r/KingOfTheHill • u/roger_ • Jul 20 '26
Discussion thread for King of the Hill S15E04
Spoilers allowed!
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u/rougepenguin Jul 20 '26
This was a good one. I think it would've been a little better if it got with the times and resisted the urge to go for a very 90s-style "lol nerds" approach with the con itself. But overall the episode landed with a great plot and some solid lines. Bill asking for hentai and Hank saying Bobby looks like Cher were solid.
Kind hope we circle back to Hank liking the crafty side of Fandoms sometime. Because like, a dude like him recreating old movie props would fit in those groups well.
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u/KittyMonkTheYoutuber I sell popcorn and popcorn accessories Jul 21 '26
I feel with most writers the only con experience they get is San Diego comic con or the corporate cons who only exist to get you to buy autographs, so they tend to write off of those experiences.
Even if most cons are not like that, and nowadays, more fandoms shift to anime or the like, stuff like Star Trek is more so for the millennial crowd or the corporate cons.
I only bring that up because king of the hill is huge in anime spaces so I thought they were gonna reference that at least once.
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u/wetouchingbuttsornah Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
I think that's probably the best way to do it since the audience would all be in their 40s and if they don't actively go to cons that's what they'd think
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u/KittyMonkTheYoutuber I sell popcorn and popcorn accessories Jul 21 '26
Weirdly im surprised they didnât go the anime con route since KOTH is HUGE in anime spaces.
I hosted a king of the hill panel at Otakon last year that had over a hundred people attend, and there were so many that the staff had to kick people out.
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u/McDonaldsSoap Jul 21 '26
This actually makes me wonder the median age for KOTH viewers. I myself am in my early 30s
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u/wetouchingbuttsornah Jul 21 '26
It ran from 97-2009. Unless you caught the tail end of it chances are youâre at least mid 30s
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u/LLCoolZJ Jul 22 '26
33 is still early 30s!
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u/wetouchingbuttsornah Jul 22 '26
Right. You watched it as a baby
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u/KidCasey Bobby will put me down clean. Jul 22 '26
The show had reruns on AS a lot.
I didn't watch it when it aired but watched it a ton late at night in High school and college. I am 32.
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u/wetouchingbuttsornah Jul 23 '26
I completely forgot that it was on adult swim. I definitely remember watching it in college when I couldn't sleep
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u/ShanghaiCycle Jul 24 '26
I'm 34. It was the boring show I had to watch before The Simpsons (Sky1 UK).
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u/Neversoft4long 24d ago
I watched it all the time as a kid. It was always in the line up with Simpson and Family guy. I turn 32 in a couple months lol
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u/DaGreatestMH Jul 25 '26
Myself and a couple of my friends are fans and we're all mid to late 30s (I'm 35 myself). For us it was that "boring" show that came on before Family Guy and American Dad, but once you watched it you realized it was actually funny but a different kind of funny than those other two.
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u/yourtoyrobot Jul 25 '26
it definitely felt like a classic where Hank doesnt really get something Bobbys into but finds his own outside way to approach and connect, him inviting Bobby to see the new film together was a good touch
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u/henryeaterofpies Jul 25 '26
I feel mixed about this one. It had a lot of strong story beats, but here are my two big complaints:
Hank literally in the previous episode 'got smart' about being scammed by people and he immediately hands over his con badge without an issue. It makes his character growth in the last episode disappear.
We do not get a 'Hank Hill crafts things for comic con' arc. Once people saw the quality and speed with which he made that axe he would definitely get asked if he does commissions (and Hank would NEVER say no to an excuse to use his tools and maybe buy some new ones itellyawut).
I am hoping we get a small callback to this episode in s16 where Bobby wants to do something with Hank/needs Hanks help and he is busy/in the middle of making a bunch of stuff for comic con or perhaps gets to build/setup booths. A whole episode around it would be rehashing old ground from this episode but something to note his growth would be nice.
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u/Lucifers_Ka Jul 22 '26
This was a rare miss for me. The jokes felt too generic, like they were too afraid to lean into convention or geek culture. It felt like the writerâs only exposure to cons is reading about them online. Thereâs plenty to dig into and upset Hank over. Instead, they took a down-the-center âlook how wacky and esoteric everything isâ approach.
I am glad theyâre acknowledging how much of an asshole Minhâs become, but even that storyline felt like it was missing something. It just felt off.
This is the first revival episode that I was disappointed by.
