King of the Hill: Season 2 Episodes (Ranked)
We’re back for Season 2 and I’m glad I finally finished this. I took longer than I wanted to with releasing this but here we are. We’re diving into Season 2 of my all-time favorite TV show, King of the Hill. Season 1 felt really tough to rank because a lot of them were so similar and none of them were particularly duds, but after doing Season 2, it is only going to continue to get more difficult to rank. The show really finds its groove in this season and we see more character development and new minor characters being introduced. I wouldn’t say Season 2 is the best season, but it was a really good season with a lot of really good episodes.
I want to explain what I’m doing here. There is no certain criteria behind these rankings. I am simply re-watching the series in order and ranking episodes as I see them by each season. It’s interesting to see how my opinions change about certain episodes when I really focus on certain things. I also like to look at the list of the episodes before I watch them to picture in my head where I initially think I will rank the episodes. I have seen most of these episodes so many times that I can practically recite lines word-for-word in the majority of these episodes, so it makes it even more difficult when I try to sit down and analyze these episodes. So, remember, these are all my opinions. There is no right or wrong, and I am giving my thoughts on how I perceive each episode. With all of that being said, here are my Season 2 King of the Hill episodes ranked. It’s going to be a long ride, so buckle in and hang on tight.
23. “The Arrowhead” Episode 3
When Hank stumbles upon a couple Native American artifacts, he contacts the local community college’s archeology department. In the process, they destroy his lawn and the archeology professor takes advantage of Hank and in particular, Peggy’s ignorance.
This isn’t a bad episode, but it’s definitely one of the weaker ones of the whole series. The archeology theme is pretty neat in all reality, but the execution of the story and the weak ending make it the worst of Season Two. This is mainly a Peggy-centered episode, but you could say that Hank shared a main portion of it as well. I really enjoyed the part where Boomhauer is trying to make sense of the contract that Peggy signed and Bobby’s “Tell me more professor. Right Mom?” line kills me each time. Other than that, the episode isn’t very good.
22. “Husky Bobby” Episode 6
After discovering that clothes at the local department store don’t fit Bobby anymore, they take him to a plus-sized kids clothing store. Bobby is then recruited to become a plus-sized boys clothing model. After finding moderate success with his modeling, Hanks seeks to put an end to it immediately and it turns out he saved him from a disaster.
I think this episode is just unfortunately a good episode among a lot of great episodes and that’s the reason it’s ranked where it is. Bobby finds another hobby that he really enjoys, but this time Hank disapproves of it. There are a good number of comical scenes here, but my favorite is when Boomhauer and Dale find out that Hank is going to Bobby’s photo shoot. Also, just before that, when Hank discovers Bobby’s photos in the newspaper and he rushes to rip out the ad in all of his neighbors’ papers is hilarious. There’s nothing remarkable about this episode, but it is a good episode. It isn’t one of the worst of the whole series, but it’s pretty far from one of the greats.
21. “Meet the Manger Babies” Episode 12
The show’s most famous puppets are introduced in this one and it’s a Luanne episode. The Super Bowl is coming up and the Hill’s TV set is acting up. While running some errands, Hank decides to bring Bobby and Luanne along. Luanne finds some secondhand puppets and falls in love. She wants to put her talents to good use and talks their church into letting her run her own puppet show for kids. She makes it all the way to Channel 84, but there’s one big problem, it’s on at the same time as the Super Bowl.
This is a nice episode, but not one of the better ones of the season. The manger babies are introduced for the first time and they make sporadic appearances throughout the series. This episode more or less shows Hank’s growing support of his niece. Troy Aikman makes a cameo in the episode and it was his only show credit. An interesting fact, this particular year’s Super Bowl was won by the Denver Broncos, when they defeated the Green Bay Packers, 31-24. The Packers were favored by 11 points. As for this episode, I always enjoy it each time I see it, but it’s not one that I will go out of my way to watch. As long as you don’t spill grape juice on the new carpet, everything will be just fine.
