‘King of the Hill’ Season 15 is another triumph
‘King of the Hill’ Season 15 is another triumph
That boy may or may not be right, but there’s nothing wrong at all with the show’s revival.
Not every TV series can simply pick up where it left off nearly 20 years ago without skipping a beat, but “King of the Hill” has managed it. Last year, the show triumphantly returned with a 14th season after a hiatus of more than 15 years, and the result more than pleasantly surprised me.
Season 15 of “King of the Hill” was released on Monday morning, and it made for an easy, comfortable watch as I made my way through the week. Even with a new season of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” coming out this week, I couldn’t help thinking about watching “KOTH” first when I turned on my TV each day, and I think that makes it my favorite stream of the week by default.
In Season 15 of “King of the Hill,” Hank and Peggy are still trying to make their way through retired life without losing their life savings to scammers. Bobby is happy in his work and his new relationship with Connie, but he soon finds that the question of whether to hard-launch or soft-launch their new status is the least of his worries. Dale, Bill, and Boomhauer can’t seem to stay out of trouble, proving that the more things change on Rainey Street, the more they stay the same.
I’ve said this before, but it’s still valid: the show’s long layoff was good both for audiences and its characters. The writers now have the advantage of not only having time away from “King of the Hill,” but also being able to tell new stories because their characters are in a new phase of life. As a fan, I’m curious to know what’s going on with Hank, Peggy, and Bobby in their later years in a way I wouldn’t be if the characters were stuck in a perpetual state of arrested development.
As an example, Season 15 sees the Hill family adopt a new dog. It’s not 100% new territory for the show, which frequently had episodes centered on the family pooch Ladybird in its initial run. But because we’re dealing with an older, wiser Hill family, the show can explore the emotional impact getting a new pet has on Hank after the passing of his beloved bloodhound.
There’s also no denying that rebooted shows like “King of the Hill” benefit somewhat from the abbreviated seasons they get on streaming platforms. In its heyday, “King of the Hill” seasons were stuffed with 20+ episodes each. Now that seasons are shorter, writers don’t have to worry about holding anything back for later in the year. Fans get the best they have to offer up front, with a nice, clean season story arc — in this case, at least.
If you’re in any way a fan of “King of the Hill,” but haven’t tried the reboot episodes yet, you absolutely must check them out. Even if you were only a casual follower of the show when it first aired, you should at least try Season 15, if for no other reason than to see how a series revival should be done. “King of the Hill” Season 15 is available in full on Hulu now.
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