King of the Hill/Strangeness on a Train

Strangeness on a Train
Season 12, Episode 19
Airdate	April 20, 2008
Production Number	CABE10
Written by	Jim Dauterive
Directed by	Kyounghee Lim
← 12x15 The Courtship of Joseph's Father	12x17 → Cops and Robert ‎
King of the Hill — Season Twelve

Strangeness on a Train is the nineteenth episode of the twelfth season of King of the Hill, and the two hundred thirty-second episode overall.

Starring: Mike Judge (Hank Hill, Boomhauer), Kathy Najimy (Peggy Hill), Pamela Adlon (Bobby Hill), Waitress), Brittany Murphy (Luanne Platter), Johnny Hardwick (Dale Gribble), Stephen Root (Bill Dauterive, Father Guido Sarducci, Bar Cowboy)

and Toby Huss (Kahn Souphanousinphone, Robber #2, Bartender)

Special Guest Voice: Henry Gibson (Bob Jenkins)

Special Guest Voice: Tom Petty (Lucky, Engineer)

Also Starring: Patrick Bristow (P.J.), Ashley Gardner (Nancy Gribble), David Herman (Lawrence Robbins, Conductor Nolan, Bar Patron #2), Jonathan Joss (John Redcorn), Breckin Meyer (Joseph Gribble), Lauren Tom (Minh and Connie Souphanousinphone)

Plot Overview

Hoping to break a series of bad birthday parties, Peggy arranges this one for a disco theme murder mystery set on a train. Unfortunately, this one seems fit to continue the tradition.

Notes

Stinger Quote

Hank: A Chubb Randolph production.

Music

• Gloria Gaynor - "I Will Survive"

Trivia

Allusions and References

• The episode title is a play on the 1950 novel Strangers On A Train, which was adapted into a film the next year.

• Lucky credits TV Land reruns of Columbo, McCloud, McMillan & Wife, and Hec Ramsey, which he refers to as the NBC Mystery Wheel - i.e., the NBC Mystery Movie series. He later name drops Quincy of Quincy, M.E..

• Lucky confesses to yelling "Bruce Willis is dead!" in a theatre, alluding to the twist to The Sixth Sense.

• Upon seeing the set of footprints in the bathroom mirror, Kahn exclaims "Ooh, happy feet!", the name of a 2006 animated film.

Goofs

• Despite the fact that it is a 1970s disco theme party, one of the actresses is clearly playing Madonna, who did not become popular until the 1980s.

Quotes

• Hank: Well, the whole idea of a disco party makes my skin crawl, but it means a lot to Peggy. And it does involve a train. I guess I'll just focus on that.

• Lawrence Robbins: One of our actresses didn't show. How would you like to be in the program? All you have to do is be blond and pretty.

Luanne: I can do both those things!

• Kahn: Hey, Hank Hill. Remember the '70s? My people ambushing your people in the jungle.

• Joseph: This pink stuff is making my butt itch. Now it's making my hand itch. Now it's making everything itch!

• Hank: If what we did in that bathroom becomes public, Strickland Propane could receive sanctions, maybe even the propane death penalty.

• Lucky: Lucky is on the case. Now, that's usually what I say when I drink beer, but this time it refers to this mystery.

• Kahn: I will begin my questioning with you, Dale Gribble. Has your wife been out of your sight for even five minutes?

Dale: No, she's been clingy all night.

John Redcorn: I can verify that Nancy has not been out of Dale's sight at all.

• Bill: I don't have an alibi.

Kahn: You're Bill Dauterive. That your alibi. Airtight.

• Luanne: We haven't done it in public since Lucky almost fell off a Ferris wheel.

• Peggy: My feet are smoking guns.

Hank: Well, maybe Boomhauer's date has big feet, too.

Peggy: Hank, God would not make a girl deaf and give her size 16 feet.