History Heartwarming / KingOfTheHill

* In "Shins of the Father", Cotton admits that Hank is a better father than he is... [[StealthInsult in the most Cotton way possible]].
-->'''Cotton:''' You ain't in competition with me. Hell, if it's a contest on who's the better daddy, you win! I mean, you made Bobby! All I made was ''you''.

** Don't forget Hank's reaction to finding out that he's always had a brother. "A brother. Wow. I have a brother. I really wish we could've grown up together and hear people say, 'Watch out for those Hill brothers! Did you see what those Hill brothers do the other day?'."

* In the first episode, where Bobby resorts to misbehaving so his dad can pay attention to him (after refusing to tell Peggy or Hank that the child abuse investigation was called off due to the social worker's incompetence): "Disappointment? No, you make me proud. I've been disappointed by just about everything else in this town, but you? Not once. Dammit, you're my boy. Heh, you know better than that."

--> '''Hank:''' Now you just listen here. You see that boy? That’s my boy. And if you ever try to take him away, so help me God I’ll tear you a new one bigger than the Grand Canyon. Now I want you to get out of my house. You’re not welcome here. I mean now, before I give you a black eye! Git!

* Cotton admits that Hank is a better father than he is... [[StealthInsult in the most Cotton way possible]].

* In ''King of the Ant Hill'' Hank was all but ready to kick Dale's ass for destroying his lawn and Dale was understandably scared, but when Bobby comes in covered in fire ants, Dale didn't hesitate to save him. He told Bobby to grab his hand and have the swarm him, knowing they'll bite him, but he was all ready to save his friend's son's life.

* In "Texas City Twister", Hank has been called out by Peggy for being way too stiff and way too in control of his emotions. They spat and Hank tells her (in his own Hank-esque way) to go to hell, but just after she leaves a tornado is announced to be heading toward the trailer park (where Hank was making Luanne go back to). What does Hank do in response? Rush to the trailer park just to let her know he was sorry. Even when the tornado hits, Hank holds onto a telephone pole just long enough to let go of his emotions and let Peggy know how much he loves her.
--> '''Hank:''' You're my best girl! You mean everything to me! When we were apart today, that was hell! I couldn't wake up in the morning without your beautiful face beside me!

* "The Company Man" has a brief moment of Hank and a stripper bonding over both of their bosses forcing them into degrading situations for the sake of money. It's notable considering how close-minded Hank normally is about anything involving sexuality, even in a tertiary sense. You'd expect him to freak out at her saying they're a lot alike, but he barely blinks in response.
* In "Meet the Manger Babies", Luanne is feeling down, but finds a box of hand puppets at a sale that she starts playing around a bit with. Hank, who you would normally expect to see something like that as pointless, immediately offers to buy them, and when Luanne asks if he's serious, he simply replies "If all it costs is 25 cents to make you smile, it's worth it". Probably one of the more sudden, spontaneous and open acts of affection. Of course, he then IMMEDIATELY refuses buying Bobby a wig he likes, but he continues being nice and supportive to Luanne, even playing along a bit when she's pitching her puppet show to the family.
** It's likely he refused to buy Bobby the wig because he knows it's mostly just Bobby playing around while Luanne genuinely seems happy playing with the puppets since she mentions having played them with a social worker. As emotionally stunted as Hank seems to be, he's very good at knowing what others need and is encouraging Luanne's needs over indulging Bobby's (very) brief want.

* In "Propane Boom II: Death of a Propane Salesman", [[spoiler:Luanne, the most happy-go-lucky character, goes through one of her darkest moments in the series after being caught in a propane explosion that killed her boyfriend and singed off her hair, causing her to put on a Sinéad O'Connor act to hide her pain. After reading the last birthday card she received from Buckley, she breaks down and grieves, but she is able to console herself by using the puppets from her Manger Babies show.]]
-->'''Luanne''': ''(crying)'' Oh God... [[spoiler:Buckley.... my hair...]] I am so alone....\\

** The scene then quickly turns humorous as she convinces herself to try on a wig made from multi-colored hair her friends at beauty school made for her.
*** Though if you really think about it, all of the students at the Beauty School were utter {{Jerkass}}es to her. If anything it was more of a joke on Luanne.
** There's also Kahn's speech at Buckley's funeral. Granted, the relationship between the two was never really displayed, given the show's centralizing on Hank, but it comes off as believable enough, and it's nice to see one character give him a proper eulogy.
*** One must remember, though, that Kahn's friendship with Buckley came about solely because Hank didn't like Buckley.

* In "Nine Pretty Darn Angry Men", Bill tries to speak for himself more after being persuaded by a focus group discussing a mower (it's a long story). When Hank tries to persuade Bill back to his side by saying he'll fix up Bill's mower, the focus group man is trying to think of a word for "old" and Bill gives the man the word "collectible". Dale compliments Bill and says he's on fire. This is really touching since Dale usually disregards Bill as much as he can.

--> '''Hank:''' Have you thought about what you want for Christmas, mom?
--> '''Tilly:''' I don't need anything from you, Hank. You've given me enough already.

* In "De-Kahnstructing Henry", Kahn gets fired because he blabs company secrets to Hank in his endless desire to prove himself superior. His pride causes him to run off until he can find a better job than Hank, leaving it to the Hills to take care of Minh and Connie. Eventually Hank finds Kahn and convinces him that taking care of his family is much more important than being the better man. At the end of the episode, Kahn comes by the Hills' house to brag about his awesome new job, and Hank allows him to boast before saying "Glad to have you back, Kahn. Good night." After he closes the door, Kahn blusters a bit more, then quietly adds "Thank you, Hank."

* In "Love Hurts and So Does Art", Bobby gets addicted to New York-style deli food, which gives him gout. This means he can't go to the dance with Connie, greatly upsetting her, but he remains oblivious. Eventually, the deli owner points out that Bobby's obviously in love, inspiring him to do everything he can to get to the dance. When he gets there and asks Connie to dance, she asks "What about your gout?" Bobby responds "[[MeaningfulEcho My dad says when you really want something, you play through the pain]]."
** And they dance in the gym to "How Do I Live".

--> '''Dale:''' Oh God Hank you're dying, I'll never forget you, I will bury you in my backyard, I'll dedicate my life to propane, and don't you worry about Peggy - I'll keep Bill away from her.
--> '''Hank:''' I'm fine, Dale, but if you're serious about the propane, I've got some pamphlets...
--> '''Dale:''' You're fine!
--> ''(Dale unbuttons Hank's shirt to find the bullet-proof vest.)''
--> '''Dale:''' You were wearing a bulletproof vest! You thought I was gonna shoot you.
--> '''Hank:''' Well...that or spray me with poisonous chemicals. I thought you'd kill yourself right after.
--> '''Dale:''' ''(smiling)'' I would have too.
* In "Revenge of the Lutefisk", Bobby accidentally burns down the church but Cotton is blamed because a strip club matchbook was found at the scene and because earlier he made a scene over the new female reverend. When Bobby finally confesses, Cotton decides to keep taking the blame because (as he says): "I'm an old man, everyone already hates me! But Bobby's got his whole life ahead of him. If I can take a bullet for my grandson, I'll do it!"
** Turns into a CMOF with "Not in the face! That's how I make my livings."
* Pretty much the entire "Wings of a Dope" episode, in which Buckley's angel comes back, particularly the scene in which he and Luanne bounce on the trampoline after first meeting. Fireflies appear around them and fittingly enough, Dream Academy's "Life in a Northern Town" plays in the background. The ending is the real kicker, though. When Buckley had initially appeared, he had wings, but no halo. After he advises Luanne to drop out of beauty school and try something else, in her case, community college, he meets her one last time on the trampoline. They share one last kiss, he bounces up into the night sky, and Luanne walks back into the house. Shortly afterward, Buckley lands on the trampoline and is shown walking off down the street to the horizon - pulling a halo out of his pocket and donning it. He earned his halo for helping her.

* In "Peggy Hill: The Decline and Fall" Cotton comes to the hospital to see his newborn baby. Initially he says hes just there out of an obligation, but as soon as he sees him he instantly turns into a mushball, calling him a handsome little soldier. Later on hes proudly boasting about how the baby looked at his nurse as if he wanted to slap her rump. Kinda twisted? Yeah, but heartwrenching nonetheless.
** The end of the episode qualifies as well. [[TheScrappy Peggy]], of all people, manages to calm G.H., despite being in a body cast. After spending much of the episode crying, the baby is finally quieted by her rocking his carrier with her toes.
*** Made even more heartwarming when you remember that the reason Peggy was in the cast in the first place was because she skydived out of a plane upon hearing the news that Didi was giving birth, and then preceded to be depressed the whole episode over feeling useless. When she's found rocking the baby, she has a smile on her face and tears in her eyes.

* Subverted in "Bills Are Made to Be Broken"; a promising young football player ties Bill's record for most career touchdowns, but suffers a GameBreakingInjury that will put him out for the season. At the next game, the opposing team ''lets'' him score the record-breaking touchdown, which is a CMOH for everyone except Bill and his friends, who see it as unfair since the player didn't earn it.
-->'''Hank''' ''(to the crowd)'': May God have mercy on you all!
** It doesn't help that later we learn throughout the episode the kid is a JerkAss and dating two girls at the same time.

* The episode "Happy Hank's Giving" is full of them. The first one comes when the Hills finally manage to get a bus to take them to an another airport, but give up their seats to another family. The second one comes near the climax of the episode, when Thanksgiving has come and gone and none of their flights have managed to leave, after constant trouble, getting caught in the rain, having no food, etc. Having been determined to get to their plane, but now having all missed the events they were hoping to get to, the Hills and all their neighbors share Boomhauer's pizza and the bits and pieces of food they can scrounge up to have their own personal Thanksgiving dinner.
** A Small one, but when The Souphanousinphone's (or mainly Kahn) start bragging about how fantastic their Thanksgiving will be compared to the Hills, Hank takes it in stride and wishes them a Happy Thanksgiving, and Kahn drops all snark and wishes them the same too.

* The episode where Bobby has the opportunity to become a Lama. He's faced with doubt because he's told he can't marry if he goes through with it, so during his final test, when he's told to choose "anything he sees on the rug", he chooses Connie, whose reflection he can see in a mirror. Made even better by a conversation between two monks afterwards:
-->'''Younger Monk''': That was Sanglug's mirror!\\

* "Nancy Boys", the episode when Nancy chose Dale over John Redcorn. It helps that John comes to realize Dale is a good man, and [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy steps aside so Nancy can be with him]].

* In "Movin' On Up", Luanne moves out but ends up having to contend with JerkAss roommates who don't contribute and call her a rules Nazi for having any form of discipline. She goes to Hank for help, but he says [[ThisIsSomethingHesGotToDoHimself she has to do it herself]], explaining the old metaphor of "teach a man to fish", but encouraging her to find her own HappyPlace like his lawn. At the end of the episode she's carefully maintaining the house's pool, which has become her HappyPlace. She reveals the rather clever manner in which she dealt with the roommates[[note]]She closed the accounts on all the utilities, meaning they'll have to get off their asses and open new ones if they want power, phone, heat, etc.[[/note]], and Hank asks if she wants to come over for a beer. She says "No thanks Uncle Hank, you taught me how to fish" and proceeds to pull a cooler out of the pool, sharing an Alamo with him. The two even share a "Yep"! So sweet!
** The [[SoProudOfYou big smile]] Hank gives when Luanne tosses him a beer, no words can describe just how proud he is of her.

* The Veterans Day episode where Cotton, unable to participate in the Veterans Day parade since he has to work a crappy job as a restaurant greeter (that he actually is competent at, he's just criticized for helping out in places outside of his duties), begins to contemplate suicide, when Didi (oblivious to Cotton's state of mind) asks him to watch Good Hank. Hank, who knew that Cotton was depressed, rushes to his house, and is shocked when he hears a gunshot; turns out Cotton had G.H. just fire a gun into a mattress (and don't worry, G.H. was earmuffed and enjoying himself), which also led to this SugarWiki/{{Funny Moment|s}} between Cotton and Hank.
-->'''Cotton:''' You cried your first time [firing a gun], and you was three!

