King of the Hill/Now Who's the Dummy?

Now Who's the Dummy?
Season 5, Episode 12
Airdate	February 18, 2001
Production Number	5ABE14
Written by	Johnny Hardwick
Directed by	Dominic Polcino
← 5x11 Hank and the Great Glass Elevator	5x13 → Ho Yeah!
King of the Hill — Season Five

Now Who's the Dummy? is the twelfth episode of the fifth season of King of the Hill, and the ninety-sixth episode overall.

Starring: Mike Judge (Hank Hill, Boomhauer, Octavio), Kathy Najimy (Peggy Hill), Pamela Segall Adlon (Bobby Hill, Dale's Mother), Brittany Murphy (credit only), Johnny Hardwick (Dale Gribble, Bug Gribble)

and Stephen Root (Bill Dauterive)

Also Starring: Ashley Gardner (Nancy Gribble)

Special Guest Voice: Tom Poston (Jerry Popper)

Plot Overview

When Bobby is given a ventriloquist dummy with an athletic personality, he finds he's spending more time with his dad. At the same time, the dummy triggers a terrifying memory for Dale and he prepares to take action.

Notes

Stinger Quote

Jerry Popper: (imitating windshield wipers)

Trivia

The Show

• Jerry Popper claims he was on The Tonight Show. Tom Poston made several appearances on the show.

• This marks the second appearance of Dale's dad and it's revealed his name is Bug, which is funny given Dale's profession.

Allusions and References

• Bobby tells Hank that he learned so much about golf from watching Happy Gilmore, a film in which Adam Sandler plays a hockey player turned golfer.

• Bobby and the Bobby dummy outvote Hank to watch Iron Chef.

Memorable Moments

• Dale observes Octavio "leaving crucial evidence" and for that he must be "gotten rid of." He opens up his glove compartment and appears to reach for a gun, only to set it aside to pull out a pen and paper to write a letter.

Goofs

• The distance between the pile of wood chips and Dale's unconscious body differ between shots.

Quotes

• Jerry Popper: You got something, kid.

Bobby: Moxie? Chutzpah? Pizzazz?

Jerry Popper: Ah, you're selling yourself short.

• Jerry Popper: This is Chip Block, all-American, and the original. Not one of those plastic Woolworth's copies that allowed me to retire in such comfort. Right, Chip? (as Chip) Hey, Slugger. That was my brother's name. They made him into a baseball bat. He was from Louisville.

Bobby: Hey, that dummy's got good timing.

• Jerry Popper: Chip doesn't like to be called "dummy". He prefers the term "carved figure".

• Jerry Popper: But real ventriloquism is about more than telling jokes. It takes great acting, Bobby. Oscar-calibre. To play two roles at once. Nobody could do it today. Except maybe Meryl Streep. Streep would be a great ventriloquist.

• Bobby: An athlete, huh? I may look big, but very little of it is muscle.

• Hank: "Fluttering butterflies"? Not in this house.

• Hank: My son is playing with dolls. There, I said it.

Dale: He's a sissy. There, I said that.

• Hank: Bobby, Chip, you get Dale's spot. Bill?

Bill: I couldn't handle the pressure, anyway.

• Dale: Octavio, I want you to do the exact same thing I just did to this picture to this guy in person. Except do it right here.

Octavio: Okay. I'm gonna need $20 now. And $20 when it is done. And another $20 for expenses.

• Employee: Can I help you?

Dale: Yes. I would like to purchase some chloroform, a roll of duct tape, and this gagging bandanna.

• Bobby: Chip is gone!

Hank: Is this part of your new act? I don't get it.

Bobby: I don't know where he is, but there were signs of a struggle!

• Bobby: You know what? Maybe this is all for the best.

Hank: Huh. Maybe you're right. What do we really need Chip for, anyway?

Bobby: Now you're talking, dad!

Hank: Yep. Think about it. If we build a new Chip, we could make him perfect. Don't get me wrong, Chip was great. But his neck wasn't really thick enough to play football, at least not competitively. And if his ears didn't stick out so much, he could wear a helmet. I'll be at my workbench cobbling together something I can be proud of.

• Hank: Hey, Peggy, you know that hair we always find in the drain? You don't just throw that out, do you? Wait a minute. Bill! He has bags of hair at his house.

• Bobby: I don't know, dad. Short pants don't really belong on a football field.

Hank: That's okay. You don't, either.