Junie Harper is a Christian woman who only appeared in the Season 2 episode "Hilloween".
Appearance
Junie is a Caucasian woman with a stocky build, fair skin, and short brown hair with flipped ends and normally wears a green jacket over a light blue turtleneck with a long brown necklace, an orange flare skirt and dark brown shoes. She later wears a white angel costume at her own Hallelujah party. She additionally wears a green robe as she gets ready for bed that was shown as she was chasing after Hank and Bobby.
Beliefs
Junie is an overzealous Christian woman who hated Halloween, calling it a "Satanist holiday" and believing anyone who celebrated it would go to Hell, thus trying to ban it from Arlen. She spreads her beliefs to Luanne, causing her to think that Hank was a Satanist for enjoying Halloween and expressing his frustration at how watered-down the celebration had become in the modern day. Despite her seemingly "noble" intentions, Junie pushes her beliefs onto others out of moral impunity rather than concern, and goes as far as litigation to ensure others conform to her demands. She is also not above taunting others for their own beliefs, ironically going against the teachings of her own faith.
History
Season 2
At a Youth Fellowship meeting, Harper is introduced as a new member of the church that has made herself known by writing letters, complaining, and threatening people. She starts off by quizzing the people in the meeting about Halloween related items. Luanne answers her questions right away putting her in the good graces of Harper. Harper continues teaching the people in the meeting on how evil Halloween is, thus they should not celebrate it. Luanne goes over to Harper's house telling her that her uncle Hank did not believe her about what she learned about Halloween. Harper mentions that she is doing a Hallelujah House during Halloween to combat the Haunted Houses. Luanne tells Harper that Hank is doing a Haunted House for Tom Landry Middle School. Harper complains to Principal Moss that leads to Hank and the fellas not doing the Haunted House anymore.
Hank and Bobby decide to prank Harper's house by toilet papering her house. Unfortunately, Bobby destroys her birdhouse which causes Harper to come outside. She gets in her car trying and starts chasing Bobby and Hank. Unbeknownst to her, her cat Joshua was under the car and she ran him over. She comes close to catching up with Bobby and Hank. They are able to hop the fence, but not before she can get a good look at Bobby. She and a police officer go over to their house where Bobby admits that they were at Harper's house earlier tonight. Harper puts the blame on the parents for raising him lacking any Christian values. Peggy becomes offended at her comment, prompting Hank to kick her out of the house.
At a city hall meeting, Harper claims that Satanists came and attacked her. Her proof of this is her dead cat, which she brought in a lunchbox, despite the fact it was she herself who accidentally killed him. This claim provokes the city council to cancel Halloween by placing a curfew. Luanne drops off Bobby at Harper's Hallelujah House. The Hallelujah House comprises of Harper and members of the youth fellowship acting out scenes depicting the dangers of premarital sex and degrading evolution. At the end of the Hallelujah House, Harper and other church members try to get the children to sign up for the Hallelujah Club Pledge. Bobby signs up for the club, seemingly because he wants another brownie. Hank and the other parents and neighbors show up at Harper's house, showing the kids that Halloween is fun. Harper and Hank get into an argument, each trying to make Bobby get on their side. Harper tells him that on her side is Heaven while Hank says there is candy on his. Bobby yells at both of them to be quiet. He clarifies that he wants to be with his dad and leaves with Hank. The rest of the parents pick up their children from Harper's house, preparing to go celebrate Halloween. A defeated Harper yells at them as they go on the "sinner path" saying that there is more heaven for her.
Trivia
- Harper appears to be a negative-themed parody of Field's 1960s character The Flying Nun. Fellow Fox show The Simpsons had previously mocked Field's old character by killing her off in the 1993 episode "Brother from the Same Planet".
- Junie seemed very fond of cats, with her house being adorned with cat-themed decorations, though she was quick to lose patience with her own pet cat Joshua, who she ended up running over and displacing the blame to get her way.
- Her fondness of cats is somewhat ironic given their association with witchcraft.
- Harper's last name may also be a reference to the famous Jeannie C. Riley song "Harper Valley PTA", which involves the rebuke of a similarly sanctimonious PTA by a mother that they accuse of being a bad parent.
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