I was inspired to make this thread as I was reading through this thread about Peggy.
Dale’s ignorance of Joseph’s true paternity is a running gag throughout the show. Everyone in town knows that Redcorn is the father but they all neglect to tell Dale because of the repercussions it would have on the Gribble family, particularly Dale’s relationship with his son.
What do you all think about this? Would you tell Dale?
My response under the spoiler.
If I were, say, Hank, I’d feel obligated to tell my friend the truth. Yes, it could have horrible consequences, but I’d almost feel duty-bound to do it.
P.S. - Dale is without a doubt my favorite character on the show.
There’s a difference between “everyone knows” and actually knowing. If I had actual evidence, then… I don’t know. I certainly wouldn’t lie if asked outright, but I don’t know if I would volunteer the information. But if it’s just the rumor mill, absolutely not.
No, I wouldn’t tell. a) I’m just kind of cowardly like that, and b) he probably wouldn’t believe me if he did. (Doesn’t he believe that aliens impregnated Nancy, albeit with his own sperm? I guess if a DNA test proved John Redcorn was the father, he’d believe the aliens did that, too, so Nancy still wouldn’t have cheated on him.) And c) for most of the show, Nancy wasn’t cheating on Dale, and telling him during that period would probably be pointless.
I think it’s more than the rumor mill - in the episode where Peggy finds out, doesn’t Nancy talk about it frankly?
I it were anyone else I would tell, but seeing as how Dale is batshit insane and only sees what he wants to, telling him would probably make me an enemy.
Absolutely not. For one thing, Dale would never, ever believe it. He couldn’t even comprehend of such a betrayal. Like Nancy said once, “I don’t even know why you’re doing this. It’s not hard to fool Dale. Not if you’re someone he trusts…” Also, he knows for a fact Joseph was conceived while he was out of town. Instead of going with the obvious answer (Nancy is banging one of his friends) he concocts an elaborate story about aliens impregnating his wife in a bid to take over the world. Plus he thinks John Redcorn is gay.
But let’s say I had the evidence that would convince him it was true, I still wouldn’t tell him. He loves Nancy and Joseph too much, and the consequences would destroy his family with absolutely no benefits. It’d be a totally shitty thing to do. I mean, he thought his father hit on Nancy at their wedding and cut him out of his life for twenty years. I’m sure his reaction would be pretty extreme if he found out the truth.
And it’s definitely more than the rumor mill. Everybody on the block knows the truth except the kids and Dale.
Do mean you’d want to know while it was still happening or after she broke things off with John Redcorn? Or would it not make a difference to you? I could see an argument for telling him while she was still sleeping with Redcorn, but what good would it be to tell him after she broke up with him? (Redcorn: She’s choosing that over me. Hank: No, she chose that four years before she ever met you.)
If my wife cheated on me once and no child was produced, I’d still want to know about it, even if we already had kids together. I’m NOT blasting the decisions that you guys are making. It’s all got merit. But I would want to know, yes, even years after the affair had ended. I would want to know about being betrayed.
No, except Peggy (for most the series), Joseph and Dale. Bobby knows & I imagine most of the other kids do also. I remember Bobby saying something to Joseph about “Mr. Gribble”, Joseph replies “My Dad” and Bobby responds something like “Uhh, yeah.”
I think it was right after Nancy dumped John Redcorn, after her and Dale re-affirm their vows.
Peggy was mere seconds away from telling him, but then she saw how her interacted with Joseph. He genuinely loves him with all his heart, and is actually a really good father, despite all his other misgivings. She realized the truth would be very harmful to Dale, Joseph, and their relationship.
John Redcorn came close to telling Joseph and Dale the truth as well, in the Thanksgiving episode when he gets a measly 6 acres of reparations from the government (and 5 of them are connected!..The other one’s across the highway.) He is originally pissed because of that, and because Bobby let everyone know some of his ancestors practiced ceremonial canibalism and people, especially Joseph, freaked out. But again, he realized how much they love each other and it would hurt Joseph too much.
The end was funny, though, because he says he’ll take the land that was awarded him, and leave it to Dale if he John dies first, since Dale helped him get it. Dale is all excited, then John says when Dale dies, he can leave it to Joseph, and Dale goes,
“Gee, thanks captain bringdown!”
That episode was great. And when Redcorn took Dale into his trailer to spill the beans about Joseph’s paternity, Dale thought he was going to be eaten.
The cover story Nancy and John Redcorn were using is that John was giving Nancy in-home physical therapy for her back problems. Peggy had some back problems and decided she needed some therapy also. John at first thought Peggy was mocking them when she asked for back therapy but Nancy explained that Peggy didn’t understand what was going on.
Bill and Boomhauer were all sympathetic with Hank about how his wife was now getting “therapy” like Nancy. Hank of course was insisting Peggy was not getting the same kind of therapy Nancy was getting. Dale was naturally oblivious.
Finally Hank told Peggy people were talking and she had to stop getting therapy from John. Peggy still didn’t figure it out until Nancy, Joseph, John, and Dale were all standing together and Hank told her to look at them. There was a shot of Peggy’s point of view swinging back and forth from Dale to Joseph and then John to Joseph and Peggy finally figured it all out.
Peggy then went to talk it over with Minh, figuring Minh wouldn’t know either. Minh told Peggy she had figured it out the first day she met Nancy and John.
