The Beloved Family Sitcom With TV’s Most Twisted Episode
King of the Hill is a beloved sitcom centered around a middle-class Texas family. It also has one of the most disturbing, twisted, episodes of television to ever air on network TV, “Pigmalion.” It’s a dark episode that Fox refused to air for two years, spawned an enduring urban legend, and instantly became one of my favorite episodes.
King Of The Hill’s Pigmalion
Originally airing in 1997, King of the Hill was an animated sitcom, created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels. It’s a very straightforward family sitcom about the Hill family and their wacky neighbors with episodes generally being self-contained. While Bobby, Hank, and Peggy Hill are generally the central characters “Pigmalion” centers around Peggy’s college-age niece Luanne Platter.
Satire Turned Slasher
The episode begins with a fairly standard King of the Hill plot with Luanne being fired and Peggy bossing her around, but “Pigmalion” takes a turn when she starts dating a rich pork magnate named Trip. Luanne is manipulated by the increasingly controlling Trip who gradually turns her into a copy of the girl from his pork company’s ads. This plot culminates in Trip dressed as a pig chasing her through his slaughterhouse, before being killed by a slaughtering machine.
“Pigmalion” is a legitimately great psychological horror story and Trip is an unnerving antagonist, all within the framework of a family sitcom. The relationship between Trip and Luanne provides an unflinching examination of psychological abuse even before it slips into more straightforward horror. It’s also full of unsettling imagery, like Trip’s pig costume and the chase through the slaughterhouse that borrows the style of a slasher movie.
King Of The Hill’s Most Divisive Episode
To me, “Pigmalion” stands as a testament to the incredible tonal range of King of the Hill. The show lasted for an astonishing 13 seasons and I think its ability to experiment with different tones is part of why it remained beloved by fans for over a decade. It’s a show that often focuses on mundane life but is capable of exploring death, depression, and even suicide which keeps the show dynamic.
“Pigmalion” is incredibly divisive, frequently appearing on both “best episode” and “worst episode” lists. I’m a fan of the episode, enjoying the eerie tone and dark sense of humor. However many found its dark tone to be gratuitous and its ending, with Trip having a moment of clarity seconds before his brutal death, mean-spirited.
Fox Executives Didn’t Want To Release It
Fox executives were also uncertain of “Pigmalion” resulting in the episode being moved back multiple times for undisclosed reasons. The episode was meant to be a special Halloween episode for season 5 but wasn’t released until season 7. No official reason has ever been given for the delay, but it’s generally believed that Fox was hesitant to release the episode due to its violent premise.
Another part of the legacy of “Pigmalion” is the urban legend it spawned, which some fans still believe. The legend goes that in the original airing Trip’s body was briefly visible in the background of a shot hanging on a meat hook. While that theory has been debunked, it adds an appropriately dark mystique to the episode’s reputation.
Definitely An Interesting Watch
Whether you’re the type of fan who hates “Pigmalion” or the kind who loves it, there’s no denying that it’s one of the most interesting episodes in King of the Hill. It takes a big swing by expertly creating an uncomfortable episode that was too horrific for many fans. A handful of sitcoms have attempted a horror episode, but none have matched the dark, twisted, terror of “Pigmalion.”