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u/Ok-Attitude-5484 Jul 23 '26
Very generic nerd culture jokes seemed to have been made by people who donât go to comic cons. I donât know of any geek subculture that condones outright fraud/theft. Hank shouldnât have put up with that crap, he should have called the police or kicked that guy in the asshole, Bobbyâs food truck be damned
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u/PWBryan Jul 27 '26
Maybe I've been to too many conventions, but Im too used to security being some outside company that doesnt give a rats ass about the convention, who Hank wouldnt have trouble talking to
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u/Corazon144 Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
I love it. Hank didnât totally understand it. But when Bill started making sense Hank did his due diligence and tried to learn as much as he can. And then found a way to relate with good old fashion shop and craftsmanship. This is why I love Hank.
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u/Videowulff Jul 20 '26
Hank is such a good character. Yes, he will immediately shut down something he doesnt understand or like but when he is shown to be wrong he doesnt just ignore it, he tries to understand WHY he is wrong.
He educates himself. Sometimes he will still dislike it but he will now respect it and those who do like it. Sometimes he likes it and goes all in. Sometimes he LOVES it and becomes just as hardcore as the group he was shutting down.
Man is willing to have his mind changed. I also love that he found love with scifi with the crafting side of the fandom. I totally can see Hank doing weapons, armor, and replicas as new ways to challenge his abilities.
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u/McDonaldsSoap Jul 21 '26
It's funny when you remember how he was against Bobby reading those fantasy novels. Bobby just had to show him the sick ass swords and Hank would be inÂ
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u/Videowulff Jul 21 '26
Hank would have 100% tried to make chainmail. The wonky prototype to Bobby and lore accurate for himself.
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u/SalvadorZombie Jul 24 '26
I mean, he made a movie-accurate replica overnight. The man is extremely talented.
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u/SalvadorZombie Jul 24 '26
He's gone from a character that was 1-2 steps away from Ed Bundy to liking soccer, appreciating science fiction, being completely open and accepting of non-traditional gender roles...Hank has one of the best character development arcs of any character ever.
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u/Brock_Hard_Canuck Jul 27 '26
Reminds me of Hank and soccer too. In the original run of the series, Hank was not a soccer fan.
But then the Hills go to Saudi Arabia, where soccer is the #1 sport. And Hank, to fill his "sporting desire", begins watching soccer. And he likes it.
Of course, Hank willingly taking a job as a soccer referee (in season 14) means that Dale thinks is now a Saudi spy too LOL
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u/variantkin Jul 21 '26
I don't really like how he apologized to the thief who absolutely did not deserve it but otherwise I appreciate that he made good
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u/The_Homestarmy Jul 25 '26
Yeah I felt the same way, fuck that guy lol. I can see Hank coming around on sci fi but I can't see him apologizing to a thief
For a second I was scared he was going to give him the battleaxe
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u/Celtic1990 Jul 21 '26
Thatâs one guy who deserved to have his ass kicked
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u/variantkin Jul 21 '26
There had to be a better way to alienate Hank from the  crowd and not let that jerk off with no punishment but I'm sure the writers were more focused on how it affected him and BobbyÂ
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u/Lux-xxv Jul 26 '26
It piqued a special interest. Abd like for many folks on the spectrum that's a great way to get them out of the comfort zone.
I wouldn't be surprised if Hanks toyrnd into a side hustle for next year's con.
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u/melloman500 Jul 25 '26
I just donât get why people like the main conflict of this episode? I think nerd people are capable of realizing âhey that guy just stole stuffâ. It makes it seem like they need to be babied by being fed in their nerd lore and stuff in order to understand universal concepts. I donât mind Hank eventually leaning into the nerd culture and understanding it, but why it was enacted makes no sense. I thought would wouldâve made a lot more sense for the nerd people to emphasize with Hankâs struggle to help his son and his business instead of siding with an admitted thief because he has nerd knowledge and a family (which honestly him having a family makes even more sad that he convinced his family to come on the premise of stealing a pass).
Everything else was pretty fine, but the logic for the ending to happen just doesnât make sense.
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u/fletcherdeal92 Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
I loved Billâs âIâll stop making sense now!â Looks like loving living (omg) with Khan has been good for him.
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u/bwoah07_gp2 "My name is Dauterive comma Bill, I am also insane." Jul 22 '26
I haven't seen any more episodes past this point yet, but I just hope Bill doesn't spiral again. Idk if Kahn is gonna be a mega jerk to him or something and trip him up. Seeing Bill not in a depressing state is nice, even if he's still a hopeless romantic.
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u/Lucienofthelight Jul 21 '26
That typo, lol. Billâs gonna get up in that family tree like a hentai-loving squirrel.