20. “The Man Who Shot Cane Skretteburg” Episode 7
This happened to be the highest-viewed King of the Hill episode in history with 21.6 million viewers tuned in. To celebrate Bobby and Joseph’s chicken pox survival, everybody makes a trip to the Family Fun Center. They encounter Cane Skretteburg and the Stubborn Stains before the trip and during the trip and they become a thorn in the guys’ side. The guys realize that they’re older now and must outsmart the younger punks to best them in the paintball arena.
I really enjoy this episode each time I see it. Green Day were the punks getting on the guys nerves and they were great in their roles. We got a funny cold open to start this one and Pops makes his first of only a couple appearances in the series here. His dynamic with the Hank, Dale, Bill and Boomhauer was hilarious. The cool title of this episode is named after The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, which is a classic 60’s western starring John Wayne and James Stewart in case you were wondering. As for the show itself, I like how Bobby is bullied by Cane and his band, but still idolizes them. Also, there’s a wicked nightmare scene from Hank and it gives me flashbacks of Beavis and Butthead every time I see it. My funniest moment of the show is probably when Hank first confronts the garage band. This was a really good show and is one that I will watch randomly from time to time. It’s just a nice and funny episode. I’m not ranking it too high, but like I said, it’s one that I enjoy watching over and over.
19. “The Company Man” Episode 9
This episode was meant to be in first season and is even included in the Season One DVD set, but it didn’t air until Season Two. Hank is trying to impress clients from Boston and is having a difficult time. The Holloways are the owners of the new housing development in town and need a propane dealer. Strickland Propane are the frontrunners, but they face stiff competition from Thatherton Fuels.
You can tell that this episode was aired out of sequence immediately, but it doesn’t really affect the quality of it. This show has some funny parts, but it isn’t one that is particularly memorable. It was the debut of arguably the best minor character of the show in Buck Strickland, but he really didn’t have a huge part in this one. We don’t see Buck get too eccentric this early on, so stay tuned for that. Mr. Holloway is wrapped up in Texas stereotypes and is in search of an “authentic” Texas experience, and we find out that he wasn’t the most important Holloway during the episode. This episode is a simple story of Hank on the job and what he is willing to do to make a sale. I knew this episode would be stuck in the middle somewhere. I thought the funniest moment was when Boomhauer found Hank decked out in his Cowboy outfit at the store.
18. “Leanne’s Saga” Episode 19
After doing her time in medium-security prison for stabbing her husband with a fork, Luanne’s mother, Leanne is a free woman, but doesn’t have anywhere to stay. Bobby suggests that Leanne stay with them, but obviously Peggy and Hank are not keen on the idea. All the while, Leanne is trying to slowly earn back the trust of her peers but has no true intentions of actually doing so. She and Bill spark up a romance and practically spends all of his money. Bill can no longer afford his fungal medication for his feet and Leanne is disgusted, so she starts drinking again and returns to her abusive ways.
This was the only episode where Leanne appears in the whole series. It was a great intro and ending to a backstory character. Aside from that, it wasn’t a special episode. There were funny parts, but aside from learning more about Luanne’s mom, there wasn’t a lot going on. Bobby was funny in this episode mainly because of his inability to read the room. He just wants Luanne to be happy but is not fully aware of her situation. While there are meant to humorous elements of the episode, I think the goal was to make us feel worse for Luanne’s situation more than anything and possibly Bill. This is a good episode, but like the episodes in this area, it isn't one that I will go out of my way to watch.
17. “I Remember Mono” Episode 14
We have another holiday themed episode with this one and it revolves around a flashback to Valentine’s Day. Peggy and Hank’s love story had a foundation of Peggy’s beef wellington disaster and Hank’s back injury and that’s the story that Peggy believed for 20 years, that is until she found out the truth. Hank had mono and got it from kissing a random girl. Hank never told her, and Peggy holds a grudge against him. Bobby also has a secret admirer, who he thinks is Kerri Strug.
This is one of the more mellow episodes and I think it’s due to the many 70s flashbacks. I didn’t really know where to rank this one because I enjoy it, but I don’t think it’s close to the top-rated episodes. Also, what made Bobby think his secret admirer was a famous US Olympic gymnast who he has never met in his life? It’s stupid, but it’s kind of funny, Chuck Mangione’s “Feels So Good” plays at the end of the episode too, which adds to the mellow nature. One thing I have never noticed in this episode is the fact that Peggy had to buy a whole side of beef after punching it and Luanne and Bobby is sawing it in the garage. I have seen the episode probably 10 times before and have never noticed that. Not technically, but it’s also really the first episode where Peggy’s mom makes an appearance that isn't a flashback. This is a good episode, just not a great one.