* Joseph's impassioned speech at the end of "Spin the Choice", which strongly implies Nancy has told him the truth about his parentage, and that he's at peace with the fact that John Redcorn is his biological father.

* In "Now Who's the Dummy?", Hank is initially very worried that Bobby has taken to ventriloquism. However, the dummy, a jock named Chip Block, is very sports oriented, making Bobby develop considerable knowledge about sports that he uses for his material much to Hank's enjoyment. Especially during their first "meeting", when Bobby impresses the gang with his ventriloquism skills and sports knowledge, leading to Hank proudly exclaiming "He's using show business!" in a tone of voice that encourages a child's newfound hobby.

* A funny yet sweet little moment in "Ho Yeah!" Peggy gets a rather tarted-up makeover from [[HookerWithAHeartOfGold Tammi]] (unaware she is a prostitute on the run from her pimp), who also gives Hank an obvious pimp hat as a present. They look in the mirror, oblivious that they look like a pimp and hooker, and comment "Aren't we a couple of movie stars!"

* In "It's Not Easy Being Green", Hank tries to prevent the draining of a local quarry to prevent Boomhauer from finding out that he, Dale and Bill took his car for a ride in high school and accidentally crashed it into the quarry. At the end of the episode, the car is dredged up and Bobby calls Boomhauer to get back at Hank for pretending to be interested in his environmental causes for the sake of keeping the quarry filled. At the end of the episode, Bobby asks Boomhauer how long they should be mad at Hank, and Boomhauer tells Bobby that life is too short to hold grudges, and says maybe two or three weeks. Bobby tells him that he sees why Hank is always quoting him, and Boomhauer, flattered, decides to bump it down to one week (but only for Hank).

** Even moreso, We learn eventually Boomhaurer's first name is Jeff. Bobby's middle name was revealed to be Jeffrey, indicating that Hank thought highly of his friend so much that he named his only son after him.
* In "Hank's Back Story", Hank's brotherhood with his support group of people that suffer Diminished Gluteal Syndrome, especially when one of the guys throws his own gluteal prosthetic to Hank so that he can finish the lawn mower race.

* When Dale has an accidental discharge in "Soldier of Misfortune," he explains it to Hank by using a propane sales metaphor, at which Hank is [[SeriousBusiness aghast.]] However, Dale's knowledge of Hank's propane sales tactics and love for his job is a Fridge CMOH.
* When Dale is scared someone is going to kill him, he is trying to flee with his family. Then he gets a call from Hank telling him that the psychotic gun club president has taken Hank, Bill, and Boomhauer hostage. At first, Dale is going to flee. Then Bobby comes out of the house.
--> '''Bobby:''' Is that my dad? If he's not going to make it home for dinner, ask him if I can have his pork chop.
--> '''Dale:''' Bobby, you'll be having your dad's pork chop every night for the rest of your life. Wait... That's the saddest thing I've ever heard. RETRACTION! Bobby, you will not be having your dad's pork chop tonight or any other night. You hear that, Hank? Bobby's not having your pork chop, damn it. I'm on my way!*
* ''The Father, the Son, and J.C.'': Hank tells Buck "I love you", something he never told Cotton. Cotton is mad through most of the episode, especially when Hank can't stomach it to tell his dad that he loves him and instead says "I hate you". But at the end, when Hank apologizes for making Cotton mad and [[ItMakesSenseInContext Cotton shoots President Carter's limo with a nail gun]], we get this.
-->'''Cotton:''' I love shooting a nail gun.
-->'''Hank:''' I love shooting a nail gun too, Dad.

* Usually, if the episode centers around Bill, you can expect one. Probably the most heartwarming one was the episode where, after a despondent Boomhauer has fallen in love with and been jilted by a female version of ''himself'', Bill genuinely and kindly coaches him back to happiness.
** Considering Boomhauer had earlier shoved Bill aside to put the moves on her (let's assume Bill had a shot at her at all), hell yeah.
* In "Dang Ol' Love", Bill gets Boomhauer out of a breakdown with a stirring speech:

* The ending of ''"Unfortunate Son"'', when Cotton Hill not only admits that Hank did everything right during their escape from the veterans he (Cotton) had set off, and that he screwed up, but he gives the Vietnam vets he'd previously insulted and looked down upon his respect and states he's honored to have them join the Arlen VFW.

** Doubles as a TearJerker once Ronnie starts speaking.

* "Of Mice And Little Green Men" has Dale finally discover something is amiss between him and his son, Joseph, and comes to most obvious conclusion....that his wife was [[ComicallyMissingThePoint impregnated by extra terrestrial life.]] Joseph at first is dumbfounded by this accusation, but then, [[LikeFatherLikeSon as a sign of his father's influence]], starts to believe it and even starts adding in other bizarre theories such as the aliens still using Dale's sperm for the experimentation that could still make the two related. Hank and Bobby come to the conclusion the two are very much two peas in a pod.

-->'''Bobby:''' Sorry I missed the play, dad.
-->'''Hank:''' It's alright son. ''[smirks]'' I guess you had your own idiot manchild to deal with.

** In a weird way in the flashback of how Dale thought how Joseph was conceived we see John Redcorn sleeping on the couch. Sure that’s not how it happened exactly but how trusting does it say Dale is towards John that rather then a visual gag of irony they we see in Dale’s mind John is actually that good of a friend.

* The end of the two-parter "Returning Japanese". Cotton makes peace with the woman he fell in love with after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and with whom he fathered Junichiro, and just before they leave for the airport, Cotton (of all people!) encourages Bobby to say goodbye to the little Japanese girl he became friends with during his vacation.

*** This whole two-parter is full of PetTheDog moments that show Cotton at his best. In a smaller example, he asks Peggy for a photo of Hank and Bobby to show to his old girlfriend, and actually says thank you when she does. Considering the normally venomous relationship between these two, that speaks volumes.

* At the end of "The Texas Skillsaw Massacre", after Hank saves Dale, Bill and Boomhauer from getting crushed to death under the alley by a garbage truck, Boomhauer shows his appreciation and gratitude by taking the coldest beer in the cooler out and giving it to Hank. Bill also tells Hank he got rid of all the burger wrappers on his lawn like he wanted him to, as a way of saying thanks for "losing his temper" and saving them. Dale also proclaims they're best friends again, which shows that you can really be grateful for your friends even if things happen that drive you apart from them.

* That book club episode has Hank giving Peggy the fighting spirit to take care of gun buyer aspect of the business but was obviously the one who helped started the book club Peggy always wanted when he learns that one of Dale's customers read the book Peggy was giving out.
* "Megalo Dale" has Dale getting an extermination job because of Hank's recommendation but he soon turns it into one of his conspiracy theories involving Chuck Mangione. It turns out that for once he was right but after saving his friends from pranking teenage workers with Chuck's help he pretends he was wrong. Bill and Boomhauer mock Dale but Hank comes to his defense by pointing out regardless of how Dale did solve the problem and would recommend him again. One of those moments where you see why Hank and Dale are friends.

* "Racist Dawg" opens with a gas leak in the Hill household. Bill smells the gas and bursts in, pulling Peggy out first and then Hank. As he's laying Hank on the lawn, Ladybird comes out of the house, pulling an unconscious Bobby by the back of his shirt. It's sweet Bill saved Hank and Peggy, but there's something especially touching about seeing Ladybird save Bobby, seemingly of her own volition. You can see why Ladybird is truly the thing Hank loves most in the world - she's a very sweet old girl.

* In "Patch Boomhauer", Boomhauer continually fails to warn Patch's fiance Catherine about his younger brother's dishonesty and perversion (e.g. sexually harassing Luanne the week before the wedding, hiring prostitutes for the bachelor party), [[NotWhatItLooksLike making himself look guilty]] in the process (e.g. him offering the prostitutes money to leave gets warped into him hiring them in the first place). Because Patch's fiance is Boomhauer's former girlfriend who he still loves, the accusations that he's trying to break them up by slandering and framing Patch is believed easily by everyone, including Hank, resulting in him being shunned by the neighborhood while [[BitchInSheepsClothing Patch]] is accepted. How does Boomhauer get out of this one? New evidence? A zany scheme? Nope. Instead, Hank, remembering that Boomhauer has never actually lied to him in their thirty years of friendship, simply asks Boomhauer straightly whether he hired the prostitutes. Boomhauer says no. Hank instantly believes him. It says a lot about Hank's trust in his friend.

* In "Patch Boomhauer", when Hank and Peggy talk about the bachelor parties, Bobby was just going to be an usher. When Peggy was out of earshot, Hank leaned in and whispered to Bobby that while he can't officially invite Bobby if a certain usher walked into the party and had some fun, Hank would be too busy to notice. Bobby was delighted and Hank winked at his son, a small gesture that shows how much Hank wants his son to have fun.
* In the episode where an old flame of Boomhauer's was going to marry his loutish brother (voiced by Creator/BradPitt), Hank confronts Boomhauer on suspicion that he was trying to sabotage their relationship and asks him straight out if he was. Boomhauer looks him in the eye says no, and that is all Hank needs to hear to believe him absolutely. It's a wonderful reminder of the power of a true friendship.

* The end of the Christian rock episode. Despite his discomfort with the faddish nature of Christian rock, Hank actually makes a reasonable argument by showing Bobby the fads that Bobby (and Hank himself) had been obsessed with when he was younger.
--> '''Bobby:''' Beanie Babies? I can't believe I collected these things, they're so lame.
--> '''Hank:''' You didn't think so five years ago. Or how about your virtual pet? You used to carry it around everywhere. Then one day you got bored of it, forgot to feed it and it died.
--> '''Bobby:''' ''(looks at a picture of himself in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume)'' I looked like a dork.
--> '''Hank:''' I know how you feel. ''(shows Bobby a picture of his younger self)'' I didn't think that Members Only jacket would go out of style, but it did. I know you think that stuff you're doing now is cool, but in a few years you're gonna think it's lame. And I don't want the, uh, Lord to, uh, you know, end up in this box.

* "Livin' on Reds, Vitamin C and Propane" features Hank and Bobby driving an eighteen wheeler to take a relatively small bunch of furniture to Hank's mom's house by Christmas. Hank makes a big deal about being a trucker, but is generally teased and mocked by other truckers throughout the trip. After some shenanigans where Bill, Boomhauer, and Dale get the truck stuck on a mountain and Hank has to drive it down in reverse, only guided by Boomhauer on the radio, they run into another group of truckers - who enthusiastically cheer them on for such an insane stunt, and escort them the rest of the journey since Hank's truck didn't have working mirrors or lights. After being ragged on and insulted the whole episode, Hank's reaction to the truckers genuinely excited to see the crazy son of a bitch who drove down the mountain backwards, and their enthusiasm to help him finish his trip, is a real CMOH.

* One episode has Dale give up his kidney, and he wants it back upon finding out that it wasn't needed. However, it's a perfect match for an ill boy. Dale vanishes with his kidney, but to everyone's surprise, lets the ill boy have it.

* "Daletech" has Cotton staying in the house and while he does drive everyone up the wall for once it doesn't come from being a {{Jerkass}} but simply an old man wanting to be useful to his family. He gets a job as a senior citizen police officer but quickly ruins things with his normal behavior before solving a case that had Kahn sneaking into the house to cause minor mischief. Hank is impressed to the point that he salutes his father but Cotton in his own way tells Hank he doesn't need it.