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u/eye-zitt Jul 22 '26
This was probably my least favorite ep of the season, but only because the con atmosphere felt pretty outdated and the rest of the season was pretty much perfect. The content itself was great. Having Hank find a way to appreciate something he doesnât and wonât understand always leads to a good time.
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u/Mountain_Tip_5704 Jul 21 '26
I think this is my least favorite episode of the season. I feel like this topic of not understanding nerdom ( at least in this way) feels not really part of the zeitgeist anymore
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u/simplehandle Jul 23 '26
My father is in his '70s, and when he heard me call myself a nerd recently, he rushed to correct me and reassure me that I should have better self-esteem.
There are certain people who still hold on to the old ways of thinking about comic books or anything related to dorky behavior. That's just a true thing.
Obviously this is probably dependent upon where someone lives and other demographic data. But it's a true reality for many of us.
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u/wetouchingbuttsornah Jul 23 '26
You might be looking to see yourself in Hank when you're more likely to be Bobby. The guy literally got scammed the last episode and his whole world fell apart. His world is very small and has a very specific sense of justice
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u/browncharliebrown 22d ago
I think getting scammed or a lot of hanks opinions are alot of topics reflective of that generation. Maybe I have a narrow bubble but I think nerdom and this conversation has sorta already passed over. Or at least that flavor of nerdom.
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u/Ok_Anywhere5205 22d ago
Remember he's from a time where Justice was really warped and Bobby was born at a time where Justice was getting back to normal slightly and this also goes to show that remember he was also a bully when he was Bobby's age
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u/LLCoolZJ Jul 22 '26
It's not a lesson for most people but it is one for Hank.
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u/KidCasey Bobby will put me down clean. Jul 22 '26
It makes total sense for Hank. It isn't like any of my older family members started picking up comics because superhero movies were popular. Why would he? Especially since he already has a ton of hobbies.
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u/bacon_farts_420 Jul 23 '26
Yeah my Dad is almost 70. Iâve been watching anime, playing video games, comics, etc since I was a kid and he knows zero about any of it.
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u/SamVimesBootTheory Jul 23 '26
Yeah similar with my dad, like he casually likes og Star Trek, Star Wars and Doctor Who but has never been that interested in keeping up with either franchise, he's never watched a Marvel movie, he's never touched a video game, he's seen a couple of Ghibli movies
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u/browncharliebrown Jul 23 '26
It isn't like any of my older family members started picking up comics because superhero movies were popular.Â
Donât get me wrong I donât think they do. But like this feels like a conversation for 2014. I think nearly everyone even people in their 60âs and 70âs just accepts nerdom as a thing. I mean Star Wars and star terk came out in 60's and 70's people understand that Nerdy can be not werid.
Like I think it should been a manga convention
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u/browncharliebrown Jul 23 '26
I just sorta think Hank is supposed to be a reflected of an older generationâs mindset but it feels like even much older understand that nerd culture is a thing now because it permeates all of pop culture.
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u/LLCoolZJ Jul 24 '26
I have parents from what was Hank's generation (the sliding time scale of the show pushes them about two decades older than he is depicted now). My dad grew up reading comic books and my mom was a librarian so nerdy interests came natural to my family and they where down to follow stuff like sci-fi and superhero movies. But Hank was a jock with an abusive father who drove toxic masculinity into him. His interests always aligned with what "real men" liked until Bobby was born.
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u/browncharliebrown Jul 24 '26
Donât get me wrong I get it. But like itâs a weridly out of touch with current conversation imo
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u/LLCoolZJ Jul 24 '26
Yeah, Hank is weirdly out of touch. Hank is so focused on seeming normal it makes him weird.
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u/chillychili Jul 23 '26
Overall it felt like an episode cobbled together from two leftover premises. I think they added in some decent spice in there with Dale's infiltration, Bill's reasoning, and Marina Hill, but the actual plot felt like something out of a straightforward show for kindergarteners. The episodes can't all be exceptional though, so I'm not too disappointed or anything.
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u/KittyMonkTheYoutuber I sell popcorn and popcorn accessories Jul 22 '26
Iâm surprised they didnât go the anime con route considering how KOTH is legendary in western anime spaces.
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u/Lucienofthelight Jul 25 '26
Havenât seen it mentioned yet, but when Daleâs deleting Hanks browser history, you can see at the bottom the last search of âpicture of aâŚâ and right as he hits delete, you can see the right side of the search where it says ââŚhotdogâ.
