And They Call It Bobby Love
| "And They Call It Bobby Love" | |
|---|---|
| King of the Hill episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 2 |
| Directed by | Cyndi Tang-Loveland |
| Written by | Norm Hiscock |
| Production code | 3ABE01 |
| Original air date | September 22, 1998 |
| Guest appearances | |
| Chuck Mangione (as himself) Joanna Gleason (as Marie's mother) Sarah Michelle Gellar (as Marie) | |
"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 the only episode of the series to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour).[1][2]
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 experiences his first kiss, but the relationship sours due to his being more interested in Marie 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 he sees Marie also having dinner with her parents. 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 and the gang initially being against the couch being in the alley. As the days progress, they grow to like sitting on the couch while they drink in their usual spot. The couch is also where Bobby and Marie kissed, somewhat to Bill's annoyance. The couch disappears near the end of the episode, but it is ultimately revealed that Bill has 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."[3]