* Peggy returns home to the Montana ranch she grew up on, hoping to make peace with the mother who has never given her any approval. Peggy goes as far as to save the whole ranch from shutting down, and her mother still rags on her. Peggy storms out of the house demanding to know what she ever came there for. Hank points to Bobby, and the episode ends on a shot of him sitting still and proud on a horse, just appreciating the world. He'd come to the ranch thinking it would be the most boring experience of his life, but between meeting a horse he liked and Peggy teaching him about horses, he discovered a part of himself that would never have appeared in Arlen.
* There are a lot of strangely sweet moments in the episode where Peggy gets obsessed with Lawn Gnomes. Hank absolutely hates the lawn gnome she puts on his lawn as he feels it ruins it, and when Bobby accidentally breaks it, he takes it as an excuse to break it completely and bury it. That's not so nice of him: What IS nice is that throughout the entire episode, he keeps denying Bobby had anything to do with it to keep him out of trouble, and even sneaks in dessert to him when Peggy grounds him for it. And when he sees just how upset she is about the Gnome, he goes to a special store to get her a new one as per Bobby's suggestion, and explains to the shopkeeper AND a crazy gnome collecting woman that "as beautiful as his lawn is, it doesn't measure up to his wife's happiness". And when he gets home, he makes sure to say that the replacement was Bobby's idea. Basically: not only does Hank attempt to take the fall for Bobby's accident, he goes against his own principles to make his wife happy and still gives Bobby credit.

* The episode wherein Redcorn is in a band with Dale as the "manager". When the band breaks up and Redcorn discovers that he can sing very calmly and simplistically (like Raffi), Dale is the only one who sticks besides him.
* "It Ain't Over Till The Fat Neighbor Sings": Bill is more down than usual, since he feels he isn't appreciated at his job, and that no one will even notice if he stopped showing up. It initially seems to be true, but Hank, Dale, and Boomhauer go find him when it turns out he'll get in trouble with the army. When they find Bill, this is what convinced him to leave the Harmonaholics:
-->'''Hank:''' Bill, you already have a nickname-- "Army Sergeant Not-In-Jail Dauterive." Remember you asked if anyone would notice if you didn't go to work? Well, the Army sure noticed. If you don't get back to cut the General's hair, you're AWOL. The Army is going to lock you up for 30 years. You know how much that's going to cost them? Hundreds of thousands of dollars. I'd say that's taking notice.
-->'''Bill:''' But the Harmonaholics are my friends.
-->'''Hank:''' Are they really? All they've asked from you is to give, give, give. Well, friendship is a two-way street. Heck, you know we gave up Monday Night Football tickets to come get you? ''That's'' a friend. Not these guys!

--> '''The General:''' You know, you're the only army barber I let touch my hair. I always say the 110th has the best barber. We fight hard, and we look good doing it.

* In "Harlottown", Peggy uncovers Arlen's past as a den of prostitution, and wants to use it as means to celebrate the town's history. The self-serving city manager, however, wants to turn Arlen into [[ThemeParkVersion a tourist trap]] for prostitution, going so far as to attract the Adult Video Awards. Hank, while driving out of town, picks up one of the adult film actresses, who regrets the life she chose. Hank reassures her, by telling her that even the prostitutes who built Arlen were able to clean up their act and make it into a real community. The actress not only turns a new leaf, but stops Arlen from descending into sleaziness, and the final scene shows that she's become a friend to the Hill family.

-->"Peggy, they tried to fix an engine problem by changing a tire. They'll ''die'' out here."

* In "Business is Picking Up", for a job shadow program, Bobby is placed with Peter Sterling, a man whose business is picking up trash and dog poop and is a success. Hank isn't very pleased about the idea and the fact that Bobby is more than happily ready to accept this as his future (Bobby thinks it's just Hank not being okay with him having a job other than propane), but there's more to it than that. Hank goes directly to Peter (the owner of Earth Cleaners), and instead of trying to scare Peter or talk down to him about how demeaning his job is, he openly says that he respects the work Peter is doing, as it is an essential part of keeping the community clean, and that he earned his success. But Hank goes on to point out why it's okay for someone like Peter to have it as a career. Peter is by all definition, a fine looking business man. He's tall, good looking, in shape and has all the confidence in the world. Realistically, someone like Peter can make picking up excrement and dog poop a good looking job, and while Hank will always love Bobby, he knows his son isn't going to end up like Peter, and with him having this type of job, people will only see an unattractive looking person (at least compared to Peter) scooping up excrement and vomit. Hank is not only trying to get Bobby out of this business because it looks bad (which was the main reason), but with someone like Bobby, it will only ruin his image. When Peter says he's not about to lie to Bobby to get him out of the business, Hank resigns to give it to Bobby straight; he's prepared to have his son hate him for the rest of his life, if that is what it takes to save Bobby's future.

* "The Peggy Horror Picture Show" features a drag queen who Peggy befriends. Some scenes in here show him at home with his mother, who doesn't mind he's a drag queen. Knowing how some parents act toward their children for being like that, I'd say that's rather sweet.
** More than not minding, when Caroline laments that her new friend is "a real woman", her mother states that "You are as female as any other woman out there, and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise!"[[labelnote:*]]Not exact quote.[[/labelnote]]
** In fact, Caroline's mother is so supportive that she's actually a little put off by it at times. Definitely not the worst problem someone can have.
** That whole episode qualifies. Peggy was feeling down because she's not the most feminine woman because of the way she dresses and her size 16 1/2 feet, but her friendship with Caroline made her very happy and feel better about herself. Upon learning that Caroline is a drag queen, she sinks back into depression until Caroline takes her along to a clothing swap between other drag queens, where she explains that they admire women like Peggy who are strong, confident, and not afraid to wear clothes that most people would see as tacky or outrageous. In short, they don't want to simply be women. They want to be women with ''character.'' Plus, Peggy felt like her being mistaken as a drag queen made her less feminine -- Caroline is very sweet and assures her that her femininity makes her an inspiration to all of the queens.
*** A subtle but sweet nod to this: when Nancy and Minh see Peggy dressed up for her routine, they immediately shower her with compliments on her looks. Considering that they're both quite feminine and passionate women, their accolades for Peggy's looks are just further proof that Peggy is plenty feminine all on her own. Additionally, the two of them and Luanne come to her debut show to surprise her with flowers - and when that doesn't work out, they follow her to her to the house to try and cheer her up.

* "Blood and Sauce" has a couple. Bobby is supposed to help Bill with his barbecue, but when he sees that it'll involve hard work, he runs. When Hank starts asking Bobby questions about the work, Bill covers for the boy by saying it's a family secret and Bobby promised not to tell. Later on Bobby goes to apologize, asking for a second chance no matter how hard the work is; from this we get a few nice scenes of Bill and Bobby working together and bonding.

* In one episode (Season 12, Episode 8 "The Minh Who Knew Too Much"), Mihn had to join Dale's gun club as a part of a scheme concocted by herself and Kahn to get into the Nine Rivers Country Club. Long story short, Mihn actually had some fun hanging out with the guys and shooting stuff. So much so that when she and Kahn finally manage to join the prestigious club, Mihn is openly bored. But while Kahn is feigning interest to impress Ted Wassonasong, Mihn gets a call from the guys and quietly does their club cheer over the phone.
* "Lady and Gentrification": Enrique gets Hank to speak at his daughter's Quinceñera and stands up for his friend even when the {{Jerkass}} hipsters who hate Hank, you know, [[BoomerangBigot for his race]] come in and ruin the quality of life in his neighborhood for Enrique and his daughter while ridiculously claiming they're his ''real'' friends.

* In an episode that begins with Peggy and Bobby looking through an album of their old (terrible) Christmas photos, Peggy spends the episode frantically trying to get her family together to finally get a good one with a popular photographer. The episode closes with a similar shot of a photo album, containing the new (terrible) family photo, only this time the wide shot reveals that it's Bill looking at the album with a smile on his face. Totally d'awww material.

* In "What Happens At The National..." Hank is supposed to introduce Buck for his induction into the Propane Hall Of Flame, but ends up getting drunk (after being angry at Buck for running around and acting irresponsible with his son Ray Roy) and throwing up while giving his speech and ends up getting in trouble. Buck and Ray Roy decide to work together to help save Hank, that in itself is nice, but the true CMOH comes when the panel of judges presents Hank with his own Hall Of Flame jacket at Buck's insistence, showing that Buck truly does appreciate Hank for everything that he's done.

* In "Bwah My Nose", when Dale is forced to sub in for a fearful Hank, Dale is nervous and has a lot of reservations. Joseph rallies his dad by saying that Dale "can flee!" which inspires Dale to at least try. Something Dale would not have done otherwise. Dale later performs a crucial block in the actual game, even if he did get crushed during it.
* In "Bwah My Nose", it's oddly heartwarming to see Billdozer in full effect during the tag football game.
* A blink and you'll miss it moment from ''Manger Baby Einstein'' where Hank talks to Luanne about how she's a mother now and notes that even if the country ran mainly on propane [[ItMakesSenseInContext and he were to become the vice president]], he would still be a father first. After Luanne notes that he's an uncle second (actually fourth), she gives Hank a hug, to which not only does he pat her back, but if you note the page image, he even smiles. Given how in the early seasons he would more than often direct her to Peggy for a hug (given how uncomfortable he is for the most part about physical contact), it really shows how far he's come with her since the Pilot.
** The favorite Manger Baby of Luanne's daughter Gracie? None other than the octopus (a.k.a. "Gurgle-Gurgle") who winds up the only one not destroyed by a wrathful Dale. It wasn't given as much attention as some of the other Manger Babies but it still was the favorite of the most important person in Luanne's life.

* The final episode "To Sirloin with Love", where Hank and Bobby finally find something they both enjoy that doesn't make Hank embarrassed and doesn't bore Bobby--grilling and distinguishing cuts of beef--and the final scene where everyone in the neighborhood comes to the Hills' backyard for barbecue.

* It's heartwarming that Dale just assumes he's Joseph's father, despite all evidence he's obviously not. Joseph looks nothing like Dale, and is not even the same race and looks a lot like John Redcorn who had the affair with his wife Nancy. He might even know this deep down inside, but despite all his conspiracy nonsense and craziness, he's a very nurturing man to automatically take that role without openly questioning it. It's also sweet his friends keeps up the act that he's Dale's child, in order to keep him and Joseph's father/son relationship going. This actually leads to a lot of heartwarming moments in the show, both big and small, with Joseph and Dale's commitment to their assumed roles.

** And all the episodes that show Dale's unconditional love for his son Joseph. In "Peggy's Headache", where Peggy learns about the affair, she's hell-bent on telling Dale the truth, but stops when she sees him doting on Joseph and realizes that even if they aren't blood, those two are most definitely father and son and it would be wrong to take that away from them.
*** John Redcorn might be Joseph's father, but he's Dale's son.

* This is more of a collective moment of heartwarming when you take the time to examine the episodes that involve a Hank/Connie dynamic. When she receives her first period, Hank winds up having to help her get sorted out, and overcomes a fear of total embarrassment and emasculation to help her buy the things she needed from the women's health aisle. Then there was the time the two sort of bonded thanks to the bluegrass group the guys in the alley put together (until Hank became almost as controlling as Kahn, though both get better by the end of the episode), and finally, when her parents go off the deep end and become rednecks. Hank finally puts his foot down when it looks like Connie and her family will become homeless. For her sake, he manages to snap Minh and Kahn back to reality by pointing out that throughout everything Connie never once complained or stopped trying her hardest.
** Those episodes are "Aisle 8-A," "The Bluegrass is Always Greener," and "The Redneck of Rainey Street", for the curious.
* For all the hate he had for Bobby dating Connie, Kahn had a few PetTheDog moments with Hank's son. One that stands out is the episode where Bobby and Connie are trapped in a cave, Hank and Kahn go in after them. Hank pre-emptively tries to apologize in case Bobby and Connie have sex, but Kahn shrugs it off, saying that it won't happen because Bobby is a good kid (he ''is'', however, worried about Joseph trying the same).

[[caption-width-right:350: Top image: pilot episode. Bottom image: final season. After thirteen years, [[CharacterDevelopment character development goes a long way]].]]

