Straight as an Arrow

"Straight as an Arrow"
King of the Hill episode
Episode no.	Season 13 Episode 7
Production code	CABE20
Original air date	November 30, 2008
Guest actors
Andy Richter
Episode chronology
← Previous "A Bill Full of Dollars" Next → "Lucky See, Monkey Do"
List of King of the Hill episodes

"Straight as an Arrow" is the seventh episode in the 13th season of the Fox animated series King of the Hill, and the 242nd episode overall. It originally aired on November 30, 2008. Andy Richter guest stars. The title is a play on the title of the third episode of the series, The Order Of The Straight Arrow.

Plot

When Hank sees Bobby riding his bicycle with a flat tire but showing no apparent interest in fixing it, he fears that his son may grow up to be irresponsible. Meanwhile, Peggy takes over as Arlen's 'Welcome Wagon' lady after the previous welcomer resigns over various indiscretions. On Peggy's first Welcoming, she and Hank meet attachment parents Wesley and Annette Cherish, who have just moved to Arlen from Fort Worth. While discussing the various things to do in Arlen, Wesley states that he wishes to enroll his two oldest sons into the Order of the Straight Arrow. Hank mentions that Arlen does not have a chapter of 'the Arrow' any more, and Wesley suggests that he and Hank restart one. At the subsequent first meeting of the Order, Wesley decides to show the children how to build a fire; Hank is annoyed when the 'fires' turn out to be made up of twigs, ribbons, and a small fan, as Wesley believes building an actual fire to be too dangerous for the boys. Wesley then hands out the 'Arrow Knives', but to Hank's further dismay offers rubber toys rather than the actual, useful pocketknives Hank remembers from his own Arrow days. Afterward, Hank goes over to Wesley's house to discuss teaching the kids something more useful, proposing a lesson on tying knots and having the kids then craft a bow and arrow. When Wesley suggests making a dream catcher instead of the bow, dismissing a bow as too 'hunty-killy', Hank realizes that Wesley may in fact not be the type of man that he is.

Later, Hank relates his displeasure at Wesley's overprotective ideas about leading the Order to Dale, Bill, and Boomhauer after Wesley's latest announcement of a 'camp-in' (instead of a campout) at the library. Together, they decide to show the boys a real Order of the Straight Arrow experience, using Hank's having volunteered to watch the boys for part of the night as an opportunity. When Wesley turns the gathering over to Hank and heads home, Peggy and the guys arrive with offerings of snacks and sodas, and Hank turns the boys loose in the parking lot to roughhouse. However, Wesley's sons Robin and Carey consume too much sugar and run off into the woods, and Hank sends the guys to Wesley's house to stall his return while Hank searches for the runaway boys. This turns out to be a prime opportunity for the other Arrow kids, however, as Hank teaches them tracking, tree climbing, and compass skills while their search progresses. Meanwhile, Bill, Dale, and Boomhauer drive to Wesley's house and pretend to be stranded motorists, assuming that he would be nice enough to assist them; instead, Wesley sprays the three of them with mace.

Upon finally locating the errant boys, Hank and the Arrow kids return to the library, where they find Wesley and the guys waiting for them. Hank tells Wesley that they were just outside 'getting some air', but the guys admit to having told Wesley everything to get him to stop spraying them with mace. Wesley angrily tells Hank that he was acting irresponsibly, and that Robin has ADHD and Carey is hyperglycemic. After Wesley takes his boys home Peggy follows him stating she does not want to be the welcome wagon lady any more, however, the other boys in the Order ask Hank if he could teach them 'more cool Arrow stuff', and Hank decides to show them how to whittle a fishing spear.

Meanwhile, Luanne and Lucky go to their neighbors and friends in an attempt to collect on wedding gifts which they feel they are owed.

Continuity

• This episode features references to the original Order of the Straight Arrow episode, such as the 'invocation' of the native spirit Wematanye. However, the writers seemed to have forgotten that Wematanye was not in fact an established tradition of the Order of the Straight Arrow. Rather, it was something that Hank, Dale and Bill came up with after asking John Redcorn for some Indian-themed ideas to use in their Order of the Straight Arrow camping trip with Bobby and Joseph. As such, Wematanye would be unique to that one trip and would not extend back to Hank's and Wesley's days in the Order (complete with signature hand gesture) as depicted in the episode.
• Bobby seems to have forgotten that he had previously been in the Order 240 episodes prior, although his participation in this second incarnation does not necessarily contradict the events of the earlier episode
• Joseph, who was in the Order of the Straight Arrow alongside Bobby in season one, is not featured in this episode because Dale states that he won't be joining: "Thanks to my tutelage, he's a level six survivalist. He's been trained to use boys like yours as food and shelter."
• Also absent is Randy (the son of Eustice, who had been thrown out of the Order when he was a child), who was also featured as an Order member in the same episode.

Ending Credit Quote

Bill Dauterive: "Ahhhh! It burns, it burns!"

Reception

• This episode drew 6.2 million viewers^{[citation needed]}, making it third place that night.