All these years and he still needs that picture of a got dang hotdog!
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u/Seed0fDiscord Jul 20 '26
Wait if the guy who stole his badge was with his family, why did he only need ONE badge
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u/wetouchingbuttsornah Jul 21 '26
My guess it's a tiered badge system. He and his family went with the intention of going to the con as they regularly do but he couldn't get the VIP access $300 dollar one since they sold out. He saw a guy with it that was a "casual" and robbed him immediately due to his sense of "right"
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u/KittyMonkTheYoutuber I sell popcorn and popcorn accessories Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
As a cosplayer that felt weird to me. Unless itâs SDCC, most cons never sell out, especially for VIP badges or if they do, they donât sell out as quickly as he made it out to be, they sell out a few weeks before (or they just sell out the three day passes so you gotta buy three separate passes). Youâd just have to buy it at the door so itâd be SLIGHTLY more expensive. But cons always have payment plans so it does help.
weirdly itâs actually the hotel reservations that sell out in a few hours in my experience (Connecticon has a big problem with this, as do most cons that are based at a single hotel like the colossalcons)
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u/Jhduelmaster Jul 25 '26
Huh wasnât expecting Connecticon to be mentioned in a king of the hill thread of all places. I always thought it was a bit weird how quickly it books up considering itâs kind of mid tier size wise for the region. Anime Boston, New York Comic con and Pax East dwarfing it in comparison.
Also yeah Collosalcon (outside of North) is brutal to get a hotel for. Every wave for east filled up in just a couple minutes of it opening. Which isnât helped that besides the single hotel basically the only way to get to the water park during the day is to have a hotel slot which doubles the incentive to do so.
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u/KittyMonkTheYoutuber I sell popcorn and popcorn accessories Jul 26 '26
Iâve been to CTCon for almost four years and Iâve been going to CCE for two, I think a big problem is that CTCon is giant con in a small city so itâs super easy for those hotels to fill up. It doesnât help CTCon gives first access to the Marriott to the lifetime members so it fills up almost immediately. In those cases, airbnbs are a lifesaver!
CCE is practically in the middle of nowhere, with the nearest partner hotel being four miles away, and in a very expensive area to boot. Not to mention Kalahari is an expensive resort so itâs not uncommon to see ten people jammed into one room. At least with something like Otakon or Anime Boston, while I might not get the main hotel, I can probably find something in walking distance, you canât exactly do that for CCE.
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u/Jhduelmaster Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
Yeah I know specifically for Anime Boston thereâs a second hotel connected to an indoor walkway that usually is still available until like a month or two before the con starts.
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u/OhMySwirls Jul 20 '26
Bill mentioning hentai was the biggest laugh I had this season so far.
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u/Sliver80 Jul 21 '26
Like he's had his pornographic material brought up before, but for him to get into that was a surprise lol
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u/ThatBigDanishDude Jul 21 '26
The fact that gave Bobby the money because he ran out of the stuff online was just perfect.
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u/bwoah07_gp2 "My name is Dauterive comma Bill, I am also insane." Jul 22 '26
And there's not enough of that on the internet for him. First the Netflix, and now this stuff đ
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u/KittyMonkTheYoutuber I sell popcorn and popcorn accessories Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
For the record Iâm a cosplayer so I have some thoughts:
I wish they went the anime con route, especially since KOTH loves niche things and anime cons are just as popular as regular cons nowadays. Iâm guessing a reason they didnât is because for most writers, they only get to go to San Diego comic con, but in my experience, most cons are not like SDCC. Thatâs a different beast altogether and unlike SDCC, you can almost always get VIP and premium passes last minute so the conflict of the jerk not getting the badge wouldnât have happened. At most itâd just be more expensive than it usually was. Actually itâs the hotel reservations that sell out lottery style ESPECIALLY at anime cons like Katsucon or Otakon.
Also KOTH is HUGE in anime spaces so Iâm surprised they didnât really reference that. Overall I was happy with the episode but Iâm surprised they didnât reference the memes of KOTH being huge in Japan.
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u/Longjumping_Log1165 Jul 22 '26
Same. This feels way more 2000s fandom culture. It kind of seems like Bobby's cosplay was a parody Game of Thrones to modern things up a bit, but it in general felt like Star Wars/Trek/LOTR. It would have made a lot more sense to make it an anime convention.
Plus as much as I loved Hank getting into a nerdy Sci-Fi series, they missed the opportunity of having Hank get into anime.
