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King of the Hill Season 15 Review
Image Credit: Disney/Mike Judge
Loading...When the King of the Hill revival debuted last year, it became the best revival of a classic series for the current television age. The series opted for a time jump, picking up with the characters years after they last appeared in the original series finale.
The time skip served the series well, allowing the characters to grow and age naturally, shifting the status quo. King of the Hill stands out from other primetime animated sitcoms of its era because the original series was never afraid to deviate from the status quo, even if those changes appeared slight or microscopic.
Season 15 nicely continues from where Season 14 left off and offers plenty of interesting storylines. Bobby Hill (Pamela Adlon) and Connie Souphanousinphone (Lauren Tom) are a couple now, with the Season 15 premiere, “Failure to Hard Launch,” approaching how they should tackle announcing their relationship status.
Bobby’s growth and maturity into adulthood have absolutely been one of the best things about the revival. He has truly grown as a diligent chef who runs his own restaurant. Now, as Bobby and Connie are navigating an adult relationship, this season brings copious entertainment, as Bobby attempts to win the approval of Connie’s parents, who are going through a divorce.
In some other long-term changes, Connie’s father, Kahn Souphanousinphone (Ronnie Chieng), has moved in with Bill Dauterive (Stephen Root). Hank Hill (Mike Judge) and his better half Peggy (Kathy Najimy) become foster parents to a new pooch, Caesar Salad. Also, Bobby seeks to compete on the cooking competition show, King of the Grill, which was set up last season.
Season 14 flows smoothly into Season 15. Considering this fulfills the initial 20-episode order for the revival, it’s easy to see why. There are many fantastic and standout episodes this season, specifically “Care of the Dog,” where Hank finally confronts his feelings about the loss of his sweet angel dog, Lady Bird, and deals with bringing a new dog, Caesar Salad, into the home, who appears to be Lady Bird’s polar opposite.
“Hank Encounters of the Nerd Kind” features a great Hank and Bobby bonding plot, as Hank helps Bobby with a food truck at a Dallas comic convention. Hank initially looks down at the cosplayers and nerd fandom, which causes problems for Bobby. However, the episode allows for Bill, of all people, to share some rare nuggets of wisdom that inspire Hank.
The strength of King of the Hill has always been how its stories offer oddly emotional, wholesome, and heartwarming messages with its comedy, and Season 15 is no exception. That potency emerges in stories such as Hank visiting Lady Bird’s grave, Peggy undergoing menopause in “Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes,” and the season finale, “Propane Recall,” which finally reveals why Hank and Peggy left Arlen, as Hank accepted a propane job in Saudi Arabia.
“Propane Recall” is a near-perfect episode, tying together everything that’s unfolded over the last two seasons. It features flashbacks, showing how characters took the steps into new chapters of their lives, while also bringing Hank full circle.
Season 15’s only major misstep is evident in “The Best Little Marriage in Texas,” as it firmly establishes that Nancy Gribble (Ashley Gardner) and John Redcorn (the late Jonathan Joss) resumed their affair over the years. The writers clumsily handle this development. At least in the previous season, things between Nancy and John were kept vague enough to assume they were keeping things platonic.
Unfortunately, Season 15 makes it absolutely clear the affair is back on. Meanwhile, Dale Gribble (Toby Huss) is oblivious as usual. The way the episode concludes the matter is equally problematic, as it ruins one of the better ongoing character arcs and storylines from the original series. In a season and revival that consistently surpasses expectations, this storyline is the only blemish.
In terms of the new regular cast members, Toby Huss settles in well as Dale in Season 15. The previous season featured the final performances of Dale’s original voice actor, Johnny Hardwick, who tragically passed away before Season 14 debuted. Huss becomes more comfortable as Dale as the season progresses, nicely approximating and finding a groove as Mr. Gribble, where he manages to strongly match Hardwick’s style and cadences.
Respectfully, something still sounds off about Chieng’s version of Kahn. Part of the problem is that Chieng is much younger than Kahn at this point, and his voice simply sounds too youthful. Kahn’s vocal recasting is understandable, but Chieng may not have been the best and most natural choice.
Curiously, Keith David’s character, Brian Robertson, who debuted last season, does not appear in Season 15. Considering he’s featured prominently in the opening, it’s a puzzling omission.
Emilio (Anthony Campos), Bobby’s sous-chef at his restaurant, remains the MVP and best new character of the revival seasons. Emilio brings in the best quips and one-liners, and he also provides some astute wisdom for Bobby when needed.
Besides the show’s genuinely heartwarming and emotional notes, it once again brilliantly captures suburban life in Texas in a way that feels genuinely authentic. Few shows set in Texas capture modern suburban life as well as King of the Hill.
With another 20 episodes in the works, amounting to likely another two seasons, King of the Hill Season 15 ends in a way that sets up some interesting ideas for future storylines. That said, “Propane Recall” works so well, it easily could have been a perfect closer to the entire saga.
Hopefully, co-creator Mike Judge and revival showrunner Saladin K. Patterson can maintain this high quality and consistency for the next run of episodes. Nevertheless, King of the Hill Season 15 remains an impressive triumph that focuses on strong natural storylines for its characters, without resting on its laurels. King of the Hill sets the standard of excellence for TV revivals.
Where To Watch King of the Hill Season 15
King of the Hill Season 15, along with the entire series, is available to stream now in full on Hulu.
