‘King of the Hill’s Most Shocking Episode Changed the Show for the Better

King of the Hill was a robust present from the very starting. In its first 12 months, Entertainment Weekly and Time included it on their Best TV of the Year lists. However, it really outlined itself and stood out from different Fox animated collection like The Simpsons with its bold two-parter “Propane Increase” and “Propane Increase II: Loss of life of a Propane Salesman.” “Propane Increase” was the Season 2 finale and ended with an explosion at Mega-lo-Mart whereas Hank Hill (Mike Judge), Luanne Platter (Brittany Murphy), and Buckley (David Herman) had been inside. Between episodes, Fox ran promos speculating which of those characters had died. The cliffhanger and the next character loss of life had been greater than a publicity stunt. They had been an necessary arc that confirmed audiences precisely how good King of the Hill might be.

‘King of the Hill’ Dealt With Penalties of Its Shocker

It wasn’t shocking when the character who’d died within the explosion turned out to be Buckley. Most viewers anticipated this ancillary character can be killed off relatively than a major character like Hank or Luanne. However, what was shocking and what makes “Propane Increase” really feel so defining looking back is how lengthy the present continued to take care of the fallout. Luanne slowly regrowing her hair after shedding it within the explosion is a visible marker of time you do not count on from a cartoon. Similar to her hair took time to develop again, she additionally took time to grieve Buckley. There are a number of episodes all through Season 3 coping with her grief, together with the Thanksgiving episode and “Wings of the Dope” which got here on the tail finish of the season. King of the Hill used the explosion and Buckley’s loss of life to differentiate itself from different animated reveals by exhibiting how they’d deal with the implications of main occasions and the passage of time. On the similar time, the present by no means missed a beat comedically. “Propane Increase” is filled with jokes, and the two-parter confirmed that King of the Hill might deal with grief and PTSD with out ever slipping into dramedy territory.

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Buckley’s Loss of life Set the Stage for Different Dramatic Arcs for ‘King of the Hill’

Luanne speaks at Buckley's funeral on 'King of the Hill.' — Picture through FOX

“Propane Increase” set the stage for other shocking cliffhangers and long arcs that may come later. Season 3 ended with Peggy Hill (Kathy Najimy) leaping out of an airplane and discovering her parachute’s emergency wire would not work. If it weren’t for Buckley’s loss of life within the earlier finale and Luanne’s lengthy grieving course of, this season finale would not have had the identical impression. However, as a result of King of the Hill had established itself as a present the place occasions can have actual penalties, Hank watching Peggy plummet to the bottom was significant in a approach {that a} comparable scene on one other animated comedy like The Simpsons or Family Guy would not have been. Due to “Propane Increase,” when audiences noticed Peggy’s fall, they not solely felt real suspense however a way of belief that King of the Hill would deal with the implications with out struggling comedically.

‘King of the Hill’ Contrasted Starkly With ‘The Simpsons’

Buckley's funeral on 'King of the Hill.' — Picture through FOX

“Propane Increase” and the promo marketing campaign surrounding it had been just like the “Who Shot Mr. Burns” cliffhanger stunt The Simpsons had achieved years earlier. Nevertheless it had larger stakes and a extra macabre really feel because it was constructed round an precise character’s loss of life. Within the second a part of “Who Shot Mr. Burns,” Mr. Burns is immediately revealed to not be lifeless. This method could not be extra completely different than how the second a part of “Propane Increase” handles the fallout from the explosion at Mega-lo-Mart. In King of the Hill, not solely is there a real loss of life, however the characters’ grief and PTSD permeate the episode.

As an animated present with a extra sensible aspect than most cartoons, King of the Hill treads in largely new territory, so the collection continually defines itself and the principles of its universe. The surprising cliffhanger helped outline the world of King of the Hill as one the place main occasions like loss of life might occur and have severe penalties with out eclipsing the comedy.