By Drew Dietsch
| Revealed 3 seconds in the past

King of the Hill is one of these animated sitcoms that has managed to keep up its endurance regardless of longevity and cancellation. It’s all the time been a humorous, good-natured, and generally lunkheaded exploration of fashionable American life.

With the present reviving after fifteen years on the shelf, many followers have been questioning how the Hills and their assortment of buddies and neighbors would adapt to this period after such large societal adjustments in the interim.

Nicely, for good or in poor health, King of the Hill nonetheless seems like its previous self, however not essentially its oldest self.

The Later Seasons of King of the Hill

I like King of the Hill however even I admit that the present began to settle into a gentle rhythm of serviceable high quality because it rolled on into its later seasons. The present was nonetheless fulfilling and will produce an occasional spotlight episode, however it was by no means near the present’s earlier run.

For as a lot updating as Season 14 wanted to do, King of the Hill doesn’t really feel prefer it’s out of lockstep with the place the present left. At the least, in phrases of its high quality. Storywise, there are some nice updates like Bobby Hill now proudly owning a German-Japanese fusion restaurant or Boomhauer being a stepfather. However so far as temper, tone, and degree of excellence, it’s not too far off from how the present was vibing in Season 13.

The Double-Edged Sword of Familiarity

To a point, that’s price celebrating. King of the Hill doesn’t really feel like some radical replace to the present as a complete. It’s nonetheless the collection you’ll keep in mind. That’s comforting but additionally treads the line of feeling too cozy or nostalgic at occasions. As a result of of that, it really makes some of the structural choices of the season really feel a spark off.

For instance, Bobby is given a season arc in relation to his emotions for Connie Souphanousinphone. Whereas the present has actually accomplished multi-part episodes and eventful tales that make an enormous change to the world, a concentrated season arc for a personality is one thing that feels way more fashionable and full of potential. It implies that episodes are deliberate out in a approach that has to greatest bolster one particular ongoing story.

As such, Bobby’s story is a fascinating one when it’s given the correct time, however it doesn’t fairly lock in as a result of of the episodic sitcom nature of King of the Hill. These structural targets take priority over something making an attempt to really feel efficiently serialized. It’s not at all a deal-breaker for the season, but when King of the Hill goes to get extra formidable with character tales and arcs, they could have to method this component with much more ambition. I’d prefer to see what a serialized season of King of the Hill could possibly be.

Similar As It Ever Was

Apart from that, King of the Hill remains to be working at that primary sitcom degree. There are lots of worthwhile subjects and targets on this season –– the episode with Hank and his half-brother Good Hank going to a Manosphere boot camp is a spotlight for one of Hank’s normal takedowns –– and the present remains to be a legitimate discussion board for satire when it’s at its greatest.

In case you appreciated King of the Hill when it went off the air in 2010, you’ll like its revival in 2025. It’s nothing revolutionary or good, however it’s the similar present with all the similar faults and options. Yup.