The Buck Stops Here (King of the Hill)
Encyclopedia
"The Buck Stops Here" is the 86th episode in the Fox animated
situation comedy
series King of the Hill
. It was the second episode broadcast in the fifth season.
spending his entire summer vacation sleeping, Hank
vows to find his son a job. He attempts to get Bobby on at Strickland, but Buck tells him that there are no available openings - but offers instead to get Bobby a job as a caddy at the local golf club. On his first day, Bobby shirks his caddying responsibilities but agrees to join the other caddies in riding a block of ice down a hill. In the process, though, he manages to crash into a club executive, resulting in his being fired. Incensed, Hank drags Bobby to Buck's house to apologize, but Buck, who has been holding a grudge against the executive Bobby injured, finds the whole incident hilarious and makes Bobby his own personal caddy.
Bobby has a good time carousing with Buck, which makes Hank slightly jealous. Meanwhile, Buck's coarse language and shaky morals begin to rub off on Bobby, to his parents' horror. Things come to a head when Bobby boasts one night about an expensive watch he had received for helping Buck cheat at golf, and Hank furiously tells his son that such behavior is not welcome in their house. When Bobby retorts that Buck is paying him for his misdeeds, Hank drops Bobby off at Buck's house instead, expecting either Buck or Bobby to call him for a pick-up later that night.
After several hours go by Hank's concern deepens, and he returns to Buck's house the next morning, only to be told by Buck's housekeeper that Buck has taken Bobby gambling in Hot Springs, Arkansas
. Aghast, Hank makes his way to Hot Springs himself to find them.
Meanwhile, after winning money on a race at the dog track (although in reality, Hot Springs is home to a horse track but not a dog track), Buck and Bobby relax in hot tubs. Buck bribes a spa attendant to tell him where a craps game run by Buck's former associate Rooster is to be held. That evening finds them in a shady part of town for the game, but the goon guarding the door won't let Bobby inside. Buck instructs Bobby to stay outside with half his money and some heart pills, telling him to scream "my daddy's having a heart attack" if he starts losing, and leaves Bobby by himself in a filthy, creepy alleyway. After some time, Rooster's goons emerge and demand the rest of Buck's money from Bobby, as well as the watch Buck had given him. Bobby tries the 'heart attack' ruse but the goons are not fooled, so he surrenders the rest of the money - but refuses to hand over the watch and runs away. One of the goons chases him, finally catching up to him in a construction site. Just as the goon has Bobby cornered, however, Hank pulls up in his truck and fends the goon off with a golf club. Seeing that Buck doesn't care about him the way Hank does, Bobby gives the goon the watch, saying he doesn't want it anymore. Back at Rooster's, Buck has had everything but his trousers taken from him and is trying to fight off the other goons with a broken bottle. Hank drives up and tells him to get in, and Buck jumps in the back of Hank's truck. However, Buck taunts the goons from the truck, and Hank, refusing to let Buck's behavior stand further, slows down long enough to let one of the goons catch up and punch Buck square in the jaw. Satisfied, Hank takes off for home at last, telling Bobby that he's grounded for the rest of the summer and is not to caddy for Buck any more - conditions to which Bobby gratefully agrees.
Meanwhile, Peggy
and Minh find themselves in competition to donate enough blood
to win a trophy mug. Though both women are repeatedly sent home from the local clinics for having donated too recently, Peggy finally goes out to Houston and donates the last pint, and, weakened from so much donating, crawls across her yard to gloat about her new mug to Minh.
situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
series King of the Hill
King of the Hill
King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
. It was the second episode broadcast in the fifth season.
Plot
Upset to discover BobbyBobby Hill (King of the Hill)
Robert Jeffrey "Bobby" Hill is a character on the animated series King of the Hill and is voiced by Pamela Adlon. Bobby is the only child of Hank and Peggy Hill.- Biography :...
spending his entire summer vacation sleeping, Hank
Hank Hill
Henry Rutherford "Hank" Hill Age 50 animated series King of the Hill. Hank lives in Arlen, Texas and works at the fictional Strickland Propane selling propane and propane accessories. Hank's voice is provided by series creator Mike Judge. The Economist named Hank Hill as one of the wisest people...
vows to find his son a job. He attempts to get Bobby on at Strickland, but Buck tells him that there are no available openings - but offers instead to get Bobby a job as a caddy at the local golf club. On his first day, Bobby shirks his caddying responsibilities but agrees to join the other caddies in riding a block of ice down a hill. In the process, though, he manages to crash into a club executive, resulting in his being fired. Incensed, Hank drags Bobby to Buck's house to apologize, but Buck, who has been holding a grudge against the executive Bobby injured, finds the whole incident hilarious and makes Bobby his own personal caddy.