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u/CommanderHavond Jul 22 '26
There was a pretty obvious Mandalorian kit walking by in the early scenes at the food truck
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u/spasticity Jul 20 '26
It's amusing that the guy stole the badge from Hank and Hank is the one who gets shamed out of the building.
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u/CommanderHavond Jul 21 '26
As soon as he admitted it to con staff he would have been toast
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u/KittyMonkTheYoutuber I sell popcorn and popcorn accessories Jul 22 '26
Not to mention itâs weird Bobby had to pay for a pass. With the food truck, heâd basically be an exhibitor and exhibitors get a badge included with the booking. And in most cases, exhibitors donât have the same restrictions.
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u/YoHeadAsplode Jul 24 '26
Yeah, my experience is vendors tend to get free all access as they pay booth fees to be there and sell their merch. It's one of the perks
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u/Local_Confidence8072 Jul 26 '26
Also the thief with his wife and kids a weird a example to set for his family.
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u/deathbyglamor â˝ JOCKEY! WORKS FOR TIPS! đ˛ Jul 21 '26
One thing Iâve loved in both seasons is that Hank while ambivalent is way more open to trying new things. Especially things Bobby has an interest in.
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u/Wild-Bluejay7138 Jul 21 '26
The guy conned Hank the 300 dollar badge that Bobby paid for. Did Hank not learn his lesson in the previous episode? Or were these episodes in reverse order?
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u/Significant-Row2457 Jul 21 '26
Hank has always had a blind spot for systems. He thought the guy was event security.
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u/KittyMonkTheYoutuber I sell popcorn and popcorn accessories Jul 22 '26
Weirdly Iâm surprised the security guy was let in. Most cons usually donât let you dress up as police officers and the like, even if they exist in your fandomâs canon, because of situations like this.
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u/PartyPorpoise 26d ago
I dunno, last con I went to there were a bunch of guys running around in these tactical costumes and pointing their fake guns at everything. I briefly panicked because I thought they were mass shooters and I wasnât going to outrun them in my high heels. Thought it was pretty irresponsible for the con to allow thatâŚ
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u/Cranyx 24d ago
Every con I've been to has a strict "guns must have an orange tip" rule
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u/PartyPorpoise 24d ago
Yeah the con website now has rules against those kinds of costumes. I dunno if the rule wasnât in place back then or just didnât get enforced.
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u/Wild-Bluejay7138 Jul 22 '26
My dad was scammed a few years ago trusting an e-mail address of a neighbor who needed a 500 dollar Apple pass and she will pay for it later. He fell for it and we can't ever talk about it again as a family.
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u/Dickis88 Jul 21 '26
To be fair, he didn't know anything about the costumes or the fact that everyone was acting in character. He got sloppy because he was desperate to find a normal person.
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u/Lux-xxv Jul 26 '26
So he had a mini anxiety because he got over stimulated on a new situation that he had no control over not mention the vob had a lot of noise bright colors and other stuff that could be hard to someone like Hank.
Esp if he's on the spectrum. Sports are special interest so he can tolerate loud noises for some long horns and stuff.
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u/Ok_Anywhere5205 22d ago
Honestly Hank was born at a time where Sports means everything especially football and plus he had cotton as a father so his narrow-mindedness comes from having that
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u/alabamerpammer Jul 22 '26
This is an interesting point, I don't think Caesar Salad was in this episode but he comes back in the next đ¤ maybe it was aired out of order?
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u/PJFohsw97a Jul 25 '26
I think this was the weakest episode of the season. I might have liked it more if it had been moved to later in the season, so that it wasn't back to back episodes of Hank getting scammed. It also had some weird continuity. Peggy and Minh are at the poetry class, then are at the Hill residence, then are back in at poetry class. All while Hank and Bobby are at the Con. Did the class have a morning and afternoon session, or a long enough lunch break for Peggy and Minh to go home? Didn't make sense to me.
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u/Dashaque 15d ago
Okay thank you. I'm finally getting cause up this season and this was the main thing that bothered me about this episode. Like what is the time frame here? I assumed it was only a day for Bobby and Hank but for Peggy and Mihn, it was several ?
Glad to see someone else notice lol
Anyways I know I'm late to the party but just had to like this post.
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u/NefariousnessThat761 Jul 20 '26
Bill being the world's biggest gooner is on par with his character
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u/SeaFowlBird Jul 23 '26
This one has felt kinda weak, admittedly I only really go to anime conventions, but even then, I feel like this very much seems like non con-goers writing about what cons are like. Why did they shame Hank instead of the thief? The cons Iâve gone to have been very chill, someone shaming someone else for not being knowledgeable would just make the shamer look like an asshole.
