- My Own Private Rodeo
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"My Own Private Rodeo" King of the Hill episode 
Dale and his father Bug tearfully reconcile after a
20 year estrangement.Episode no. Season 6
Episode 18Directed by Cyndi Tang-Loveland Written by Alex Gregory & Peter Huyck Production code 8ABE16 Original air date April 28, 2002 Guest stars David Herman as Bug Gribble
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"Sug Night"List of King of the Hill episodes "My Own Private Rodeo" is the 18th episode from Season 6 of King of the Hill. It was a nominee for the GLAAD Media Awards for "Outstanding Individual Episode (In a Series Without a Regular Gay Character)" and by the Writers Guild of America Award for Animation.[1] The title is a reference to the film My Own Private Idaho. This episode is rated TV-PG.
Contents
Plot
Dale is planning on a ceremony where he and Nancy retake their wedding vows. After initial reluctance, his friends decide to find his father "Bug" (with Nancy's help) and invite Bug to the ceremony. Dale became estranged from Bug because on his actual wedding to Nancy, his father seemed to kiss her passionately. 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, he has been working all this time at a gay rodeo. After the show, Hank goes to Bug, who reveals the truth; he was about to kiss a Filipino caterer, before Dale came in, so he "grabbed the nearest thing in a dress", Nancy. The conversation is interrupted by Juan Pedro, Bug's lover, who is upset upon learning that Bug had a son and didn't tell him. Bug admits that he was "confused" during his marriage to Dale's mother. Dale comments that his father has "pleased hundreds of women". Eventually, Bug returns to Arlen and asks for Dale's forgiveness, without telling Dale he is gay.
Bug Gribble makes his entrance
at the gay rodeo.Although unsure at first, Dale reconciles with his father. Bug notices Joseph's lack of resemblance to Dale or Nancy and asks if she cheated on Dale. She reluctantly admits the truth, that Hank, Bill, Boomhauer, John Redcorn's sister, Peggy and even Bobby know about the affair, and he does not ask any further questions. Dale misconstrues 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 a "partner" and his strange behavior are misconstrued by Dale as his father being a government agent. Dale goes to the gay rodeo to inform the men that his father is a secret agent monitoring their activities. After a struggle, Bug finally makes up with Juan Pedro and kisses him in front of Dale, who relents and lets them attend the ceremony.
A subplot concerns Nancy dealing with the ceremony as a way to start over after years of adultery her husband is unaware of and anxiety she has on that issue. It is revealed in the final part of the episode that Dale believes John Redcorn to be gay.
Original plot
Charles Nelson Reilly voiced the part of Bug in the original storyline.[2] In this version, Dale suffers from a toothache and refuses to go to a dentist, fearing a tracking device would be implanted in him by his father's cohorts. Most of the episode's events, like Hank going to the rodeo, remain the same, but the ending is different in that Bug, feeling Dale would reject him if he told the truth, covers his sexuality by explaining he is monitoring the gay rodeo's activities. Relieved, Dale has his father hold his hand while he goes to the dentist.[3] After the script was re-written, David Herman was hired to do Bug's voice.
Continuity
The depiction of Dale's father contradicts an earlier appearances in a flashbacks in "The Order of the Straight Arrow" and "Now Who's the Dummy?", in which he looks and sounds like an older version of Dale.
References
King of the Hill General Characters Categories:- King of the Hill episodes
- 2002 television episodes
- LGBT-related television episodes
- Animated television episode stubs
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