The ‘King of the Hill’ Reboot Intro Is Full of More Questions Than Answers
The King of the Hill reboot will debut on August 4th, and to prove that it totally exists, Hulu released the show's brand new opening credit sequence. While it features the familiar sound of The Refreshments’ jangly theme song, the opening raises a ton of questions about what the hell happened to these characters following the ending of the original show.
The first King of the Hill opening memorably found Hank, Dale, Boomhauer and Bill chilling in front of the fence outside of the Hill house, all while jump cuts illustrated that, as the days, or even weeks, ed, the four friends were happy to just stay in one place pounding back cans of Alamo, I’ll tell you what.
The new sequence adopts the same aesthetic, but spans years, giving us a somewhat confusing glimpse at how life in Arlen has changed since the series finale in 2009.
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Most shockingly, Hank, Peggy and a teenage Bobby pack up and move away, leaving Bill in tears and an entirely new character living in their old house. Some of this is actually explained by the show’s recently-released logline, which reveals that Hank has spent the past several years “working a propane job in Saudi Arabia” in order to earn money for his and Peggy’s “retirement nest egg.” The reboot will find them returning to “a changed Arlen” and reconnecting with “old friends Dale, Boomhauer and Bill.”
And clearly some important developments occurred in their absence. At one point a “Gribble for Mayor” sign is erected on the lawn, possibly suggesting that Dale will seek public office. Although some fans on Reddit suggested that it may actually be Nancy who runs Mayor, which would make more sense. And speaking of Nancy, she is possibly having an affair with John Redcorn again, after ending their relationship back in Season Four of the original show. “Nancy being back with Redcorn is really disappointing,” one fan complained in reference to the quick shot of Dale’s wife getting into her ex’s car.
More distressing, we see that COVID exists in the King of the Hill-verse, and even Dale is wearing a mask (albeit around his chin). Bill, whose apparent survival previously shocked fans, catches the virus, and begins violently coughing before abruptly exiting the yard. And he’s never seen again! This has caused some fans to worry that Bill “didn’t make it through.” But the synopsis does note that Bill is alive, prompting concerns that he’s now become a “shut-in.”
Some other important details packed into this 30-second clip include the fact that Hank’s elderly dog Ladybird is nowhere to be seen (although we can fill in the blanks there), and Boomhauer appears to have a video game-playing kid now with a woman who may or may not be his partner.
Plus, the gang has to contend with Texas’ snowy weather because, as Connie’s briefly-glimpsed school project illustrates, climate change is a thing. Although Dale may have some alternate theories…