16. “Snow Job” Episode 13
Arlen gets a surprise snow storm and the town goes into a frenzy. It doesn’t come at a good time either. Buck Strickland has a heart attack and forced to let someone take over the company temporarily. Hank is upset when he finds out that Strickland didn’t choose him as the temporary leader and as a result takes some time to think about his future as a propane salesman. He also finds out that Strickland has electric appliances in his house and has been deceiving him the whole time.
I thought this was going to be in the middle somewhere and I was pretty close. This is the first time we see Hank contemplating his career and we don’t see it too often. Hank loves his job as Assistant Manager of Strickland Propane and this episode provided a nice twist. While this wasn’t the first episode with Buck Strickland, this was really the first time he had a featuring role. He was pretty tame early on, but we start to see how he can live up to his potential as one of the most underrated characters. I always crack up when I see the exchange between Ma and Pa at the general store. It also amazes me how Bobby says the word, “life” in this episode. Also, if you ever need to know how to make a bomb, Dale tells you how you can with a roll of toilet paper and a stick of dynamite. This episode has a lot of funny moments, but I just don’t think the episode is quite good enough to be considered among the best of Season 2.
15. “Traffic Jam” Episode 16
After Kahn and Hank bump into each other while leaving their driveways, they are forced to attend traffic school. Both of them unintentionally join the same school taught by rising comedian Booda Sack. When Bobby finds out that Booda Sack is teaching his dad’s class, he is ecstatic. He is a big fan of his and is very familiar with his work. Bobby attends with Hank in hopes that Hank can teach him a lesson, but his attempt fails. Booda Sack tells Bobby to get in touch with his roots because he is copying the act of a black man and in his attempt to find humor with his Caucasian roots, he stumbles across some racist material and ignorantly gets on stage at the open mic night.
Hank was the butt of the joke for the majority of the episode and this was another good instance of Bobby and Hank trying to coexist despite being so different. The funniest part in the episode for me was when they talked about their former neighbor, who was a 500-lb shut-in and they explained that he had to move away, but they had to remove him by cutting out the side of his house. The visual of the house was hilarious. King of the Hill doesn’t show its age too often, but this may be a rare example of that. They could do a similar episode today, but a lot of the racial topics discussed are not brought up in the same light. This is one of those episodes that you’ll either enjoy or hate, but I enjoyed it. Also, I like the fun facts scattered through the series. At the end of this episode, Hank explains that propane has no natural odor and the odor you smell is man-made. The more you know.
14. “Peggy’s Turtle Song” Episode 22
After having an outburst at school, Bobby is diagnosed with ADD by the school nurse. Little do they know that he had at least 3 bowls of sugary cereal for breakfast. So, Bobby starts ADD medication and Peggy quits substitute teaching to be a stay-at-home mom. Bobby starts to be hyper-focused while on his meds and Peggy found herself with too much time on her hands, so she takes guitar lessons from a feminist musician named Emily and she opens her eyes to a new world. Emily suggests that Peggy should write her own song and perform it at the Mother’s Day recital. Peggy writes and performs a song with a seemingly innocent tone, but the crowd interprets the song as Hank treating her badly.
I have always thought that Peggy gets a bad rap as a character. I think she is one of the best KOTH characters. This was a good episode and we see added layers for her character here. While she is open to a lot of things, she is still very grounded in her beliefs. Bobby is definitely the funniest character in this episode. His outburst after being on a sugar high in class was hilarious because of how out of character it is and him asking Hank if he smokes or snorts the medication that he is supposed to take gets me rolling every time. Also, his reaction to the ADD meds are really funny. One thing that I’ve never understood though is why did Peggy have to quit her job? It was during the school year and her job was at the school. I’ve never understood that, but that’s not a big hang up for me. This was also the second and final appearance of Country music legend Tammy Wynette voicing Hank’s mom. I like this episode and it is honestly one that doesn’t really get tiring.
