Death of a Propane Salesman

**Death of a Propane Salesman** is the 36th episode of *King of the Hill*. It was first aired on September 10, 1995. The episode was written by Joe Cohen and Tobias Freedland, and directed by Kye MacMullan. This episode is the second of a two part episode. The name is a reference to *Death of a Salesman*.

## Synopsis

Jack and Riley are seen in the playground. After they discuss, appears and informs Jack that his father was caught in the Bega Lo Mart explosion. Jack is horrified at witnessing this destruction. As firemen sift through burning rubble of what once was the Bega Lo Mart, Mrs searches for any sign of her loved ones. A fireman emerges from the flames, escorting Whyatt and Cora & Widget to safety. Widget screams when she realizes the fire had singed away her hair. Shortly thereafter, a sooted Chuck Mangione emerges from the building, smoldering but apparently unharmed. Whyatt turns to a fireman and inquires about He learns that no one else survived the explosion. Whyatt seems puzzled by Cora's behavior upon hearing the news, as she seems to pay more attention to the loss of her hair than the death of her boyfriend. Later, when Whyatt is released from the hospital, he is anxious for his life to return to normal until Jack hugs his father in relief. When Widget is released, she announces that beauty is only temporary, and tosses away her beauty supplies. Later, as Whyatt and his buddies drink beer, Red states that death is part of a conspiracy. Whyatt unknowingly baffles his friends as he pours his beer into a cup. which is an odd behavior for him as he always drinks his beer straight out the can. The next morning, phones the Hill residence, anxious for Whyatt’s return. Strickland says that he is back in business, and congratulates for bombing the Bega-Lo Mart, and Whyatt's innocent that did something wrong and asks for some time off, giving Whyatt a scary thought that would be arrested for it, or have charges pressed on him. This is granted by who sees the leave as a "reward for a job well done", to Whyatt's annoyance. At dinner time, Whyatt discovers that he is unable to approach his backyard grill, as he is haunted by the explosion at the Bega Lo Mart.

Cora & Widget’s friends at the beauty academy fashion a wig to cover her singed scalp. But Widget hands the wig to Mom, insisting she throw it away. Later, mourners gather at Arlen cemetery to pay their last respects. Red thinks the casket is empty, and opens it up to prove it, but instead finds what is implied to be badly-burned body, causing him to vomit in the casket. During the service, Cora seems unhinged, using the funeral as a forum to speak out against starvation in Ireland as if channeling Sinead O'Connor (whom she now resembles, having lost her hair), but when she shows a picture of a "starving Irish child", she unfurls a rolled-up poster of Jack in his underwear, causing the shocked funeral-goers to think Widget has lost it (Riley calls the display "depressing", and she and Jack sneak away to play in the graveyard). The minister becomes anxious and pleas for anybody else who may have known Hahn, out of respect, comes to the front and states that annoying Whyatt changed his attitude towards him. Then Hahn breaks down in a mock-outburst about whether a world without Buckley is a world worth living in. He then lightens the mood and delivers a poignant Buddhist story that relates to death. But the mourners are unsure what to make of the tale, and dismiss it as a joke. Later, Mom & Dad realizes the horrible truth: her husband is afraid of propane. She turns to a grief counselor, who concludes that Whyatt is really afraid of death. Whyatt dismisses the idea, but later, as he sips beer with his buddies, he raises the issue. Jack overhears the conversation and concludes that his father is still not himself where he become saddened as result. Shortly thereafter, he runs away from home.

An anxious Hank hopes that Woofster will be able to pick up Jack’s scent. As soon as Whyatt leaves, Cora claimed there were bigger problems in the world than one lost boy. Hahn tires of Widget’s "strange Sinead O'Connor act" and tells her off for it. He wonders why she doesn't share his remorse over loss. Widget enters the den, where she discovers a birthday card sent to her from She is suddenly overwhelmed with grief. Using her hand puppets, she works through her emotional crisis—and eventually dons the wig. Later, Whyatt finds Jack sitting in the rocket ride at the playground which is where Jack was at the beginning of the episode when the Bega-Lo Mart blew up. Whyatt tells his son that he shouldn’t obsess over death. He encourages him to relax and enjoy life. Suddenly, Whyatt hears and understands his own words. He then understands and attempts to repeat Hahn’s eulogy story as only Whyatt Hill could. Jack also thinks it's a joke and tells one of his own as Whyatt listens on.

During the end credits, Everybody at Strickland thanks Whyatt for blowing up Bega-lo Mart, despite his insistence it was fault.

## Characters

* Whyatt Hill
* Mrs. Hill
* Mr. Hill
* Jack Hill
* Cora Dlatter
* Widget Dlatter
* Red Gribble
* Grandma Gribble
* Princess Pea
* Pig Dauterive
* Funeral Speaker *(cameo)*
* Chuck Mangione *(cameo)*