Smoking and the Bandit

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“Smoking and the Bandit”

King of the Hill episode

Episode no.

Season 9
Episode 12

Written by

Dan McGrath

Directed by

Cyndi Tang-Loveland

Production no.

9ABE08

Original airdate

May 1, 2005

Episode chronology
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"Redcorn Gambles with His Future"	"Gone with the Windstorm"

List of King of the Hill episodes

"Smoking and the Bandit" is the 183rd episode of the FOX animated television series King of the Hill. Johnny Hardwick was nominated for an Annie Award for voice acting for this episode.^[1]

[edit] Plot

Hank and Dale, along with Bobby and Joseph, visit a restaurant, where the kids misbehave. Bobby responds to his father's scolding, but Joseph only listens to Hank. When they enter, Dale lights a cigarette, only to be told by the waiter that smoking in public areas has been outlawed. Later, Dale returns alone to a diner, where he again tries to smoke, but he continues anyway in protest. The Arlen Bystander gets word of this and publishes an article (much to Peggy's dismay, since she was trying to get a front-page article), nicknaming him the "Smoking Bandit". Dale tries to hide his identity by giving up smoking, but as he throws his cigarettes and related merchandise out, he overhears Joseph talking about how he looks up to the Bandit.

Dale then continues his protests as the Bandit, and articles continue to be published, which Joseph cuts out to paste on his wall. Dale tries to prove that he is the Bandit so he will look up to him, but he doesn't act as "cool" as the papers said. Dale even tries sending in a videotape to the news, but his identity is hidden (he is in silhouette and has a high-pitched, incomprehensible voice) and he still fails to gain respect.

Bobby and Joseph try to copy the Bandit by breaking rules at school and at home, and this sends Hank to hunt for the Bandit. Dale is reluctant, as he is the Bandit, but he comes along anyway. Soon, during the hunt, he begins to act "cool" to Bobby and Joseph and he gets his respect. Meanwhile, Peggy had tailed the four and stops at a nightclub they tried to enter. She walks over to the bouncer and states various names to try to enter since she is not "on the list", acting as a sort of "Nightclub Bandit".

Eventually, Dale tries to get out of the hunt, but Hank refuses to let him. Dale finds a deserted bar and goes there to try to "catch" the Bandit, and the other three follow. Dale claims to have caught the Bandit, and Hank sees that Dale is the Bandit as by his expression, and decides to "let him escape", with the promise that he will not try anything such as this again.