13. “How to Fire a Rifle Without Really Trying” Episode 1
The second season got off to a great start with this opening episode. Bobby finds a new interest in rifle shooting and Hank is all on board for it. They start to spend more quality time together, but there’s only one problem, Hank can’t shoot.
We really see the quality of the animation improve in this episode and it looked great for the rest of the season. As far as the episode is concerned, it was a great opener. Even though Hank and Bobby don’t have a lot in common, guns brought them together and despite Hank’s trauma of his childhood, he continued to support his son. Also, we see Cotton showing his unconditional love for Bobby and disdain for his son, Hank. There were a lot of funny parts like the gun safety instructor on multiple occasions and Dale’s famous quote of, “Guns don’t kill people, the government does.” I think the most underrated moment of the show was Cotton saying that he bet on the opposing father/son shooting duo and it shows Dale paying Cotton his bet winnings. This episode is great for a random watching and with a season full of strong episodes, I think it’s underappreciated.
12. “The Son That Got Away” Episode 8
Bobby and Connie get in trouble at school and their fathers are called in to meet with the chorus teacher. Kahn and Hank decide to punish their kids, but the kids rebel and decide to go to the infamous “Boneyard”. The parents realize the kids are missing and go on a wild goose chase to find them.
I have always felt that this is one of the more underrated episodes of the series. It is a funny one, but it is meant to be a little more serious. Like a lot of the previous episodes, we’re learning more and more about characters in this one. Connie and Bobby’s relationship is gaining more steam. We learn that Bill had a pretty traumatic childhood. We get further proof that Dale is completely oblivious to Nancy and John Redcorn. And most importantly, we learn that butane is a bastard gas. The episodes where the kids are the center of attention are mostly great including this one, but this is the first time that we really see Bobby, Connie and Joseph together in an adventure. Not the best of the season, but not too far off.
11. “The Unbearable Blindness of Laying” Episode 11
King of the Hill’s first Christmas episode is centered around the introduction of Hank’s mother and new boyfriend, Gary. The two of them come to visit for the holiday, but Hank is extremely uncomfortable with their relationship. After having to return home to get the right foam finger for the local middle school basketball game, Hank catches Gary and his mother having intimate relations. He is so traumatized, that he no longer has sight. He tries his best to cope with his newfound blindness and even visits his father in Houston.
I wasn’t exactly sure where I was going to put this one, but it’s a really funny episode. The fact that he goes blind, Gary making things super awkward, the guys making fun of him, and Bobby absolutely idolizing Gary. It’s a very solid episode. Hank’s mom makes her official debut in this episode and is voice by country music legend, Tammy Wynette. It’s a shame that she was only able to voice Tilly in only two episodes, because I thought she did very well in that role. Also, anytime Cotton is on the screen, it is usually a good episode regardless of the situation. A really good episode here.
10 “Junkie Business” Episode 20
Hank is tasked to hire an accessories associate and he is down to two real candidates. One is an attractive Latina named Maria. Maria is qualified but didn’t know who Troy Aikman was. The other is a young man, named Leon, who practically told him everything he wanted to hear. He hired Leon, but something is off about him. He showed up late on his first day and wasn’t the employee that he thought he would be. Bobby informed him that he thinks Leon is a drug addict. Hank denies it, but soon realizes Bobby is right. He fires Leon but finds out that he couldn’t legally fire Leon because he was in the process of recovery. All the while, the rest of the Strickland employees are taking advantage of Leon’s situation and slacking off at work. Hank must find a loophole, so Strickland Propane can return to normal.
I have always really enjoyed this episode. I knew it wasn’t going to be at the very top, but I had a good feeling it was going to be in the top half. From Hank’s interviews, to his discomfort with potentially hiring an attractive woman, to hiring a drug addict, to having to cater to his “needs”. It is a very funny show. We see the return of Anthony, aka Twig Boy, who first appeared in the “Pilot”. It’s also funny that Bobby was the one to tell his dad that he hired a drug addict and Hank completely overlooked it, because he mentioned the Cowboys in his interview. The more I watch this episode, the more I realize how realistic this could be. The Strickland Propane episodes are always pretty decent, and this was no exception. Hold up, I think I see Peggy in the parking lot, and she looks disgruntled.
