"Phish and Wildlife" is the 161st episode of King of the Hill. It was first aired on February 22, 2004. The episode was written by Greg Cohen and directed by Matt Engstrom. The episode guest stars Melissa Etheridge, Fred Willard, Anna Faris, and Jamie Kennedy.
Summary[]
Hank takes Bobby (who needs a lesson in self-reliance) and the guys on a fishing trip, where they vow to eat only what they catch, but the trip is ruined by hippies who would rather sponge off the park's resources, and Bobby inadvertently let the hippies live off Hank after eating their gumbo. Meanwhile, Peggy tries to complete a to-do list that culminates in her sticking her nose into other people's businesses.
Plot[]
Hank and Peggy go on a date to Goobersmooches but are interrupted by a phone call from a scared Bobby, who was left home alone. Hank takes Bobby and the guys on a fishing trip, where they vow to eat only what they catch. Bobby is unsuccessful catching any fish and is approached by a young man with dreadlocks, who offers him part of the top of a hamburger bun. Hank stops Bobby before he can accept the hamburger bun and chastises him for considering taking the food and not sticking to the eat-what-you-catch agreement. Hippies begin to appear around them, and Hank warns the man to tell his friends to leave. Hundreds more hippies appear on a nearby hill, and Hank realizes that getting them to leave is futile.
A fully nude Appleseed nonchalantly greets Hank to his shock, and he tells him that this is "the gathering", with thousands of "crunchies, hippies, earth mothers, vegans, and hyper vegans" traveling as well. Hank expresses his displeasure to Ranger Bradley, who shares his concern but explains that the hippies are protected under free speech.
Fudgie and Topaz
Hank tries to keep Bobby away from the hippies, but because Bobby was not able to catch anything and therefore not able to eat anything, he went to a hippie campsite looking for something to eat after smelling food cooking from their campsite. A hippie couple, Fudgie and Topaz (Jamie Kennedy and Melissa Etheridge respectively) offer Bobby some "jumbo gumbo" from a large kettle free of charge, explaining that everybody should share with one another. Later that night, Bobby declines an offer of food from Hank while they are sitting around the fire, and Boomhauer and Dale Gribble leave because of the hippies.
The next day, Bobby goes to a makeshift kitchen at the hippie campsite and eats more gumbo. When they run out, Bobby wants to go back to his camp, but Fudgie sternly tells him that it is his turn to "share up", even asking if Hank has any money he can "share". Once Bobby admits that he has nothing to offer, they raid Hank and Bobby's campsite and take their fishing poles.
Hank discovers the missing poles and Bobby does not tell him the truth. Hank looks around the campsite for the fishing poles and discovers Bill in a circle of hippies covered in mud. Saying that his new name is "Energy Turtle", he claims he is staying, so Hank leaves him behind with them. Hank and Bobby then discover Hank's truck is gone, and Fudgie and Topaz are sleeping naked in their tent. Bobby then tells him the truth, confessing that he was hungry and was manipulated by Fudgie. Accordingly, Hank, Ranger Bradley, and Bobby devise a plan to cutoff services like the outhouses, snack bar, and clean water to drive them out. The hippies are extremely aggravated, and Hank and Bobby offer to teach them to survive on their own without park services, which leads the hippies to gather and leave. As they leave Hank sees Bill leave with them in a hippie van to a concert. Hank lets him go because he knows that he will return to Arlen or he will be considered AWOL. Hank and Bobby then find all of their belongings and leave the park.
While her "boys" are out of the house, Peggy becomes obsessive at completing a to-do list and starts getting up in everyone else's business, including calling Dora Shelwyn and visiting The Panhandler Steakhouse to encourage a customer to try a new salad. She is finally stopped when she tries to tell a couple of policemen how to do their job during an active investigation.
Characters[]
- Hank Hill
- Peggy Hill
- Bobby Hill
- Dale Gribble
- Jeff Boomhauer
- Bill Dauterive
- Ranger Bradley
- Appleseed
- Fudgie
- Topaz
- Dora Shelwyn
- Stoned hippie woman
- Teenage hippie
- Singing hippie
- Frisbee hippie
- Reclining hippie
- Arlen Police Department officers
- The Panhandler Steakhouse customer
- Police chief actor (TV; voiced by David Herman)
Stinger Quote[]
- Dora Shelwyn: [imitating a bird] "BRAAHH! I LOVE DORA SHELWYN."
Trivia[]
- The title is a reference to the jam band Phish which is widely considered a "hippie band," and to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
- The word "Gypsy" that is used by the singing hippie is an archaic and racist exonym that refers to someone belonging to the Romani people.
- It is notable that Joseph Gribble did not attend the camping trip (of course unlike Bobby there is little question of his confidence or masculinity).
Quotes[]
Bobby: Maybe it's just like you said: to catch a fish, you have to think like a fish. We just have to think like hippies.
Hank: That's impossible.
Bobby: Come on, Dad, just try. Okay: I'm a hippie, and I'm naked because I smoked all my clothes.
Hank: Yeah. And I don't like to work.
Bobby: Right. I like everything handed to me. I'm just like a kid.
Hank: Dangit, if I have to pull one more hook out of Bill!
Bill: I use my survival training every day. Being alone in the woods prepared me for being alone everywhere else.
(Hank and Bobby are watching Bill drive off with the hippies)
Bobby: Will we ever see Mr. Dauterive again?
Hank: Not until around the 15th. That's when he has to report back to work or he's AWOL.
Bobby: Dad, I ate hippie gumbo!!
Hank: (horrified) What?!
(Bill is counting fish they caught during the first day of the camping trip)
Bill: That's three for me, three for Dale, and four for Boomhauer.
Dale: ...And nadda for Bobby. And since this is an "eat what you catch only" trip, Bobby will be dining on filet of zero!
Bill: Hey Hank, my name is...Energy Turtle. I have found myself.
Appleseed: (leading hippie circle) Oh divine sun! We observe your holy wisdom!
Ranger Bradley: (while waving at the leaving hippies) Go to hell! Good riddance!
Gallery[]
