"My Own Private Rodeo" is the one hundred-twenty-second episode of King of the Hill. It was first aired on April 28, 2002. The episode was written by Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck, and directed by Cyndi Tang-Loveland.
Summary[]
Dale and Nancy renew their wedding vows, and Dale's father, who is a closeted gay man whom Dale has despised for trying to seduce Nancy, comes along to finally tell his son that he's a homosexual and what really happened between him and Nancy on that day.
Plot[]
Dale and Nancy Gribble are planning on renewing their wedding vows. At Nancy's request and after initial reluctance, his friends decide to find his father, Bug and invite him to the ceremony. Twenty years ago, at their first wedding, Dale's father apparently kissed Nancy, and he and Dale have since been estranged. Hank, Bill, and Boomhauer decide to go track Bug down in order to make amends with his son. However, they discover that not only is Bug gay, but he has been working all this time at a gay rodeo at Coburn Fairgrounds, much to the humor of Bill and Boomhauer. After the show, Hank goes to Bug, who reveals the truth: at the wedding, he was about to kiss a Filipino caterer, before Dale came in, with whom he was not prepared to be honest, so he "grabbed the nearest thing in a dress", which happened to be Nancy. The conversation is interrupted by Juan Pedro, Bug's boyfriend, who is upset upon learning that Bug was married to a woman and has a son and didn't even tell him. Eventually, Bug returns to Arlen and asks for Dale's forgiveness, without telling Dale he is gay.
Although unsure at first, Dale reconciles with his father. Nancy senses it, but Dale is completely oblivious to Bug's homosexuality, with Dale even commenting that his father has "pleased hundreds of women". Bug notices Joseph's lack of resemblance to Dale or Nancy and asks if Joseph is "adopted". She reluctantly admits the truth about her former affair with John Redcorn, and that the Hill family, Bill, Boomhauer and John Redcorn all know about the affair; he does not ask any further questions. Bug also admits to Nancy that he is gay and that he needs to let Dale know.
Dale misunderstands Bug's sympathy, believing Bug still has feelings for Nancy, leading to Bug trying to admit to Dale that he is gay. However, his explanation of Juan Pedro being his "boyfriend" and working with him at a gay rodeo are misconstrued by Dale as his father being a government agent, which breaks his heart once again. Dale deserts his second wedding and heads to the gay rodeo, intending to blow his father's cover. After Dale sees Bug at the rodeo, he informs his father that he knows he is a government agent and that he will let everybody at the event know. Bug then says there has been a terrible misunderstanding and that he is gay. Still not trusting his father, Dale then goes into the rodeo pen and announces that Bug is an FBI agent spying on them to expose their "secrets", causing Bug to tie him down. After a struggle, Bug finally makes up with Juan Pedro and kisses him in front of Dale, who realizes that his father was telling the truth and lets them attend the ceremony.
At the wedding, Nancy dances with Dale, satisfied that the ceremony is a way to start over after years of adultery that her husband is unaware of and anxiety she has on that issue. Dale tells Bug that he doesn't mind if his father is gay, since he's friends with John Redcorn, whom he assumes is a gay man (which explains why Dale never realized that John Redcorn is Joseph's biological father and that Nancy cheated on him).
Characters[]
- Hank Hill
- Peggy Hill
- Bobby Hill
- Dale Gribble
- Bill Dauterive
- Boomhauer
- Nancy Gribble
- Bug Gribble
- Joseph Gribble
- Juan Pedro
- Buttercup McGee
- Clay Henry
- Tug (voice-only)
- Filipino caterer (non-speaking)
- John Redcorn (mentioned)
- Gary and Mike (mentioned)
Stinger Quote[]
- Dale: "Monkey style! Ha-ooh-ooh-ah!"
Trivia[]
- The episode title is a parody on the 1991 film My Own Private Idaho.
- This episode was nominated for a 2003 GLAAD (Gay And Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Media Award.[1]
- The following songs are featured in this episode:
- Kansas — "Carry On Wayward Son"
- Village People — "YMCA"
- RuPaul — "Supermodel"
- REO Speedwagon — "Can't Fight This Feeling"
- Although Dale claimed to Nancy that no one ever deceived him before Bug allegedly lied about being a government agent, he previously learned that Hank had deceived him about the theft of his lawnmower in the Season 3 episode "Dog Dale Afternoon".
- Although Hank mentions ESPN 3 during the episode, the service did not exist at the time of this episode. ESPN3 would eventually be introduced in 2010 as a rebranding of the ESPN360 streaming service, which launched in 2005.
Quotes[]
- Bug Gribble: Are you gay?
- Hank Hill: Bwah! What?! No! I sell propane!
- Hank Hill: I wonder why so many cowboys have mustaches.
- Bill Dauterive: Why would Bug be in a gay rodeo?
- Hank Hill: Well, the guy's 60. Maybe he couldn't make it on the regular circuit. It's like those guys who have to play European basketball or Canadian football.
- Bill Dauterive: Boomhauer, you wanna go get some cotton candy? That would make me happy, or should I say gay!
- Bill Dauterive: Boomhauer and I are gonna go out in the parking lot and make out. We're both men! (*laughs*)
- Nancy Gribble: So, are you really okay with your dad being gay?
- Dale Gribble: Why would I have a problem with it? John Redcorn's gay, and I've been friends with him for years.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ "14th Annual GLAAD Media Award Winners Include The Goat and Zanna, Don't!", Andrew Gans. Published April 8, 2003.