After Bobby gets a black eye at a baseball game and having an argument with a Mega-Lo-Mart employee, Hank gets mistaken for an abusive parent, and even gets an investigation by social services.
This episode contains examples of:
- Abuse Mistake:
- As Hank screams at Buckley at the Mega-Lo-Mart, the customers witnessing the conversation wonder if Hank was responsible for Bobby's black eye (which actually happened when Bobby got hit with a baseball during a game).
- Later on, when Anthony investigates Hank and his home life, Anthony notices a bruise on Peggy's head and questions her about it (Bobby accidentally threw a baseball at Peggy's head earlier). After Peggy explains what had happened, Anthony becomes convinced that Hank not only hits Bobby, but also Peggy as well.
- And in the end where Hank playfully punches Bobby, Anthony, on the bus ride back home, witnesses it and freaks out.
- Abusive Parents:
- Hank gets mistaken as one after getting into it with Buckley at Mega-Lo-Mart (not helped by Bobby's black eye from the baseball game). He gets investigated because of all that. Anthony the social worker still believes Hank is abusive even at the end when he sees Hank playfully punching Bobby.
- In a Flashback, a young Hank is emotionally abused by Cotton after he scrapes his knee and runs to him but Cotton dismisses him because it was nothing compared to having his shins blown off.
- Angrish: Hank goes on a rant to Anthony about how people like Hank do honest work and is angry about how his tax dollars go to people like him, leading him mumbling and speechless.
- Cannot Spit It Out: When Hank has to tell Bobby he loves him, he struggles with it greatly, trying to find ways to say it, which Bobby doesn't understand. He ends up spitting it out fast afterwards.
- Comically Missing the Point: After Anthony interviews Dale, he goes to Boomhauer, who goes on about a neighborhood dog barking.
- Early-Installment Weirdness:
- This episode features a bit more slapstick comedy (Bobby getting hit with the baseball, Hank's arm slipping and getting slammed by the front hood, Dale cutting the brake cable and letting Hank's truck back into the garage door, and Bobby fooling around with the garage door during his montage of playing pranks on Hank) than later episodes.
- Peggy's Spanish, while basic, is more-or-less correct ("Los estudiantes son mis amigos"note ) and she's not as egotistical as she would be in later episodes.
- Bobby, a normally nice kid in the series, is depicted here as somewhat socially awkward, but has friends (Joseph Gribble) and can be a bit of a brat (as seen when he plays pranks on Hank, knowing the social worker will accuse him of being an abusive parent and take Bobby away).
- Hank actually acknowledges that his emotional repression is from having an emotionally abusive father.
- Eye Scream: Downplayed with Bobby getting a black eye after getting hit with a baseball, kickstarting the plot.
- Failed a Spot Check: In his zeal to investigate Hank, Anthony neglected to interview the school coach to make sure it was an injury from a Little League game and not Hank beating him up. Had he done so earlier, the investigation would have been over earlier.
- Fun with Acronyms: Dale tries to crack a joke about Hank's truck by saying Ford's short for an insulting acronym, but gets his car brands mixed up.note Dale: I know what's wrong with it. It's a Ford. You know what they say Ford stands for, don't ya? It stands for "Fix It Again, Tony."
Hank: Dale, that's Fiat. - Gossip Evolution: How Hanks gets mistaken for an abusive parent. Starting off as customers at Mega-Lo-Mart losing his patience with Buckley and results in people saying he hit Bobby and how he beat up some women who tried to stop him and even threatening Buckley with a hammer.
- House Inspection: A worker from the Department of Child Services catches wind of perceived abuse, as well as a poorly timed injury from Peggy and hearing Bobby exaggerate Hank's blustered threats to someone who had angered him and sends an investigator out. The investigator find zero evidence of abuse, and the Worker gets chewed out by his boss for jumping to conclusions and taking matters into his own hands, getting shilled off to some far off place he can't embarrass his company anymore.
- Hypocritical Humor: After Peggy finds out the investigation is over:Hank: (sighs) It's hard, Peggy. I don't wanna lose my little boy... my only son. But... oh, it's hard.
Peggy: Well, you can relax. The investigation has been off for a week, only... Bobby didn't tell us.
Hank: I'LL KILL HIM! - Instantly Proven Wrong: When Peggy defends Hank to Anthony the social worker.Social Worker: Would you say your husband has a temper?
Peggy: Who, Hank? No, Hank is as gentle as a lamb.
[Hank throws open the door and storms in]
Hank: God dangit!! No more bouncing that ball!!
[grabs baseball Bobby is throwing at the wall and throws it out the door, almost hitting the social worker]
Peggy: Hank, we have a visitor. - Meaningful Echo: When Hank starts yelling during the questioning, Anthony points out "Loud is not allowed", much to the former's frustration. Later on, when Bobby tries to pester Hank, he even throws that at him.
- Oh, Crap!: Anthony starts visibly sweating after his boss asks if he interviewed Bobby's Little League coach about Bobby's injury, and referred to the man by his first name as an indicator he personally knows him.
- Out-of-Context Eavesdropping: Bobby and Joseph talk about the investigation and both do impressions of Hank. Joseph's happened to feature physical threats ("I'll tear you a new one. When I get my hands on you, you little pea-brain, I'll bust yer butt into little pieces"), which Anthony just happens to overhear and quickly jets off to try and rescue Bobby.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: After a whole episode of hilarious mistaken hijinks, Anthony's boss arrives to the Hill home, asks Anthony if he questioned Bobby's coach, mentions that he did when Anthony says no, and declares Hank is innocent and fires Anthony on the spot.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Getting fed up with Anthony's insistence that he's an abusive husband and father, Hank tells Anthony off. Expressing how angry it makes him that he works an honest job and how his tax dollars go to people like Anthony before running him out of his house.Hank: Now you listen to me, mister. I work for a living. And I mean real work, not writing down gobbledy-gook. I provide the people of this community with propane and propane accessories. Oh, when I think of all my hard-earned tax dollars going to pay a bunch of little twigged-boy bureaucrats like you, it just makes me want to... oh God, it just.. (goes into Angrish before asking Peggy to get him his BC Headache Powder and a glass of water) ...Now you 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!
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Two instances:
- First when Hank is trying to fix his truck and Dale shines the flashlight away, he drops his wrench and the trunk closes on him. Dale quickly jets.
- Shortly afterwards, Dale tries to fix it himself with Bill and Boomhauer watching. He accidentally cuts the brake cable, which makes the truck hit the garage door. All three men run off after that.
