From 1997 to 2010, the world was gifted with 259 episodes of King of the Hill, spread across 13 seasons. So what happens when a show has such a lengthy, successful run? Well, among other things, fan theory starts to pop up about it. King of the Hill is no exception to this rule, and King of the Hill fan theories run a wild gamut, from plausible and mildly amusing to batsh*t insane. Perhaps you have some of your own King of the Hill theories. Read on to see whether your ideas measure up to the other fan theories about King of the Hill out there.
10 Crazy King of the Hill Fan Theories That Dale Would Love,
Hank Is a Closeted Homosexual
Redditor RoseWolfie authored a complex theory suggesting King of the Hill is about suppressing homosexuality in middle America. Here’s how it goes:
"Hank is a closet homosexual. Growing up with his manly man father and in Christian beliefs caused him to suppress that side of himself. He did it so much he would reject anything he considered flamboyant, like feelings and stage performances. He married Peggy, mainly cause of her acceptance of him, but subconsciously because she is the closest he will ever come to a male on his own. Her large feet, male structure and boyish personality made it easy to accept her as his life partner. As well it took the pressure off of him to find a mate. He still rarely touches her, only when sexual need reaches a point. Most likely he never reaches a full orgasm, hence the potential reason he only had one child.
His son is almost exactly like him, but living in a more free environment can follow his own flamboyant lifestyle. Hank sees this and is constantly trying to suppress it, worrying for his son. At the same time though he does not want him to grow up like he did so he supports him to a point.
Hank's original true love was Bill. Bill back in the day was a handsome, all around good guy that had girls swooning. He was kind, strong, and respectful. Hank always loved him, but due to his suppressing those feelings he turned it to adoration of a best friend. Even to this day Hank takes good care of him, even though Bill has been broken and become a shell of his former self.
Dale is the oblivious friend Hank needs. Hank can relax more around him because of how Dale can not see what is right in front of his face. Boomhauer knows. He always knew. Difference is he is incredibly respectful and cares for him unconditionally. He knows how delicate Hank is, so he will not try to help him open up. He will only remain by his side, like a faithful guard dog.
Hank's parents know as well. His father knew since he was a child, and in such has always been hard on him. In all fact he loves his technically only son. (Discovers another later on, but not until they're grown up.) Due to him being a tough man, he believed if he only toughened his son up he can brake homosexualities hold on him. Yes impossible but we are talking about 70's or so and middle america. He was harsh, cruel, but all alone it was his way of trying to help the only child he had.
Hank's mother on the other hand knew. She just did not want to accept it. She ignored it, and ignored her then husbands abuse because she didn't want to see it. She still loved him, he was her baby boy. Unsupporting, but loving. Even as he is grown she has a reserved way of talking to him. Kind, loving, but not supporting."
Boomhauer Is an Undercover Spy Keeping Tabs on Dale
Redditor irrelevant_inquirer concocted a theory regarding Boomhauer’s reason for living in Arlen, based on a piece of information revealed in the show’s final episode.
Here’s the theory:
"In the last episode of the series, the one where Bobby joins the college meat-inspecting team, it's revealed that Boomhauer is, in fact, a Texas Ranger. At no other point in the series, is any mention made of this. It seems rather odd, as Hank, Dale, and Bill will often talk about their work with each other, and yet no one seems interested in Boomhauer's law-enforcement career, nor, do they ever mention him having a job at all. Until the final reveal, it seemed like Boomhauer was free all hours of the day to chase women and sunbathe. Why would Boomhauer's closest friends not ever question or discuss his job? especially considering the numerous times the characters have broken the law, such as stealing a tank from the Army base? It's simple; they have no idea he's a Texas Ranger. And they have no idea, because he's undercover.
The next natural question s why would he be undercover in sleepy Arlen, TX? Again, there's a simple answer; Dale. Dale makes no secret of his opposition to the government. He's been a member of at least one local militia movement, has trafficked illegal weapons, and seems to have contact with international criminals (as evidenced when he speaks in Russian to the shady guy about buying a Walrus). So, frankly, it would be alarming if Dale wasn't under surveillance.
Also, look at the layout of the neighborhood. It can be kind of hard to nail down exactly how the homes are laid out, but it is clear that Boomhauer's backyard backs to the alley, as does Dale's, presenting a clear method by which Boomhauer can quietly observe Dale's activities.
In flashbacks throughout the series, the four main characters, Dale, Hank, Boomhauer, and Bill, are shown to have grown up together. This may seem to work against my theory, but I actually think it works in favor. Boomhauer was specifically chosen for this assignment because he already had a relationship with Dale, and no one would view him as an 'outsider' within his own hometown. Boomhauer's superiors chose him so they would not have to waste time and resources getting another Ranger close to Dale. It had already been done. So they sent him back to Arlen, likely with a cover story to give to his childhood friends about why he was suddenly back in town.
