I would have never imagined there was that many seasons. The number of episodes that fox keeps showing and re-showing over here would lead me to believe that there was only three, maybe four at the utmost. I think that’s due to the syndicator and the packages they offer. Just recently, I’ve noticed that _The Simpsons_ repeats have gone back to the first 2-3 seasons. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895/47 "2006-01-22T06:43:49Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > It’s not quite dead [yet](http://www.thefutoncritic.com/cgi/newswire.cgi?id=7061): That’s great news! I’ve got my fingers crossed. > [@Sierra Indigo](#): > > Good lord. I would have never imagined there was that many seasons. The number of episodes that fox keeps showing and re-showing over here would lead me to believe that there was only three, maybe four at the utmost. I’ve heard that complaint before. Even if this does turn out to be the last season, there will end up being a total of 202 episodes of King of the Hill. Sure would be nice if they provided more variety in their syndication packages. The DVDs are up to season 6 now, and they’re available on Netflix. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895/48 "2006-01-22T14:09:02Z")
> [@Jess](#): > > The only exceptions are Peggy (in whom I’ve seen no other dimension than self-centeredness) and the truly-loathsome Cotton (in whom I’ve seen no other dimension than cruelty). Their only saving grace is through Hank. I think it’s sweet that Hank believes Peggy’s hype – he really thinks that she is as smart, pretty & sexy as _she_ thinks she is. Peggy has an incredibly low sense of self-esteem and overcompensates. I find that compelling and annoying at the same time. I love her little moments when she tells the most obvious joke and is so proud of herself. “Oh, Peggy!” ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895/49 "2006-01-22T15:36:12Z")
Well, there – I guess that proves the point: it’s even possible to find some layers in old Peggy. She still annoys the bejeezus out of me, though. She’s funny, though: “Well, I _am_ an excellent lover.” What have you got for Cotton, the mean old fart? ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895/50 "2006-01-22T16:20:03Z")
> [@Jess](#): > > Well, there – I guess that proves the point: it’s even possible to find some layers in old Peggy. She still annoys the bejeezus out of me, though. She’s funny, though: “Well, I _am_ an excellent lover.” > > What have you got for Cotton, the mean old fart? He’s a Lion in Winter. The fact that he was this once macho, tough guy that could do anything, but is now at the end of life having so many troubles, makes him a little sympathetic to me. Now, he has to deal with a lot of adversity. His pension has run out, he can’t see well enough to pass his driver’s test, he worries about trying to take care of his newborn and wife, he adores his grandson, and he tries to come to grips with the fact that he loves his son (at the very least, if there was a button that could erase Hank from existence, he wouldn’t push it.) For some episodes that show Cotton in a sympathetic light, check out: _Next of Shin_ (Season 3)- When Cotton’s baby is on the way, he panics and flees for Vegas. In the end, he tells Hank that he is a great father. He makes it a back handed compliment because he justifies it by saying that Hank raised Bobby and all he ever raised was Hank, but it is still one of those KotH episodes that get you misty. _Revenge of the Lutefisk_ (Season 3)- During the whole episode, Cotton is at his worst. The typical jackass that bothers you. But along the way, Bobby eats an entire casserole that the new FEMALE pastor has brought to a dinner welcoming her to town. It upsets Bobby’s stomach and he goes to the restroom. Cotton goes in the bathroom and smells Bobby’s “output” and tosses a book of matches under the stall (from a stripclub…in _HOUSTON_!). Bobby accidentally burns the Church down and Cotton is accussed because of his vocal opposition to a female pastor. Cotton, rightfully, blames the “Smelly Man.” Eventually, Bobby confesses to Cotton. Just when you think Cotton is angry at Bobby and will throw him under the bus (he repeatedly yells at him and calls him “smelly”), it is revealed that Cotton would rather take the fall than have his grandson humilated. He publicly tells the town that he did in fact light the match, but only because he was embarased about his bowel issues. _The Father, the Son, and J.C._ (Season 6)- Cotton is jealous of Hank’s affections for Buck Strickland. When Hank is building a Habitat for Humanity home for Buck’s community service, Cotton freaks out because Hank tells BUCK that he loves him (as do Buck and the guys…). After Hank tells Cotton that he hates him, Cotton barricades himself in the new home and refuses to come out. Jimmy Carter must intervene in a marathon peace talk that frazzles him more than the Camp David Accords. In the end, it is clear that Cotton loves Hank, but doesn’t know how to express it. He is also saddened by the fact that Hank doesn’t love him more. Carter gets the two to agree to come to terms by letting Cotton shoot a nail gun at his limo (which turns out to not be as bullet proof as advertised!) _Death Buys a Timeshare_ (Season 9)- Cotton realizes that he is the last of his friends remaining. He takes an inheritence left to him by a dead friend and tries to figure out what to do with it. He and Bill (“Fatty”) head to Mexico with Hank along to chaperone. Cotton decides to spend the money on a timeshare. In order to entice Cotton, the timeshare salesmen promise the prestige of being in the inner circle of the timeshare’s founder, a secretive, Teddy Rooseveltesque figure. Hank clearly smells a scam and tries everything to keep his father from throwing the money away. All the time, Cotton is bigshotting Hank and Bill that he is an elite hobnobber. In the end, Hank realizes his dad just wants to feel special one more time and needs, at the very least, the illusion of status and prestige. After a private gathering on the timshare’s VIP yacht, Cotton is at peace with where he is in life and decides to go home. Cotton isn’t likeable, but he’s not supposed to be. But I find him sympathetic because he is trying to face the end without bowing to fear and humilation. ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895/51 "2006-01-22T16:57:25Z")
