Critic Reviews

This season, the show's only gotten better — deeper, richer, more true to its guiding intention of presenting people with Texas twangs as something other than the media cliche of rubes with bad taste.

A smart, loopy spoof full of Everyman truth. [10 Jan 1997]

King of the Hill Season 14 is a top-to-bottom triumph; it recaptures the unassuming and understated brilliance of the previous seasons, all while doubling down on the heart that helped make the show the touchstone it is.

Season 15 of King of the Hill is as perfect a season of television as you could possibly want.

It's like the show never left. Smart, warm, and ambling along at the same easy pace that made it a favorite in the first place, one of the greatest sitcoms of the last 25 years has returned in triumph.

The best aspect of these 10 episodes is that they do lean hard into the way society has evolved, even while Hank’s core values haven’t — seeing the way his dedication to those core values run up against concepts like “men’s rights” is where some of the show’s best jokes and most interesting tension comes from.

The writing is evocative and intelligent, and season 14 delivers more laughs-per-episode than most current comedies.

King of the Hill is the rare TV revival where it never feels like it's playing it too safely or, on the opposite end, trying to be edgier than its predecessor. If you liked the show during its original run, you'll undoubtedly enjoy these 10 new episodes.

By the end, Hank finds himself confronted by the manosphere, confused and appalled that such farcical aggro-masculinity could ever exist at all. It’s King of the Hill as we’ve always known it, a balance of absurdity and emotional realism that feels timeless and perfectly timed. A big part of what makes it all work is the mostly seamless return of the original voice cast.

There is little in it that couldn’t be handled as live-action situation comedy; indeed, for long stretches you can close your eyes and let it play in your head like an old-time radio show — “Ozzie and Harriet,” or “Vic and Sade” for the deep cut — which testifies to the quality of the writing and the performances.