Boomhauer, however, knows Dale well, and understands that Dale is too much of a buffoon to ever be a real threat to the government. So he accepts the assignment, knowing full-well he'll likely never have to take action against his old friend. Instead, he lives out his bachelor lifestyle, and may in fact even be protecting Dale by continuously sending reports to his boss saying he needs more time to collect evidence, and therefore prevents authorities from ever taking Dale down. And no one on Rainey St. Will ever likely know."
Dale Ignores Nancy’s Infidelity for the Sake of His Sanity
Redditor wwantstoknow created this theory, which suggests that Dale ignores Nancy's infidelity because, without her, he would lose his tenuous grip on reality.
The theory, in full:
"Dale obviously knows whats going on with his wife. He is extremely paranoid, monitors all incoming and outgoing calls from his home, has surveillance cameras all over Rainey St and has mentioned he had a tracking chip put into Nancy.
He ignores her indiscretion because without her in his life his fragile grip on sanity may dissolve completely,possibly into a homicidal rage. He has proven in the past that he can and will kidnap, steal from, abandon and betray anyone even those close to him. His only thing keeping his killing to insects and vermin is his wife."
Dale Knows Joseph Isn't His Son and Intentionally Plays The Fool
There’s a running joke on King of the Hill that Nancy Gribble, Dale’s wife, has a long-running affair with John Redcorn. It's common knowledge that Redcorn is the biological father of Nancy and Dale's son, Joseph. While many assume Dale is simply too dumb to realize this, Redditor OriginalName18 suggests Dale is well aware of the situation, and playing his cards close to his chest.
“While Dale might not be the sharpest tool he caught on immediately to what was going on. The man is beyond paranoid to the point where he thinks the government and aliens are keeping tabs on him. Why wouldn't he be suspicious that his attractive wife might be deceiving him? That sounds right up his alley. He often questions what his wife sees in him in the first place. He knows Joseph doesn't resemble him in the slightest. Dale might not be that bright but I don't he's so dumb he doesn't see that Joseph looks more like the massage therapist that's been frequently visiting his wife for years. He has a spiritual hallucination where he was lying in bed with his wife but she had the head of a mantis and decapitated him representing revelation. Honestly I think he knew right from beginning.
So if Dale knew this why didn't he do anything about it? Because he has a perfect life that he doesn't want to jeopardize it. He is a great father and loves Joseph sincerely. His wife pays a majority of their finances so he can have his own business. He lives close by to his best friends and doesn't want to relocate. Hell he practically witnessed first hand how Bill's divorce completely destroyed him and doesn't want to share a similar fate. Dale also loves taunting Redcorn with his relationship with Joseph knowing all to well that Redcorn wants to be in his son's life. Its a secret fuck you that he thoroughly enjoys. I also don't think Dale was the type of guy who was ever good with women and would rather be in a bad marriage then no relationship at all.
Dale often jokes to his friends about how Joseph is an alien or creates other bizarre stories to see his friends reactions. He's disappointed that they know and refuse to tell him but he knows he can't call them out on it. Better to play the fool then the broken loser. This also explains why he hates Peggy Hill so much (besides the fact that she's annoying). Peggy was literally the last person to find out about the affair and came close to telling him. Dale must have been like "Finally someone is actually decent enough to tell me the truth" but then Peggy quickly changes her mind and Dale is pissed because unlike the others who decided in group what not to do Peggy was alone and could have been the only one in the neighborhood to shine some light.”
“The Son Also Roses” Episode Theory
Redditor TowelstheTricker created an in-depth theory about a specific episode, “The Son Also Roses,” in which Bobby neglects his duties as towel manager of the football team to focus his attention on growing roses.
In a nutshell, the theory suggests Bobby had an opportunity to do something creative and artistic, and Hank ruined it. More broadly speaking, the supposition asserts that Hank screws up everything good on the show for his amusement.
To quote (a small portion of this theory):
"Hank tried to cash in on [rose growing] as a crutch. Bobby actually understood what it meant. Had Hank stayed out of the rose comp, Bobby would've won and revolutionized the Rose Comp Community.
Also most every episode has the opportunity for a character to do extremely well for themselves or the world. But Hank or someone always f*cks it up and chuckles about it."
Dale’s Conspiracy Theories Are Actually Correct
Redditor sexophonic came up with a short theory that manages to connect a number of dots in order to prove that Dale, known for his wild conspiracy theories, isn't insane, but onto something.
Here's the theory, in full:
"The Hill Family has been to Springfield. So have Scully and Mulder. Arlen might have less in the way of shadowy government agents and alien cover ups than the rest of the country but Dale's right about both existing."
By Springfield, sexophonic means the home of The Simpsons. By proving that The Simpsons and X-Files take place in the same universe, and that King of the Hill overlaps with The Simpsons and therefore must be a part of that universe, sexophonic suggests that the conspiracy theories Dale raves about are the same ones investigated by Mulder and Scully on X-Files.
Hank Hill Has Asperger’s
This theory correlates facets of Hank's personality with the symptoms of Asperger’s:
"- His obsession with Propane and other interests.
- A bit uncomfortable with sexuality, and at times can be distant from his family.
- Prefer to not be very emotional, Hank can be very stoic.
