27 Years Ago, King of the Hill Answered a Major Mystery That Changed the Show

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Lately, *King of the Hill* has been incredibly successful, especially with its fourteenth season. This new season, set years after the original series ended, has been a big hit on Hulu. With the show’s future uncertain, it’s a great time to revisit its history and one of the most compelling storylines from Arlen, Texas. Although the revival brought some changes, the third season premiere truly marked a turning point for Mike Judge’s animated series.

The third season of *King of the Hill* began with the episode “Propane Boom II: Death of a Propane Salesman,” continuing the story from the dramatic season two finale. A surprising turn of events occurred when Mega-Lo Mart began selling propane, putting Hank Hill out of a job at Strickland Propane. Ironically, Hank then applied for a job *at* Mega-Lo Mart, only to be fired from there as well. Soon after, the Mega-Lo Mart store exploded in a chaotic scene. The season two finale left viewers wondering about the fate of Hank, Luanne, Buckley, and even Chuck Mangione, and season three finally revealed who had survived.

King of the Hill: Who Lives And Who Dies?

After the explosion, Hank and Luanne were thankfully found alive, although Luanne was badly affected. The blast completely burned off her hair, dramatically changing her appearance. Surprisingly, even Chuck Mangione survived, but Luanne’s boyfriend, Buckley, did not. This event marked a significant change for Luanne’s character in the third season, influencing her personality for several episodes, and Buckley’s death paved the way for her future romantic relationships.

Later in the episode, Hank happily regained his job when Strickland Propane eliminated its main competitor. However, the incident unexpectedly caused Hank to develop a severe fear of propane – something he’d always loved. While Hank eventually got over his fear, Buckley did not survive. In a darkly funny scene, Dale, convinced of a conspiracy, insisted Buckley might still be alive and even opened the casket to check. Seeing Buckley’s body finally convinced Dale otherwise, and he promptly vomited. This definitively ended the idea that Buckley had somehow survived.

Luanne and Lucky eventually married and had a daughter named Gracie. Sadly, the actors who voiced them, Brittany Murphy and Tom Petty, both passed away before plans for a new season were announced. This meant their characters weren’t included in season fourteen. As of now, it’s still unknown whether Luanne and Lucky will return in future episodes of *King of the Hill*, possibly with new voice actors, or if they’ll be left out of the show for good.

Earlier this year, the showrunner for the King of the Hill revival, Saladin Patterson, explained why certain characters weren’t brought back. He compared it to a sports team retiring a player’s jersey – a way to show respect for their past contributions. Patterson felt it wouldn’t be right to recast those characters, and the writers found alternative ways to acknowledge them within the new storylines.

Is this significant event from *King of the Hill* still the most puzzling thing to happen in Arlen, Texas? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-09-15 16:43