Episode no. Season 3
Episode 2 Written by Norm Hiscock Original air date September 22, 1998 | Directed by Cyndi Tang-Loveland Production code 3ABE01 | |
← Previous
"Death of a Propane Salesman (Propane Boom 2)" Next →
"Peggy's Headache" | ||
"And They Call It Bobby Love" is the second episode in the third season of the Fox animated series King of the Hill, and the 37th episode overall. The episode's title references the Paul Anka song "And They Call It Puppy Love". It is notable for being the first, and only, episode of the series to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour).
Contents
Plot Summary
The episode involves Bobby's relationship with Marie, a vegetarian, and Hank and the guys finding an abandoned couch in their usual spot.
Bobby's relationship has his first kiss, but sours due to his being more interested in her than she is in him. He takes the break up hard. To cheer him up, Hank and Peggy take him to the Panhandler Steakhouse, where, coincidentally, he spots Marie also having dinner with her parents. There, he takes on the restaurant's standing challenge to eat a 72-ounce steak in under an hour, simultaneously spiting Marie and finding catharsis by eating the entire steak in just 37 minutes as everyone in the restaurant watches. He later vomits from overeating, which Connie initially feared might be his still reacting to the break-up.
The couch story has Hank's gang being against the couch at first, but as the days progress they grow to like the couch and sitting while they drink in the alley. The couch would also be where Bobby and Marie kissed, somewhat to Bill's annoyance. At the end the couch appears to be lost, but it is ultimately revealed that Bill has simply moved the couch into his living room.
Reception
The A.V. Club had it on a list of "10 episodes that made King Of The Hill one of the most human cartoons ever" with Genevieve Koski saying the steak eating scene "remains one of the best scenes in the show’s history."