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Cotton's Plot

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"Cotton's Plot"

"Cotton's Plot" is the 62nd episode in the Fox animated situation comedy King of the Hill and is the second episode of the fourth season.

Plot

Finally released from her body cast, Peggy is disappointed to learn that her muscles have atrophied and that she will need to begin a long, slow process of physical therapy. When she falls out of her wheelchair while attempting to catch the rehabilitation center shuttle, Cotton asks if she would rather learn how to walk or just be pampered in her wheelchair; after she manages to hoist herself back into her chair, fueled by her anger at Cotton, she asks him to teach her to walk again. In true military fashion, Cotton implements a harsh training program similar to basic training, interspersed with inspirational tales of his war heroics. Cotton takes Peggy to the VFW and gives her the honor of raising the flag, but her weakened upper body strength causes her to falter with the flag at half-staff. Cotton and the other veterans proceed to berate her, which culminates with Peggy punching Cotton in the nose. Cotton stands expressionless, blood dripping from his nose, before laughing heartily at Peggy's display of spirit. He and the other veterans cheer as she finishes raising the flag. Grateful for his help, Peggy helps him in return to apply as a 'war hero' for a plot in the Texas State Cemetery, a state-run cemetery for distinguished Texans.

While doing the research for the application, Hank, who wants her to continue the traditional therapy, points out that Cotton claims to have been in both the Pacific theater and European theater of World War II at the same time - an impossibility. With her faith in Cotton shattered, a disheartened Peggy rescinds her burial plot assistance and returns to her original physical therapy sessions. When she complains bitterly about Cotton's lies, Hank points out that while the exploits to which Cotton lays claim may be embellished or even outright fabrications, he had still fought in the war and lost his shins for the effort; despite this loss Cotton still walks, a fact which Hank considers heroic in its own right.

Peggy catches up to Cotton at the application meeting with a detailed and accurate summary of his war service, and Cotton is granted a burial plot. When the family visits the plot, situated on the top of a scenic hill, Cotton challenges Peggy to climb the hill. Despite her initial protests, he spurs her on with the promise that he'll let her dance on his grave. With that motivation, Peggy successfully crawls up the hill, and Cotton leads her in her victory dance.

A minor subplot involves Peggy's discarded body cast. After Bill learns that Peggy didn't keep it, he retrieves it from the hospital's trash, and adds a photograph of Peggy to pretend he's talking to her. Dale discovers the body cast and threatens to tell Hank and Peggy, only to use the body cast to ride shotgun in his truck so that he can drive in the HOV lane. Boomhauer then discovers it in Dale's possession and takes it to use in a sexual roleplay, with him as an immobilized patient and his partner as a nurse giving him a sponge bath.

Quotes

  • Cotton: Tojo had me cooped up in a bamboo rat cage. There was nothing to eat except rats. So that's what I ate. After two weeks, I was down to my last rat. I let him live so I could eat his droppings. Called it ‘jungle rice'. Tasted fine. And by September, I was finally thin enough to slip between the bamboo bars of my cage. I strangled the guard with a rope made of braided rat tails, and ran to safety!
    (A horn honks outside, and Peggy turns to see a van sitting in the driveway.)
    Peggy: Oh, thank God! Well, that's my ride to rehab.
    Cotton: To be continued!
  • Peggy: Teach. Me. To walk!
    Cotton: You ready to hate me more than you ever hated anyone in your life?!
    Peggy: I already do!
    Cotton: Then we're halfway there!
  • Dale: Colonel, from your dress and demeanor, can I assume you're about to take your own life in a cheap motel room with your service revolver?
  • Cotton: You get to the top of that hill, and I'll let you dance on my grave!
    (Peggy throws herself out of her wheelchair and begins to crawl up the hill, with Cotton barking commands the whole way, and shakily gets to her feet at the summit.)
    Peggy: Cotton, may I have this dance?
    (Cotton takes her hands, and they clumsily share a dance on his burial plot.)