10 Bad Episodes Of Otherwise Perfect TV Shows

One of King of the Hill’s greatest charms was that it was grounded in reality. In comparison to animated contemporaries like Family Guy and South Park, the Mike Judge show’s humour was gentler, more subtle and driven by its excellent cast of characters rather than elaborate set pieces or endless pop-culture spoofs. One episode that goes against this, and belongs squarely in the “what the hell were they thinking?” pile, is Pigmalion.

Basically, Luanne is seduced by Trip Larsen (voiced by Michael Keaton), head of a pork company. Peggy disapproves of course, suspecting Trip is not all that he seems. The two fight, leading to Luanne moving in with Trip, who forces her to dye her hair red and dress in a milkmaid’s outfit. Why, you ask? Well, because Trip wants Luanne to look like an old advertising character created by his grandfather. It all builds to a jolly climax at a slaughterhouse where Trip, dressed as a pig, gets stabbed to death by a pork processing machine.

...Yep. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with writers of a long-running show mixing up the formula and going for a departure in style. But nothing about Pigmalion works. The tone is unsettling, none of the show’s trademark wit is there and Luanne and Peggy pretty much murder someone! This was a baffling curveball, almost like the writers had discovered the concept of creepypasta and wanted to give it a go with their own show. Not the Hills’ finest moment.