It’s been a long road back to Arlen. Seriously long. For over a decade, fans were stuck with that image of Hank and Bobby standing over a grill, finally finding common ground in the season 13 finale, "To Sirloin with Love." It felt like a period at the end of a very long, very Texan sentence. But then 2025 rolled around, and King of the Hill season 14 actually happened.
Not on Fox, though. This time it was Hulu.
Honestly, it's kinda wild to think the show survived being canceled to make room for The Cleveland Show back in 2009. That decision aged like milk left in the Texas sun. But now that we've actually seen the new episodes, there is a lot to unpack. Arlen looks different. Bobby’s grown. Hank has a few more grey hairs and a lot more to complain about.
The Jump: Arlen Eight Years Later
Most revivals try to pretend no time has passed. They keep the characters frozen in amber. Mike Judge and Greg Daniels didn't do that. When you hit play on King of the Hill season 14, you aren't in 2010 anymore. The show jumped forward about eight years.
Hank and Peggy are back in Texas after a stint in Saudi Arabia. Yeah, you read that right. Hank Hill, the most "God Bless America" man to ever live, spent years working a propane job in the Middle East to secure a retirement nest egg. It’s a hilarious setup that feels 100% in character. He did it for the financial security, but man, he is glad to be back on Rainey Street.
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The biggest shocker for most people is Bobby. Our boy is 21 now. He’s not a prop-comic-in-training anymore; he’s a head chef at a fusion restaurant called Sake-It-To-Me. It’s a Japanese-German-American fusion spot he co-owns with, of all people, Chane Wassanasong. Seeing Bobby navigate his 20s while still having that same "Bobby-ness" is easily the highlight of the season.
Why the Voice Cast Sounds... Different
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. The production of season 14 was hit with some real-world tragedy. Both Johnny Hardwick (the voice of Dale Gribble) and Jonathan Joss (John Redcorn) passed away before the revival fully took flight.
It’s heavy stuff.
Hardwick had actually recorded dialogue for about three episodes before he died. When you get to episode 4, you might notice a shift. Toby Huss—who did voices like Cotton Hill and Kahn back in the day—actually stepped in to voice Dale for the rest of the season. It’s a bit jarring at first, but Huss is a chameleon. He handles the transition with a lot of respect.
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Then there’s Kahn. In the original run, Toby Huss voiced the Laotian neighbor, which... let’s be real, wouldn't fly today. For King of the Hill season 14, Ronny Chieng took over the role. Some fans think he nailed the laugh but missed the cadence. It’s a point of contention in the forums, for sure.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Plot
People expected the revival to be a "reboot" where everything stayed the same. It’s not. It’s more of a sequel. Arlen has changed. There’s a plotline where Hank realizes the local culture he loved is being replaced by "McMansions" and hipster coffee shops.
- Hank's Growth: He actually likes soccer now? Sorta. In the episode "New Ref in Town," Hank becomes a secret soccer referee. It shows a level of character growth we rarely saw in the original run.
- The Dale Conspiracy: Dale is still Dale, but in a world of QAnon and modern internet theories, he’s actually struggling to find his place. When everyone is a conspiracy theorist, the man who pioneered the "pocket sand" technique feels a little redundant.
- The Luanne Absence: Since Brittany Murphy passed away years ago, Luanne and Lucky (voiced by the late Tom Petty) aren't main fixtures. The show handles it quietly, acknowledging they moved away, which is probably the most graceful way they could’ve done it.
The Episode List: A Quick Recap
The season is shorter than the old Fox days. We only got 10 episodes on Hulu for the first outing.
- Return of the King: Hank and Peggy come home from Saudi Arabia.
- Bobby Gets Grilled: A clash between Bobby’s "fusion" cooking and Hank’s traditional grilling.
- No Hank Left Behind: Hank deals with modern retirement and feeling useless.
- The Beer Story: A look at how the Alamo Beer landscape has changed with craft breweries.
- Kahn-scious Uncoupling: The bombshell that Kahn and Minh actually got a divorce while Hank was away.
- New Ref in Town: The "Hank likes soccer" episode.
The episode "Kahn-scious Uncoupling" is probably the most controversial. Seeing the Souphanousinphones split up felt like a gut punch to long-time viewers, but the show treats it with a weirdly touching realism. They’re still in each other's lives, but it’s messy. Just like real life.
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Is It Actually Good?
Basically, yes. If you were worried this would be another Family Guy clone, relax. It kept the "low-stakes, high-character" vibe. The humor isn't about cutaway gags; it’s about Peggy mispronouncing "Saudi Arabia" and Hank being confused by a QR code menu.
It feels like the show never left, just aged up with us.
If you're looking to dive back into the world of Arlen, your best bet is to start with the first three episodes of the revival to get used to the time jump. Don't expect the 13-year-old Bobby Hill. He’s a man now, even if he still "ain't right" sometimes.
Next Steps for Arlen Fans:
Check your Hulu or Disney+ subscription to ensure you have access to the "Hulu Hub," as the new episodes are exclusive to those platforms. If you haven't watched "To Sirloin with Love" in a while, give it a rewatch before starting season 14—it makes the transition much more rewarding.