This article discusses suicidal ideation and depression.
Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for King of the Hill season 14, episode 1.Bill Dauterive (Stephen Root) has always been one ofKing of the Hill’s most tragic characters, but the revival made his sad story even worse. Bill has always beenKing of the Hill’s punching bag. He’s the least healthy of the entire friend group, one of thedumbestKing of the Hillcharacters, and most of his jokes revolve around how much of a mess his life is.
TheKing of the Hillrevivalis no different - Bill is as dumb and sad as ever - but it added a new layer of tragedy to his story. Longtime fans ofKing of the Hillknow that Bill’s story is rife with mental breakdowns, health concerns, and a tragic backstory that turned him from a promising athlete into the broken man we know him as.King of the Hillseason 14 only added to that downfall.
The King Of The Hill Revival Shows Bill’s Lifelong Tragedy Only Got Worse In The Pandemic
Bill “Finished Netflix,” Gained A Huge Amount Of Weight, & Spent Years Rotting In Bed With Depression
Over the years of the originalKing of the Hill, we slowly learned that Bill wasn’t always the way he is. He was once a talented football star with plenty of prospects for life.His abusive father, his awful relationship with Lenore, and a few other things kept Bill from ever truly making something of his life.
King of the Hillseason 14, however, revealed that Bill could still fall farther.The premiere of theKing of the Hillrevival revealed that Bill got significantly worse after the Hill family left Arlen and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bill got COVID, spent the next five years rotting in bed, and had gained so much weight that he couldn’t even get up to get packages anymore.
The deterioration in Bill’s mental health was honestly one of the more shocking developments inKing of the Hillseason 14.Even with Dale being briefly elected mayor of Arlen and Boomhauer starting a boar hunting business, it was really sad to see Bill get even worse. Luckily, in classicKing of the Hillfashion, there was also an upside.
Even Though Bill Obsesses Over Peggy, His Friendship With Hank Is So Wholesome
Even though theKing of the Hillrevival showed us Bill at a new low, it also had a heartwarming moment with him.All Bill needed to get out of bed and start living again was to smell Hank’s grill going, and it highlights how heartwarming their friendship is. Hank has supported Bill through suicide attempts, complete breaks in reality, and more, and he’s a huge positive influence on him.
Bill’s fall into bed rotting also only happened because Hank wasn’t there.Bill really highlights how Hank and his family tie almost all of Arlen together. Even just the idea of Hank (and stealing his identity) was enough to get Bill some new friends at the black barbershop in town. Even though Bill constantly tries to steal Peggy, his friendship with Hank is so wholesome.
Bill’s situation also highlights just how much theKing of the Hillrevival has recaptured the spirit of the original show. Bill has always been a punching bag with a sad story, but he’s always had his friends to lean on, too.King of the Hillseason 14 showed us what happens when Bill doesn’t have Hank, but it also showed us that he can get better with some love and support.
