Care Takin' Care of Business

Care Takin' Care of Business is the first episode of King of the Hill Season 9, 176th episode overall.

Plot
During a football game at Arlen High, the teams discover that the field has been poorly maintained. Arlen is forced to forfeit the game and Groundskeeper Smitty faces being fired. Hank and his friends decide to maintain the field at night for a whole week to bring it back to its former glory and prevent Smitty from losing his job without ever noticing.

Meawhile, Luanne starts dating Lucky, who first appeared in the episode "The Redneck on Rainey Street". Peggy is dismayed and is afraid Luanne will go back to the chaotic life she had back with her dysfunctional mother. Luanne doesn't listen.

Although Hank manages to save Smitty from losing his job, the senile groundskeeper receives so much praise that his ego inflates to dangerous levels. He is convinced that he is "The Wizard of Sod" (a phrase coined by Dale) and that the field repairs itself. When he does find out that Hank and his friends are fixing the field for the upcoming game against Danton behind his back, he accuses them of using "basic" maintenance skills and has them thrown out by the police. The next night, Hank finds the field completely ruined and unfit for the game. When he spots Lucky leaving a dirt trail on his lawn, he gets an idea. He convinces Lucky to infuriate the other truck owners who think "he doesn't have jack under his hood." Lucky lures them to the field where their tires tear up the sod. The next morning, the field is declared unfit for use due to circumstances beyond their control; another venue will be found for the game, and Smitty exits on a high note. Dale tries to get him back but Hank clotheslines him and knocks him down.

Lucky and the rest of the truck owners are sentenced to perform community service for ruining the field, with the redneck saying that he has insurance money to make the experience less aggravating before mentioning that he is called Lucky for another reason. Suddenly, Luanne comes by and tells him that the Arlen High team will go to the state to compete against Danton, where Lucky notes to his friend that he has her with him.

Quotes

 * Care Takin' Care of Business/Quotes

Other Languages

 * Care Takin' Care of Business/Other Languages

Stinger Quote
Lucky: "Sometimes the world is cruel to shiny things."

Pop Culture References
Dale's comment about "a pencil to the eardrum" is most likely a reference to Texas based Alternative Rock band Butthole Surfers and their 1996 LP Electriclarryland.

The episode name refers to a Bachman-Turner Overdrive song, "Takin care of business."