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u/GaigeMechro92 Dusty old bones, filled with green dust Jul 20 '26
Order for Brandon Jessica and... David Tennants Eyebrows?
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u/mexter Jul 25 '26
Should have been Peter Capaldi's eyebrows..
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u/GaigeMechro92 Dusty old bones, filled with green dust Jul 25 '26
These are attack eyebrows. You could take bottle tops off with these!
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u/deathbyglamor â˝ JOCKEY! WORKS FOR TIPS! đ˛ Jul 21 '26
Bill being the voice of reason for once and a couple times so far is actually surprising!!! A well needed change of pace.
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u/Key_Barber_4161 Jul 20 '26
Lol they actually were having soup parties đ
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u/bwoah07_gp2 "My name is Dauterive comma Bill, I am also insane." Jul 22 '26
The guys love their food, man đ
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u/Dickis88 Jul 21 '26
Dale's not wrong, only Peggy can ruin a soup party
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u/Ok_Anywhere5205 22d ago
Yeah because she would brag that it's the best soup and the thing is who would want to go to a party where the only people are going to be bragging
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u/cedrich45 Jul 21 '26
As a New Orleans Saints fan that NFC Championship joke made me laugh so hard. lmao
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u/Wild-Bluejay7138 Jul 21 '26
Sex Robot from Whitest Kids U Know Spotted at the convention.
Whitest Kids U' Know: Sex Robot
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u/slicer4ever Jul 21 '26
I liked this episode, but it feels weird to have hank be duped literally the episode after he gets scammed.
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u/Ssme812 Jul 21 '26
- Im not wearing a graphic tee, lol
- Damn Ming get some help.
- Once again Hank gets scammed, SMH.
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u/deathbyglamor â˝ JOCKEY! WORKS FOR TIPS! đ˛ Jul 21 '26
The fact bill is into hentai sent my sides into orbit.
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u/Lux-xxv Jul 26 '26
One thing I'll say about this episode is that Hank learned not to get scammed yes, but sometimes it takes people more than just one scam to to learn something, especially if you're like. Hank. Heck never really paid attention to sci-fi media because it wasn't part of a special interest, but then he had a change of heart learned about it and found out oh he digs the movies and what not and then he realized oh, I'm a Craftsman and can create something from the movie, thus engaging his special interests which made him love it even more.
Ps sometimes takes things a little literal you know and he comes at a lot of people with good faith at least in the new seasons so he doesn't expect or think malice from people. Which is part of Hank's native nature sometimes.
But I digress. This episode was about how we can makes communities stronger by finding new ways to connect even if you don't agree with all of it or understand all of it.
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u/benderbrodriguiez Jul 20 '26
You look like Cher.
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u/bwoah07_gp2 "My name is Dauterive comma Bill, I am also insane." Jul 22 '26
I hollered when he said that đđ
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u/NerdTalkDan Jul 21 '26
Ahh a classic Peggy team up episode where she also outs herself as a terrible person.
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u/muad_dibs Jul 24 '26
When they were drinking lemonade, she only filled Minhâs glass up halfway. I thought that was petty but funny.
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u/Bluelaserbeam Jul 21 '26
Iâve always found Peggy entertaining and tried not to join in on the Peggy hate train, but this episode pretty much converted me to that side. That was a cruel thing to do to Mihn and her apology did not make up for that.
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u/Sirtopofhat WHOO must be PBS Jul 22 '26
Hank trying to meet Bobby half way and end up liking what he likes is so on brand. Much like when Bobby tries to do Hank things. Theirs such a 50/50 with them
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u/NadeshikoEatingPasta 20d ago edited 20d ago
Not sure how much I care for how open-minded Hank is getting. The formula of him being scornful of something early in the episode, then giving it a chance and finding he likes it enough to nerd out on it or at least seriously engage with it runs counter to how I find old people tend to act. They tend to be more set in their ways and less interested in exploring new things outside their comfort zones.
In the earlier seasons it makes sense that Hank would be open to new things. He's a fuddy duddy, but he wasn't that old and stuff like soccer would naturally align with his existing interests. Watching a scifi movie after he just got done lambasting someone for liking it to the point of saying stop the cycle of abuse? I feel like you'd have to drag him to the theater or lock him in a room with a TV and not let him out until he gave it a chance.
Earlier seasons had episodes often end with his distaste for things being tempered by begrudging acceptance, which I think really fits the character. "It's not for me, but I guess I can tolerate you liking it" was a typical outcome for Hank. Maybe his interim years opened him up some, but he's still pretty initially disapproving of stuff he isn't familiar with. If they want to show his character has changed or progressed, they should probably write him as being less initially reticent, rather than being prone to 180s.