9. “The Final Shinsult” Episode 18
Cotton and Didi split up and Cotton is staying with Hank and his family. Cotton has to get his license renewed, but Hank thinks that his dad shouldn’t drive anymore. Hank tells the DMV to change the eye chart, so Cotton would fail. Cotton finds out and is angry, so he moves in with Dale. After Cotton lands in a little trouble, Hank wants Cotton to move back in and even wants him to chaperone Bobby on his trip to the museum to see General Santa Anna’s artificial leg. Disgusted that Santa Anna’s leg is getting returned to Mexico, Dale and Cotton devise a scheme to steal the leg and use it as leverage to get Cotton a real driver’s license.
I love this episode, but I feel like it is a little too outlandish to rank too high. Most of the Cotton episodes are gold and this falls right into that category. I’d go as far as to say that this may be the best Cotton episode of the series. Maybe not, but it’s in consideration and I think it is definitely underrated considering it is the lowest rated Season 2 episode on IMDb. There are a lot of funny moments in the episode and I feel like at the end of this, I am going to under rank it. The scene that gets me laughing every time is when the cop asks Cotton if he recognizes his son and his response to her is, “Yeah, he’s Benedict Arlen.” Also, Dale’s complete submission to the police after they arrive at his doorstep was incredible, especially when his voice gets higher after he finds the leg isn't where he left it. Cotton stealing something so significant and getting away with it is a tough sell though. I love this episode, but I’m not going to rank it too high because of this. And this theme continues with the next episode on the list.
8. “Three Days of the Kahndo” Episode 15
The Souphanousinphones are taking a vacation to Mexico and they need someone to join them after Kahn’s brother bails out on them. The Hills and Luanne join them on the trip. That’s really all you need to know to know it’s a good episode, but things turn sour when they don’t realize that “mitad” means half, which means they have to share the downstairs portion of the condo. The Hills unknowingly illegally stay in the upstairs part of the condo and they’re joined by Dale. The condo manager calls the law on them and are forced to pay a steep fine. When they can’t come up with the funds, they decide to hop the border back into America.
This is one of the lesser realistic episodes of the series, but it’s a great one. I debated putting this one inside the Top 3, because it is hilarious throughout the whole show. It is the first time we see them on foreign soil, even though most of the Mexicans spoke perfect English. Kahn knows exactly which buttons to press with Hank and it is always hilarious to see, but Hank and Kahn remain friends, despite neither of them willing to admit it. This episode was already really good, but Dale joining in added so much to the episode. It was random, but fantastic. I really enjoyed it because it was a busy episode, they packed a lot of content into a regular show. Each character had a storyline. Peggy and Minh and their papier mache hunt, Luanne was buying illegal makeup, Bobby and Connie were trying to blow up the statue outside of the Italian restaurant, and Hank, Dale, and Kahn were trying to illegally re-enter the United States. All-in-all, it’s a great show.
7. “Bobby Slam” Episode 10
Tom Landry Middle School has called up Peggy Hill to teach girls sports and the disparity between the importance of girls and boys sports is laughable at Tom Landry Middle. Despite her toughest efforts to get the girls better equipment and uniforms, the school continues to let her down. Connie decides she wants to wrestle, and Title IX says that they can’t withhold her from joining the wrestling team. So, Coach Kleehammer decides to make things difficult not only for Peggy, but for Connie as well.
I thought I was going to rate this one lower actually, but as I watched it again, I realized how many funny moments are in this show. It’s honestly one of the more underrated episodes in the entirety of the show. I remember the first time I watched this episode. The totally convincing announcement from Doug to joining the basketball team was definitely the one scene that has stuck with me. “Bounce a ball in hockey, well that’s a mandatory drug test right there.” I laugh every single time I see it. From the PE teacher’s blatant misogyny, to Bill staring at Minh and Luanne wrestling in the yard and getting called out for it, to Peggy getting drunk at the batting cages and getting mad at Hank, it has everything. Oh yeah, and Bobby and Connie wind up doing a pro wrestling skit instead of amateur wrestling. It has so many funny scenes in it.
