Pilot (King of the Hill)

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“Pilot”
King of the Hill episode
Episode no. Season 1
Episode 1
Written by Mike Judge
Greg Daniels
Directed by Wesley Archer
Guest stars Gailard Sartain
Production no. 4E01
Original airdate January 12, 1997
Episode chronology
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List of King of the Hill episodes

"Pilot" is the first episode of the FOX animated television series King of the Hill. It was written by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels and directed by Wesley Archer. When Bobby gets hit in the eye by a baseball from one of his games, rumours of his father Hank abusing him start to spread.[1] It guest stars Gailard Sartain as a case manager.[1]

Contents

[edit] Plot

Hank and Peggy Hill's son Bobby gets hit in the eye with a baseball at one of his games. Afterwards Hank and Bobby go in the Mega Lo Mart where Hank is infuriated by the incompetence one of the employees, whom he berates angrily. Meanwhile Bobby knocks over oil cans with a tube. A worker tells Hank that he has to pay for the oil that Bobby knocked over, and Hank gets mad and screams at the employee, Buckley, that he is fired. People start a rumor that Hank beats Bobby and that he is the one that gave him the black eye. Someone calls Arlen Child Services, and they get in touch with a man named Anthony who investigates. Anthony, recently arrived in Texas from LA is predisposed to assume Hank, as a redneck, is abusive to his son. His condesencion and invasive approach infuriates Hank, who loses his temper with Anthony. A series of other events, including Anthony overhearing Bobby imitating his father threatening him in an exaggerated manner, strengthen Anthony's presumption.

Anthony attempts to take Bobby into care, but Hank always stops him. Anthony's boss intervenes, criticising Anthony for not performing a thorough investigation, including omitting such basics as asking the little league coach whether Bobby was in fact hit with a ball at practice. Anthony is sent back to Los Angeles.

Anthony's boss calls the house and tells Bobby that Anthony is gone and the investigation is over. Bobby doesn't tell anybody this, and he threatens to call Anthony every time Hank tries to scold him. Peggy eventually finds out and confronts Bobby, who tells her that by threatening his father with Anthony, Bobby is making his father love him. Peggy explains to Bobby that a reprimand doesn't mean his father doesn't love him, and persuades Hank to make amends with Bobby.

[edit] Features

Anthony, or someone very much like him, is later featured as an "American with Disabilities Act" adviser.[2]

This episode is also known as "Bobby The Baseball Phenom."

[edit] Cultural references

The episode introduces the Hill family, along with Luanne Platter, Peggy's niece. Luby's, a Texas chain of cafeteria-style restaurants, one of the combos is called a Luanne Platter.[3] The family dog, Ladybird Hill was most likely named after former first lady Ladybird Johnson, wife of President Lyndon B. Johnson.[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0620288/ IMDB: Pilot (King of the Hill)
  2. ^ King of the Hill episode: "Junkie Business"
  3. ^ a b King of the Hill: Pilot - TV.com
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