- Seconded. In the episode where Hank gets addicted to video gaming while Bobby trains for the president's fitness award, the game based off of him is called 'Pro Pain'. Hank assumes that this is simply a misspelling, when it is really a play on words. Asperger's can lead to things like this."
A partial refutation of this theory suggests Hank is on the autism spectrum, but not full Asperger's. This theory also posits that Hank has Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder.
Hank Isn’t Bobby’s Real Father
It’s established that Hank has a narrow urethra, meaning he wouldn’t be able to conceive Bobby with his wife, Peggy. This theory suggests that Bobby’s real father is Bill. The theory is supported by facts such as Bobby having a strong resemblance to Bill (short and portly) and their similarly large appetites. Redditor nouniqueusername fleshes out the theory in more detail, as follows:
"When Peggy couldn't get pregnant due to Hank's narrow urethra, she slept with Bill on the side and had his son. It's obvious to the entire neighborhood that Bobby is nothing like Hank and everything like Bill, but they ignore it the same way they do with Dale's son being fathered by John Redcorn.
If you watch the show with this in mind, you spot reasons it is true all over the place, but here are a few.
- The Hills were told that they would never get pregnant
- Obvious physical likeness to Bill and dissimilarity to Hank
- Bill's recurring crush on Peggy
- Peggy admits under duress that she slept with Hank and one other man (the story that follows I think is a lie)
- Bill passes on the Dauterive family recipe to Bobby to keep the family tradition alive (Redcorn does something similar with sending Dale's/his son on a spirit quest)
- Lots of father-son type bonding between the two
The whole show just takes on a new light when you consider it. Like Hank is helping around the neighbor's house after Khan disappears and Bill says, 'It's just not fair. Why does he get two families?' or Peggy warns against Bobby spending time with Bill."
Cotton Has a Narrow Urethra
Throughout the series, Cotton Hill pokes fun at his son, Hank, for having a narrow urethra, while bragging about his own. Redditor Clickwerk concocted a theory about the actual size of Cotton's urethra.
The four very valid points of this theory are as follows:
"1) Cotton only has 3 kids after boasting about how often he has had sex.
2) Cotton has been known to brag about himself but leave out his shortcomings several times throughout the show.
3) Cotton has also said that Hank got his narrow urethra from his mother, but his Japanese son also inherited a narrow urethra. (This is if we exclude the possibility that he also could have gotten it from his mother).
4) Cotton treats the birth of GH as more of a miracle than his first son."
John Redcorn Is an Agent of The King In Yellow
Reddit user judgeofmaat authored this absurd, and absurdly well thought out, theory linking King of the Hill to a relatively obscure collection of short stories published in 1895, entitled The King in Yellow. (for TV completists, this is the same book that inspired the first season of True Detective.)
"For those who don't know, The King in Yellow is a pseudonym for the elder dark god Hastur. According to the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game, and of course interpretation of the texts in which he appears, Hastur is the embodiment of the concept 'corruption.'
John Redcorn is the Native American healer who resides in Arlen, Texas, the setting for Mike Judge's 'King of the Hill.' Here are some examples of his corruptive influence:
- He turns Nancy Hicks-Gribble against her husband through seduction. (entirety of the series)
- He further corrupts the Gribble family by going so far as to father a child with Nancy. (entirety of the series)
- Through proxy, he corrupts Bobby Hill away from his Methodist upbringing by introducing him to the spirit Wematanye. This leads to Bobby nearly killing a Whooping Crane(1.3 'The Order of the Straight Arrow')
- Dale mentions that Nancy ran into John Redcorn at the video rental store. It is implied that they were renting porn together. Personally subsidizing Arlen's porn trade would be seen as a corrupting influence from a conservative point of view. (2.17 'Hank's Dirty Laundry')
- He adds conflict to the Hill household by treating Peggy for a migraine, his go-to code for having sex with married women. (3.3 'Peggy's Headache')
- He attempts to lure his son Joseph away from the Gribble family and realize his true heritage, which would have a devastating effect on Arlen society. In the same episode, his teachings turn Bobby against his father and the Thanksgiving holiday in general. (5.4 'Spin the Choice')
- He violently reacts to Hank's dream about Nancy, which reinforces Hank's instinct to keep the secret from his wife. (6.19 'Sug Night')
- He convinces Dale, Bobby, and Joseph to starve themselves and deprive themselves of rest in order to hallucinate. (7.12 'Vision Quest')
- His influence on Nancy causes her to send a female exterminator to him in an attempt to corrupt her affections for Dale. (7.21 'Night and Deity')
- He opens a casino on his property in order to attract an audience for his rock band. Both gambling and rock & roll are seen as corrupting forces from a conservative point of view. (9.11 'Redcorn Gambles with his Future')
- He plans to attend the Adult Film Awards being held in Arlen, again privately subsidizing the porn industry. (10.4 'Harlottown')
- As a children's music power agent, He corrupts LuAnne into selling out, diminishing her art and causing stress. (13.17 'Manger Baby Einstein')"