Hulu's King of the Hill Revival Aims to Fix Flaws

King of the Hill maintained a successful, critically acclaimed run lasting over a decade and concluding after 13 seasons. Yet, fans continue to yearn for more propane-fueled adventures, and creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels are poised to fulfill that demand. We’ve now been treated to our first glimpse of King of the Hill Season 14, a streaming revival set to premiere on Hulu on August 4.

While King of the Hill isn't the first animated sitcom to be resurrected in the streaming era, its revival arguably holds more potential for meaningful storytelling than most. In fact, Season 14 has a chance to rectify the original series' most significant shortcoming. Let's examine what that flaw was and why the landscape is so different today.

The Static World of King of the Hill

Much like its animated peers, such as The Simpsons and Family Guy, King of the Hill largely adhered to a static and unchanging continuity. These programs are structured as procedural comedies, not serialized dramas. The quiet Texas town of Arlen remained fundamentally unchanged from the show’s start to its conclusion. Hank Hill (voiced by Judge) perpetually embodied the dependable family man wrestling with emotional expression and connecting with his eccentric son. His wife Peggy (Kathy Najimy) consistently portrayed the driven, self-assured character who often overestimated her own talents. Their son Bobby (Pamela Adlon) was always the unusually mature adolescent striving to meet his father's exacting standards.

In certain respects, this eternal, unchanging nature was a strength. It made King of the Hill a comfortable and accessible series to watch. Viewers didn't need to worry about missing an episode and falling behind on complex character arcs. The show was like animated comfort food, reminiscent of a burger grilled with the clean efficiency of propane.

However, the downside of airing for 14 years without evolving is that even the best formula can become repetitive. This was a growing concern that plagued the series in its later seasons. How many episodes followed some version of this premise—Bobby discovers an unusual pastime he's good at, and Hank eventually, if reluctantly, acknowledges his son's talent?

Eventually, the show's resistance to change shifted from comforting to frustrating. “

Eventually, the show's resistance to change shifted from comforting to frustrating. Would Hank ever learn to express his buried feelings? Would the unhinged conspiracy theorist Dale (the late Johnny Hardwick) ever uncover the truth about his wife Nancy (Ashley Gardner) and her long-running affair with John Redcorn (Jonathan Joss)? Would Bill (Stephen Root) ever find something to fill the emptiness in his life? Since every episode essentially reset the status quo, the answer to these questions was consistently “No.”

While King of the Hill shares this trait with The Simpsons and Family Guy, it never needed to be bound by that limitation. The series offered a more subdued, character-focused alternative to its contemporaries. Its brilliance always lay in finding depth and subtlety in its quirky protagonists, avoiding mockery or lazy "hillbilly" humor. Yet, the show also limited itself by resisting meaningful character and plot evolution over time.

That being said, the original series did feature occasional moments where time moved forward and subtle changes occurred. Early on, Bobby and his friends aged a year, allowing the show to explore the challenges of puberty. Hank's irascible father, Cotton (Toby Huss), was eventually written out of the series. Luanne (the late Brittany Murphy) eventually married and had a daughter. These were genuine instances of progression. Ultimately, however, they served as exceptions that highlighted the show's overall rule: in Arlen, nothing ever really changes.

What's New in Season 14

This time, it's different. After being off the air for 15 years, King of the Hill is returning and explicitly acknowledging that substantial gap. We know Bobby is now 21 years old, indicating a jump of roughly eight years from the timeline of Season 13. Here is Hulu's official description for the new season:

“The Season 14 revival picks up several years after we last saw the Hill family. Hank and Peggy Hill, now retired, return to a transformed Arlen after working for years in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Bobby, at 21, is living his best life while navigating adulthood as a chef in Dallas.”

The newly updated opening sequence hints at significant developments during those eight years. It shows Hank and Peggy's relocation to Saudi Arabia, the community grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, a new neighbor taking over Hank's spot on the street, and Dale apparently launching a campaign for mayor (the premiere will likely reveal if he succeeded).

Immediately, the writers and cast have a wealth of new material to explore, thanks to this genuine passage of time. Presumably, a major storyline will involve Hank and Peggy's efforts to readjust to life in Arlen. Saudi Arabia seems an unlikely home for the conventional Hank. How did that experience alter his perspective? Has living abroad made him more receptive to new people and experiences?

And what about Bobby? How is he managing life in Dallas, pursuing his culinary ambitions, and living independently from his father? Has he discovered his true path, or does he still feel something is lacking?

Dale is another figure shrouded in intrigue, and not only because Toby Huss is taking over the role. There's the lingering question of his relationship with Nancy and whether he ever deduced the truth about John Redcorn. Honestly, it's questionable whether the series could ever provide a truly satisfying resolution to that love triangle. But beyond that, how is Dale coping in a world where outlandish conspiracy theories are increasingly mainstream? Is he thriving in this post-Pizzagate environment, or does he look down on other conspiracy enthusiasts? And could he possibly be an effective politician?

How is Dale managing in a world where outlandish conspiracy theories have become commonplace?“

The revival has numerous other avenues to explore. Did John Redcorn ever reconcile with his son, Joseph (Breckin Meyer)? Did Strickland Propane collapse without Hank there to manage Buck's (Stephen Root) reckless behavior? This doesn't even address how Judge, Daniels, and the writing team plan to handle the fates of Luanne and Lucky (the late Tom Petty) and their daughter, Gracie.

Evidently, Season 14 has a deep well of compelling stories to draw from. The original series squandered considerable potential by avoiding narrative progression. Finally, that is no longer a constraint.

These ten episodes have many questions to answer. With any luck, more seasons will follow. The risk, however, is that King of the Hill could remain on air long enough to revert to its former patterns. Once a new status quo is established, the series might again become averse to change and the forward march of time.

Let's hope that doesn't happen. Let's hope the show is now more committed to maintaining an ongoing continuity that evolves. It doesn't need to become heavily serialized or progress in real-time, but some narrative threads connecting episodes would be ideal. After years of watching Arlen reset every week, it's time to see how Hank and his community handle the challenges of regular change.

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