Other than a few major changes, including the age of one beloved character and the occasional reflection of the culture battles facing the country today, the reboot of “King of the Hill” picks up not far at all from where the Fox hit left us in 2009. The Mike Judge comedy was written off by some as being a parody of Southern archetypes, but anyone who watched more than a few episodes of the animated hit knew there was more under the surface of this sharp family sitcom than met the eye. The Hill family are like a lot of beloved sitcom clans in that they’re, like so many people watching, just trying to do their best in a world that often makes that a struggle. Whether it’s Hank’s stubbornness, Peggy’s overconfidence, or Bobby’s awkwardness, it’s easy to relate to the Hills, and that sense of connection has been lost a bit in an era of high-concept TV when the classic model of the family sitcom has gone away. After a slightly rocky premiere, the 2025 version of “King of the Hill” quickly finds its footing again, and a couple of the episodes in the mid-section of this 10-episode season rank among the best half-hour comedy chapters of the year, anywhere. Long live the King.
While “King of the Hill” technically left the airwaves 16 years ago, not as much time as passed in the world of the show. It’s been a few years since Hank (Judge) and Peggy Hill (Kathy Najimy) moved to Saudi Arabia (which Peggy wonderfully pronounces “Saw-die” instead of “Saw-dee”) for a propane-related project, but Hank has now decided to retire, sending them back to Arlen, TX, and to a USA that’s a bit different than when they left. The season premiere leans a little too hard on how much America has changed for the relatively conservative Hank Hill, and I worried that too much comedy this season would hinge on Tim Allen-esque grumbling about “vegan kids these days” and other “woke” talking points, but the writers settle into something less topical and more organic pretty quickly, while never losing the sense that Hank is a bit of a dinosaur. To be honest, that was true two decades ago, but the charm of Hank is in how much he tries to evolve for the people he cares about, especially Patty and Bobby, and that’s still the beating heart of the show. He may grumble and sigh, but he’s willing to grow too.
KING OF THE HILL – “First Look” – After years working a propane job in Saudi Arabia to earn their retirement nest egg, Hank and Peggy Hill return to a changed Arlen, Texas to reconnect with old friends Dale, Boomhauer and Bill. Meanwhile, Bobby is living his dream as a chef in Dallas and enjoying his 20s with his former classmates Connie, Joseph and Chane. (Courtesy of Hulu)
Someone who has definitely grown is Bobby Hill (Pamela Adlon), who is now a young adult, running his own restaurant, an Asian-German fusion place called Robota Chane, which he runs with Chane Wassonasong (Hong Lee). Young adult Bobby takes some getting used to, especially as he tries to woo Connie Souphanousinphone (Lauren Tom) in a more adult manner than he did back in school, discovering, for example, that Connie is an open relationship. A sexually active, business-owning Bobby will be a shock for “King of the Hill” fans, but I came to love the change, in part because of how much of the original character one can still see in this one. We’re so used to animated characters from Bart Simpson to Stewie Griffin never aging, that it’s refreshing to see a risk like this that works. It helps, of course, to have a great comic talent in Adlon who updates Bobby in her own special way.
The rest of the alley gang is back too, more or less. One of the season’s funniest bits revolves around what Hank’s departure did to the emotionally fragile and still hysterical Bill (Stephen Root), but Boomhauer (Judge) is basically the same character, and Dale (Johnny Hardwick for half the season and then Toby Huss because of Hardwick’s passing) feels more paranoid than ever. Dale could have become a voice for the conspiracy nuts of the 2020s, and there is a sense that the Alex Jones era has only empowered his lunacy, but, again, the writers don’t lean too much into generational or social humor, using it as seasoning instead of the whole meal.
The richest veins of humor come from Judge’s twists on family sitcom basics. The sixth episode centers Root’s phenomenal Bill in an episode about a few significant lies that Mr. Dauterive told in Hank’s absence and the eighth episode is a beauty about Connie’s parents holding a huge secret.
From Hank & Bobby getting into a home-brewing contest to Hank trying to hide from his guys that he’s now a soccer fan, the plotting in this season of “King of the Hill” is richly, consistently funny. Welcome back, Hill family. Don’t go away anytime soon.
Whole season screened for review. It drops in its entirety on August 4th, 2025 on Hulu.
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