In this modern era of legacy sequel shows ranging from That 90s Show to Fuller House to The Connors, season 14 of King of the Hill could have gone a lot of different directions. Thankfully, it retains enough of the spirit of the original run to be a very enjoyable revival for fans of the show. In present day, Hank and Peggy return to Arlen, TX to start their retirement after a lengthy stay in Saudi Arabia for a big propane job. In a floating timeline where age logic does not exist, nor does it totally matter, Bobby is 21 and everyone over the age of 50 looks about 70. You'll get over it, I promise. Bobby now owns his own fusion restaurant, and is quite happy to be doing his own thing while the remaining characters are up to their same old antics, a little older, not much wiser.

 

After the passing of Johnny Hardwick, most of Dale's lines were assumed by Toby Huss. Although it can be a bit disarming to hear that something isn't quite the same, if it was going to be anybody, I believe they chose the right successor. There are a few lines peppered in that you can tell were recorded by Hardwick before his passing, and it's cool how they retained some of his final contributions. It was also great to see a dedication to Jonathan Joss since his recent sudden and tragic passing, showing just how much they really care about the legacy of the show. 

 

The show, at its core, is still about the evolving relationship between Hank and Bobby. They are still willing to learn from one another. King of the Hill is a show not so much about politics, but about the culture clash in the differences between generations. The world around us changes, but the relationships between these characters is more important than seeing them interact with smartphones. While Beavis and Butt-Head’s most recent revival feels like a 90’s fish out of water, King of the Hill’s progression is much more natural.

 

If I had one wish, I'd actually like to get to know the new characters better. Brian Robertson is a new character who rented out the Hill home while they were away. He occasionally pops in as a quiet addition to the alley beer drinking crew. Most of the characters have at least one episode to shine, but Robertson is relegated to the background with little backstory revealed thus far. Even Hank's little brother GH spends some time with him in one episode, but it doesn't really go anywhere after that. It was more common for every episode to be an isolated story in a bottle 20 years ago, but in today's binge culture, audiences might expect the season to connect a bit more cohesively. I'm hoping some of the set ups will pay off in the next confirmed season to flesh out more of an overarching storyline. 

Longtime fans will definitely appreciate the effort in bringing these characters back in a modern lens, but I also think it welcomes new fans. It's layered with new ideas and just enough callback moments that feels like picking up right where you left off in many ways. Nobody can reasonably expect a reboot to capture the exact magic that King of the Hill had in its early 2000s peak, but long time fans will find the joy in this world once again.