Hank Hill returns to a changed world in new 'King of the Hill' episodes
[August 05, 2025]
By MARK KENNEDY
NEW YORK (AP) — Hank Hill is back and he's the same ol' Hank Hill, but a
lot of things around him have changed.
The lovable animated hero of “King of the Hill” has returned from a
15-year lull and he isn't sure what boba tea is, how ridesharing works
and is confused by all-gender bathrooms. “What kind of food is poke?” he
asks his wife, Peggy.
Hank and Peggy have returned to their hometown of Arlen, Texas — and our
TV sets — but a lot has happened over the years and they're stepping
into a world they don't always recognize.
“Hank, have things changed here more than we thought?” Peggy asks,
worried, in the first new episode. “Did we make a mistake coming back?”
Hulu is definitely hoping not, reuniting many of the same writers and
voice cast who turned the propane-loving, beer-sipping Hill into one of
TV's few blue-collar icons. The first 10 episodes hit Hulu on Monday.
A new ‘King of the Hill’ leader
Saladin K. Patterson, the executive producer and showrunner for the new
season 14, hopes the original fans will return to see how Hill copes in
the modern day.
“That’s always key because you want that core fan base to validate what
you’ve done because they’re like the gatekeepers in a way,” he says. “So
when they sign off and say, ‘OK, they didn’t mess it up, it’s still the
same special show,’ I think other people who may be unfamiliar with it,
or even on the fence, feel like, ‘OK, well, now we want to like it.’”
Viewers will learn that Hank and Peggy have been in Saudi Arabia all
this time, where he served as “assistant manager in charge of Arabian
propane and Arabian propane accessories.” Their son Bobby, now 21, is
the chef of a “down home, German-Asian fusion” restaurant. (Sample dish:
Grilled mackerel with a side of mustard pretzel.)
Hank and Peggy have retired and he happily rejoins his line of friends
drinking cans of beer in an alley. Boomhauer gives him a hug and Dale
has grown even more paranoid, becoming “an election-denier-denier.”
Bill has let himself go, staying indoors and living off Amazon
deliveries. “I finished Netflix, Hank. Did you know that when you get to
the end of Netflix, you get something called 'a wellness check?'”
Viewers in the second episode hear Tom Petty's “Runnin' Down a Dream,” a
nice nod to the late rocker's embrace of the show when it first
appeared.
“The writers have found that balance between the vintage ‘King of the
Hill’ that we adore and the new — and letting them coexist,” says Pamela
Adlon, who voices Bobby.
Same gentle tone
Creators Mike Judge, the mastermind behind “Beavis and Butt-Head,” and
Greg Daniels, who would go on to co-create “The Office,” helped
Patterson navigate this world, which they sheparded during its first 13
seasons, airing from 1997 to 2009.
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This image released by Hulu shows characters, from left, Jeff
Boomhauer, Hank Hill, Dale Gribble and Bill Dauterive in a scene
from "King of the Hill." (Hulu via AP)
 The show's tone maintains its gentle
mocking of modern life, from hipsters and their craft ales to bike
lanes. Hill at one point shakes his head over modern outdoor grills
having sensors and app connections: “I shouldn’t have to call
technical support to make a burger.”
Patterson says the humor is grounded in real life.
“I do have a barbecue grill that is Wi-Fi- and Bluetooth-enabled. I
have three devices to run it, but I’m calling tech support because I
have guests coming over and the meat needs to be done,” he says.
“And I do think over the pandemic, my wife finished Netflix.”
While there are changes, some things are immutable. “Hank’s still
going to drink beer. Dale’s still going to be a conspiracy theorist.
Bill’s still going to be a lovable sad sack,” says Patterson. “Those
core character things had to be the same. I had a pastor who told me
one time, ‘Grown folks don’t change.’”
Viewers will see in upcoming episodes if Hank — a happy propane
seller and garage tinkerer — can really ever retire and watch as
Hank’s friends navigate new chapters. They'll also explore the
relationship between an adult Bobby and his parents.
“He’s of age now and it’s really kind of cool because you see the
similarities and all the attributes that he took from his parents
that he wasn’t even aware of when he was a boy — or didn’t want to
have anything to do with — and now he’s using them to keep his
business going and move himself forward,” says Adlon.
A politics-free zone
While debates have raged over where Hank Hill sits on the political
spectrum, his creators argue he represents a sensible, common-sense
middle. He follows the rules and does the best he can without
hurting anyone.
“It's so not a Republican or a Democratic show or an independent
show. It’s all of that,” says Adlon. “There’s space in the world for
everybody. It’s hard for us all to find a safe space in a common
area anymore and that’s what this show really is.”
And even though the new “King of the Hill” episodes arrive during
President Donald Trump's second term, don't expect any politics from
Hank Hill.
“We want to tell relatable stories where people can see themselves
in our characters or their family members in our characters,” says
Patterson.
“There are enough cultural things and relationship things that have
shifted to where he can comment on that without us wading into
tariffs and immigration policy and stuff like that.”
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