So after a long wait, they've finally released the revival for King of the Hill, and as a show that's one of my all time favorites(yes, even over the Pony show) I obviously have a lot to say. Though the revival has a lot to live up to, it's safe to say it's back with a bang

Early impressions

- Seasonal rot hit the original run I'd say around season 8 or 9(though they'd still put some great episodes from time to time), but thankfully Season 14 can rank among the best the show has to offer, it really hasn't skipped a beat
- The show has always been topical and there was a worry that it would be overbearing, but thankfully that's not the case here. Some might argue the opener has the problem but it's really just establishing the show in a new time. There are a couple of topical episodes but they're handled in a way that really suits the characters
- A lot of characters haven't missed a beat, Hank, Dale, Bill and Boomhauer are as great as they ever been, Mihn surprisingly also gets a lot of love here. Peggy is a bit *more* conceited than usual, and for some that might be annoying but me personally I wouldn't have it any other way.
- Speaking of which, her butchering Arabic as much as she did Spanish is genius, so good
- Some fun subversions like how the previews kept making it look like Nancy and John Redcorn were back together, only to subvert it and reveal they've made a more professional relationship(though the social media in the show's universe is catching on lol)

- The grown up kids are the stars of the season however, to the point where I'd actually kind wish it focused almost exclusively on them. It's Bobby is easily the standout here, as it's great to see he's still got that goofy, charismatic kid in him, but also sharing his dad's work ethic, showing us all he's still Hank's son. For Connie it's great to see her get a lot of love again after she sorta falls off in later seasons the show's original run. Joseph however, I think is the one who caught me off guard the most, he was easily my second favorite character this season, there's something I love about him and Bobby still being best friends and rooming together, and also moments that reminds us he's also Dale's son(such as he and Dale smoking together while spying/attempting to sabotage judges, and then the pocket bag scene)

- I like some of the parallels with Bobby's Robata restaurant and Strickland Propane with Hank, including Bobby dealing with his own Buck Strickland in Chane(though the show clearly shows he doesn't have the same respect for Chane that Hank had with Buck)
- Chane, even though he's a hilarious frat boy douche now(more than usual), is a character I'm interested in seeing how he goes as this revival goes on
- Some of the new characters such as Bryan Richardson, Emilio and Willow are really fun. Emilio in particular is becoming one of my favorite characters. I hope to see more of them in the future
- On the subject of characters, there's some we haven't seen like Joe Jack or Dooly, that I hope show up in the next season
- Now to address the elephant in the room. Luanne and Lucky don't show up nor are mentioned barring a background image of their wedding photo, a good indicator they're still together. Given unlike characters like Dale or John Redcorn who's VAs passed mid production, the revival was made with their passing in mind. They've said in interviews that they moved away before the move to Saudi Arabia, so I hope its addressed in the next season. At the very least I want to see a grown up Gracie just like how we got a grown up GH this season
- Another thing I hope to see in the next season is further going into detail about the Hill's time in Saudi Arabia
- The jokes are great but there are moments and jokes and details in the background you can tell was there for the fans, often getting a huge laugh out of me(a good example is John Recorn being the only trusted person on Dale's wall)
- As time passes, so does change. Unfortunately this does mean a lot of casting changes, some are great(Joseph and Chane), and some will take some time to get used to/improve(Kahn and Ted Wasanasong). Kahn in particular feels like the VA was trying to mimic Toby Huss's performance in the original run. In the next season I prefer they try going in their own take
- Dale is probably the voice that sounds most noticeably off, as for the first six episodes he's voiced by a mix of two different people trying to sound the same, and unfortunately I do think it was Hardwick, as his final performance they obviously they didn't want to get rid of, so they addressed it the best that they could. I do think his voice improves once Toby Huss fully takes over
- Animation does take time to get used to, but I do think it's much better than what the previews gave off
- There's the topic of the timeline that doesn't line up with where the original show ended. But halfway in the show they went from aging the characters to a floating time, so this one is really just best not to think about
- If there's one real negative I have with the show, it's the use of more cruder language, which I understand as the show's audience is much older, but in the original run the f-bomb was used exactly once and to great comedic effect, but hearing multiple times here sorta feels out of place in this show.
- Episode 7 and episode 10 features ending tributes to Johnny Hardwick and Jonathon Joss

All of the new episodes are great to watch but a few really stand out

- The Beer Story really kicks things off as it shows even though time has moved, Bobby is older and he and Bobby have more in common, they still have that generational gap and don't see everything eye to eye, and that includes their taste in beer
- "Bobby Gets Grilled" is another topical episode dealing with Bobby being accused of "Cultural Appropriation" while Hank deals with a more unhinged American public who constantly spout conspiracies and start to rally around Dale in the George Bush museum. After an early run in and disappointment of Bobby using a special charcoal over propane for his grill, Hank later appreciates Bobby's insistence of staying authentic for the food he's making after dealing with people who's constantly believing in things that aren't true while Bobby is able to convince his critics that there's nothing wrong with his fusion restaurant, by highlighting that it exists because of his love for food
- Kahn-scious Uncoupling, is one of the biggest status quo changes the new season makes by revealing that Kahn and Minh have divorced. Trying to keep appearances for the sake of their social status, charade ends when when Minh comes clean when she realizes how much it was hurting Connie. Despite the divorce getting out, it ends with Connie and Bobby getting back together. Tons of great jokes, call backs and character moments in this one. My second favorite episode
- No Hill Left Behind is another topical episode with Hank dealing with the MRA/Manosphere, as well as the first look of a grown up GH(as well as a returning Junichiro!). Throughout the episode Hank is initially on board as GH is interested in what appears to be a men's help group, he slowly starts seeing the class for what it is. At one point there's a scene where the men start blaming women for their own problems and he slowly starts seeing GH turning into Cotton, complete with a triggering flashback. In the end he manages to get the other men in the group to realize their own flaws and vow to change including GH, and Hank vows to be a good role model for GH, ending with one of the show's best lines: "Too bad, old man". The B-plot with Bobby and Peggy is also really great that ends with a call back one of the show's most famous episode. Easily my favorite episode of the season

That's all for now. Season 14 is great and I highly recommend it. Can't wait to see what Season 15 has in store