King of the Hill is easily one of the best animated shows of all time, so it's not surprising there are still theories about the show's original run being cooked up on the internet in 2024. Fortunately, former writers for the show are also active on the web, and one was on hand to debunk a viral TikTok suggesting that Dale Gribble knew all along that his son Joseph wasn't his biological child.
King of the Hill writer Michael Jamin took to TikTok to respond to a viral video that suggested Dale Gribble always knew Joseph wasn't his biological child, and he purposefully appeared ignorant as a means of getting revenge on John Redcorn for interfering in his marriage. As interesting as the theory was, Jamin made a response video to debunk it and started with explicit confirmation of one fact:
As far as I'm concerned, there's absolutely no way that Dale knew Joseph was not his own child. Maybe in the deepest recesses of his subconscious mind, he may have known, but consciously? No way.
The writer wanted to make it clear: There's no way Dale Gribble knew Joseph wasn't his biological child, at least from his perspective. This could always change in the upcoming King of the Hill revival, which will revisit many of the beloved characters years down the road. We know Dale will appear in a couple of King episodes upon its return despite the untimely passing of voice actor Johnny Hardwick in 2023. Given what Michael Jamin said above, can we assume he won't learn the truth about Joseph in the revival?
I would like to think so, mainly because of Jamin's second point in response to the theory. The writer also talked about the whole joke behind Joseph being John Redcorn's son and the humor in everyone but Dale seeing it:
Dale is a conspiracy theorist. He sees conspiracy everywhere. And it's funny that he sees it everywhere except right in front of his face. So that's funny, but were he to think or know that Joseph is John Redcorn's son, that's no longer funny. Now that's sad.
King of the Hill can dabble in drama, but it's a comedy above all else. For that reason, it wouldn't make sense if we suddenly learned that Dale always knew Joseph wasn't his son and that it was some elaborate revenge plot against John Redcorn for him to stay ignorant. Unless there's some funny reason for it that might lead to a recurring story, I don't see the revelation coming, particularly if the other creators feel the way Michael Jamin does.
As of writing, we're still waiting on news of when we'll be able to stream the revival of King of the Hill with our Hulu subscriptions. As for what we know, the series will take place fifteen years after the series finale of the original, meaning all of the main characters will be much older. This means younger people in the original series like Bobby, Connie, and Joseph will be in their late twenties.
I can't wait to see how Bobby is as a grown-up and hear how Hank feels about his life choices. I'll admit it would also be interesting to see Joseph navigate the knowledge that John Redcorn is his father, especially if Dale is ultimately written off the show. I'm not sure how to make that funny, but I'm sure the writers of the revival would have ideas. Maybe John Redcorn would finally get to form a bond in adulthood but be put off because he's too much like Dale?
Many of us at CinemaBlend are so danged excited for the King of the Hill revival, so stick with us for more updates as they become available. For those looking to enjoy the original series, it's currently available to stream on Hulu and airs just about every night over on Adult Swim.
