King of the Hill/Bystand Me

Bystand Me
Season 10, Episode 2
Airdate	September 25, 2005
Production Number	8ABE21
Written by	Kit Boss
Directed by	Dominic Polcino
← 10x01 Hank's On Board	10x03 → Bill's House
King of the Hill — Season Ten

Bystand Me is the second episode of the tenth season of King of the Hill, and the one hundred eighty-eighth episode overall.

Starring: Mike Judge (Hank Hill, Boomhauer, Dooley), Kathy Najimy (Peggy Hill), Pamela S. Adlon (Bobby Hill), Brittany Murphy (credit only), Johnny Hardwick (Dale Gribble, Recycle Worker), Stephen Root (Bill Dauterive, Announcer)

and Toby Huss (Kahn Souphanousinphone, Newspaper Worker)

Special Guest Voice: Henry Gibson (Jenkins)

Special Guest Voice: Phil Hendrie (Roddy Rae Biffel, Harv Judd, Burl Arlington)

Also Starring: Rosanna Cacace (Column Reader), Wayne Federman (McDermott), Ashley Gardner (Nancy Gribble), Lauren Tom (Minh Souphanousinphone)

Plot Overview

With things changing at The Bystander, Peggy gets a job writing a "Household Hints" column.

Meanwhile, Bobby is made to get a job as a paperboy he doesn't want, but Dale does.

Notes

Stinger Quote

Dale: (falls and yells) Rad!

Seen, But Not Heard

• Clark Peters

Music

• Ron Keel - "In My Wildest Dreams"

Arc Advancement

Characters

• Peggy gets a job writing for the Arlen Bystander.

Trivia

Behind the Scenes

• It's obvious between "Smoking and the Bandit" and "Gone With the Windstorm" that this episode was a holdover from Season 9, but got pushed back for this season.

Allusions and References

• Peggy's plot is similar to a real story in Canada in the 1980s in which a writer for a syndicated household tips column got a tip from her friend's mother in Houston, Texas about throwing ammonia and bleach in the laundry. It wasn't exactly mustard gas, but a very toxic chlorine gas.

Memorable Moments

• As Minh is talking to Peggy across the fence, a shot shows Kahn in the background taking a peek at Minh's crossword puzzle.

• At The Life Boat, Peggy asks Nancy to set her up to help keep up with the barbs. Nancy throws out a slight jab and is horrified when Peggy throws a drink in her face as she calls her a "bleached-out tramp" before whispering a kind "thank you."

Goofs

• During her interview, the dark and light colours on the back of Peggy's chair change.

• When we first see Peggy at her desk, the monitor is missing, made noticeable by the mouse wire that abruptly ends and a keyboard with no wire. It's obvious where it should be based on the desk behind her, which it is when we see it a few moments later.

• In the closing shot, the Texas flag is upside down.

Quotes

• Harv Judd: Yeah, normally I'd wait till December, but the Bystander's got a new owner, or should I say "new bastard."

Dale: I prefer "new bastard," thanks.

• Dale: I can't believe they're only hiring kids. I always dreamed of having a newspaper route. Now my hopes have been raised and dashed in a matter of moments. I have hopelash.

• Hank: You know, a newspaper route could be great for Bobby. He has a bike and it could be a way to teach him to throw without scaring him with a ball.

• Bill: You know, my ex-wife slept with Harv. Couple of times.

• Bobby: Is your dad making you get a paper route, too?

Dooley: I'm building character.

• Bobby: I don't know. If I'm still in bed when my dad gets up, he's going to know there's something going on.

Dale: Ah, once again your dad does present a problem.

• Minh: Hmm, a housewife that can't clean. What exactly does Hank Hill keep you around for?

• Dale: It is so great to be trembling from excitement instead of fear, eh?

• Bobby: Mister Gribble, my name's on this route. We have to deliver these papers.

Dale: Whatever you say, Hank.

• Hank: Yeah, I never heard about that seaweed thing before. Where'd you come up with that?

Peggy: Hank, I want to talk about our marriage.

(Hank hides behind the menu)

• Minh: Oh, yes, Laoma, I'm still here. Oh, yes, I did hear you say my lipstick remind you of Bangkok circus clown. No, I'm not taking a tone. I really do value your tips to make myself look less freakish. Okay, now that was uncalled for, you ngo kao khwa'ai paa.

Peggy: Oh, no, no, don't call her a ngo kao khwa'ai paa!

Minh: Yeah, well you know that couch you sleep on when you stay here? It pull out.

• Jenkins: This may or may not help, but when I get writer's block, I buy a prostitute.

• Hank: I still can't believe Bobby cheated on his paper route. I don't even know how to punish that.

• Peggy: Oh, God, if that article gets out, I am going to be a laughingstock.

Hank: Peggy, there may not be anyone left to laugh.

Peggy: (upbeat) You really think so? Oh. I see. That's bad.

• Bobby: Sirs, the last few days of delivering papers I've seen things I've never seen before: the sunrise, morning dew, snails on sidewalks - things... I never want to see again.

• Roddy Rae Biffel: I don't need you for facts, Peggy. We got a fact checker for that. Actually, I guess I got to let her go in light of this mustard gas thing.