New 'King of the Hill' Opening Raises Questions About The Reboot

Despite having the ability to get absurd, King of the Hill succeeded because it was a grounded cartoon about real people. The later seasons would focus more on silly, “situational” comedy, but the show’s initial strength came from telling realistic stories through animation. They never had episodes where Hank Hill is sent to space or fights a professional boxer (not that there’s anything wrong with that), and instead would find heightened moments in the show’s mundanity. Yes, the Mega Lo Mart blew up, but that was treated as a real tragedy with consequences!

King of the Hill gave us animated characters through which to view the world. Whether it was politics, boy bands, parenthood, or adultery, the show tackled topics through a group of characters that were relatable despite their 2D nature. That didn’t end when the show did. Check any form of social media, and you will find accounts dedicated to how people think the Hills would respond to fidget spinners and Donald Trump. There are whole arguments about how progressive Hank Hill is or isn’t. Now, with the show returning for a new season almost sixteen years after ending, those questions will see renewed focus.

The news of the reboot immediately made people wonder if the show would remain in its past timeline. Nostalgia remains bankable, so why not keep them in the aughts where they ended? As information slowly started to trickle out, it was revealed that the show would indeed jump forward in time. We learned that Bobby Hill would be all grown up and working at a restaurant in Dallas. Little has been revealed since, and now, with our first look at the intro to the new season, the show is answering a lot of questions while creating even more.

When I first watched this, I was too wrapped up in Hank and Peggy’s wrinkles and Bobby’s tall frame to notice many of the Easter eggs. The classically sped-up intro shows time passing in Arlen, Texas, with all of our favorite characters going through their own little journeys. One of the Gribbles is running for Mayor (my money’s on Joseph). Bobby went off to school at some point. Boomhauer (who was revealed to be a Texas Ranger in the show’s finale) may have a family. The Hills move out at some point. A lot has happened since the show ended, and not just in Arlen.

Several moments in the intro allude to the COVID pandemic, something I was not prepared for. There is coughing, mask-wearing (with Dale Gribble wearing one on his chin), and social distancing. Bill leaves the frame coughing and doesn’t come back! We still don’t know if Brittany Murphy’s Luanne Platter will appear on the show, but, given the show’s history of not shying away from death, it’s likely she won’t. The show tackling the pandemic makes me anxious (in a good way) that things might get pretty emotional.

What are your biggest questions from the new intro? I want to know who moved into the Hill House (and why the Hills moved back). We likely won’t learn everything all at once, but with the show coming back in August, answers will be here sooner than later.