TVSquad

(S12E01) Out of all the shows in the FOX animated universe King of the Hill has been the most consistent when it comes to the quality of their shows. I don't believe that there has been any season during the show's existence that fans and critics have declared weak. Sure, there are individual episodes that stand out more than others, but that's to be expected in a series that is beginning its twelfth season. I'm saying that, as a whole, King of the Hill has remained pretty steady during its time on the air.

The same thing can be said for the season premiere. There's nothing flashy about the episode, nothing earth-shaking. It's just another day in the life of the Hill family and their friends. But, that's the way it has been for the entire series run, and that's just fine. Family Guy can have its parodies, The Simpsons can have its huge summer at the box office. King of the Hill is the show that keeps our feet firmly on the ground.

It's also the show that probably has the most growth to it when it comes to continuity. Yes, no one has really aged that much in the show's run (unless you count Joseph Gribble), but their lives have certainly moved on. Take for example Luann's marriage to Lucky, or Nancy's decision to stop seeing John Redcorn in order to stay faithful to Dale. These have remained parts of the King universe and are normally revisited.

Now, another character opens up a new chapter in their life, and Hank couldn't be happier. It seems that Bobby is now into football, and not just because the colorful uniforms the players wear. No, he's interested in watching games. To Hank and Peggy this is a miracle from above, and neither of them want to jinx it. Bobby gets so interested that he agrees to go to a Texas Longhorns college football game with Hank and the gang.

This is where another quality of King of the Hill comes in: its basis in reality. Granted, its a reality where Texas is the center of the universe, but its still reflects some of the everyday problems we encounter. Let's take Hank's trip to the Alamo Bowl, for instance. How many of you have paid $25 for 'VIP Parking' because it was the only parking there was? And, how many of you have had crappy stadium seats and wondered if you would be able to sneak into one of those empty luxury boxes?

Of course, being a television series, Hank just doesn't wonder about the suite, but actually ends up occupying it after Bobby ends up there. This is where the problems begin, since the suite is owned by a former quarterback for Nebraska, the team the Longhorns are playing. I don't think many of you have had the opportunity of calling a play for the opposing team at the request of their assistant coach, have you? Well, Hank did, and it costs the Longhorns the game.

This is Hank's luck: No matter if he's trying to do something that seems to be the right thing to do at that time it always turns bad on him. It's mostly a bump in the road for Hank, though, as he always tends to find a way out of his predicament. A lot of people chalk Hank up as being some hick Texan. But, if you have watched the show on a regular basis, you know that he's a fairly intelligent man with a bit of cunning. He uses both his cunningness and intelligence to get out of this pickle and manages to keep Bobby interested in football at the same time.

If there's one thing that I didn't like about this episode it was the second storyline. I've noticed over the past few seasons that Peggy gets a very tiny second storyline whenever her husband takes center stage. This week was no exception as she was shown why she cannot go to any more Longhorns' games. Her little segments were actually funny, but I wanted to see more of them. My opinion is this: if Peggy isn't going to be involved in the episode then just don't include her if the sub-story is going to be so tiny.

So, am I wrong about the show's consistency? Let me know in the comments and poll below.