Bobby Goes Nuts

Infobox Television episode
Title = Bobby Goes Nuts
Series = King of the Hill


Caption =
Season = 6
Episode = 1
Airdate = November 11, 2001
Production = 5ABE24
Writer = Norm Hiscock
Director = Tricia Garcia
Guests =
Episode list = List of King of the Hill episodes
Prev =
Next = Soldier of Misfortune

Bobby Goes Nuts is episode 105 in the Fox animated television series King of the Hill.

Plot

Connie invites Bobby over to liven up her slumber party, which is getting boring. He climbs in through the window and is hamming it up for the ladies, when Chane Wassonasong (Kahn's dream boyfriend for Connie) and his friends, crash the party and make fun of Bobby. Kahn hears the commotion and kicks all the boys out of the house - Bobby goes out the window, but Chane and his friends get to use the front door. Outside, Chane pushes Bobby down and makes him eat dirt.

Hank is appalled to see Bobby in this condition, covered in dirt and half beaten. Bobby tries to get Hank to stand up for him, but instead he tells Bobby that he is going to have to learn to defend himself. He sends Bobby to the YMCA to enroll in a boxing class.

Bobby is unable to get into the boxing course, but after he insists on being enrolled in "something" he is placed in a women's self-defense class. He quickly accepts this and gains confidence when he quickly masters the class technique of targeting the attacker below the belt, while yelling "That's my purse!" Armed with this technique, Bobby makes certain that his next encounter with Chane, or Clark Peters, or any other bully has a different outcome.

One by one, Bobby takes down the bullies, gaining a reputation for applying a vicious kick to the testicles to anyone who crosses him. Hank is thrilled, as he believes that Bobby is standing his ground and fighting hand to hand. The confrontations catch the attention of the principal. Hank is more than happy to go deal with the situation, until he learns how Bobby is winning these fights. Hank tells Bobby that he is not to use that move and demands to know who taught him to fight like that. Bobby explains the YMCA situation. Hank decides that he will teach Bobby how to fight fairly. During their lesson, Bobby becomes frustrated with Hank, and uses his kick. Hank drops to his knees, and ends up seriously hurt. Bobby is grounded. Later, after a talk with Kahn, Bobby breaks the "no video games" rule, and Hank orders him to put away the video game. Bobby, challenging his father, refuses. Hank again orders him to put down the video game, and again, Bobby refuses. Hank then attempts to get up, but is straining in pain from the groin kick. Bobby, knowing Hank is impaired, walks away. Peggy, hearing the ruckus, goes outside and orders Bobby to comply with Hank's demands. Bobby tells his mother to go away, and that this is between him and his dad. Peggy then proceeds to physically take the video game from him. Neighbours gather, and everyone is watching Peggy and Bobby wrestle on the lawn. When they stand, Bobby uses his kick on Peggy, who stands strong, and with a smirk says "I think you will find that I have no testicles". Kahn isn't convinced, shouting, "She bluffing, finish her!" Peggy then headlocks and noogies Bobby. The neighbours all watch as Bobby's mother punishes him.

Dejected that his power play didn't work, Bobby asks Hank why he's being smug when he had to have his wife fight for him - which Bobby feels is worse than kicking below the belt. Hank replies that "it's not so fun when someone doesn't fight fair, is it?", and warns him that he can "get [Peggy] to do that any time I want". After sending Bobby inside to wash up, Hank hobbles in behind him.

Production information

* This was the first King of the Hill episode (apart from the title sequence) to use digital coloring. For the rest of season 6 and 7, the show went back to traditional ink-and-paint, finally going all-digital in season 8.
* A few scenes were cut out with Joseph mentioning he has his dad thermal goggles to see people's body temperature. When Bobby's at Connie's party and start dancing Joseph is watching through his goggles and think Bobby is a girl dancing.
* This episode is notable as being the birth of Bobby as a true teenager, as he starts to stand up against Hank. His rebellion against his strict, harsh, disciplinarian father, would be further explored in "Get Your Freak Off", and "Reborn to be Wild"

Critical reception

Pamela Adlon won a Primetime Emmy for "Outstanding Voice-Over Performance" for her work in this episode. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118375/awards IMDB] ] The episode itself was nominated for an Emmy Award [ [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-54556630.html AP via HighBeam] ] and won an Annie Award for writing. [ [http://annieawards.org/30thwinners.html Annie Awards site] ] Talmadge Blevins, IGN editorial director for videogames, considers it a classic saying it has one of the "most memorable lines ever uttered on television." [ [http://dvd.ign.com/articles/710/710483p1.html IGN review of Season 6] ]

References