Comedy
Peacemaker
Peacemaker is to superhero as ringworm is to earthworm. It might seem like these two things are related based on their names, but they aren’t.
Talk to Hank Hill about propane, and as he’s gushing about the gas, he’ll probably say something like: “And another thing great thing about propane: Not only is it America’s clean-burning fuel, but it also never changes, I tell you what.”
The “propane and propane accessories” salesman can’t say the same about the rest of the world. It seems that every time Hank walks out his door into Arlen, Texas, he’s confronting some new-fangled law or cultural shift or other nonsense. As far as Hank’s concerned, if everyone just bought themselves a Vogner CharKing Imperial propane grill and made themselves a medium-rare steak, the world would instantly be a better place.
And as Arlen changed, Hank, and his Boggle-champion substitute Spanish teaching wife, Peggy, did their best to ensure it didn’t change their boy, Bobby, too much. They agree that the boy “ain’t right,” but the world is even worse.
The hard thing about change is that it often comes in ways you can’t anticipate. That’s why they’ll take it a day at a time, adapting to this ever-shifting world as it comes.
Fast forward to Season 14 (airing more than 15 years after the series’ original finale), and you’ll see that the world has changed—and Hank missed it.
He and Peggy spent many years in Saudi Arabia, using his propane expertise working at Aramco. But having freshly retired, the couple flies back to Arlen to reunite with friends and live, once again, in their old home.
But culture shifted while they were gone. And when they return to Arlen, it no longer resembles the America they once knew. Now, it’s filled with “all-gender bathrooms” and “ridesharing.”
Even Bobby has changed: The boy’s grown into a man, and he’s started his own “Japanese-German” barbecue fusion restaurant … and the fuel source he uses to cook is distinctly not propane.
But if there was a difference Hank’s noticed, it’s his body; He’s getting older. Certain functions are becoming more difficult. Still, he’s adapted to the change.
And he’ll learn to adapt with these cultural changes, too.
I think the reason King of the Hill caught the hearts of many a viewer in its original run was the show’s simple premise: a moderately conservative family struggling to adapt to an ever-changing American culture as it shifts away from the values Hank (and others like him) holds dear.
Hank’s a traditional man, and he’s always willing to speak his mind whenever he finds something asinine to comment on. (Which is often.) Sometimes, it leaves him with his foot in his mouth. Other times, however, there’s wisdom in what he says, and he stops problematic change from occurring. It’s easy to root for a man who acts as the watchdog for his community, longing to protect them from harm (even if he may bark a false alarm or two). And really, he just wants to sip his Alamo beer in peace.
King of the Hill has always veered away from strong political takes, instead poking fun at the cultural side of things—on both sides of the progressive-traditional divide. That’s true of this newly rebooted season, too, though the issues are likewise updated as well: Bobby confronts a friend engaging in “ethical non-monogamy” and overcomes rumors that his fusion restaurant is cultural appropriation; Hank grapples with an Andrew Tate-like men’s group focused on blaming women for their problems and tries to talk down runaway conspiracy theorists.
There’s a certain charm baked into King of the Hill. But it also deals with some significant issues and contains some content concerns worth pointing out. Some episodes deal with sexual situations, and these episodes occasionally involve sex, porn, affairs and animated male backside nudity (we very occasionally see Hank’s naked rear or glimpse his friends, Dale and Boomhauer, in tight speedos). Other episodes include a bit of swearing. We also see Hank, a Methodist, dealing with Christian matters in ways that some might not find the most reverent. And all of them involve an Alamo beer in hand.
Those concerns are likely old news to many readers, since the show finished its original run so long ago. But as regards the newer, modern season, some of those content issues become a bit more intense: The newest season, for instance, includes more common uses of the s-word and “d-ck” than the older episodes as well as censored f-words; we also see a couple episodes involving a now-adult Bobby engaging in casual sex.
And some of those added issues may make longtime viewers holler, “Bwwaahhhh!”
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
When Bobby gets a black eye playing baseball, runaway rumors convince a Child Protective Services agent that Hank and his anger caused the injury. Later, Bobby accidentally hits Peggy with the baseball, giving her a bruise on her head.
Hank stumbles upon his adult niece, Luanne, while she’s in a towel. Later, he chides her for leaving her underwear out. Peggy talks to a man about Hank’s narrow urethra and low sperm count. There’s a reference to an affair.
People drink beer and smoke cigarettes.
We hear nine misuses of God’s name. We also hear a handful of uses of “a–,” “d–n” and “h—.” Hank threatens to tear a man “a new one bigger than the Grand Canyon.”
When Hank and Peggy return to Arlen, they find it far different than they remember, and they contemplate whether they’ve made the right choice.
Bobby and a woman passionately kiss, and the woman takes off her shirt, revealing her bra. Bobby accidently dials Peggy while having sex with the woman, and we hear noises through the phone as Peggy assumes Bobby must be eating a meal. We later see Bobby and the woman pulling their pants back on. A commenter on a video asks if a man is having sex with a woman. In the background of a scene, we see a college man and woman passionately kissing on a couch. Someone criticizes a man for being “butt-naked” under his shirt.
Hank struggles to urinate, and Peggy informs those waiting to use the restroom that it’s due to his narrow urethra. When learning that a bathroom is “all gender,” Hank asks Peggy if they meet that definition. And when Peggy says that she believes she’s female-presenting, Hank says that he doesn’t “want to be presenting my maleness to any kind of woman that walks in on me.”
Someone describes Hank’s friend Dale as “the devil you knew.” Hank calls solar panel pamphlets religious propaganda. Dale states that he bought the social security number of a deceased 4-year-old girl.
People drink beer and other alcohol.
We hear four misuses of God’s name (as well as the occasional “‘got’ dang”). There’s a smattering of uses of “a–,” “d–n” and “h—.”
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He’s also an avid cook. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
Peacemaker is to superhero as ringworm is to earthworm. It might seem like these two things are related based on their names, but they aren’t.
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