* It's heartwarming that Dale just assumes he's Joseph's father, despite all evidence he's obviously not. Joseph looks nothing like Dale, and is not even the same race and looks a lot like John Redcorn who had the affair with his wife Nancy. He might even know this deep down inside, but despite all his conspiracy nonsense and craziness, he's a very nurturing man to automatically take that role without openly questioning it. It's also sweet his friends keeps up the act that he's Dale's child, in order to keep him and Joseph's father/son relationship going. This actually leads to a lot of heartwarming moments in the show, both big and small, with Joseph and Dale's commitment to their assumed roles.
* In "Nine Pretty Darn Angry Men", Bill tries to speak for himself more after being persuaded by a focus group discussing a mower (it's a long story). When Hank tries to persuade Bill back to his side by saying he'll fix up Bill's mower, the focus group man is trying to think of a word for "old" and Bill gives the man the word "collectible". Dale compliments Bill and says he's on fire. This is really touching since Dale usually disregards Bill as much as he can.
** After Bill gets convinced to change his vote, he falls into despair, convinced that he's never right about anything and that he should just let Hank talk for him. In response, Hank convinces him that, if Hank always talks for Bill and Hank's always right, then Bill's always right as well. This cheers Bill right back up.
** Not to mention Hank finally defending his mother from Cotton at the end, especially since she gets to see it after mourning the fact that Hank has never once stood up for her earlier in the episode.
--> '''Hank:''' Have you thought about what you want for Christmas, mom?
--> '''Tilly:''' I don't need anything from you, Hank. You've given me enough already.

* A blink and you'll miss it moment from ''Manger Baby Einstein'' where Hank talks to Luanne about how she's a mother now and notes that even if the country ran mainly on propane [[ItMakesSenseInContext and he were to become the vice president]], he would still be a father first. After Luanne notes that he's an uncle second (actually fourth), she gives Hank a hug, to which not only does he pat her back, but if you note the page image, he even smiles. Given how in the early seasons he would more than often direct her to Peggy for a hug (given how uncomfortable he is for the most part about physical contact), it really shows how far he's come with her since the Pilot.
** The favorite Manger Baby of Luanne's daughter Gracie? None other than the octopus (a.k.a. "Gurgle-Gurgle") who winds up the only one not destroyed by a wrathful Dale. It wasn't given as much attention as some of the other Manger Babies but it still was the favorite of the most important person in Luanne's life.
* In "Patch Boomhauer", Boomhauer continually fails to warn Patch's fiance Catherine about his younger brother's dishonesty and perversion (e.g. sexually harassing Luanne the week before the wedding, hiring prostitutes for the bachelor party), [[NotWhatItLooksLike making himself look guilty]] in the process (e.g. him offering the prostitutes money to leave gets warped into him hiring them in the first place). Because Patch's fiance is Boomhauer's former girlfriend who he still loves, the accusations that he's trying to break them up by slandering and framing Patch is believed easily by everyone, including Hank, resulting in him being shunned by the neighborhood while [[BitchInSheepsClothing Patch]] is accepted. How does Boomhauer get out of this one? New evidence? A zany scheme? Nope. Instead, Hank, remembering that Boomhauer has never actually lied to him in their thirty years of friendship, simply asks Boomhauer straightly whether he hired the prostitutes. Boomhauer says no. Hank instantly believes him. It says a lot about Hank's trust in his friend.
** It should also be noted that the reason Hank had this realization about Boomhauer's lack of lying was because of Dale. When Hank and the others were drinking in the alley before the rehearsal dinner and Hank started to complain about his shock over Boomhauer being a liar, Dale stopped him. Dale then mentioned that Hank merely assumed that Boomhauer lied, this is a big statement from Dale considering he writes most people off, even his closest friends.
* In "Patch Boomhauer", when Hank and Peggy talk about the bachelor parties, Bobby was just going to be an usher. When Peggy was out of earshot, Hank leaned in and whispered to Bobby that while he can't officially invite Bobby if a certain usher walked into the party and had some fun, Hank would be too busy to notice. Bobby was delighted and Hank winked at his son, a small gesture that shows how much Hank wants his son to have fun.
* The end of the Christian rock episode. Despite his discomfort with the faddish nature of Christian rock, Hank actually makes a reasonable argument by showing Bobby the fads that Bobby (and Hank himself) had been obsessed with when he was younger.
--> '''Bobby:''' Beanie Babies? I can't believe I collected these things, they're so lame.
--> '''Hank:''' You didn't think so five years ago. Or how about your virtual pet? You used to carry it around everywhere. Then one day you got bored of it, forgot to feed it and it died.
--> '''Bobby:''' ''(looks at a picture of himself in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume)'' I looked like a dork.
--> '''Hank:''' I know how you feel. ''(shows Bobby a picture of his younger self)'' I didn't think that Members Only jacket would go out of style, but it did. I know you think that stuff you're doing now is cool, but in a few years you're gonna think it's lame. And I don't want the, uh, Lord to, uh, you know, end up in this box.
** When Hank tries to take Bobby home from the show against Pastor K's wishes, Kevin's outwardly scuzzy dad (who also roadies for the band) intervenes to remind his own son about the Fifth Commandment -- ''honor thy father and thy mother'' -- and to not let it upset him, because Hank is still raising Bobby as Christian in his own way. He and Hank then gently commiserate over how tough it is to raise a teenager. It's probably one of the nicest first impressions Hank has ever had with a stranger, let alone a weird-looking one, in the history of the series.
* In ''King of the Ant Hill'' Hank was all but ready to kick Dale's ass for destroying his lawn and Dale was understandably scared, but when Bobby comes in covered in fire ants, Dale didn't hesitate to save him. He told Bobby to grab his hand and have the swarm him, knowing they'll bite him, but he was all ready to save his friend's son's life.
* Pretty much the entire "Wings of a Dope" episode, in which Buckley's angel comes back, particularly the scene in which he and Luanne bounce on the trampoline after first meeting. Fireflies appear around them and fittingly enough, Dream Academy's "Life in a Northern Town" plays in the background. The ending is the real kicker, though. When Buckley had initially appeared, he had wings, but no halo. After he advises Luanne to drop out of beauty school and try something else, in her case, community college, he meets her one last time on the trampoline. They share one last kiss, he bounces up into the night sky, and Luanne walks back into the house. Shortly afterward, Buckley lands on the trampoline and is shown walking off down the street to the horizon - pulling a halo out of his pocket and donning it. He earned his halo for helping her.
** Hank's reaction to anything Luanne did in those days was usually based on whether or not it would help get her out of his house. But when she tells everyone she enrolled in community college, he's genuinely excited and tells her "That's great!"
* When Dale is scared someone is going to kill him, he is trying to flee with his family. Then he gets a call from Hank telling him that the psychotic gun club president has taken Hank, Bill, and Boomhauer hostage. At first, Dale is going to flee. Then Bobby comes out of the house.
--> '''Bobby:''' Is that my dad? If he's not going to make it home for dinner, ask him if I can have his pork chop.
--> '''Dale:''' Bobby, you'll be having your dad's pork chop every night for the rest of your life. Wait... That's the saddest thing I've ever heard. RETRACTION! Bobby, you will not be having your dad's pork chop tonight or any other night. You hear that, Hank? Bobby's not having your pork chop, damn it. I'm on my way!
* In "Texas City Twister", Hank has been called out by Peggy for being way too stiff and way too in control of his emotions. They spat and Hank tells her (in his own Hank-esque way) to go to hell, but just after she leaves a tornado is announced to be heading toward the trailer park (where Hank was making Luanne go back to). What does Hank do in response? Rush to the trailer park just to let her know he was sorry. Even when the tornado hits, Hank holds onto a telephone pole just long enough to let go of his emotions and let Peggy know how much he loves her.
--> '''Hank:''' You're my best girl! You mean everything to me! When we were apart today, that was hell! I couldn't wake up in the morning without your beautiful face beside me!
** At the beginning of the episode, a guy from the trailer park comes to the house and tells Hank that the Platters' still own a trailer, even if it was just tipped over from the fight between Luanne's parents, and Hank sees this as an opportunity to finally get Luanne out of his house by putting it upright and forcing her to move back there. After the storm ends, The Hills, Luanne, and an old lady come out the storm shelter and when they see that the Platters' trailer tipped over again, Hank tells Luanne that since she doesn't have a trailer anymore, they all might as well go back to the house.
* "Nancy's Boys", the episode when Nancy chose Dale over John Redcorn. It helps that John comes to realize Dale is a good man, and [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy steps aside so Nancy can be with him]].
** Hell, Dale went above and beyond for John Redcorn in this episode, he went to Redcorn's home just to apologize for hurting him and offered John a free hit to make up for it. Redcorn didn't go for it as it wouldn't solve anything for his many problems, especially his case of land his people own. Dale suggest FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) and began working long and hard for Redcorn, something he was taken aback to, since Dale has no real reason to fight for him, Dale just helping out a friend, which was enough for Redcorn to see Dale was always a good man and felt ashamed of ever cheating on his wife.
** Seeing how happy Nancy and Dale are with their dates is very sweet since we see Nancy is starting to realize all the things she genuinely loves about her husband and just how much he loves her.
* Any moment that shows that Dale truly and honestly loves his wife, using his genuine and... psychotic ways.
** And all the episodes that show Dale's unconditional love for his son Joseph. In "Peggy's Headache", where Peggy learns about the affair, she's hell-bent on telling Dale the truth, but stops when she sees him doting on Joseph and realizes that even if they aren't blood, those two are most definitely father and son and it would be wrong to take that away from them.
*** John Redcorn might be Joseph's father, but he's Dale's son.
* [[TheScrappy Vocal parts of the fan base may not agree]], but several episodes ("Peggy the Boggle Champ" and "Peggy's Pageant Fever," for example) center around the theme of just how much Hank adores Peggy, [[JustTheWayYouAre Just The Way She Is]]. No matter what your feelings on Peggy, you can't help but "awwww" a little at their relationship.
* The end of "Raise the Steaks". Appleseed manages to smuggle the cattle from the organic cattle ranch from Hank's yard to a safe haven. Beforehand, Appleseed promises to write to Hank when the former thinks it's safe to do so. Later on, when Hank picks up his mail one day, he finds an envelope that's addressed to him from "The Farm". Hank opens the envelope and sure enough, it's a picture of Appleseed with a young calf. And on the corner is a handwritten note saying "I named him Hank!".
* In an episode that begins with Peggy and Bobby looking through an album of their old (terrible) Christmas photos, Peggy spends the episode frantically trying to get her family together to finally get a good one with a popular photographer. The episode closes with a similar shot of a photo album, containing the new (terrible) family photo, only this time the wide shot reveals that it's Bill looking at the album with a smile on his face. Totally d'awww material.
* On the first episode, where Bobby resorts to misbehaving so his dad can pay attention to him (after refusing to tell Peggy or Hank that the child abuse investigation was called off due to the social worker's incompetence): "Disappointment? No, you make me proud. I've been disappointed by just about everything else in this town, but you? Not once. Dammit, you're my boy. Heh, you know better than that."
** Earlier in the episode, Peggy matter-of-factly tells Hank that Bobby is behaving this way because he is unsure whether or not Hank even loves him. Hank IMMEDIATELY answers "That's crazy, of course I love him." Hank is not particularly good at expressing any affection in person, which causes a lot of the show's conflicts, but he didn't miss a beat here.
** Hank telling the "Twigboy" bureaucrat off in the same episode is also pretty awe inspiring (and strangely patriotic).
--> '''Hank:''' Now you just listen here. You see that boy? That’s my boy. And if you ever try to take him away, so help me God I’ll tear you a new one bigger than the Grand Canyon. Now I want you to get out of my house. You’re not welcome here. I mean now, before I give you a black eye! Git!
* The episode where Bobby has the opportunity to become a Lama. He's faced with doubt because he's told he can't marry if he goes through with it, so during his final test, when he's told to choose "anything he sees on the rug", he chooses Connie, whose reflection he can see in a mirror. Made even better by a conversation between two monks afterwards:
-->'''Younger Monk''': That was Sanglug's mirror!\\
'''Older Monk''': I know. He did not pick it.\\
'''Younger Monk''': But he ''used'' it!\\
(beat)\\
'''Older Monk''': It's a tough call. But it's mine, and I made it.
** It actually has quite a deep meaning to it when you think about it. Mirrors are often seen as reflections of the soul and Connie's reflection in the mirror is like a symbol of beauty. He's choosing the beauty he sees in Connie over the notoriety of being a Lama i.e. embracing a finite but fulfilling life over infamy.

