Rent King of the Hill: Series 2 (1997)

King of the Hill: Series 2 review by Mark McPherson - Cinema Paradiso

The second season of King of the Hill was when the show finally started to hit its stride with a mixture of both absurd elements and relatable stories, keeping in mind never to diverge too far into the silliness of The Simpsons. It was a defining moment for the series in deciding just where the show would go with its suburban stories of quirky characters in Arlen, Texas. With a higher episode order for this season, ballooning from the 12 of the first season to 23 in its second, more elaborate and compelling narratives can better be explored that grow the characters beyond the familiar catchphrases of “I sell propane and propane accessories.” Though if you must know, Hank Hill still indeed sell propane and propane accessories in this season and cannot pass up any opportunity to talk about it.

There are also some surprisingly poignant episodes this season as well. The most overtly political is The Final Shinsult, with a story that concerns the real life artifact of artificial leg of Mexican General Antonio López de Santa being returned to Mexico. The bigger story here is about Cotton Hill not feeling as valued in society for being an older man but what’s interesting is that in reality the leg still remains in the custody of the US. The episode ends by stating these facts and urging viewers to call up an elected official to changes this narrative. It’s one of the rare examples I’ve ever seen of a TV series being so direct with its messaging.

There are a few familiar hallmarks of sitcoms that pop up this season. Bobby learns the meaning of hard work but also learns that not all bosses are to be obeyed. Hank struggles to realizes he’s not such a young guy when teenagers best him and his friends in a game of paintball. Similar to The Simpsons are episodes on the origin of Hank & Peggy’s romance as well as an episode about female empowerment when Peggy takes on a new interest out of the house.

There are more uniquely Texas episodes this season as well. Hilloween touches on the lingering effects of the Satanic panic as religious leaders seek to shut down the holiday in Arlen. The Company Man finds Hank entertaining a business client from out of state and falling into lying with all sorts of Texas stereotypes. The season opener of How To Fire a Rifle Without Really Trying is sure to resonate for red-state folks with its father-son dynamic of Hank and Bobby connecting over a shooting tournament. Snow Job showcases just how hysterical Texas can become when snow falls, posed with mild exaggeration.

For as great as this season is, there are a few episodes that have not aged well and often meander in messaging. Junkie Business is a particularly troubling episode that wants to make a point about how people can abuse laws to prevent disability discrimination in the workplace. Traffic Jam has some troubling messaging on the nature of free speech that starts off kinda there and just sort of fizzles out into nothing by the end credits. Husky Bobby also makes some cynical points about body comfort that are just sort of accepted rather than questioned.

That being said, the prize of this season is the number of episodes where funny things happen to Hank Hill and make him question his own values. Jumpin Jack Crack finds him unwittingly using crack cocaine as a fish bait with dire consequences. The Unbearable Blindness of Laying finds Hank going blind after witnessing his mother and a Jewish man. And then there’s ultimate season finale/cliffhanger of him losing his job and being forced to work at the Mega-Lo Mart. The season ends with the Mega-Lo Mart exploding with Hank still inside, prompting the cliffhanger of whether or not Hank died in the explosion. Somebody does die but it’s a great way to keep audiences on the edge of their seat for the next season. And considering there were many seasons that followed, it’s fair to say that it was an effective way to retain an audience.