For 13 years, Sundays on FOX were never meant to showcase King of the Hill, but it always seemed to happen. Sandwiched somewhere between NFL broadcasts, before (and even shown after) The Simpsons, the little show created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels helped solidify the network’s strongest night of ratings year in and year out. When the small-town humor centered around a propane and propane accessories salesman eventually ran out of laughs on September 13, 2009 (four unaired episodes finally saw the light of day in syndication/Adult Swim), I wasn’t shocked at all, but I did miss the show’s glory days — has it only been six years since the Animation Domination aired?

I was surprised when the show was revived for the 21st century on a streaming platform… and the return of the King brought a wave of nostalgia I didn’t realize I’d been missing for way too long, I tell you what.

“There’s that damn feeling, again.”

Finally, I have realized that I took advantage of King of the Hill for way too long, along with big FOX. I always watched it despite its programming detours and enjoyed every one of its tiny chuckles to hearty laugh-out-loud moments, having grown up in a small town, myself. I might not be from Arlen, Texas, although I recognized its citizens well: Strict family man Hank, loyal friend Bill, womanizer Boomhauer, conspiracy theorist Dale, bad neighbor Kahn and the list goes on. What did worry me was how the show could continue with so many great characters, as quite a few of its original voice actors have passed away since the show’s original conclusion.

The winner of two Primetime Emmys (Writing in an Animated Television Production — Etan Cohen and Best Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production — Brittany Murphy), the behind-the screen talent might have been its biggest strength. Murphy’s Luanne and Tom Petty’s Lucky definitely left their marks on the show, which are sadly missing here, as the actors passed away before its production and the new showrunner, Saladin K. Patterson, chose not to address them.

“Sometimes, the best way to honor someone’s work is to hang their jersey up in the rafters, as a show of respect, and what they meant to the organization,” he declared. Their characters were not recast.

Two other characters also made headlines, as their voice actors either passed away during production (Johnny Hardwick) or afterward (Jonathan Joss). Most of Dale Gribble’s dialogue was previously recorded, but Toby Huss does step in to round out the dialogue (and it is noticeable). He wasn’t the only actor replacing a familiar voice. For better or worse, cultural appropriation has entered the chat, as Joseph Gribble (Tai Leclaire), Kahn Souphanousinphone (Ronny Chieng) and Ted Wassanasong (Kenneth Choi) all have new voice actors, as well as Good Hank (Finn Wolfhard).

“Have things changed here, more than we thought?”

Season 14 brings 10 new episodes to life, which begins with the reintroduction of the Hills to Arlen, as well a new audience. Returning from Saudi Arabia for an extended amount of time while focusing on a new propane position, Hank and Peg must reacquaint themselves to an unrecognizable landscape, which copies the real-life concepts an aging show must address in 2025. The Hills have got some catching up to do.

Now a Disney intellectual property, the show looks and sounds a little different. As a streaming show, the beeped-out curse words bring a new wrinkle to this format, and the aged character models look and move a little differently, as the new digital animation can feel out of place at times. But the characters feel familiar.

Peggy’s still a little delusional, Hank’s still respectful, mostly complaining about world generalities (and his narrow urethra), rather than the scarce communication with his son. Dale was Arlen’s mayor for 36 hours before becoming an election-denier denier. Bobby’s an Iron Chef of sorts, as the creator of down-home German-Asian fusion restaurant in Dallas. Boomhauer’s seriously dating a woman with a child, becoming a father figure of sorts. And Bill dramatically transforms from an overweight shut-in in the season premiere to a mobile ‘merican in Episode 2.

“Did we make a mistake coming back?”

This line of dialogue took less than five minutes to arrive onscreen in Episode 1, and it perfectly sums up the feelings of long-time fans. I’m not gonna lie: after watching the show’s updated intro (still by The Refreshments) with updated animation, I teared up a little and goosebumps appeared out of nowhere (the closing title theme is the BEST!), despite all the changes. There really isn’t enough Hank Hills in this world, and maybe a few too many Bobbys, but that’s the 21st century speaking, as time doesn’t actually stop, even if a TV show does, in real life.

No longer centered around a teenager growing up within a blue-collar, conservative family, half-way through the season, KOTH spends most of its time readjusting to today’s world and nurturing past relationships. Episode 2 involves Bobby vs. Hank in a homebrewing competition, a topic that’s near and dear to my heart, as I’ve worked within the brewing industry for the past nine years, as well as dabbled as a homebrewer. The nuances differentiating mass produced beer vs. craft beer, as well as the changing consumer preferences do receive some attention, but it’s mostly a father-son reconciliation story.

“Beers don’t need to tell stories. They just need a fridge to keep them cold.”

Episode 3 (“Bobby Gets Grilled”) felt like the highlight of the season’s first half, as Bobby’s authenticity is questioned, which feels like a similar concept for the show. Historical accuracy and authenticity are DEFINITELY important… but so is this show’s vision. Never feeling self-attached to pop-culture trends, the world around it may have changed, but traditional, good values haven’t. Poking fun at them isn’t truly a bad thing, as long as you don’t become the one thing that you most despise.

“I hate this place.”

If you can watch half of Season 14 and not feel any nostalgia, that’s absolutely fine. And acceptable. But not for me. This show gave me the feels… in a very good way. And I dearly miss those Sunday nights during football season when the show first aired… those were the good ole days. And for just a minute, King of the Hill reminds me of them, with its old-fashioned storytelling. The critics agree, as the show has received a 98 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Although no official statement has been made by Hulu or Disney, apparently, the show’s already been renewed for Season 15. If IMDb can be trusted (and that’s not a given, these days), 10 more episodes are already lined up for pre-production for next season. And as a fan of the original voice actors, that might not be a great thing, but I’m willing to give it a chance. And you should, too.

Now, the topic of sauerkraut ice cream needs to be addressed…

“The thing they don’t tell you about retirement is there’s so much time to fill…”