I Remember Mono

I Remember Mono is the eleventh episode of King of the Hill Season 2, 26th episode overall.

Summary
As Luanne and Bobby listen, Peggy recounts how she and Hank first realized they were meant to be together. The year was 1973, and Hank and Peggy had already been dating for six months. Hank convinced Peggy to cook him dinner for Valentine's Day. Peggy agreed even though she was a terrible cook. The meal, beef Wellington and cherry pie, turned out terribly, but as luck would have it, Hank phoned shortly before he was scheduled to arrive and said he couldn't make it, claiming he pulled some tendons in his back. Two weeks later, after Hank's back healed, Peggy and Hank were "engaged to be engaged." Back in the present day, Peggy and another woman, Becky, updated computer files at Arlen High School. As the pair comb through the records, they come across Hank's permanent file, which includes an entry about a two week absence starting on Valentine's Day due to mono. Peggy tells Becky she never had "the kissing disease," creating a mystery. Meanwhile, Bobby receives Valentine's Day chocolates in the mail from a secret admirer. He suspects the sender might be Kerri Strug.

Peggy queries her husband about the incident. Hank claims he contracted mono from sharing a soda with someone on the football team. An obsessed Peggy learns that only one other student, Amy Edlin, had the disease during that time. Peggy tracks Amy down, confronting her as she doles out little sausages on toothpicks at a local super market. Amy recounts how she had broken up with her boyfriend several weeks before Valentine's Day. Feeling as though she had "something to prove," she grabbed hold of Hank and kissed him. An angered Peggy responds by delivering a punch to a side of beef, breaking several ribs.

Peggy returns home, where she accuses Hank of lying to her. But she is even more upset that the romantic story of how they first got together is a falsehood. Later, Dale, Bill, and Boomhauer convince Hank he must woo his wife until she loves him once more. Hank sees wisdom in their words, and begins doing romantic things. He does everything from cover a puddle with his coat, to rent a pig, all in an effort to make Peggy melt. But they all fail miserably. While attempting to recover the pig, Hank hurts his back and crashes to the ground. Peggy recounts Hank's antics to her girlfriends. The women sigh at the thought of romance. A thoughtful look comes over Peggy. She calls Hank on the phone and promises to make him beef Wellington and cherry pie for Valentine's Day. Meanwhile, much to his embarrassment, Bobby discovers his secret admirer is Grandma Maddy Platter.

Other Languages

 * I Remember Mono/Other Languages

Quotes

 * I Remember Mono/Quotes

Stinger Quote
Luanne: "Am I supposed to kill this pig?"

Trivia

 * Peggy mentions that the school nurse stated you can't get mono from sharing drinks. This is actually one of the most common ways mono is spread.
 * Kahn purchases a CD Jukebox which he's seen singing along to 80's pop music on while dancing. From this point on, the jukebox appears in the Souphanousinphone household for the remainder of the series.

Goofs

 * During the flashback, you can clearly see a Jaws movie poster in Hank's room. However, the story takes place in February of 1975. Jaws didn't premier in theaters until June, although Hank must've bought the poster before the film came out.
 * In a later episode in the series, Peggy is shown to be substituting for what's intended to be her first time at the high school, however, in this episode, it's stated that Peggy regularly substitutes at the high school.