Chasing Bobby

Chasing Bobby is the ninth episode of King of the Hill Season 5, 94th episode overall.

Synopsis
When Hank, Peggy, Bobby, Connie, and the Gribbles go to a chick flick, Hank's truck has problems starting up. Even though Peggy insists taking it to a mechanic, he refuses and finally gets it started up. At the movie, however, Hank starts to tear up and this alarms Peggy. Hank insists that he wasn’t crying and doesn’t want to talk about it [Denial]. Hank's friends make fun of his crying though he says he wasn't crying. Peggy takes him to an optometrist and even he says nothing is wrong with his eyes. In the truck, when it won't start again, he admits that he was crying but not about the movie, rather because watching the elderly man dying reminded him of his aging 20-year-old truck that is clearly dying as well [Sorrow].

Hank finally takes it to Handley Brothers Automotive Repair who tell him that the truck only has 500 miles left to go. Hank refuses to give up on it and tries to fix it himself [Bargaining], but the carburetor keeps catching on fire. Hank then has a flashback of when he first got the truck and how Peggy loved it. When he goes to it starts to die again. He then becomes irritated with everyone including his own family [Anger]. When looking at a newspaper, Bobby finds a car place that he believes that can help his dad's truck, even though it is about 45 miles away from Arlen they go. However, when they get there, it ends up being a car sales lot. Hank refuses to buy a new truck and leaves immediately. On their way back home the truck ends up stuck on some train tracks and Hank tries to fix it, but a freight train then comes towards the truck. Even though Hank tries to stop it, the train crushes the truck.

Furious, Hank blames Bobby for killing his truck. Bobby says that it only had 500 miles on it anyways, but Hank is reluctant to admit the truth. Back at the dealer Hank rudely tells Bobby to sit and to "try not to break any more trucks". Bobby then leaves in a huff to walk home. Hank asks the salesman if he had a phone, but he kept bringing up the idea of buying a new truck. When Hank tells Bobby he was going to find a pay phone he notices his son is gone. Knowing he wouldn't be able to find him on foot, he borrows the truck by test driving it. While looking for Bobby, he notices the new truck's features are better than his old one. He finds Bobby and apologizes for blaming him about the truck [Acceptance]. Bobby then reveals that he too loved the truck. They get in the new truck and Bobby gives Hank the gear shift knob he found on the tracks. Both agree the new truck is good, but agree to tell the salesman they hate it.

Quotes

 * Chasing Bobby/Quotes

Other Languages

 * Chasing Bobby/Other Languages

Stinger Quote
Bobby: "To The Flowers of Time!"

Trivia

 * When Hank's truck gets towed to Handley's Repair, Blue Collar Man by Styx is playing.
 * Hank's Ford Ranger is usually a 1993, but in this episode, it is a 1986.