"Hilloween" is the sixteenth episode of King of the Hill. It was first aired on October 26, 1997. The episode was written by David Zuckerman and directed by John Rice. It guest stars Sally Field as Junie Harper.
Summary[]
Halloween is days away and under attack by a God-fearing woman who wants to ban the holiday from Arlen.
Plot[]
Hank and his buddies work on constructing a haunted house for the local school. Meanwhile, Luanne attends a Bible study meeting. The group leader introduces Junie Harper, a new, outspoken member of the church whom Hank considers a busybody. Junie tells the impressionable teenagers that Halloween is a holiday for witches and Satanists. When Luanne returns home, she repeats what Junie said about trick or treating being devil worship--a notion that raises Hank's ire. Later, Junie tells Luanne she is sponsoring a Hallelujah House, a "righteous alternative" to haunted houses. When Luanne tells Junie that Bobby's school is sponsoring a haunted house, she threatens the principal, Carl Moss, with a lawsuit (claiming separation of church and state). Left with little choice, Moss cancels the haunted house.
Peggy suggests that the haunted house be held inside the family garage. Later, Hank initiates Bobby in the fine art of trick or treating by covering Junie's house with toilet paper. As a furious Junie exits the dwelling, Hank and his son run for cover. But Junie gets a good look at Bobby's face and reports him to the police. Hank takes the blame for the incident, but out of Peggy's earshot, he praises the boy as a "regular Halloween hellraiser." Later, Luanne tells Bobby that his father is a Satanist. At first, Bobby dismisses the notion, but after recollecting several of Hank's comments about Halloween (and an unpleasant liver dinner), the boy comes to believe Luanne may be right. Meanwhile, Junie convinces the City Council that her house was attacked by Satanists using her dead cat (that she accidentally ran over herself) as proof. As a result, the Council passes a curfew that, in effect, cancels Halloween. Despite this, Hank vows to teach his son "the true meaning of Halloween come hell or high water."
Luanne and Bobby attend Hallelujah House, where Junie pushes her religious agenda. Meanwhile, Hank and Peggy sit by the garbage hoping trick-or-treaters will stop by the garage to see the haunted house with Hank being upset that nobody will stand up for themselves. When Peggy tries to get her son to join his father Luanne tells her aunt that she took Bobby to Junie's for the boy's salvation. This news causes a livid Peggy to angrily berate Luanne about making decisions that she has no authority to make and threatens her with expulsion from the Hill residence if she ever does it again. Outside, when Peggy tells Hank that his son attended Junie's anti-Halloween church party, he takes action. Despite the threat of arrest, Hank dons his Devil's costume from childhood and walks down the street yelling, "trick or treat." Soon after, other residents (and even Luanne) muster the courage to join him, and a parade of neighbors gather in front of Junie's home. Hank tells his son he will be given candy if he joins the festivities. Junie, however, warns he will be sent to hell. Bobby decides to go trick or treating--not because of the candy, but because of his wish to be with his father. Bobby and the rest of the kids leave Julie's house to enjoy Halloween, and Julie screams in defeat that that will mean there will just be more room in heaven for her.
Later, the boy tells Hank that despite what he said in front of Junie, he does indeed care about the prospect of getting free candy.
Characters[]
- Hank Hill
- Peggy Hill
- Bobby Hill
- Luanne Platter
- Dale Gribble
- Jeff Boomhauer
- Bill Dauterive
- Principal Moss (debut)'
- Junie Harper
- Joshua
- Young Tilly Hill
- Arlen City Hall Council members
- Hallelujah House members
- Susie (non-speaking)
- Judy (non-speaking)
- Other Susie (non-speaking)
Stinger Quote[]
- Boomhauer: "Dang ol' boo, man!"
Trivia[]
- The episode title is a portmanteau of "Hill" and "Halloween."
- This episode marks the first appearance of Principal Carl Moss.
- The argument between Junie Harper and Hank while they are in the angel and devil costume respectively with Bobby in the middle seems to resemble the cartoonish depiction of a conscience.
- Dale is shown to have an intense fear of spiders when Hank and Bobby "ditch the evidence" onto Dale's roof. This is incredibly ironic, given that Dale makes a living killing arthropods, rodents, and miscellaneous other animals.
- While Dale watches television as Hank and Bobby "ditch the evidence," the theme song for the 1970s sitcom Sanford and Son can be heard on the television.
- At the start of the episode when Bobby is looking for a Halloween costume, he picks up a Dalmatian costume. Coincidentally, Pamela Adlon—who voices Bobby—did the voice for the Dalmatian pup "Lucky," in the Disney animated TV show 101 Dalmatians: The Series, which was on around at the same time.
- This is the first Halloween episode in King of the Hill. It was followed by the 135th episode in the ninth season "Pigmalion".
Goofs[]
- After Luanne joins Hank and the gang to protest against the curfew, none of their mouths move when they are saying "Trick or Treat."
- As Junie Harper backs out her car which then kills her cat, she is seen putting the car in "Drive" rather than in reverse.
- In the Hallelujah House when the kids observe Judy's exhibit condemning premarital sexual intercourse as bad, Susie's head appears without her body, which is not animated since the color is the wall's color.