I don't think I've enjoyed a single show on the 2025 TV schedule as much as I have the return of King of the Hill. The latest ten episodes are everything I wanted and more from the animated series' big return, and I can't wait for more episodes, assuming they happen. If they do, though, I think I need to see Lucky and Luanne return.
For all the fun I had seeing Hank and Peggy return to Arlen after time abroad in Saudi Arabia, nothing can compare to seeing the modern world through Luanne's unique perspective. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like it's currently in the cards for that to happen, but I'm ready to argue that it absolutely should for a couple of reasons.
Luanne And Lucky Are Missing In The King Of The Hill Return
King of the Hill brought back many beloved characters, but there's a pretty glaring omission when it comes to Hank and Peggy's niece, Luanne Platter. Luanne lived with the Hills throughout a chunk of the original run of the series before getting married to her husband Elroy "Lucky" Kleinschmidt. They went on to have a baby, Gracie, and set out on their own, but still kept in touch with their family.
Well, that's my assumption anyway, because King of the Hill's first ten episodes of the return do not make mention of Luanne, Lucky, or their child Gracie in any way. It might catch some viewers by surprise for sure, especially with cameos from more obscure characters like Hank's half-brother Junichiro and the now-grown Good Hank, but it should be mentioned that those paying attention had the heads up that they wouldn't be featured.
Why King Of The Hill's Showrunner Didn't Bring Them Back
As mentioned, King of the Hill's showrunner Saladin Patterson was quick to bring up that Luanne and Lucky would not be featured in the first batch of episodes when the series returned. In fact, there are no current plans to bring them back at all, because he felt it wasn't right given the passing of voice actors for the characters, Brittany Murphy and singer Tom Petty:
The analogy I use as a sports fan is that sometimes the best way to honor someone's work is to hang their jersey up in the rafters as a show of respect for what they meant to the organization. It didn't seem right to recast certain characters. I don't want to spoil anything, but (we) figured out other ways in the storytelling to honor those characters.
As mentioned, Luanne and Lucky are not referenced in the first ten episodes, so hopefully Saladin Patterson was backwards-hinting that future episodes could pay homage somehow. As exciting as any tribute to the characters would be, I can't help but be disappointed and continually express how I still think they need to be part of the show.
Even With Bobby Becoming An Adult, Luanne Should Remain Part Of The Story
I think one thing that's clear in King of the Hill is that Bobby has slid into the space in storylines that Luanne previously held. It's a compelling story, with Bobby opting out of college to pursue his dream of owning and operating a Japanese and German fusion restaurant. The first ten episodes only whetted my appetite for more Bobby adventures, so I'm not advocating that his screentime be diminished for more of Luanne.
At the same time, one of the biggest compliments I can give this series is that each character feels as though they've been living their lives the entire time they've been offscreen since King of the Hill first ended. Wouldn't it be great to see what Luanne and Lucky are like down the road, and if they got their lives together? There's nothing I'd like to see more, and I think even if Bobby is occupying that twenty-something storyline the show typically held for Luanne, there's still plenty of time for her to pop up here and there.
I Don't See Recasting Luanne And Lucky As A Major Issue, Considering Other Changes Made
I can understand Saladin Patterson's mind in wanting to "retire" the characters of Luanne and Lucky, especially in the context of it being an honor to their legacies after death. At the same time, King of the Hill tragically lost Dale's voice actor Johnny Hardwick while making the revival and recast him with former Kahn voice actor Toby Huss.
King of the Hill also has to address the death of Jonathan Joss, who had finished his voice work as John Redcorn in the ten episodes before his untimely death. The character was featured a solid amount as Nancy's business partner, and doing his usual schtick of trying to get closer to Joseph Gribble without raising too many red flags that he's his real father. It seems like the show still has stories to tell with the character, so it feels like he would get a new voice actor as well.
Obviously, the team at King of the Hill didn't know they were going to lose two key actors to the series in the midst of making it and waiting for it to release. Now that it's happened, however, I think it's worth considering that if there's reason enough to bring in replacement actors for Dale and potentially John Redcorn, it's not out of the realm of possibility that the show could find people to do the voices of Luanne and Lucky for at least an episode or two.
I think about what Pamela Adlon and Saladin Patterson told CinemaBlend at San Diego Comic-Con about why they decided not to change Bobby's voice as an adult. Ultimately, it came down to deciding what it was that fans wanted to hear the most, and after some back and forth, they ultimately realized people would want to hear Bobby as they remember him.
I could be off base here, but I think a lot of King of the Hill fans who watched the original liked Luanne and would love to see her back. The same goes for Lucky, and I would love to see at least one more story revolving around the two after seeing just how well Mike Judge and company brought these characters into the year 2025. I need to know how she's doing in the modern era, and better yet, if she became the great mother I knew she'd ultimately be to her child.
Watch the new episodes of King of the Hill with a Hulu subscription. As a big fan of the original series, I flew through the new episodes, and am already ready for more episodes as soon as they can hit the platform.
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