Was King of the Hill a Villain of the Week show?

[Deleted]

I argue that the series has the most antagonistic characters in Western entertainment history because its like every single episode featured a villain of some sorts.

There were your obvious assholes, but you had people with alternative lifestyles presented in a negative light, people who seemed good but had ulterior motives, & those who just were wrong because they don't know better.

The show did have recurring antagonists (Cotton, the social worker at the beginning, & later Thaferton), but they mostly invented characters to be obstacles.

Shoot, even family members (Peggy's mother & Boomhauer's brother) come to mind.

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

Not really, to me it just felt like they were bringing in the usual breed of one-shot eccentric characters for certain episodes you'd find in sitcoms.

Hank didn't come off as "antagonistic" to me so much as he did set in his ways. Or at least nowhere as antagonistic as Stan Smith or Peter Griffin. He's a loving father and husband otherwise.

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Jan 4, 2017 9:05:56 GMT -5 Clash, Never a Meter Maid said:

Not really, to me it just felt like they were bringing in the usual breed of one-shot eccentric characters for certain episodes you'd find in sitcoms.

Hank didn't come off as "antagonistic" to me so much as he did set in his ways. Or at least nowhere as antagonistic as Stan Smith or Peter Griffin. He's a loving father and husband otherwise.

Stan Smith was a good enough character in the first 5 seasons. After that it just became an abomination.

[Dub H]

Jan 4, 2017 9:05:56 GMT -5 Clash, Never a Meter Maid said:

Not really, to me it just felt like they were bringing in the usual breed of one-shot eccentric characters for certain episodes you'd find in sitcoms.

Hank didn't come off as "antagonistic" to me so much as he did set in his ways. Or at least nowhere as antagonistic as Stan Smith or Peter Griffin. He's a loving father and husband otherwise.

but what about peggy never watched the show much , but what I saw and from clips , she is a pretty bad person

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

Jan 4, 2017 11:12:08 GMT -5 Dub H said:

Jan 4, 2017 9:05:56 GMT -5 Clash, Never a Meter Maid said:

Not really, to me it just felt like they were bringing in the usual breed of one-shot eccentric characters for certain episodes you'd find in sitcoms.

Hank didn't come off as "antagonistic" to me so much as he did set in his ways. Or at least nowhere as antagonistic as Stan Smith or Peter Griffin. He's a loving father and husband otherwise.

but what about peggy never watched the show much , but what I saw and from clips , she is a pretty bad person

No, Peggy is arrogant and dumb. I don't feel she's an overly malicious character, her and Hank have a connection. Is it stronger than his love of propane? No, probably not, but her and Bobby are important to Hank and vice versa.

[Deleted]

Peggy is nowhere near as bad as Dale, John Redcorn, Cotton Hill, and others.

[Mozenrath]

Jan 4, 2017 11:22:04 GMT -5 @supersweetbotch said:

Peggy is nowhere near as bad as Dale, John Redcorn, Cotton Hill, and others.

Bill is a shittier person than her, certainly.

[badkarma]

Jan 4, 2017 12:08:03 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

Jan 4, 2017 11:22:04 GMT -5 @supersweetbotch said:

Peggy is nowhere near as bad as Dale, John Redcorn, Cotton Hill, and others.

Bill is a shittier person than her, certainly.

Hey, nobody talks that way about the Bill-dozer!

[Malibu Stacy]

Jan 4, 2017 11:22:04 GMT -5 @supersweetbotch said:

Peggy is nowhere near as bad as Dale, John Redcorn, Cotton Hill, and others.

Heck, my favorite running gag from the show is how Peggy and Dales supposedly hate each other, yet constantly team up on hair brained scheme after scheme.

[chrom]

More like Idiot of the Week

[Mozenrath]

Mr. Strickland's a piece of shit, too, for how he takes advantage of Hank and knowingly exploits him.

[unc40]

Peggy's brother was a horrible person. Trying to use Luanne's pregnancy to get out of trouble and pin his crime on an innocent person was the worst thing a character ever did on this show.

[Deleted]

Jan 4, 2017 9:05:56 GMT -5 Clash, Never a Meter Maid said:

Not really, to me it just felt like they were bringing in the usual breed of one-shot eccentric characters for certain episodes you'd find in sitcoms.

Hank didn't come off as "antagonistic" to me so much as he did set in his ways. Or at least nowhere as antagonistic as Stan Smith or Peter Griffin. He's a loving father and husband otherwise.

That's the most amazing thing about King of the Hill. In most sitcoms the main character is usually one of the bigger douches on paper since there mistakes/poor decisions often creates conflict for that episode and they often play the straight man so they aren't as funny or likable as the showstealing eccentric support characters. With all of that being said Hank still remains to be the most likeable character of the show despite many conflicts are caused by him being stuck by his own ways, insecurities, bad parenting mistakes, etc. And his likability is what makes the humor even more humorous. Like that one time he was playing that GTA Like Video Game and he accidentally kills a civilian and asks "Where is the button to turn myself in?"

[Push R Truth]

Good Guy Boomhauer was the true hero of Arlen, TX.

[BRV]

This is another reason why "King of the Hill" felt like such a realistic piece of Americana, because who among us hasn't come across someone in our daily or weekly lives that gets under our skin, drives us bonkers, and then we move on to the next issue at hand?

As for the debate about whether Hank or Peggy are naturally villainous characters, I don't think any of the main characters are necessary villains, they're just set in their ways and they may sometimes not connect with the people they come across.

Hank is a traditionalist who sees the world around him becoming less traditional. He's not against it but he's not fully ready to adjust with it, he's just who he is and doesn't understand when things aren't the way they've always been.

Peggy isn't necessary malicious, she's just very egotistical and believes in her abilities, even when it's clear as day that her abilities are not there. The only time we really see her become a villain is when somebody calls her bluff and she doesn't know how to react in the situation.

Bobby is just looking for acceptance, whether it's from classmates, his parents, or even complete strangers. He doesn't want to be the outcast, which may lead to him doing things he doesn't believe in, if only because he wants everyone to like him, whether those people deserve to be liked or not.

Dale's not a bad guy, he just believes in his wild theories. Bill's not bad, he's just looking for affection and doesn't know what on earth to do with it when he gets it. Boomhauer's not bad, it's just that he thinks his suave personality is as cool now as it was when he was in his 20s, even if that's not the case.

[Sephiroth]

So King of the Hill is kind of like your average porno; be more enjoyable if the characters weren't all inlikeable assholes

[Urethra Franklin]

I think the "villain" was modern life for Hank.

Hank loved simplicity and order, but whether it was Peggy or Bobby or Cotton or Bill or Dale or Khan or whomever or whatever, there was always somebody or something in the way.

[Deleted]

How can somebody who lived through the '70s as a teen not know what a "head shop" is? The long haired guys in tye-dye, the weird "vases", hemp everywhere, pot leaf pictures.
Not a clue.

[wildojinx]

Jan 7, 2017 10:48:55 GMT -5 @sandman said:

How can somebody who lived through the '70s as a teen not know what a "head shop" is? The long haired guys in tye-dye, the weird "vases", hemp everywhere, pot leaf pictures.
Not a clue.

Maybe there wasnt one in Arlen when he grew up.