* The end of the two-parter "Returning Japanese". Cotton makes peace with the woman he fell in love with after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and with whom he fathered Junichiro, and just before they leave for the airport, Cotton (of all people!) encourages Bobby to say goodbye to the little Japanese girl he became friends with during his vacation.
** Followed by Bobby running to his and said girl's usual meeting place, where they joyfully play DDR on the street.
** How about the fact that Cotton Hill, curmudgeon that he is, was honestly in love with a woman, and she honestly loved him back? Or the part where he proudly introduces both his sons to Emperor Akihito?
*** This whole two-parter is full of PetTheDog moments that show Cotton at his best. In a smaller example, he asks Peggy for a photo of Hank and Bobby to show to his old girlfriend, and actually says thank you when she does. Considering the normally venomous relationship between these two, that speaks volumes.
** Don't forget Hank's reaction to finding out that he's always had a brother. "A brother. Wow. I have a brother. I really wish we could've grown up together and hear people say, 'Watch out for those Hill brothers! Did you see what those Hill brothers do the other day?'."
** Junichiro buying Hank a beer, and the two reenacting the classic drinking-beer-in-front-of-the-fence scene. While it's unspoken, Hank clearly also loves the idea of vending machines with beer and you could imagine him thinking that Japan isn't half bad because of it.
--->'''Hank:''' "...Yep."
--->'''Junichiro:''' "...Hai."
** Just before part 1 ends, Cotton legitimately thanks Hank for coming with him and, for the only time in the series, calls Hank a good son, something he's been wanting to hear his whole life.
** While the two parter doesn't dwell on it, something needs to be said about Junichiro's stepfather, Wataru. While Michiko implies Wataru only married her because they were both social outcasts - her for having a child out of wedlock with an American, and him for being an overweight, messy BigEater - he still raised Junichiro as his surrogate son. Case in point, when Hank says that their father [Cotton] never came home, Junichiro retorts that ''his'' father isn't missing, as Wataru is fishing for mackerel, like he does every morning.
** Oddly enough, ''Dale'' of all people compliments Bill not once, but twice in part one of the episode. It's completely unprovoked and played sincerely on Dale's part.
--->'''Bill''': ''[talking about John Redcorn's sweat lodge]'' And I could stand to sweat off a few pounds here. And here.
--->'''Dale''': What are you talking about, Bill? You look great.
---> ''[Bill and Dale smile at each other]''

--->'''Dale''': ''[after Bill takes off his tank top]'' [[BrickJoke Have you been working out?]]
* Usually, if the episode centers around Bill, you can expect one. Probably the most heartwarming one was the episode where, after a despondent Boomhauer has fallen in love with and been jilted by a female version of ''himself'', Bill genuinely and kindly coaches him back to happiness.
** Considering Boomhauer had earlier shoved Bill aside to put the moves on her (let's assume Bill had a shot at her at all), hell yeah.
* Episodes involving either Hank learning to accept Bobby for who he is ([[AesopAmnesia not likely to be remembered the next episode]], but still) or Hank and his unabashed love of his hound dog Ladybird are also likely to invoke this. Ladybird is one of the few carbon-based life forms the emotionally repressed Hank will freely and unabashedly express pure love and affection for, so even episodes featuring her that aren't particularly emotional in and of themselves are likely to warm the heart. In the dog dancing one, Hank and Ladybird may have lost the contest but the ending where they're in the garage and "After Midnight" comes on the radio and LB wants to dance anyway, and then he allows Bobby to cut in while Hank dances with Peggy, with the garage door open.
* In "Death Picks Cotton", while Cotton is on his deathbed, he tells Hank that he knows he's always been hard on him, but it wasn't because he hated him. When watching this, you may think Cotton's telling his son he honestly cared about him all those years. Of course, the moment is ruined once he immediately starts being a toxic manly hardass to Hank again after [[RealMenHateAffection he tells him he loves him back, thinking he was doing the same, because "'love's for sissy's". Literally right after he just assured him he didn't hate him.]] which causes Hank [[VerbalBackspace to take back what he said by assuring him he didn't love him that way in order to make him stop berating him.]] [[PartingWordsRegret only for Cotton to flatline after he tells him.]] (though he does turn out to have survived. [[KilledOffForReal for now, that is.)]] But if you look at that scene, it appears as heartwarming if you really think about it.
* The final episode "To Sirloin with Love", where Hank and Bobby finally find something they both enjoy that doesn't make Hank embarrassed and doesn't bore Bobby--grilling and distinguishing cuts of beef--and the final scene where everyone in the neighborhood comes to the Hills' backyard for barbecue.
** The flashbacks that reveal that Hank taught Bobby about cows and beef cuts ever since he was a baby, which led to Bobby knowing a lot about steak and flaws in beef cuts 13 years later.
** Bobby asking Hank if he can join the Meat Inspection team at Heimlich County Community College and Hank saying, "I've been waiting 13 years to hear that."
** We get to see Kahn and his family plan to mooch off the Hills for free meat. When Connie says she isn't finished with her homework, Kahn, who is usually puts pressure on her academics, tells her that she's already three grades ahead anyways and tells her to take the night off.
* The episode "Happy Hank's Giving" is full of them. The first one comes when the Hills finally manage to get a bus to take them to an another airport, but give up their seats to another family. The second one comes near the climax of the episode, when Thanksgiving has come and gone and none of their flights have managed to leave, after constant trouble, getting caught in the rain, having no food, etc. Having been determined to get to their plane, but now having all missed the events they were hoping to get to, the Hills and all their neighbors share Boomhauer's pizza and the bits and pieces of food they can scrounge up to have their own personal Thanksgiving dinner.
** A Small one, but when The Souphanousinphone's (or mainly Kahn) start bragging about how fantastic their Thanksgiving will be compared to the Hills, Hank takes it in stride and wishes them a Happy Thanksgiving, and Kahn drops all snark and wishes them the same too.
* The end of "Boxing Luanne", when Luanne is getting pounded by Freeda Foreman, and all the skeezy men who have spent the episode drooling over her body start cheering her on for real. One of her classmates who has been harassing her early in the episode asks for a picture with her because he is genuinely impressed that she went the distance.
* And how about the ending of Peggy's "Turtle Song"? Just as Hank is believing that he may genuinely have lost her, she finishes her song thus: "But a miracle saved her, before her heart sank: the magical love of a turtle named Hank." Doubles as a Peggy [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome CMoA]].
* In the episode where an old flame of Boomhauer's was going to marry his loutish brother (voiced by Creator/BradPitt), Hank confronts Boomhauer on suspicion that he was trying to sabotage their relationship and asks him straight out if he was. Boomhauer looks him in the eye says no, and that is all Hank needs to hear to believe him absolutely. It's a wonderful reminder of the power of a true friendship.
** Even better, this episode proved that there really was a girl that Boomhauer genuinely and truly ''loved.'' Seeing a guy whose longest relationship was three days admit that he was truly in love with her was just heart-meltingly warm, I tell you what.

* At the end of "A Man Without A Country Club", we learn that Kahn has been shunned by the prestigious Nine Rivers Country Club yet again. So what do Hank and co. do? They invite Kahn into their ''own'' country club, the Rainey Street Country Club. And Kahn happily accepts.
* The Veterans Day episode where Cotton, unable to participate in the Veterans Day parade since he has to work a crappy job as a restaurant greeter (that he actually is competent at, he's just criticized for helping out in places outside of his duties), begins to contemplate suicide, when Didi (oblivious to Cotton's state of mind) asks him to watch Good Hank. Hank, who knew that Cotton was depressed, rushes to his house, and is shocked when he hears a gunshot; turns out Cotton had G.H. just fire a gun into a mattress (and don't worry, G.H. was earmuffed and enjoying himself), which also led to this SugarWiki/{{Funny Moment|s}} between Cotton and Hank.
-->'''Cotton:''' You cried your first time [firing a gun], and you was three!
** The best part is that Cotton was going to kill himself so Didi and G.H. would get his life insurance money, literally giving his life to support his family. Then theres the implication that being forced by Didi to spend some time with G.H. made him decide to swallow his pride and let Hank help him out. Cotton was depressed not just because of his money troubles but because he felt his glory days were long behind him and he didn't have anything to live for and G.H. reminded him what he still has: A son who ain't a sissy like Hank.
** In that same episode, Cotton gives Bobby a letter of recommendation to West Point. For reference, a recommendation letter from a Medal of Honor recipient is considered ''very'' SeriousBusiness by the U.S. Armed Forces and he gave it to ''Bobby''. That's how much Cotton respects his grandson.
* Cotton admits that Hank is a better father than he is... [[StealthInsult in the most Cotton way possible]].
-->'''Cotton:''' You ain't in competition with me. Hell, if it's a contest on who's the better daddy, you win! I mean, you made Bobby! All I made was ''you''.
* ''The Father, the Son, and J.C.'': Hank tells Buck "I love you", something he never told Cotton. Cotton is mad through most of the episode, especially when Hank can't stomach it to tell his dad that he loves him and instead says "I hate you". But at the end, when Hank apologizes for making Cotton mad and [[ItMakesSenseInContext Cotton shoots President Carter's limo with a nail gun]], we get this.
-->'''Cotton:''' I love shooting a nail gun.
-->'''Hank:''' I love shooting a nail gun too, Dad.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGKEpf8FUio This scene from earlier in the episode]]. Cotton shows up at Hank's door so the two can shoot down a Christmas tree, something they do every year, only for Hank to tell him that Buck Strickland already gave him a tree. Cotton actually looks almost ''heartbroken'' that Hank doesn't want to share this moment of father-son bonding, only to quickly hide his emotion and try and lure Hank - "Bah! Only a man with a [[RunningGag narrow urete]] would think that skinny stick was a ''tree''!". It's one of those moments in the series that show deep down inside, Cotton truly cares about his son.
* "Naked Ambition":
** Bobby and Connie are about to see each other naked when Kahn enters, freaks out, and grounds Connie while banning Bobby from his property. When Hank hears about this, he's actually quite happy. At the end of the episode when Connie steals her father's ladder to peek over the fence and see Bobby, Hank helps him pick out which ladder to use so he can get up to Connie for some kissing.
** Despite the context (as he had accidentally seen Luanne naked and made the mistake of telling Joseph), it's oddly sweet to hear Bobby describe Luanne as "practically my sister".
* The ending of ''"Unfortunate Son"'', when Cotton Hill not only admits that Hank did everything right during their escape from the veterans he (Cotton) had set off, and that he screwed up, but he gives the Vietnam vets he'd previously insulted and looked down upon his respect and states he's honored to have them join the Arlen VFW.
-->'''Hank:''' I'm sorry, Dad. I guess it was a bad idea to get everyone together. I guess I just--
-->'''Cotton:''' Dangit, Hank, don't apologize! You did everything right. ''I'' screwed up. Sometimes you can do everything right and still lose. It ain't your fault. You gave it everything you had. That's all I ever asked from my men. Thanks for trying, soldier.
-->[Hank smiles. Cotton pauses, then smiles back. A moment later, the veterans stop closing in on them.]
-->'''Ronnie:''' That's all we ever wanted to hear.
** Doubles as a TearJerker once Ronnie starts speaking.
* When Dale has an accidental discharge in "Soldier of Misfortune," he explains it to Hank by using a propane sales metaphor, at which Hank is [[SeriousBusiness aghast.]] However, Dale's knowledge of Hank's propane sales tactics and love for his job is a Fridge CMOH.
* Peggy kissing Hank on the cheek when he wins the Blue Flame of Valor in season 4's ''Hanky Panky'', and then handling the visual aids as he gives his speech. Another word for spouse is "helpmate", and this moment is a very good demonstration of that term.
* This is more of a collective moment of heartwarming when you take the time to examine the episodes that involve a Hank/Connie dynamic. When she receives her first period, Hank winds up having to help her get sorted out, and overcomes a fear of total embarrassment and emasculation to help her buy the things she needed from the women's health aisle. Then there was the time the two sort of bonded thanks to the bluegrass group the guys in the alley put together (until Hank became almost as controlling as Kahn, though both get better by the end of the episode), and finally, when her parents go off the deep end and become rednecks. Hank finally puts his foot down when it looks like Connie and her family will become homeless. For her sake, he manages to snap Minh and Kahn back to reality by pointing out that throughout everything Connie never once complained or stopped trying her hardest.
** Those episodes are "Aisle 8-A," "The Bluegrass is Always Greener," and "The Redneck of Rainey Street", for the curious.
* "Blood and Sauce" has a couple. Bobby is supposed to help Bill with his barbecue, but when he sees that it'll involve hard work, he runs. When Hank starts asking Bobby questions about the work, Bill covers for the boy by saying it's a family secret and Bobby promised not to tell. Later on Bobby goes to apologize, asking for a second chance no matter how hard the work is; from this we get a few nice scenes of Bill and Bobby working together and bonding.
** And then we have the end of the episode. Bill's family recipe was so successful that Buck Strickland wanted to market it nationwide; however, Bill's cousin Gilbert shuts down the venture because he considers the idea shameful and akin to whoring out the family name. [[labelnote: *]] This is particularly hypocritical of Gilbert since he sold the families ancestral estate in order to publish a magazine and pick up young artistic men. [[/labelnote]] After being shot down one last time, Bill returns home and finds Bobby cooking and actually improving the recipe. He sadly explains that he can't sell the sauce...but realizes that he could certainly share it with friends, such as at Peggy's upcoming birthday, and adds that when Bobby grows up, he could share it too. Bobby says "But I'm not a Dauterive", and Bill responds "Bobby, I'd be honored."
* In "Revenge of the Lutefisk", Bobby accidentally burns down the church but Cotton is blamed because a strip club matchbook was found at the scene and because earlier he made a scene over the new female reverend. When Bobby finally confesses, Cotton decides to keep taking the blame because (as he says): "I'm an old man, everyone already hates me! But Bobby's got his whole life ahead of him. If I can take a bullet for my grandson, I'll do it!"
** Turns into a CMOF with "Not in the face! That's how I make my livings."