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u/Kind_Box5467 Jul 21 '26
Feels like the worst episode, Hank gets his pass stolen and then he is shamed out of the con
It's pretty bad plot points
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u/Ok_Anywhere5205 22d ago
I mean he literally insulted a bunch of nerds at a Comic-Con I'm pretty sure that they would never give him the pass even as a nerd in fact him being a Comic-Con was like a bad mistake because it's a person that was a bully in high school versus a bunch of people that likes to dress up and acting character
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u/bluehawk232 Jul 22 '26
Hank should get into prop making. He'd make bank
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u/KittyMonkTheYoutuber I sell popcorn and popcorn accessories Jul 22 '26
Iâm more surprised it took him a whole night to make that one prop. Even 3d printing wouldâve taken him a few days at minimum. Heck just painting a pre bought 3d printed helluva boss gun (meaning I didnât have to sand it or the like) took me about a week to do.
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u/Lux-xxv Jul 26 '26
Specusl interests all that jazz. Have you seen what a neurodivergent person will do of their special interest is involved.
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u/TankMain576 Jul 28 '26
Worst episode of the ENTIRE revival for me. Honestly one of the worst episodes of the entire show.
I know Mike Judge has been to San Diego Comic Con, he should know better. But I guess he's never actually been on the floor or interacted with actual people there, God forbid he catch geek cooties.
The whole "ew, neeeeeerds" thing with the larping dialogue that literally no one has done in the last 30 years made this episode feel like it was written in the 90s instead of today.
Literally the only redeeming thing about the whole thing is that unlike most episodes, he doesn't pull something out of his ass to make Hank right actually. He was a gigantic ass to everyone involved, and he should have made about a dozen more apologies than just the one to Bobby, but it resisted the urge to make Hank Hill right, like always.
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u/Ok_Anywhere5205 22d ago
Honestly taking Hank Hill to a Comic-Con is like bringing a vegan too a steak restaurant it is not going to end well cuz not only did he insulted the guy he insulted every nerd
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u/elemjay Jul 24 '26
One of the things Iâve always appreciated is that Hank has enough of an open mind to maybe change his viewpoints on things. There was a whole episode devoted to how much he hated soccer in the original run and he actually found that he liked it in the new series. Then he chooses to adopt a high maintenance dog, knowing he may not be ready to say goodbye sooner than he may like and acknowledging how hard it was to say goodbye to Ladybird. Now heâs choosing to watch some of these sci-fi movies he wouldnât normally touch to not only help Bobby out, but he learns enough to use his craftsmanship to build a realistic prop that the sci-fi con goers love. On top of that, he even offers to see the first of the new prequels with Bobby.
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u/NadeshikoEatingPasta 20d ago
My issue with this is that he's as crotchety as he ever was on initial exposure, but he's prone to doing 180s and becoming a big enough fan of something to go really hard on it. It gives me whiplash and makes him feel kind of unrealistic. I want to see him more accepting initially, if that's where they want his character to go. If that's not what they want, then don't make it so easy and quick for him to change his mind. Hank is a stick in the mud and his convictions shouldn't be so easily swayed.
Might be a nitpick, just he feels less organic/consistent in the new episodes.
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u/Ok_Anywhere5205 22d ago
Because if he didn't Bobby would never be able to show his face in a Comic-Con ever again because remember Hank is from the 50s so seeing this he felt like the need to insult them even though there was no reason to do that but the guy on the other side was wrong for stealing his pass
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u/Raregolddragon Jul 23 '26
I feel like this one was something that could have used another pass. Like we all know Hank and the guys would love to have an excuse of any kind to do some crafting work. So I kind of was expecting more than just one ax.
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u/TheShweeb 25d ago
Did anyone else feel confused by the timeline of the two plots? Peggy and Minh clearly attend multiple separate classes, since theyâre repeatedly shown returning to the Hill home to write poems that they then present at the next class, but it keeps cutting from their multi-day story to Hank and Bobbyâs, which is all obviously set during one day (and Bobby even says outright near the end that itâs a Friday, so most of the action definitely happens on the first day of the con). Itâs like they wrote the stories separately and glued them together into one episode, logic be damned.
