King of the Hill: Hank Gets Dusted

(S11E05) In this episode, we learn that Hank's cousin is none other than Dusty Hill, bass player for ZZ Top. If any other show had attempted to do this kind of celebrity crossover, it would have seemed trite, but this episode wasn't so much about Dusty's celebrity status as it was about Hank wanting to keep his family as far away from the glitz and shallowness of the rock and roll lifestyle (Bobby especially).

Since the reality TV genre began, the term "reality" has been given an extra meaning. The truth is, if "reality" shows were actually "real" they'd be some of the most uninteresting shows on television: entire episodes would consist of nothing but people sitting around doing absolutely nothing, people would wonder in and out of frame, and sometimes conversations would be completely inaudible, because in reality, nobody feels the need to project for an invisible audience. I also imagine there would be a lot more nose picking and butt scratching.

The producers of Dusty's reality program discover that Hank is a very angry man (of course, he has every right to be), and they set out to get his dander up at every turn. It's not until Hank saves him from a burning car (the same car that belonged to Cotton, Hank's father) that Dusty realizes his antics have gone too far and hurt someone he cared about.

I thought this episode was okay. Not great, but okay. Still, I love how grounded the show is, and how even when things around him start to go haywire, Hank always takes it upon himself to steer his family back toward some semblance of normalcy. Sure, he's a wet blanket sometimes, but his M.O. was never to be the coolest father in the world.

Laugh out loud moment: Hank carrying his father out of the garage under one arm.