* In "De-Kahnstructing Henry", Kahn gets fired because he blabs company secrets to Hank in his endless desire to prove himself superior. His pride causes him to run off until he can find a better job than Hank, leaving it to the Hills to take care of Minh and Connie. Eventually Hank finds Kahn and convinces him that taking care of his family is much more important than being the better man. At the end of the episode, Kahn comes by the Hills' house to brag about his awesome new job, and Hank allows him to boast before saying "Glad to have you back, Kahn. Good night." After he closes the door, Kahn blusters a bit more, then quietly adds "Thank you, Hank."
** A small but nice moment in that scene: Kahn giving Hank a small grin during his rant, showing that his put-downs aren't intentionally malicious.
** Kahn tells Hank that he's his best friend, so he can take care of Minh and Connie. Hank incredulously asks, "''I'm'' your best friend?" and Kahn not only doesn't retract it, but he changes his mind and says that Minh is a fighter and she can take care of herself.

* "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Alamo": LongStoryShort, Hank's attempts to teach Bobby about the Alamo get derailed first by the school, then by a man whose revisionist take on the battle turns the Texans into drunken cowards. After realizing it's wrong to censor the man just for having a different opinion, Hank goes on stage and prefaces the play with the bare facts of the Alamo (that almost 200 Texans fought and died for what they believed in). At the end of the episode, Bobby comes in and tells Hank that he got an F in Texas History -- not because he refused to do the extra credit, but because he wrote in his textbook (and the teacher said earlier that any student who did this would automatically fail the class). Hank is upset, but then we learn that what Bobby wrote was his father's speech, so the next child to get the textbook would know the truth and wouldn't be brainwashed by the pop history in the book. Hank, smiling, says that since Bobby will have to go to summer school anyway, they might as well skip class that day and go to Six Flags.
* "Lady and Gentrification": Enrique gets Hank to speak at his daughter's Quinceñera and stands up for his friend even when the {{Jerkass}} hipsters who hate Hank, you know, [[BoomerangBigot for his race]] come in and ruin the quality of life in his neighborhood for Enrique and his daughter while ridiculously claiming they're his ''real'' friends.
** It's also heartwarming when you look at "Enrique-ciliable Differences" it shows how much Enrique and Hank have grown. Previously Enrique used Hank as a way to avoid dealing with his failing marriage, while Hank wanted to treat Enrique as a professional. In this episode, Enrique's ''daughter'' becomes Hank's friend, and Hank tries to save Enrique when those hipsters force the rents so high, Enrique is forced to move.
* "The Petriot Act" is one for resident ButtMonkey Bill, where he takes care of a dog as part of a U.S. Army program where people get to temporarily adopt a soldier's pet until he/she returns from duty. The dog is incredibly well-trained, helped him exercise, and even helped him get a date. At the end, the dog gets returned to his owner and Bill gets a salute from the army and a chance to fly a jet.
* In "Strangeness on a Train", we learn that Peggy thinks her birthday is cursed because something always goes wrong. For the most recent one, she and her friends go on a disco-themed murder mystery on a train, but as usual everything goes wrong[[labelnote:*]]Dale [[{{Spoiler}} spoils]] the mystery, the refrigerator breaks so there's no food, they're in a dry county so no alcohol, and then they get kicked off the train[[/labelnote]], the only bright spot being that she and Hank have sex in the train bathroom. After they get kicked off, Peggy sobs that her birthday is cursed, and all her friends remind her that she matters to them. Then at the end of the episode, when everyone's ended up at a bar, Lucky reveals that he knew about Hank and Peggy's "fun"...and tells her "Good for you. Happy birthday, Aunt Peggy."
* In "Peggy Hill: The Decline and Fall" Cotton comes to the hospital to see his newborn baby. Initially he says hes just there out of an obligation, but as soon as he sees him he instantly turns into a mushball, calling him a handsome little soldier. Later on hes proudly boasting about how the baby looked at his nurse as if he wanted to slap her rump. Kinda twisted? Yeah, but heartwrenching nonetheless.
** The end of the episode qualifies as well. [[TheScrappy Peggy]], of all people, manages to calm G.H., despite being in a body cast. After spending much of the episode crying, the baby is finally quieted by her rocking his carrier with her toes.
*** Made even more heartwarming when you remember that the reason Peggy was in the cast in the first place was because she skydived out of a plane upon hearing the news that Didi was giving birth, and then preceded to be depressed the whole episode over feeling useless. When she's found rocking the baby, she has a smile on her face and tears in her eyes.
--->'''Peggy''': It's the best dang feeling in the world.
* "The Peggy Horror Picture Show" features a drag queen who Peggy befriends. Some scenes in here show him at home with his mother, who doesn't mind he's a drag queen. Knowing how some parents act toward their children for being like that, I'd say that's rather sweet.
** More than not minding, when Caroline laments that her new friend is "a real woman", her mother states that "You are as female as any other woman out there, and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise!"[[labelnote:*]]Not exact quote.[[/labelnote]]
** In fact, Caroline's mother is so supportive that she's actually a little put off by it at times. Definitely not the worst problem someone can have.
** That whole episode qualifies. Peggy was feeling down because she's not the most feminine woman because of the way she dresses and her size 16 1/2 feet, but her friendship with Caroline made her very happy and feel better about herself. Upon learning that Caroline is a drag queen, she sinks back into depression until Caroline takes her along to a clothing swap between other drag queens, where she explains that they admire women like Peggy who are strong, confident, and not afraid to wear clothes that most people would see as tacky or outrageous. In short, they don't want to simply be women. They want to be women with ''character.'' Plus, Peggy felt like her being mistaken as a drag queen made her less feminine -- Caroline is very sweet and assures her that her femininity makes her an inspiration to all of the queens.
*** A subtle but sweet nod to this: when Nancy and Minh see Peggy dressed up for her routine, they immediately shower her with compliments on her looks. Considering that they're both quite feminine and passionate women, their accolades for Peggy's looks are just further proof that Peggy is plenty feminine all on her own. Additionally, the two of them and Luanne come to her debut show to surprise her with flowers - and when that doesn't work out, they follow her to her to the house to try and cheer her up.
** Hank also gets one of these; despite his own selective WeirdnessCensor on just why Peggy is upset (IE: he just outright doesn't even hear or acknowledge Peggy explicitly describing the situation, which she even lampshades), he knows that he's not equipped to fix the situation. So he calls Caroline-as-Jamie (who he knows as Caroline's friend) to ask him to have Caroline help Peggy feel better.
* "Luanne's Saga" from Season 1 puts a spotlight on Hank and Luanne's relationship. At the beginning of the episode he says that even though he hates Buckley he doesn't care if Luanne dates him because he could be her ticket out of his den, which is a continuing annoyance for him as Luanne's stuff just makes it cluttered. After Buckley dumps her she cries nonstop, further annoying Hank. Finally he ignores Peggy's orders and gets involved, helping Luanne get over Buckley and genuinely having fun with her. His priority is still getting her out of his den so he sets her up with a guy who fits all of Hank's qualifications (uses propane, plays football, loves America and Texas). Unfortunately he gets touchy with Luanne prompting Boomhauer to drive her home. While Boomhauer was just giving her a ride Hank thinks Boomhauer is trying to sleep with her (he's not). Luanne moves in with Boomhauer which pisses Hank off despite his previous apathy towards who she dates and despite the fact he finally has his den back. Later on he finally realizes that he cares about Luanne and she cares about him and is hurt by his actions. He tells her to come over to pick up her stuff, only for her to find that he has moved all of ''his'' stuff out of the den and set it up into a proper bedroom for Luanne.
* At the end of "The Texas Skillsaw Massacre", after Hank saves Dale, Bill and Boomhauer from getting crushed to death under the alley by a garbage truck, Boomhauer shows his appreciation and gratitude by taking the coldest beer in the cooler out and giving it to Hank. Bill also tells Hank he got rid of all the burger wrappers on his lawn like he wanted him to, as a way of saying thanks for "losing his temper" and saving them. Dale also proclaims they're best friends again, which shows that you can really be grateful for your friends even if things happen that drive you apart from them.
** Cotton Saying “Amen” to Hank calling Didi a liar. Sure first instinct says it was cotton being a misogynist but considering she only knows Hank from kindergarten it doubles as him standing up for his son on an accusation from a person that barely knows him.
** Hank and Big Jim’s [[spoiler: short]] friendship. They easily connect over the fact they think the anger management classes are stupid. Big Jim even happily assists Hank in fixing his house and helps him stand up to Dale when he abuses the restraining order. [[spoiler: Hank even going to his funeral and can also be debated that his death was a motivation for Hank to actually want to finish his anger management.]]
* In "Love Hurts and So Does Art", Bobby gets addicted to New York-style deli food, which gives him gout. This means he can't go to the dance with Connie, greatly upsetting her, but he remains oblivious. Eventually, the deli owner points out that Bobby's obviously in love, inspiring him to do everything he can to get to the dance. When he gets there and asks Connie to dance, she asks "What about your gout?" Bobby responds "[[MeaningfulEcho My dad says when you really want something, you play through the pain]]."
** And they dance in the gym to "How Do I Live".
* In "Tanking It to the Streets", [[ItMakesSenseInContext Bill steals a tank while depressed]], and he and the guys end up on the army base's live fire range. Bill tells the others to get out, [[HeroicSacrifice then stays in the tank to draw fire]]. When the tank goes up and it looks like Bill is dead, Hank, Dale, and Boomhauer start crying and mourning the loss. In particular, Hank says he wished he'd told Bill what a good friend he was, "like a big ol' stuffed teddy bear!" Of course, Bill turns up alive but beat up, but he heard what the guys said and is very happy to know how they feel.
* The end of "Flirting With the Master". Peggy, after being humiliated by the actor who plays [[ShowWithinAShow Monsignor Martinez]] and his wife, flies back to Arlen in tears. Hank, completely unaware that any of this had even happened, reminds her just how loved she is with a romantic gesture (of Hank's sorts, but still romantic). The fact that [[CelibateHero Hank]] did it not because he knew that Peggy was upset, but just because she was coming home after being gone for a few days, is what clinches it.
* For all the hate he had for Bobby dating Connie, Kahn had a few PetTheDog moments with Hank's son. One that stands out is the episode where Bobby and Connie are trapped in a cave, Hank and Kahn go in after them. Hank pre-emptively tries to apologize in case Bobby and Connie have sex, but Kahn shrugs it off, saying that it won't happen because Bobby is a good kid (he ''is'', however, worried about Joseph trying the same).
* "It Ain't Over Till The Fat Neighbor Sings": Bill is more down than usual, since he feels he isn't appreciated at his job, and that no one will even notice if he stopped showing up. It initially seems to be true, but Hank, Dale, and Boomhauer go find him when it turns out he'll get in trouble with the army. When they find Bill, this is what convinced him to leave the Harmonaholics:
-->'''Hank:''' Bill, you already have a nickname-- "Army Sergeant Not-In-Jail Dauterive." Remember you asked if anyone would notice if you didn't go to work? Well, the Army sure noticed. If you don't get back to cut the General's hair, you're AWOL. The Army is going to lock you up for 30 years. You know how much that's going to cost them? Hundreds of thousands of dollars. I'd say that's taking notice.
-->'''Bill:''' But the Harmonaholics are my friends.
-->'''Hank:''' Are they really? All they've asked from you is to give, give, give. Well, friendship is a two-way street. Heck, you know we gave up Monday Night Football tickets to come get you? ''That's'' a friend. Not these guys!
** And at the very end:
--> '''The General:''' You know, you're the only army barber I let touch my hair. I always say the 110th has the best barber. We fight hard, and we look good doing it.