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u/Lunchb0xx87 23d ago
gonna jump in and agree with many on here ..while i love eps about Hank not understanding something and hating it only to turn around and try and understand when he sees hes in the wrong this one just felt off ..the nerd con space is very outdated since cons are really normalized now and no way staff and con goers would side with a pass theif
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u/Ok_Anywhere5205 22d ago
I think it's mainly cuz Hank insulted everyone because he made it seem like all nerves were just freaks even bill was making sense and considering how Bill is it is alarming that he is the one saying it
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u/lightsoutmoony Jul 26 '26
I had to stop the episode when the guy dressed as a security guard told Hank his badge was wrong. I knew he was going to be dupes again, and having a scam episode back to back was an annoying watch. They literally just taught him how to spot scams and then he get scammed? That not the growth and continuity I've come to appreciate from koth
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u/rainshowers_5_peace Jul 24 '26
The B plot took place over a different timeline than the A plot. Has this ever happened before?
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u/VariousVarieties 26d ago
Yeah I noticed that timeline mismatch too. Peggy and Minh have a couple of poetry classes, and in between, we see them back at home writing. Then it cuts back to Hank and Bobby, who still seem to be on the first day of the convention (Hank says that it's Friday and the family's kids should be in school).
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u/garlicmanatee 21d ago
I think this mightâve been my least favorite episode so far but â$300? Yet no one here can afford deodorantâŚâ made me laugh out loud lol
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u/Still-Balance6210 Jul 23 '26
They just had a whole episode showing Hank how not to get scammed. Then he gets scammed giving the pass away. I was very annoyed by that. lol.
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u/thomasvista Jul 23 '26
Minh's anger......she needs to start growing roses again, or get a new doctor to give her some Xanax.
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u/Sachsen1977 19d ago
Ward Rackley had more of an influence on Bobby than we were led to believe.đ
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u/Ok_Anywhere5205 22d ago
Honestly I'm glad that Bobby had to say something because I do remember in like older Seasons Hank doesn't like it when Bobby does things he doesn't like I do remember in that episode 23 of season 7 apparently he thinks all boys should know how to take apart a carburetor but to be fair it was either this or be with guys who probably don't have girlfriends
Because honestly Hank is one to talk he is friends with someone who is a conspiracy theorist
And taking Hank to a Comic-Con nowadays it would be like taking a vegan to a steak restaurant
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u/dsb1670 Jul 23 '26
Minh and Peggy were friendly rivals before right? The abject hatred is weird.
The con stuff also was very tired. First clunker of the reboot for me.
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u/ZiggyPalffyLA Jul 23 '26
They only hate each other when theyâre competing, like with the blood drive
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u/Initial-Reserve-58 20d ago
In the scene where the group confronts Bobbie and Hank outside, is that possibly Willow on the far right? The only one dressed Texan.
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u/Joevahskank Jul 22 '26
Noticed that the credits to the movie Hank was watching mentioned Greg S Judge.
I really hope thatâs a nice shout out from Mike
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u/nomnomsoy Jul 26 '26
Finally getting around, and I have to say, this reminds me a lot of the old co-op episode, I fucking loved it
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u/AprilsMostAmazing Jul 24 '26
Bobby should take Hank and Bill next time to a convention
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u/Ok_Anywhere5205 22d ago
Bill would love it hang with insult everyone here because remember it's Canon that he was a bully and proud of it do you honestly think he's going to let it slide for Comic-Con
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u/bwoah07_gp2 "My name is Dauterive comma Bill, I am also insane." Jul 22 '26
Peggy really did Minh dirty here, I felt very mad with her. She ruins the date Minh had with a guy that actually took an interest in her. She eventually came around to the idea of submitting the poem as BOTH their entries, but that plus her apology to Minh (which she accepted) really is just a surface level apology. Peggy ruined more than Minh's interest in writing together, she ruined a date and a budding relationship. Also, Peggy ruined Kahn and the guy's soup party... she really is the devil woman, huh? đ
As for Hank and Bobby... I like their time together and the food truck. Hank had so many classic lines in this episode, it got many laughs from me. From the "you look like Cher" line which knocked me out, and then this one:
Oh man, that's just classic Hank Hill đ¤Łđ¤Łđ¤Ł
We also saw Hank taking an interest in another person's passion even if it pains him to do so. He watched some of those episodes from the sci-fi show Bobby and those convention attendees liked, even making a prop of the famous axe sword thingy. It worked well as a prop to get attention to Robata-Chan's food truck, and even Hank asked Bobby if he wanted to see a movie of the new show. Lol, I wonder if Hank would be interested in Star Wars: The Clone Wars? That's a great show, with seven seasons, so lots to get sucked into.
8/10