PLOT: After years working a propane job in Saudi Arabia to earn their retirement nest egg, Hank and Peggy Hill return to a modified Arlen, Texas to reconnect with previous pals Dale, Boomhauer and Invoice. In the meantime, Bobby resides his dream as a chef in Dallas and having fun with his 20s along with his former classmates Connie, Joseph and Chane.
REVIEW: King of the Hill has been off the air since 2009 and rather a lot has modified since then. The world is a really completely different place and so there’s at all times the query of whether or not or not that the humor would translate into trendy period. And I’m pleased to say that this new iteration completely nails the tone and spirit of what made KOTH nice. That is my favourite animated sequence of all time, so I had very excessive expectations, they usually have been met in nearly each manner.
Season 14 follows Hank and Peggy returning to Texas after spending years in Saudi Arabia. After many years of adoration in the direction of Texas, they’re shocked at how a lot they don’t acknowledge. Bobby is now a Chef at a restaurant in Dallas, and due to this fact doesn’t work together as a lot along with his mother and father. However when he does, it feels similar to previous instances. Dale had gained his marketing campaign to be Mayor (which didn’t final lengthy), Invoice grew to become an absolute mess, and Boomhauer now has a stepson. Until I simply occurred to overlook it, there’s no actual point out of Luanne and Fortunate, which isn’t a shock provided that their unique voice actors (Brittany Murphy and Tom Petty) have since handed. However many of the characters are accounted for and really feel like respectful continuations.
There’s at all times been one thing particular about KOTH in that, when you perceive the character dynamics, each little line could cause gut-busting laughter. And none of that’s extra evident than with Peggy Hill, whose oblivious ignorance is among the highlights of the season. Her mispronouncing Saud-eye Arabi-ee-eye or her clear ignorance of the tradition is a good carryover from her Spanish days. Although if any character feels a little bit shortchanged with what she’s as much as this season, it’s in all probability her. However with solely 10 episodes, there’s solely a lot that could possibly be carried out.
After Season 6, the community mandated that the present change from syndicated (the place storylines would carry over and be referenced all through the season) to being episodic, with the logic being that it will be extra accessible. Fortunately, we see the return of the syndicated story format, and thus, the present is basically capable of shine once more. The Bobby storyline specifically works splendidly, each as a method to present how a lot he’s grown, but additionally how a lot he’s nonetheless the identical character we’ve at all times liked. His gradual development from episode to episode and his love for his job actually present how a lot he really takes after Hank. I used to be genuinely rooting for his reunion with Connie in a manner that I wasn’t anticipating, and that’s all as a result of fantastic writing.
I’d argue that the very best episode of the season goes to “New Ref In Town”, the place Hank turns into a secret Soccer ref. Pre-Saudi Hank overtly hated soccer and so it’s enjoyable to see his character development, and the logical causes for why his character would develop to find it irresistible. And that is true of many of the character development within the present. All of it simply matches with what we had seen within the prior 13 seasons. The one one who feels a bit off is Connie, who does some stuff that feels a little bit out of left subject. Nevertheless it’s a great way of showcasing how a lot folks can actually change throughout their early life.
When it comes to negatives, a few of the voices really feel a little bit off. Like many different animated exhibits that will exchange their voice actors with actors of shade who truly voice characters of shade, Toby Huss is sadly not voicing Kahn Souphanousinphone. As a substitute, Ronny Chieng takes up the mantle and truthfully does a horrible job of it. He does the snigger proper, however that’s nearly it, along with his complete cadence and phrase construction being off. It’s like he hardly took the time to hearken to what Kahn seemed like prior. This takes lots of the humor away from the character. Paradoxically, Huss truly takes over for Johnny Hardwicke as Dale after episode 7, and does a spot-on carryover of the newer Dale voice. In truth, there are occasions when it feels extra just like the previous Dale than even Hardwicke managed. Joseph can be changed by Tai Leclaire, and it looks like the right mix of Joseph’s previous voice and John Redcorn.
Total, this season is a return to kind for the sequence. Those that have been nervous this could carry over extra traits from the top of the present ought to set these fears apart and have a look at this as much more of a continuation of these first six seasons. There are some lovely tributes to Johnny Hardwick and Jonathan Joss, two necessary actors to the sequence that each sadly handed away earlier than the brand new sequence aired. I can’t await Season 15 and hope that we get many extra adventures with these fantastic residents of Arlen.
KING OF THE HILL: SEASON 14 IS NOW STREAMING ON HULU AND DISNEY PLUS.
