Top 10 Worst King of the Hill Hank Moments
BWAA! Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Worst Things Hank Hill Has Done.
For this list we're looking at the times when Hank Hill knowingly or unknowingly lost his moral high ground.
#10: When He Trapped Peggy in a Crate
“Sleight of Hank”
Hank Rutherford Hill does not like magicians. Go figure. He also – equally unsurprisingly – does not believe in magic. So when Peggy, ever the egomaniac, participates in an elaborate magic trick, Arlen's most practical man wants to know how it was done. After brainstorming solutions involving mirrors, a rotating stage – and hearing out Dale's “Twin Peggy” theory – Hank resorts to simply claiming to have cracked it, and sealing Peggy into a crate until she reveals the secrets. However, it's Hank who caves instead - letting her out ... lest they be late for church.
#9: When He Used Bobby as a Bully
“Hank's Bully”
Hank lives by a simple code: don't mess with a man's workshop, and don't bike on his lawn. When new arrival Caleb – and his parents – can't get on board, Hank resorts to stealing the boy's bike to teach a lesson in respect and humility. The police confirm that this plan is DOA. So Hank opts instead to fight fire with fire, sicking Bobby on Caleb's family. When the message isn't received, Bobby gives them a taste of Dirty Harry, threatening them with a squirt gun loaded with brown mystery fluid until they do. That’s some quality fathering . . .
#8: When He Blamed a Fire On a Dead Guy
“A Fire Fighting We Will Go”
Hank has a strict sense of right and wrong, but his moral guidelines can be bent to save a friend. When the gang join the fire department it goes... well, it doesn't live up to Hank's standards to say the least. Incompetent to a level just shy of their Simpson and Griffin network peers, the guys wind up burning down the fire station. Hank realizes that the fire was caused by a shoddy neon sign that Dale installed in tribute to its recently deceased owner, Chet Elderson. Ultimately, Hank opts to let the dead man take the blame, getting Dale off the hook and bringing the matter to a close.
#7: When He Made Luanne Move Back to Her Trailer Before a Tornado
“Texas City Twister”
This episode sees Hank get off to a bad start. Without his glasses on, he nearly kisses Luanne, and adding to his embarrassment he's naked - at least by his standards. Worse still, he soon learns that she’s washed her lacy underoos with his cotton grippies. But when a bill collector comes knocking, Hank realizes Luanne's not homeless after all and promptly gives his niece the ol' heave-ho. Sure, he winches her trailer upright first, and gives a lead on a sweet propane discount, but his timing... well, that couldn't be worse. Not only does Luanne not want to move out, there's a twister on the way and a trailer is as unsafe of a place as she could possibly be.
#6: When He Tricked Bobby & Luanne Into Thinking They Were Married
“The Wedding of Bobby Hill”
When Bobby gets the opportunity to house-sit for Boomhauer it seems like the perfect way to teach the boy a lesson in responsibility. Instead, Bobby becomes co-host of a Boomhauer-grade party, and when it goes south he holds Luanne responsible. A prank war ensues, resulting in Bobby sabotaging Luanne's birth control pills, and Luanne tricking HIM into thinking she's pregnant. Tapping in Hank and Peggy, Luanne takes part in a fake wedding conducted by Bill to further prank Bobby, only Hank takes it to the next level, convincing Luanne that Bill really is a minister and that her “marriage” is legally binding. It wasn't his battle, but Hank won the war all the same.
#5: When He Took Advantage of Kahn's Bipolar Disorder
“Just Another Manic Kahn-Day”
While times are changing, bipolar disorder is still a very misunderstood condition. Likewise, Hank isn't all that hip to the signs, or the jargon, and advises Kahn – frenemy and neighbour – to skip his meds. With Kahn's condition unregulated, his mood swings toward the positive and productive, which works out very well for Hank and his super grill. Kahn's ideas come fast and furious – trouble is, that high doesn't last forever and when his mood crashes so does project super-grill. Backed into a corner, Hank hunts down some medication – but before it has the chance to kick in, he once again takes advantage of Kahn’s mania to get his grill finished.
#4: When He Joined Bobby's Protest to Cover Up What Happened to Boomhauer's Car
“It's Not Easy Being Green”
Sure, Hank likes the environment and all. It's traditional. But newfangled hippy dippy environmentalism? Not so much. That is until it suits his needs. Learning that the town's quarry is to be drained – thus exposing the fact that Hank, Dale, and Bill crashed Boomhauer's old Mustang – Hank opts to throw in with the enviro-posse in an effort to stop it. Doing so, he inadvertently bonds with Bobby on the younger Hill's terms. But all this means is that when the jig is up, not only does Boomhauer learn the truth about his friends and what happened to his old beloved, but Hank also hurts and betrays Bobby in the process.
#3: When He Made Bobby Work for a Crazy Boss
“Life in the Fast Lane, Bobby's Saga”
Bobby just doesn't get the value of a dollar. And so, ever on a quest to improve his son, Hank pushes Bobby into a part time job at the local race track with Jimmy Wichard. The job is simple enough: people are hot and dry and they want something cold and wet. The downside? The boss is a nut-job. And not just a nut-job the way everyone's boss is a nut-job. He's... a certifiable nut-job. Beyond knowing he's in charge, Jimmy doesn't know much – and Bobby is trapped in the situation due to Hank and Hank-logic. It's only when Jimmy puts Bobby's life at risk that Hank finally accepts that Bobby is right and that Jimmy really is a “moron.”
#2: When He Wouldn't Hire a Woman
“Junkie Business”
As a potential employee, Maria Montalvo's got it all. Skills, confidence, and plenty of experience in the field of propane and propane accessories. Trouble is, she doesn't know football. Oh, and Hank's afraid that she’ll accuse him of harassment. So, he plays it safe and hires a drug addict instead. Leon – the addict – is a disaster from the get go, yet unfireable due to Hank's ignorance of the labor code. Additionally, passing over Maria creates problems at home since it only confirms Peggy's suspicion that Hank found her attractive.
Before we unveil our top pick here are a few honourable mentions.
When He Let a Guy Be Assaulted by a Dolphin
“Jon Vitti Presents: Return to La Grunta”
When He Let Bobby Live in the Dog House
“Hank's Choice”
When He Was a Pimp
“Ho Yeah!”
When He Told His Dying Father He Didn't Love Him
“Death Picks Cotton”
When He Misled Police & Made Things SO MUCH WORSE
“High Anxiety”
#1: When He Forced Bobby to Smoke a Carton of Cigarettes
“Keeping Up with Our Joneses”
Only 10 episodes into the series and Hank has already made a major lapse of judgment. Stumbling upon Bobby enjoying his first ever cigarette, Hank gets typically heavy-handed and old-fashioned with his punishment. However, his plan to make Bobby sick of cigarettes only results in the boy being nine packs deep into his new nicotine addiction. Plus, as a result of Bobby never doing anything quite right in his eyes, Hank feels the need to coach him on how to correctly smoke a cigarette, inadvertently rekindling his own dormant vice... and dragging Peggy down with him.