* That book club episode has Hank giving Peggy the fighting spirit to take care of gun buyer aspect of the business but was obviously the one who helped started the book club Peggy always wanted when he learns that one of Dale's customers read the book Peggy was giving out.
* Peggy returns home to the Montana ranch she grew up on, hoping to make peace with the mother who has never given her any approval. Peggy goes as far as to save the whole ranch from shutting down, and her mother still rags on her. Peggy storms out of the house demanding to know what she ever came there for. Hank points to Bobby, and the episode ends on a shot of him sitting still and proud on a horse, just appreciating the world. He'd come to the ranch thinking it would be the most boring experience of his life, but between meeting a horse he liked and Peggy teaching him about horses, he discovered a part of himself that would never have appeared in Arlen.
* In "What Happens At The National...." Hank is supposed to introduce Buck for his induction into the Propane Hall Of Flame, but ends up getting drunk (after being angry at Buck for running around and acting irresponsible with his son Ray Roy) and throwing up while giving his speech and ends up getting in trouble. Buck and Ray Roy decide to work together to help save Hank, that in itself is nice, but the true CMOH comes when the panel of judges presents Hank with his own Hall Of Flame jacket at Buck's insistence, showing that Buck truly does appreciate Hank for everything that he's done.
** Buck Strickland and Ray Roy's relationship is this, when it isn't totally destructive.
** The ending: Buck and Ray Roy, knowing that this is probably going to be the last time they'll see each other again, say their goodbyes, but before he drives off, Ray Roy pulls up in front of his car full of women and nonverbally invites him for one last night on the town. Buck happily dives into the car. Cue "Cats In The Cradle".
* There are a lot of strangely sweet moments in the episode where Peggy gets obsessed with Lawn Gnomes. Hank absolutely hates the lawn gnome she puts on his lawn as he feels it ruins it, and when Bobby accidentally breaks it, he takes it as an excuse to break it completely and bury it. That's not so nice of him: What IS nice is that throughout the entire episode, he keeps denying Bobby had anything to do with it to keep him out of trouble, and even sneaks in dessert to him when Peggy grounds him for it. And when he sees just how upset she is about the Gnome, he goes to a special store to get her a new one as per Bobby's suggestion, and explains to the shopkeeper AND a crazy gnome collecting woman that "as beautiful as his lawn is, it doesn't measure up to his wife's happiness". And when he gets home, he makes sure to say that the replacement was Bobby's idea. Basically: not only does Hank attempt to take the fall for Bobby's accident, he goes against his own principles to make his wife happy and still gives Bobby credit.
* In one episode (Season 12, Episode 8 "The Minh Who Knew Too Much"), Mihn had to join Dale's gun club as a part of a scheme concocted by herself and Kahn to get into the Nine Rivers Country Club. Long story short, Mihn actually had some fun hanging out with the guys and shooting stuff. So much so that when she and Kahn finally manage to join the prestigious club, Mihn is openly bored. But while Kahn is feigning interest to impress Ted Wassonasong, Mihn gets a call from the guys and quietly does their club cheer over the phone.
* One episode has Dale give up his kidney, and he wants it back upon finding out that it wasn't needed. However, it's a perfect match for an ill boy. Dale vanishes with his kidney, but to everyone's surprise, lets the ill boy have it.
** The conversation he has with the boy is rather sweet as well as he talks about how to "take care of" his kidney by giving it [[TrademarkFavoriteFood Mountain Dew]] since that's its favorite. Bizarre, yes, but Dale is an odd sort of FriendToAllChildren.
* In "Harlottown", Peggy uncovers Arlen's past as a den of prostitution, and wants to use it as means to celebrate the town's history. The self-serving city manager, however, wants to turn Arlen into [[ThemeParkVersion a tourist trap]] for prostitution, going so far as to attract the Adult Video Awards. Hank, while driving out of town, picks up one of the adult film actresses, who regrets the life she chose. Hank reassures her, by telling her that even the prostitutes who built Arlen were able to clean up their act and make it into a real community. The actress not only turns a new leaf, but stops Arlen from descending into sleaziness, and the final scene shows that she's become a friend to the Hill family.
** The way Hank explains why he's helping the two actors is rather sweet and funny, considering you can tell he's not totally comfortable with it:
-->"Peggy, they tried to fix an engine problem by changing a tire. They'll ''die'' out here."

* "Daletech" has Cotton staying in the house and while he does drive everyone up the wall for once it doesn't come from being a {{Jerkass}} but simply an old man wanting to be useful to his family. He gets a job as a senior citizen police officer but quickly ruins things with his normal behavior before solving a case that had Kahn sneaking into the house to cause minor mischief. Hank is impressed to the point that he salutes his father but Cotton in his own way tells Hank he doesn't need it.
** It's understated, but when questioning various suspects on who's stealing Hank's grapefruit juice, Cotton pointedly declares that he's trying to solve who's "drinking '''my boy's''' juice." Coming from Cotton, who's not exactly father of the year, Cotton openly declaring Hank as being the reason he's on the warpath is a pretty big deal.
** There's also a moment when Dale, after his scheme to get rid of Cotton as "the eyes and ears of Rainey Street" has succeeded, feels profound remorse, because Cotton is now broken and must go back to elder day care. Dale volunteers to watch Cotton during the day, so he doesn't have to go back to "that place".

* In "It's Not Easy Being Green", Hank tries to prevent the draining of a local quarry to prevent Boomhauer from finding out that he, Dale and Bill took his car for a ride in high school and accidentally crashed it into the quarry. At the end of the episode, the car is dredged up and Bobby calls Boomhauer to get back at Hank for pretending to be interested in his environmental causes for the sake of keeping the quarry filled. At the end of the episode, Bobby asks Boomhauer how long they should be mad at Hank, and Boomhauer tells Bobby that life is too short to hold grudges, and says maybe two or three weeks. Bobby tells him that he sees why Hank is always quoting him, and Boomhauer, flattered, decides to bump it down to one week (but only for Hank).
** When Hank was being arrested alongside the protesters, after confessing to truly feeling sorry for lying to Bobby and Boomhauer, Bobby tries to encourage Hank, but Boomhauer, after being asked by Hank, stops him from joining him in the police van.
** Even moreso, We learn eventually Boomhaurer's first name is Jeff. Bobby's middle name was revealed to be Jeffrey, indicating that Hank thought highly of his friend so much that he named his only son after him.
* "Of Mice And Little Green Men" has Dale finally discover something is amiss between him and his son, Joseph, and comes to most obvious conclusion....that his wife was [[ComicallyMissingThePoint impregnated by extra terrestrial life.]] Joseph at first is dumbfounded by this accusation, but then, [[LikeFatherLikeSon as a sign of his father's influence]], starts to believe it and even starts adding in other bizarre theories such as the aliens still using Dale's sperm for the experimentation that could still make the two related. Hank and Bobby come to the conclusion the two are very much two peas in a pod.
** It also goes the same for Bobby and Hank at the end, Bobby reacts to Joseph's quest for his alien parent pretty much the same way Hank does to Dale, showing that the two are much more alike than they think.
-->'''Bobby:''' Sorry I missed the play, dad.
-->'''Hank:''' It's alright son. ''[smirks]'' I guess you had your own idiot manchild to deal with.
** As Dale becomes more despondent, Hank asserts that regardless of any little green men, ''he'' raised Joseph, ''he'' made him what he is, and so he is rightfully his true father. One can't help but think he is stating what he wants to tell Dale about the real situation with John Redcorn.
** In a weird way in the flashback of how Dale thought how Joseph was conceived we see John Redcorn sleeping on the couch. Sure that’s not how it happened exactly but how trusting does it say Dale is towards John that rather then a visual gag of irony they we see in Dale’s mind John is actually that good of a friend.
* The episode wherein Redcorn is in a band with Dale as the "manager". When the band breaks up and Redcorn discovers that he can sing very calmly and simplistically (like Raffi), Dale is the only one who sticks besides him.
* Even before the main plot kicks off, "Hilloween" is entirely about Hank wanting Bobby to have the best Halloween possible, simply because he believes the holiday is good clean fun and worries that Bobby might soon be too old to enjoy the holiday as much. It's enough that when a fanatical Christian woman has Halloween canceled in Arlen and is indoctrinating Bobby into her own little Christian cult instead, Hank dresses up in Bobby's Halloween costume and starts a protest march that the whole neighborhood joins in on. Then at the very end, when Hank and the woman each try to convince Bobby to choose their side of the conflict, Bobby chooses Hank. Not because he cares more about Halloween or doesn't care about Jesus, but because:
-->'''Bobby:''' I just want to be with my dad.
* In "Lucky's Wedding Suit" Lucky's usual settlement routine (in this case) involves him falling down Dale Gribble's stairs (leading to him needing a wheelchair), and invariably ends up with him suing Strickland Propane. When Hank (while Strickland can pay for it) states it's wrong to sue hardworking people for their hard earn money when they've done nothing wrong, Lucky goes to Hank and apologizes, to which Hank says it's going to be Lucky's responsibility to show his unborn child what is wrong and right. Lucky takes this lesson to heart and begins to take his role as provider seriously, trying to drop the lawsuit immediately, but when his lawyer says there is no feasible way for Lucky to drop a guaranteed winning case (mostly B.S. because he just wants his fee), Lucky is willing to go through immense pain just to prove that he isn't injured (a reverse on how people fake injuries to sue) and have Hank and Dale video tape it as proof. And after some trial and error, Lucky ends up with $53,000, which Luanne is quick to blow on an extravagant wedding. This is when Lucky, still trying to set an example, suggests that they use the money on a small wedding, use the money on a down payment on a house across the street and to buy their baby some clothes. Lucky truly changed his tune in life, all for the sake of his soon to be born child.
* In "Hillennium", Hank spends most of the episode petrified about the MillenniumBug. As Hank is polishing a clock, he falls unconscious from the varnish fumes, [[MushroomSamba and imagines himself and his family as moles in a Whack-A-Mole game]]. He tries to stop everybody from going up until he sees a Tom Landry Mole, [[TheAntiNihilist who assures him that whatever happens, it's important Hank keeps living his life and not fearing the future]].
-->'''Hank:''' But, aren't you scared? You're gonna get whacked.\\
'''Tom Landry Mole:''' Not every time, Hank. [[TheWorldIsJustAwesome The times you don't, it's pretty sweet. Sunshine, fresh air, a little football on the TV in the arcade]]. Every time I go up, I see a little more. Well, my turn again. (''Tom goes up'') Cowboys are playing. Attaboy, Troy.