6. “Hank’s Dirty Laundry” Episode 17
Hank is embarrassed to see his underwear hanging on the clothesline, but the Hill’s dryer is broken. They go to buy a new dryer but are denied due to bad credit. Hank denies this and finds out that he owes Arlen Video $40. They say he never returned a film called Cuffs and Collars, which is a pornographic film. Hank never rented the tape and goes to court to fight for his innocence. The other story arc is that Bobby thinks they’re being secretive about things because they’re planning surprises for his birthday.
I wasn’t sure where I would rank this episode prior to viewing it again, but it is fantastic. There are a lot of layers to it. Hank is willing to do anything to prove his innocence while Peggy seems to be nonchalant about everything at first, because she only wants a dryer, but that quickly turns to disgust after Hank mistakenly gets porn delivered to the house. Bobby and Luanne are clueless about everything but are having their own adventure and Bill, pretending to be disgusted, is the one who winds up helping Hank the most. This is also the first time we hear the name Rusty Shackleford ever mentioned by Dale. The most underrated part of the episode was when Hank asks the appliance salesman about an electric dryer compared to a propane one and attempts to pitch propane to the salesman. Also, John Redcorn and Nancy happen to be in Arlen Video together while Hank learns that he “rented” a porno. I thought this was a hilarious touch. This was an unconventional episode, but a very good one.
5. “Life in the Fast Lane: Bobby’s Saga” Episode 21
Bobby doesn’t understand the value of a dollar, so Hank suggests that Bobby get a job. He gets a job selling concessions at the local racetrack. Meanwhile Hank and the rest of the guys are invested in Boomhauer’s race to potentially drive the pace car at the upcoming NASCAR event at Arlen Speedway. Bobby realizes that his new boss, Jimmy Witchard, is a complete moron and wants to quit. Hank tells Bobby that he should give 110% in everything he does, but doesn’t quite realize who Bobby’s boss is or how he acts. Bobby’s attitude changed, but his patience is wearing thin with his boss. Hank finally realizes that Bobby’s boss is an imbecile and takes care of the situation.
This was the first and only NASCAR related episode in the show’s history. I have always loved this episode for obvious reasons. Dale Earnhardt Sr. made an appearance to tell us that the pace car rope was soft and pretty, something that Bobby was scolded for saying earlier. And Jeff Gordon was made to be a wimpy daddy’s boy. That in itself is hilarious because at the time, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt had the biggest rivalry in the sport. We got the debut of Jimmy Witchard who is a special character in more ways than one and Hank literally “kicked his ass”. I rated this higher than most would probably, but in my mind, this is a classic KOTH episode. Hank and the guys are on an adventure and help each other live out one of their dreams and despite Hank not analyzing the situation correctly, he tried to teach Bobby a valuable lesson. It’s a fantastic, classic KOTH episode and one of my personal favorites and I think it is worthy of a Top 5 spot. The biggest takeaway from this episode is to, “Find what your niche is”… because, “that leads to riches...”
4. “Texas City Twister” Episode 2
This episode was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program and some think it is the west of the season. Season Two got off to an excellent start and this one may be the most difficult for me to personally rank. The episode revolves around Luanne and it give us a more detailed explanation as to why she is living with the Hills. Hank all but forces her to move out of their house and back into her trailer, but when a tornado rips through Arlen, he has second thoughts.
When I looked at the episode list for Season Two, I had no idea where I would rank this episode. I could see it being Top 5 or Bottom 5, but I think this is the right spot. What I like about this episode is the fact that we get to see characters in their natural elements. By that I mean, we get a better understanding of who the characters are. We finally see Nancy in her work element and Bill, to an extent. We also see Dale and Boomhauer hanging out, trying to get footage of the tornado and like I mentioned earlier, we get a clearer understanding of Luanne’s living situation. She doesn’t have to live with Hank, Peggy and Bobby, but she loves being a part of a family, which is something that she was lacking with her parents. Don’t get me wrong, this was kind of an absurd episode as far as reality goes, but there are definitely some real moments to it and that is what makes it really good. Refer back to this episode if you want to know how to start a man’s heart with a downed power line.
