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Recap / King Of The Hill S 5 E 12 Now Whos The Dummy

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Bobby acquires a ventriloquist's dummy named Chip Block, which dredges up childhood anxieties for Dale.


Tropes:

  • Bait-and-Switch: Dale says "Octavio must be gotten rid of!" and reaches into his glove compartment where he keeps his pistol... then bypasses the pistol, takes out a pen and pad, and starts to write Octavio a letter telling him he's fired.
  • Demonic Dummy: Bobby's ventriloquist dummy Chip Block is certainly perceived as such by Dale Gribble, who is horrified by the thing's very existence due to a traumatic childhood memory of receiving a copy of it for his birthday. While the rest of the episode focuses on Bobby feeling overshadowed by the dummy's attention from Hank (as Chip's persona is the All-American sports star Hank admires), in Dale's head Chip is every bit a Demonic Dummy that must be destroyed.
  • Demoted to Extra: In-Universe, Bobby feels that this happened to him. Hank at first feels embarrassed that Bobby is "playing with dolls" since he carries Chip Block around all the time, but when Bobby tells sports-commentary based jokes as Chip Block, Hank becomes more accepting of Bobby's ventriloquism act, to the detriment of Bobby who soon realizes Hank likes spending time with him because of Chip Block, and even the ventriloquist that gave Bobby the dummy says that his career suffered after he stopped using Chip Block.
  • Instant Sedation: Hank threatens to kick Dale's ass for destroying Bobby's ventriloquism dummy. Dale promptly chloroforms himself in the hopes of being spared a beating, and quickly passes out.
  • Mama Bear: Peggy doesn't even hesitate to blast Hank for trying to create a replacement son in the form of a new dummy.
  • Self-Serving Memory: Dale's traumatic memory of the birthday where he received his own Chip Block, and was thus scarred by it, appears rather warped to the point literally everyone in it comes across as malevolent and evil.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: Peggy's utterly disgusted when she realizes Hank's making a new dummy in the image of everything he wishes Bobby was and calls him out on it.
    Peggy: I will let you play with your doll. While you're at it, you can use the leftover lumber to build the wife you've always wanted, too.

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