It's been 15 years since viewers last visited the humble town of Arlen, Texas, and a lot has changed since then. "King of the Hill" season 14 takes place in the present day, depicting a world where Texans have learned to appreciate soccer and teenage boys are rinsed by toxic masculinity grifters. However, the Hill family and their zany neighbors are pretty much the same people they've always been, and once you get over the fact that Bobby (Pamela Adlon) is now an adult in "King of the Hill," it feels
like catching up with old friends.
That said, not every character returns in season 14. Spouses Luanne Platter (Brittany Murphy) and Lucky Kleinschmidt (Tom Petty) are noticeably absent -- which is understandable, given that the actors who voiced them passed away before the animated sitcom was revived by Hulu. "King of the Hill" season 14 doesn't make a big deal out of the married couple's absence, however, implying that they have moved away and are living happily ever after elsewhere with their kid.
The newest episodes of "King of the Hill" mainly focus on the here-and-now situations the Hill family must contend with, ranging from Bobby's dating woes to Hank (Mike Judge) and Peggy's (Kathy Najimy) restlessness during retirement. Be that as it may, the show's creators have still acknowledged the Luanne and Lucky-sized elephant in the room, revealing that they tried to be respectful to their memories.
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Why King Of The Hill's Creators Retired Luanne And Lucky
Lucky and Luanne were never the main characters in "King of the Hill." Despite starting out as a regular, Luanne's role decreased throughout the years as Brittany Murphy became a big movie star, while Lucky became a more prominent player in the later seasons. As such, showrunner Saladin Patterson and creator Mike Judge decided to write both characters out of the show completely and keep the memories of their glory years intact. As Patterson told IGN:
"The analogy I use as a sports fan is, sometimes the best way to honor someone's work is to hang their jersey up in the rafters as a show of respect and what they meant to the organization. It didn't seem right to recast certain characters. I don't want to spoil anything, but [we] figured out other ways in the storytelling to honor those characters."
Perhaps the show's creators will address the characters' absences in a more substantial way down the line, but if they choose not to, that's okay. For now, it seems that the "King of the Hill" writers are content to tell stories about the Hills and their blue-collar neighbors, and fans can rest assured knowing that they don't want to tamper with the fond memories people have of Lucky and Luanne.
"King of the Hill" season 14 is now streaming on Hulu.
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Read the original article on SlashFilm.