3. “Jumpin’ Crack Bass (It’s a Gas, Gas, Gas)” Episode 5
The title is a play on words from a hit song by The Rolling Stones and I would consider the episode to be a hit as well. Hank isn’t having a lot of luck with earthworms as fishing bait, so he ventures out into the mysterious world of artificial bait. He unknowingly and mistakenly buys crack rocks and quickly becomes a master bass fisher. Not long afterwards, the fish aren’t biting, and Hank and Dale get caught trying to buy more crack.
We find another one of Hank’s passions in this episode. The man loves to fish. We knew he liked to be outdoors, but we haven’t seen him fish yet. Hank was the main focus of the show and it was actually a very busy episode. At the start, Hank is apprehending a guy trying to steal his truck and in the end, he is fighting for his innocence for mistakenly buying crack, thinking it was fishing bait. The thought of someone like Hank getting into this predicament is funny in itself and the episode was laid out wonderfully. Also, the parallel between Hank’s addiction to fishing after buying the bait and drug addiction is an interesting twist in the show. This episode also is another instance where we see Luanne being an absolute genius when it comes to mechanical work. This is a great episode where all of the main characters are featured well and just seems to have a timeless feel to it.
2. “Propane Boom I” Episode 23
The season finale is a cliffhanger and a classic episode of KOTH. After finding out that Mega Lo Mart is selling propane, Hank is disgusted. As Assistant Manager, Hank is trying to find new ways to make Strickland profitable, but Mr. Strickland doesn’t see a way to keep the branch open, so he fires everyone. Hank’s anger continues to grow, and Luanne finds herself in a bit of predicament as well. She is behind on her tuition, but she doesn’t have a job. Mega Lo Mart is hiring, and her boyfriend Buckley is the manager of the propane department. Instead of hiring Luanne, Buckley hires Hank. Luanne is mad at Hank at first, but that anger is shifted towards Buckley and she is going to break up with him. Hank is tired of being disrespected at Mega Lo Mart and joins a couple of his coworkers to start a mutiny of the upcoming Chuck Mangione concert. However, the mutiny was more explosive than they could ever imagine.
I went a little long on the intro, but there was a lot to unravel. What a cliffhanger this was. If you were watching back in 1998, you had to wait 4 months to find out if Buckley, Luanne and Hank were going to live. KOTH found its groove in Season 2, but this episode told the world that they were going to stick around for a while. This episode felt like a movie almost with how much storyline was packed into it. It is a heavy-hitter for sure. While there were many funny parts in this episode, it is meant to be more serious than most episodes. They did a fantastic job of being humorous, yet stern. Also, Boomhauer obviously had to be the one to make the 911 call. This episode is one of the best of the series and a great two-parter that I will further break down in the Season Three episode rankings.
1. “Hilloween” Episode 4
Here we finally get to see our first KOTH holiday special and it was an all-time classic. Not only that, it is Number One on my ranked episodes of Season 2! Everyone is planning their Halloween festivities and things are going great until the self-righteous Junie Harper ruins everyone’s fun. She and Hank clash throughout the episode and fight for their own versions of Halloween fun with Luanne being the catalyst between them.
This was the first holiday episode for King of the Hill and they hit a home run on the first at-bat. I knew that this would be one of my highest ranked episodes of the season and it is definitely in consideration for Top 10 episodes in the whole series. We see the only appearance from Junie Harper (voiced by Sally Field) and she may be one of the best one-off guest stars on the entire show. The episode is filled with hilarious moments and if you read my Season One rankings, you know I like a good flashback. The flashback in this episode was possibly the funniest of the entire show. Little Boomhauer saying “Dang ol’ boo, man” in a ghost costume is all you need to know to know it was hilarious. Another small part that gets me each time is when Luanne tells Bobby that his dad is a Satanist and his reaction is “Oh, dang...” Speaking of gullibility, we also really start to notice Luanne’s gullible nature on display here. Junie Harper deceived her into buying into the supposed Satanist propaganda and all Junie Harper had to do was tell her she was smart. It wasn’t the only Halloween themed episode from KOTH, but it was certainly the best. It makes me want to yell “TRICK. OR. TREAT!!!” in protest down the street.