King of the Hill/Of Mice and Little Green Men

Of Mice and Little Green Men
Season 6, Episode 14
Airdate	April 7, 2002
Production Number	6ABE08
Written by	Sivert Glarum & Michael Jamin
Directed by	Shaun Cashman
← 6x13 Tankin' It to the Streets	6x15 → Man Without a Country Club
King of the Hill — Season Six

Of Mice and Little Green Men is the fourteenth episode of the sixth season of King of the Hill, and the one hundred eighteenth episode overall.

Starring: Mike Judge (Hank Hill), Kathy Najimy (Peggy Hill), Pamela Segall Adlon (Bobby Hill), Brittany Murphy (credit only), Johnny Hardwick (Dale Gribble)

and Stephen Root (Bill Dauterive, Director, Alien Urine Seller)

Also Starring: Ashley Gardner (Nancy Gribble), Breckin Myer (Joseph Gribble)

Plot Overview

While Bobby looks to his dad to help him for a production of Of Mice and Men, Hank is more consumed with helping Joseph so Dale steps in to help. This distance between he and Joseph leads Dale to believe he's the product of an alien impregnation.

Notes

Stinger Quote

Bobby: Hey, dad, what's in the jar?
Hank: Don't drink it.

Seen, But Not Heard

• Boomhauer

• John Redcorn

Music

• Ratt - "Round and Round"

Arc Advancement

Characters

• Noticing the differences, Dale suspects Joseph is the result of Nancy being impregnated by aliens. However, he later concludes that while it was the result of aliens, they used his genetic information for the process, effectively coming back full circle to denial.

Trivia

Allusions and References

• The title is an obvious a play on the 1937 novella Of Mice and Men, a stage production of which is at focus in the episode.

• Joseph says Dale being nice to him so his real dad won't freeze him in carbonite is an allusion to The Empire Strikes Back when Han Solo was frozen in a block of substance known as carbonite.

Memorable Moments

• After telling Bobby that he smokes because he doesn't know what to do with his hands, Dale and he run into Hank and Joseph. After admitting how awkward it is, he pulls out his cigarettes.

Goofs

• When Hank is driving Dale's van, we get a shot of the windshield wipers. It cuts away and when it cuts back, they're facing the other way.

Quotes

• Dale: Well, okay, son. Just be more careful where you're aiming. If Bill wasn't standing there, you would've hit Hank's truck.

• Bobby: The play's about a hard-working regular Joe and his slow-witted friend.

Hank: (looking at Bill) Yeah, I know a little bit about that.

• Joseph: It wasn't me. My dad did it.

Dale: Thanks a lot, son. You should try out for the gymnastics team. You're pretty good at rolling over.

• Dale: I'm in over my head, Hank. I ran out of advice after I told him to hold the stick like a giant cigarette.

• Peggy: I'm sure your father will be back any minute. He probably went to the hardware store to fix the window so we won't be murdered in our sleep.

• Dale: Wait a minute, Hank. I noticed when you threw the ball to Joseph that it went to Joseph. Seems to me that it would be good for him to practice with a man who can do that.

• Hank: You think you could give Bobby some pointers on acting?

Dale: Could I? Yes. Will I? Yes.

• Peggy: Bobby, I thought your father was going to rehearse with you.

Bobby: It's okay. Mister Gribble's an excellent acting coach. He's showing me how to channel my disappointment in dad into great art.

• Peggy: You are not supposed to take over for Dale until he is gunned down by federal agents. That is the agreement.

• Dale: So, where's your better half?

Peggy: Well, he must be off dealing with a propane emergency. As a propane wife, you'd think I'd be used to it by now, but I am not.

• Joseph: Where's dad? I was hoping he'd take infrared footage of the game.

• Dale: I recently saw on the Discovery Channel that it takes nine months to make a baby.

• Dale: Okay, so the reason why I don't relate to my son is that he is an extraterrestrial being. I don't know what your problem with Bobby is. I guess you're just a crappy dad.

• Dale: This is the hardest conversation I've ever had. Maybe I should just blurt it out. No, I'll pussyfoot around. Boy, this weather sure has been - Joseph, you're an alien!

• Dale: Come on. This is great news. For two humans, we get along terribly. But for two different species, we're doing mediocre to good.

• Joseph: Well, she was scared, Bobby. The kind of scared you only see in Earth women who've given birth to half-human/half-alien babies.

Bobby: Joseph, you are not an alien. You're being crazy.

Joseph: I knew you were gonna say that. Oh, no! I have ESP. What's happening to me?!

• Joseph: He's just being nice so my real dad won't freeze him in carbonite and trade him for spice.

• Peggy: "I ain't sure it's good water. Looks kind of scummy to me." That line could be better. Who wrote this crap?

• Dale: The alien has escaped!

Hank: What?

Dale: Joseph. He's gone to Marfa and he's taken Bobby with him. Probably as food.

Hank: That UFO place? Oh, God!

Dale: And, FYI, Boomhauer said he could see your nipples on stage. 'S go!

• Dale: That's Don Hood, the country's top UFO hunter. He's been abducted three times. Ooh! And that's Duke Greenroy. He's crazy.

• Hank: Hey, buddy, have you seen two 13-year-old boys?

Dale: One of them half-alien.

Alien Urine Seller: Well, I saw one kid wander out into the desert with his Indian guide.

Hank: Oh, God!

Dale: Well, thanks anyway.

• Dale: I can't believe I lost Joseph. I hope his real dad doesn't eat my brain. But, of course, he will.

Hank: Damn it, Dale. You're his real dad.

Dale: No, I'm not.

Hank: When Joseph was a baby, who changed his diapers? You or some alien?

Dale: I did.

Hank: Who took him to his first day at kindergarten?

Dale: I did.

Hank: Who taught him how to tie his shoes?

Dale: John Redcorn.

Hank: Well, okay. But who taught him how to ride a bike?

Dale: John Redcorn. He taught Joseph and Joseph taught me.

Hank: Okay, but I didn't see the aliens doing that stuff. But you were there for every Christmas morning and scraped knee. You, Dale. Any alien can inject someone with his space juice and be a father. But it takes a real man to be a dad.

• Bobby: Sorry I missed your play, dad.

Hank: It's all right, son. I guess you had your own idiot man-child to deal with.

Bobby: Yeah. That Joseph, he's really... really like his dad.

Hank: Yep. Those Gribbles are two nuts on the same sundae.

Bobby: Yep.

Hank: Yep.