* "Livin' on Reds, Vitamin C and Propane" features Hank and Bobby driving an eighteen wheeler to take a relatively small bunch of furniture to Hank's mom's house by Christmas. Hank makes a big deal about being a trucker, but is generally teased and mocked by other truckers throughout the trip. After some shenanigans where Bill, Boomhauer, and Dale get the truck stuck on a mountain and Hank has to drive it down in reverse, only guided by Boomhauer on the radio, they run into another group of truckers - who enthusiastically cheer them on for such an insane stunt, and escort them the rest of the journey since Hank's truck didn't have working mirrors or lights. After being ragged on and insulted the whole episode, Hank's reaction to the truckers genuinely excited to see the crazy son of a bitch who drove down the mountain backwards, and their enthusiasm to help him finish his trip, is a real CMOH.
** There's also how well Bobby takes to the trip. Hank brings him along for the sake of a father-son road trip bonding experience. Usually Hank's efforts to connect with Bobby fall flat, given the diversity of their interests, but this time is a rousing success. The two have a great time, Hank happily explaining the trucker lifestyle and Bobby eagerly going along with it. Bobby also fully recognizes how important Hank's promise to be on time is and does everything he can to help his father, from shushing Dale, Bill and Boomhauer when they act up to leading the stowaway trio in continuing the drive when Hank falls asleep. Given how often the two can't connect well it is nice to an episode where they get along like a house on fire.
** Hank good naturedly indulges Bobby by letting him have coffee for the road and allowing him to say "Hell yeah" when Bobby finds out about the trip.
** After the truck winds up on top of a mountain Hank is understandably pissed off at his friends, forcing them to stand behind a "Line of Shame" with their hands up. When Bobby goes to join them Hank stops him, understanding that his son was genuinely trying to help.

* In "Dang Ol' Love", Bill gets Boomhauer out of a breakdown with a stirring speech:
-->'''Bill:''' I know how dark it is for you right now, curled up, lying in your own emotional vomit. You're in hell now Boomhauer, and the only way out is through a long dark tunnel. And you're afraid to go in, because there's a train coming at ya, carrying a box car full of heartbreak. Well let me tell you something, all you can do is let it hit you, and then try to find your legs. Mm-hmm. I know, I've taken that hit more times than I can remember. Look at me, Boomhauer. I'm fat and I'm old, and every day I'm just gonna wake up fatter and older! And somehow I manage to drag this fat old bald bastard into the alley everyday. I'm out there, digging holes, falling into them, climbing out, trying again. And tomorrow, I'm gonna hang outside at a ladies prison. And the first thing those lady cons are gonna see after twenty years, is me. Will I get one? Experience says no. Will I be out there next month? If I'm alive, you better believe it. (''Grabs Boomhauer's shoulder, his voice getting steadily louder'') You gotta get back up on that tanning bed, slip into a tight T-shirt, wash off some of that cologne, and get yourself out of that tunnel, and into some strange woman's bed!
* In "Hank's Bully", Hank goes to Bobby with his plan to stop Caleb's bad behavior by having him do exactly what he does to Caleb's parents. Bobby, surprisingly, is hesitant about doing it. Hank mentions that it goes against everything he was raised to do, with Bobby noting that his father must be desperate if that's the case. It goes to show that, for all of his faults, Bobby truly was raised with good morale and Hank and Peggy would be proud.

* In "Orange You Sad I Did Say Banana?", Kahn wants a pool just like the one at Ted Wassanassong's home. However, he's horrified when he's informed how expensive it's going to be. Fortunately, Hank and the gang assure him that he can still have a good pool, even if it isn't exactly like Ted's, and they work together in building it.
* In "Be True To Your Fool", Hank is incensed with Bill for giving him lice, forcing him to shave his head. But when Hank finds he has Bill's name tattooed on the back of his head, having it removed shortly thereafter, he's even more incensed until Boomhauer explains that Hank had (drunkenly) gotten the tattoo as a way of expressing gratitude and appreciation after Bill saved him from some punks. He then sees that the tattoo was a memento of the confident badass Bill used to be, and he has it re-tattooed to show Bill he appreciates him, after all.
* In "Now Who's the Dummy", Hank is initially very worried that Bobby has taken to ventriloquism. However, the dummy, a jock named Chip Block, is very sports oriented, making Bobby develop considerable knowledge about sports that he uses for his material much to Hank's enjoyment. Especially during their first "meeting", when Bobby impresses the gang with his ventriloquism skills and sports knowledge, leading to Hank proudly exclaiming "He's using show business!" in a tone of voice that encourages a child's newfound hobby.
** Later on, when Dale shreds the dummy due to a childhood trauma, Hank insists on creating a new and improved Chip Block. This makes Bobby feel like Hank sees Chip Block as the son he's always wanted, which causes Peggy to confront Hank on the subject. This makes Hank realize what he's been doing and that he appreciates Bobby for who he is. So, he proves it by creating a replacement dummy that exactly resembles Bobby, proudly proclaiming to Peggy "Look at me with my two sons!".
* Hank helping Bill up twice after the latter gets hit twice by paintballs in a drive by in "The Man Who Shot Cane Skretteberg".
* Joseph's impassioned speech at the end of "Spin the Choice", which strongly implies Nancy has told him the truth about his parentage, and that he's at peace with the fact that John Redcorn is his biological father.
* Hank and Bobby getting along like a house on fire in "Goodbye Normal Jeans," to the point where they stay up all night talking and laughing at the news.

* In "Good Hill Hunting", when Hank's plan to go hunting at La Grunta is a letdown, Hank says he's sorry that Bobby has to remain a kid for a year because he couldn't complete his milestone of hunting. Bobby looks at it positively, viewing it as an extra year to learn from the man he'd like to most be like when he becomes a man, and looks right at his father. Hank smiles back and says, without missing a beat, that Bobby is a good son and deserves better than this and lets Bobby drive the truck. Hank is usually pretty reserved with his affections for people, and him not even pausing to praise his son is quite touching.
* "A Beer Can Named Desire" after Hank throws the ball into the beer can with just him and Dandy Don at the stadium. Realizing it isn't remotely the same, Dandy Don tells Hank about how the chance has come and gone, but it's okay and to not look back. Dandy Don and Hank then bond over how they both built a ten foot beer can to prepare for the event.
* "The Company Man" has a brief moment of Hank and a stripper bonding over both of their bosses forcing them into degrading situations for the sake of money. It's notable considering how close-minded Hank normally is about anything involving sexuality, even in a tertiary sense. You'd expect him to freak out at her saying they're a lot alike, but he barely blinks in response.

** Not to mention Hank finally defending his mother from Cotton at the end, especially since she gets to see it.

* In "Death Picks Cotton", while Cotton is on his deathbed, he tells Hank that he knows he's always been hard on him, but it wasn't because he hated him. When watching this, you may think Cotton's telling his son he honestly cared about him all those years. Of course, the moment is ruined once he immediately starts being a toxic manly hardass to Hank again after [[RealMenHateAffection he tells him he loves him back, thinking he was doing the same, because "'love's for sissy's". Literally right after he just assured him he didn't hate him.]] which causes Hank [[VerbalBackspace to take back what he said by assuring him he didn't love him that way in order to make him stop berating him.]] only for Cotton to flatline. (though he does turn out to have survived. [[KilledOffForReal for now, that is.)]] But if you look at that scene, it appears as heartwarming if you really think about it.

* In "Death Picks Cotton", while Cotton is on his deathbed, he tells Hank that he knows he's always been hard on him, but it wasn't because he hated him. When watching this, you may think Cotton's telling his son he honestly cared about him all those years. Of course, the moment is ruined once he immediately starts being a toxic manly hardass to Hank again after [[RealMenHateAffection he tells him he loves him back, thinking he was doing the same, because "'love's for sissy's". Literally right after he just assured him he didn't hate him.]] which causes Hank [[VerbalBackspace to take back what he said by assuring him he didn't love him that way in order to make him stop mocking him for being a sissy.]] only for Cotton to flatline. (though he does turn out to have survived. [[KilledOffForReal for now, that is.)]] But if you look at that scene, it appears as heartwarming if you really think about it.

* In "Death Picks Cotton", while Cotton is on his deathbed, he tells Hank that he knows he's always been hard on him, but it wasn't because he hated him. When watching this, you may think Cotton's telling his son he honestly cared about him all those years. Of course, the moment is ruined once he immediately starts being a toxic manly hardass to Hank again after [[RealMenHateAffection he tells him he loves him back, thinking he was doing the same, because "'love's for sissy's". Literally right after he just assured him he didn't hate him.]] which causes Hank [[VerbalBackspace to take back what he said by assuring him he didn't love him that way in order to make him stop mocking him for being a sissy.]] only for Cotton to flatline. (though he does turn out fo have survived. [[KilledOffForReal for now, that is.]] But if you look at that scene, it appears as heartwarming if you really think about it.

* In "Death Picks Cotton", while Cotton is on his deathbed, he tells Hank that he knows he's always been hard on him, but it wasn't because he hated him. When watching this, you may think Cotton's telling his son he honestly cared about him all those years. Of course, the moment is ruined once he immediately starts being a toxic manly hardass to Hank again after [[RealMenHateAffection he tells him he loves him back, thinking he was doing the same, because "'love's for sissy's". Literally right after he just assured him he didn't hate him.]] which causes Hank [[VerbalBackspace to take back what he said by assuring him he didn't love him that way in order to make him stop mocking him for being a sissy.]] only for Cotton to flatline. (though he does manage to survive, [[KilledOffForReal for now, that is.]] But if you look at that scene, it appears as heartwarming if you really think about it.

* In "Death Picks Cotton", while Cotton is on his deathbed, he tells Hank that he knows he's always been hard on him, but it wasn't because he hated him. When watching this, you may think Cotton's telling his son he honestly cared about him all those years. Of course, the moment is ruined once Hank tells his father he loves him. But if you look at that scene, it appears as heartwarming if you really think about it.

* "A Beer Can Named Desire" after Hank throws the ball into the beer can with just him and Dandy Don at the stadium. Realizing it isn't remotely the same, Dandy Don tells Hank about how the chance has come and gone, but it's okay and to not look back. Dandy Don and Hank then bond over how they both built a ten foot beer can to prepare for the event.

[[caption-width-right:350: Top image: first season. Bottom image: final season. After thirteen years, [[CharacterDevelopment character development goes a long way]].]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/youtube__a70ysl_cmo.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350: After 13 years, [[CharacterDevelopment character development goes a long way]].]]

* A blink and you'll miss it moment from ''Manger Baby Einstein'' where Hank talks to Luanne about how she's a mother now and notes that even if the country ran mainly on propane [[ItMakesSenseInContext and he were to become the vice president]], he would still be a father first. After Luanne notes that he's an uncle second (actually fourth), she gives Hank a hug, to which not only does he pat her back, but if you note the picture on the right side of the screen, he even smiles. Given how in the early seasons he would more than often direct her to Peggy for a hug (given how uncomfortable he is for the most part about physical contact), it really shows how far he's come with her since the Pilot.

* The end of "Wings of the Dope" (the episode with Buckley's angel). When Buckley had initially appeared, he had wings, but no halo. After he advises Luanne to drop out of beauty school and try something else, in her case, community college, he meets her one last time on the trampoline. They share one last kiss, he bounces up into the night sky, and Luanne walks back into the house. Shortly afterward, Buckley lands on the trampoline and is shown walking off down the street to the horizon - pulling a halo out of his pocket and donning it. He earned his halo for helping her.

* In "Now Who's the Dummy", Hank is initially very worried that Bobby has taken to ventriloquism. However, the dummy is very sports oriented, making Bobby develop considerable knowledge about sports that he uses for his material much to Hank's enjoyment. Especially during their first "meeting", when Bobby impresses the gang with his ventriloquism skills and sports knowledge, leading to Hank proudly exclaiming "He's using show business!" in a tone of voice that encourages a child's newfound hobby.