Television's 10 Best "Wrestling Episodes"

Like most King of the Hill episodes, this one deals with the strained relationship between superconformist Hank Hill and his gleefully goofy son Bobby. In this case, Hank is pleasantly surprised that Bobby, inspired by a pro wrestling video game, wants to join the school wrestling team. Bobby’s mother, however, challenges the school’s male-only wrestling rule by coaching a girl against her son. The children, unimpressed by amateur wrestling in the first place, avoid the conflict by working a match instead, the drama aided by (ketchup-provided) color.

While there are plenty of laughs in this episode, only a few of them involve professional wrestling. Most of its humor derives from Hank’s pride in his son’s extremely limited athleticism, and then his terror that Bobby could be defeated by a little girl.

Immortal Dialogue: “Way to go, boy! Wrestling's a damn fine sport. Hell, it's an Olympic sport! And . . . this is offered through the school, isn't it? Not some guy in a van with a camcorder?”