After 36 seasons, is there anything to say about The Simpsons that hasn’t been said before? Possibly, and doubly so if Pig Latin is involved. In any case, the all-time great animated sitcom provoked a lot of the same shocked and confused reactions with its latest season finale, “Estranger Things,” a flash-forward installment that killed off Marge Simpson. (Dun-dun-dunnnn!)
The episode, which was a so-so endeavor focusing on Lisa and Bart’s bond as siblings, sparked the usual online array of genuine shock, hyperbolic shock, hyperbolic trolling, and abject dismissal, among other reactions. Which really just gave me reason to be all the more excited (and slightly desperate) for King of the Hill’s revival to finally hit the 2025 TV schedule.
Marge's Death, While Touching, Ultimately Doesn't Mean Anything Longterm
The Simpsons’ adherence to strict continuity is as malleable and fluid as the sludge lining Lake Springfield, with character demises being among the few narrative-shifting changes, with Bleeding Gums Murphy being the strongest example. (Another would be barfly Larry Dalrymple dying inside Moe’s, one of the more surprising TV deaths in 2024.) But remember when we all thought Dr. Marvin Monroe was dead, only for him to show up years later saying he’d been extremely sick?
At this point, we all know that The Simpsons’ flash-forwards are even less canonically focused than normal episodic events, and aren’t meant to reflect “real” life any more than all the show’s so-called future predictions are. That’s perfectly fine, since that’s what viewers have been signing up for since 1989, not to mention animated series being years away from embracing truly serialized storytelling.
Sometimes, though, we need to see changes in places where it never seemed possible before, to make experiences feel more meaningful. No one wants to play baseball just to maintain the exact same level of skill for years on end. No one wants to eat the same meal day in and day out without changing up the recipe. In the same vein, I don’t want to watch a beloved character get faux-killed off to explore a story that won’t ever actually happen, all for the sake of an emotion or two. It's not like Bart and Lisa will remember their rift in a way that informs their current lives.
I need actual cause and effect to be at play to knock the dust off of my own emotions, which feeds into why I’m so particularly excited for King of the Hill’s return.
King Of The Hill's Revival Reflects A Changing World
I doubt anyone would have batted an eye if King of the Hill returned for its 14th season by adhering entirely to the status quo in place when it ended its Fox run in 2009-2010. As the old adage goes, "If it ain't broke enough that a streaming service ordered up two new seasons of episodes, don't fix it." But Mike Judge and Greg Daniels thankfully didn't want to just repeat themselves, and opted for an evolution of sorts.
When new King of the Hill begins streaming (with a Hulu subscription), fans will see Hank and Peggy Hill similarly refamiliarizing themselves with their former surroundings in Arlen, Texas, after having spend the past seven years in Saudi Arabia for Hank's job. Bobby is 21 years old now, and is a burgeoning chef with perfectly splotchy facial hair. The neighborhood crew now has a new member who was befriended in Hank's absence. There are drones now!
Not that I truly care how any of these characters use newer technologies — okay, I do want to know everything Dale thinks about A.I. conspiracies — but it's the promise of seeing an entirely new era for something so familiar. Also the promise of knowing that all the differences and new details will still be there when the next episode starts, without any narrative elements being anthologically retconned.
The Simpsons is and will always be among my very favorite shows of all time, and I'll never stop watching it with glee. But for now, with apologies to Milhouse, everything's coming up King of the Hill in my mind.
Check out the latest video for the show below.
King of the Hill's return for Season 14 is set for August 4, 2025.
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