Business is Picking Up

"Business is Picking Up"

Business is Picking Up is the 194th episode of the FOX animated series King of the Hill.

Plot

Bobby is anticipating great things when the school offers a job shadow program. Hank is preparing to mentor his son at Strickland Propane. Bobby is not so thrilled at the thought of spending his day at Strickland. Hank informs him, that he will be the only kid who has his career figured out at age fourteen after their day together. Bobby starts to think of ways to avoid it.

At the job fair, tables are set up, with a representative for each company. Bobby looks around for a bit, and discovers that all of the jobs he wants are filled. So, he slowly heads over to Hank's sign in table. But, Joseph Gribble has taken the only available position. Bobby panics, and the job fair coordinator directs him to the final open space. The man at the table welcomes Bobby to his company, and explains the job. The man runs his own business, picking up animal excrement. 90% dog poo, 10% other, he explains, as Bobby is mortified for the moment. In the mean time, Hank is nervous about spending the day with Joseph, who makes him feel uncomfortable.

The day arrives, and Bobby gives Hank a final call, to try and convince him to get him out of the waste removal business. As he hangs up, a man on a motorized bike pulls up, and Bobby is giddy. He then jumps on the back, and they go. Bobby rides along on the back of the cart all day, picking up waste, and enjoying himself. Hank is silently riding in the Strickland truck with Joseph, who takes a drink of his open soda. Hank cringes, as he mentions it, but Joseph doesn't seem to care.

At the end of the work day, Bobby is dropped back off in front of the gang in the alley. He is excited, because Hank was right. Bobby announces that he did indeed have his career figured out by age fourteen, he would be a waste removal guy, like his mentor.

Hank loses it. Bobby's boss decides to hire him on as an assistant, and Bobby quickly accepts. He decides to invite Hank and Peggy over for dinner, to let them see what a lucrative business he has ventured into. The three Hills show up, and are very impressed. The house is huge, and has a big screen television, game room, all sorts of other good things. It appears that this business allows for a good income. Over dinner, Bobby and his boss exchange war stories. Hank & Peggy lose their appetite because of too much excrement talk. Hank pulls the host to the side for a private talk. He explains to him that he doesn't want Bobby to go this route, could he please help dissuade him. The man says no.

The following day, as Bobby was getting ready to go on his way with his boss, it happens. A group of angry thugs approaches him, and "attacks". The leader of the "gang" was none other than Jimmy, the town imbecile. They made it look as if the waste removers were the most hated men alive, and that the beatings were constant. Hank was happy that Bobby's boss took that fall for him, and Bobby decided against the career.