OK, **middleman** , you did make me see it a bit. I have seen several of those episodes, and they are ones a don’t have to turn off. And, like Peggy, Cotton _is_ funny, as is his wife. The one episode with Cotton that I was thinking of, in which he shows no redeeming characteristics is the Thanksgiving one where they all go to the Mall for the tractor symposium. That episode has some funny stuff, and it shows Hank in a good light at the end when he stands up for his mother, but Cotton is just so hateful I don’t like to watch it. In fact, I think it’s specifically the episodes with Cotton and Hank’s mother that truly turn me off. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895/52 "2006-01-22T18:21:22Z")
He really is a bad guy. I think his primary purpose is to show what a good guy Hank really is. But because King of the Hill is subtle, they throw in the occassional episode where Cotton shows a human side. Pretty much everyone on the show has some depth…except Boomhauer. ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895/53 "2006-01-22T19:12:12Z")
And even Boomhauer showed some depth in one episode. The one with his brother and ex getting married? I’ve only seen that one once, though. Also, you’d kind of expect Boomhauer, being a ladies man and all, to put some moves on Luanne, but he doesn’t – even Hank thinks he’s up to something with Luanne once, but he’s a perfect gentleman. And, in the brother-wedding one Boomhauer protects Luanne from his sleazeball sibling. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895/54 "2006-01-22T19:57:38Z")
Another episode that showed a bit more of Boomhauer’s sensitive side was _Dang Ol’ Love_, in which he falls in love with a woman who was meant to be a one-night stand, only to find himself heartbroken when he finds out that she was only interested in the kind of casual, short-term physical relationship that Boomhauer himself usually pursues. Marlene: “To be honest, I don’t understand half the words that come out of your mouth. I just smile and nod and wait for those pants to come off.” Boomhauer ends up reduced to a Dauterive-like state, going so far as to openly cry in front of Hank, Dale, Bill, and even total strangers. In the end, he apologizes to a woman whom he had previously hurt in the same manner (“Dang 'ol walked a mile in your shoes”). It’s also notable to mention that if you listen closely and try to pick your way through Boomhauer’s suffocating accent (often a fun activity in and of itself), his comments are frequently more insightful and humorous than those of his fellow beer swigging alley jockeys. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895/55 "2006-01-22T19:59:09Z")
If they renew it in 2007, it might be cool to speed ahead a few years. Bobby, Connie and Joseph at 16 would be interesting, as would a slightly older Luanne and a really old Cotton. And maybe Bobbie could have a baby “miracle” sister achieved in spite of Hanks’ danged narrow urethra. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895/56 "2006-01-22T20:00:33Z")
> [@neutron star](#): > > It’s also notable to mention that if you listen closely and try to pick your way through Boomhauer’s suffocating accent (often a fun activity in and of itself), his comments are frequently more insightful and humorous than those of his fellow beer swigging alley jockeys. If you watch it with the closed captioning on, Boomhauer is transliterated perfectly. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895/57 "2006-01-22T20:22:29Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > If you watch it with the closed captioning on, Boomhauer is transliterated perfectly. Sadly, I understand every word he says. You see, I was born in Alabama… ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895/58 "2006-01-22T20:24:48Z")
> [@middleman](#): > > For some episodes that show Cotton in a sympathetic light, check out: There’s also _When Cotton Comes Marching Home_, where he goes broke and ends up living at the VFW and fighting with Jimmy Witchard over the ownership of a few aluminum cans at the recycling center. That episode - especially the ending - showed Cotton with more human emotion that I’d have ever thought possible. > [@Sampiro](#): > > If you watch it with the closed captioning on, Boomhauer is transliterated perfectly. With all of the KotH I’ve watched, you’d think I’d have thought of that before. :smack: Thanks for the tip. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895/59 "2006-01-22T21:16:35Z")
> [@middleman](#): > > For some episodes that show Cotton in a sympathetic light, check out: Also check out the season 4 episode “Cotton’s Plot”, where he tries to get a plot at the Texas State Cemetary and also becomes Peggy’s physical therapist. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895/60 "2006-01-22T21:36:23Z")
> [@Jess](#): > > Yes! That one’s a catch-phrase around my house. > > Also, when Bobby falls in with a bunch of supposedly 'with it" Christians and starts listening to Christian Rock. Hank tells him, “They’re not making Christianity better; they’re making rock-and-roll worse.” I say this to my daughter (who likes ‘worship music’ or whatever the hell they call it) all the time. That’s where my sig comes from. Heehehee! I like the one where Peggy takes a job at the Alamo Beer company to find out why it’s gone from all the shelves. It turns out, they shipped it down to Mexico for a few weeks to test a new market. She tells Hank even though she’s not supposed to, but makes him PROMISE not to tell, or take a trip to Mexico with the guys. THEN she finds out that the product shipped to Mexico was tainted, and she can’t tell anyone, not the numerous citizens of Mexico calling “Si, si, el vomito, si si, la diarrhea.” And of course, she can’t tell Hank, who DOES go to Mexico. All of them get incredibly sick, but blame it on the bananas Bill buys. Much like _The Simpsons_, KOTH is a goldmine for good quotes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-fans/340895.md?page=4)