King of the Hill/Pretty, Pretty Dresses

Pretty, Pretty Dresses
Season 3, Episode 9
Airdate	December 15, 1998
Production Number	3ABE10
Written by	Paul Lieberstein
Directed by	Dominic Polcino
← 3x08 Good Hill Hunting	3x10 → A Firefighting We Will Go
King of the Hill — Season Three

Pretty, Pretty Dresses is the ninth episode of the third season of King of the Hill, and the forty-fourth episode overall.

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

and Toby Huss (Joe Jack)

Also Starring: Dennis Burkley (Party guest), Janet Waldo (Sheila Tobbis)

Uncredited: Stephen Root (Bill Dauterive, Buck Strickland)

Plot Overview

Bill's depression during Christmastime reaches a breaking point.

Notes

Stinger Quote

Bill: Why do you keep calling me Bill?

Seen, But Not Heard

• Enrique

• "Layaway" Ray

Arc Advancement

Characters

• It's revealed that Lenore left Bill on a Christmas Eve, which has left him to get depressed around the holidays.

• It's also revealed that Bill played football in high school.

• After Hank forces Bill to confront the reality of his marriage to Lenore, Bill accepts that she's not coming back and is better off without her, telling Hank that "it's all uphill from here."

Referbacks

• In addition to bringing up the death of Buckley, Bill also reminds Bobby of Marie (And They Call It Bobby Love).

Trivia

The Show

• The opening theme includes a Christmas jingle bell.

• Luanne mentions Buckley's angel, which indicates this episode was aired out of order with "Wings of the Dope".

Allusions and References

• When Hank looks after Bill as he attempts to kill himself the score plays very similar music to the theme from The Odd Couple.

Memorable Moments

• When Bill thinks he's about to be hit by a truck, a sign reads:

EAT HERE

GET GAS

Goofs

• When it cuts to the shot of Bill taking off his dress, the necklace he was wearing is suddenly gone.

Quotes

• Peggy: You named it Lenore?

Bill: Well, yeah, I thought it looked like Lenore. I think he's just not hungry right now, I mean, with so many new people. (stares at Luanne)

Luanne: Um, should I leave?

Bill: Thank you.

• Bill: I had a bad dream.

Peggy: Bill?

Hank: I dreamt that Lenore came back and stole Lenore, and then Lenore drove off with Lenore, and I ran down the street after them, and I yelled "Lenore!, Lenore!" And then my teeth fell out. Peggy, you were there. Can I sleep in your living room?

Hank: (sighs) Yes, Bill.

Peggy: (to Hank) I'm giving you 24 hours to get me out of that man's dreams.

• Hank: (seeing Bill on his roof) What'cha doin' there, Bill? Satellite dish trouble?

Bill: No, I'm just up here to kill myself.

Hank: What?!

• Peggy: You know who I feel sorriest for in all this? Bill. We need to find him a psychiatrist.

Hank: He's just suicidal, Peggy. He's not crazy.

• Hank: How 'bout a beer?

Bill: Beer is a depressant, Hank.

Hank: Don't go blaming the beer.

• (Bill gets up from the couch)

Dale: Nuh-uh.

Bill: But I have to tinkle.

Dale: Not on my watch. (cocks shotgun)

• Dale: I can't keep this up. It's not in my nature to care about others.

• Hank: So do you think you could find him a date?

Peggy: Uh, I would have to invite a woman over for dinner and, of course, never tell her that Bill would be here...

Hank: Thanks, Peggy.

• Hank: (seeing Dale carry out Bill's TV) Dale!

Dale: He would of wanted me to have it!

Hank: He's still alive.

Dale: Nitpicking ain't gonna bring him back.

• Hank: In high school, you blocked for me, but I did my job, too. I ran through the hole, setting Arlen High's single-season rushing record as you recall. And now here I am blocking for you, but you're not even trying. I don't even know what kind of game you're playing. Maybe some kind of crazy tennis.

• Dale: Come on, you know you're Bill.

Bill: No, no, no. I don't know that. I do-- I'm - I'm Lenore.

Dale: Well, if you're Lenore, then where's Bill? Huh?

Bill: Uh, Bill's in the house. Mm-hmm. You want me to go get him?

Dale: I'm sceptical that you could, yet intrigued that you may.

• Peggy: He's not being an ingrate on purpose. The only way that Bill could get Lenore back was to become her. Mm-hmm. I wouldn't surprised if there was some psychological basis to it.

• Peggy: How about I invite the real Lenore to the party and just settle this thing once and for all?

Luanne: Oh, I hope it works, but if they show up in the same dress, it'll be a disaster.

• Buck: Listen, Hank, we got all our clients here. Big fish, little fish. So if you see some little fish cornering me, it's your job to pull me out.

Hank: We should treat all our clients like big fish, Mister Strickland.

Buck: Yeah, good, good. Save that for the little fish.

• Bobby: (to Bill) May I offer you a homemade tater tot, Mister and Misses Dauterive?