Bobby has a good time carousing with Buck, which makes Hank slightly jealous. Meanwhile, Buck's coarse language and shaky morals begin to rub off on Bobby, to his parents' horror. Things come to a head when Bobby boasts one night about an expensive watch he had received for helping Buck cheat at golf, and Hank furiously tells his son that such behavior is not welcome in their house. When Bobby retorts that Buck is paying him for his misdeeds, Hank drops Bobby off at Buck's house instead, expecting either Buck or Bobby to call him for a pick-up later that night.
After several hours go by Hank's concern deepens, and he returns to Buck's house the next morning, only to be told by Buck's housekeeper that Buck has taken Bobby gambling in Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...
. Aghast, Hank makes his way to Hot Springs himself to find them.
Meanwhile, after winning money on a race at the dog track (although in reality, Hot Springs is home to a horse track but not a dog track), Buck and Bobby relax in hot tubs. Buck bribes a spa attendant to tell him where a craps game run by Buck's former associate Rooster is to be held. That evening finds them in a shady part of town for the game, but the goon guarding the door won't let Bobby inside. Buck instructs Bobby to stay outside with half his money and some heart pills, telling him to scream "my daddy's having a heart attack" if he starts losing, and leaves Bobby by himself in a filthy, creepy alleyway. After some time, Rooster's goons emerge and demand the rest of Buck's money from Bobby, as well as the watch Buck had given him. Bobby tries the 'heart attack' ruse but the goons are not fooled, so he surrenders the rest of the money - but refuses to hand over the watch and runs away. One of the goons chases him, finally catching up to him in a construction site. Just as the goon has Bobby cornered, however, Hank pulls up in his truck and fends the goon off with a golf club. Seeing that Buck doesn't care about him the way Hank does, Bobby gives the goon the watch, saying he doesn't want it anymore. Back at Rooster's, Buck has had everything but his trousers taken from him and is trying to fight off the other goons with a broken bottle. Hank drives up and tells him to get in, and Buck jumps in the back of Hank's truck. However, Buck taunts the goons from the truck, and Hank, refusing to let Buck's behavior stand further, slows down long enough to let one of the goons catch up and punch Buck square in the jaw. Satisfied, Hank takes off for home at last, telling Bobby that he's grounded for the rest of the summer and is not to caddy for Buck any more - conditions to which Bobby gratefully agrees.
Meanwhile, Peggy
Peggy Hill
Margaret J. "Peggy" Hill is a fictional character in the American animated series King of the Hill.-Biography:Peggy is the matriarch of the Hill family, and the wife of series protagonist Hank Hill. She wears rimless glasses and is generally seen wearing cut-off blouses and culottes...
and Minh find themselves in competition to donate enough blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
to win a trophy mug. Though both women are repeatedly sent home from the local clinics for having donated too recently, Peggy finally goes out to Houston and donates the last pint, and, weakened from so much donating, crawls across her yard to gloat about her new mug to Minh.
Quotes and Exchanges
- Hank: Here. I've put together a chore list, and I made sure to alternate between light and heavy chores.
Bobby: Weed pulling is not a light chore!
Hank: Yes, it is! I just purchased a new weed puller. ...Well, actually, I wouldn't mind tryin' that out first... (looking at the list) ...and, uh, don't worry about the garage door, I'll paint that this weekend, and... huh. ...I'm not givin' you my chores! You're getting a job!
Bobby: Okay! Though I'm not very employable - no skills, bad attitude, seventh-grade education - but we can try...
- Minh: Hear that, Peggy Hill? Next time, I'll be drinking orange juice from a coffee mug while you're still drinking it from the little itty bitty Peggy Hill paper cup!
- Bobby: I'm really sorry, sir! I don't know if you've ever ridden a block of ice before...
Buck: Well, I married Miz Liz, didn't I?
- Buck: I'm gonna make him my personal caddy.
Hank: Oh, well, gee, thank you for doin' this for me, sir.
Buck: I'm not doin' it for you, I'm doin' it for Bobby, He reminds me of my boy.
Hank: I didn't know you had a son!
Buck: Yeah, he lives in a different town. Different woman. Name's... Roy, Ray, somethin' like that, after sixteen years, I'm too embarrassed to ask.
Continuity
- Rooster makes a reappearance in "Trans-Fascism" as Buck's rival in the business of illegally selling food containing trans fats after Arlen imposes a town-wide ban.
- Buck's son is introduced in "What Happens at the National Propane Gas Convention in Memphis Stays at the National Propane Gas Convention in Memphis"; though his real name is actually Jody, Buck still calls him Ray Roy.