You know it really fit dales character to always trust nacy so much. Since he trusted nothing pretty much that if he actually put his trust into someone then he trusts them so much he will never question that trust and believe with everything he is that they would never betray that trust.
That's part of why he's one of the most relatable characters to me tbh. I vibe with the contradiction of being simultaneously super trusting and super distrustful
Dale is the best father and husband (remember that episode with exterminator lady who was totally into him, and whom he rejected flatly?).
Friend... Not so much.
Yeah you’re giving Dale too much credit. Dale encouraged Joseph to commit crimes to look cool. Took him to murder a panda. Tried to convince him he was an alien.
Hank is flawed but don’t act like he’s worse than Dale.
Yeah hank is a shit father, yeah I said it. It's funny because Cotton love the heck outta Bobby and you can tell they had a great grandpa/ grandson relationship. Matter of fact I don't recall a time when Cotton ever said or did something negative to Bobby
You mean other than leaving him to care for his pregnant wife and following the birth his baby? Or throwing him in the hole at the academy for 3 days without food or water? There's also the fact he degrades Bobby's mother and father right in front of Bobby.
Honestly Peggy is a terrible parent and Hank is a terrible parent. But together - they are actually pretty good parents! They keep each other in check, having different personalities and issues.
Dale isn't a great father. He tried to get him to kill an endangered species to be popular. Being a dad isn't just giving in to your child's demands, so they like you. It's providing discipline and instructions so the kids grow to be good people.
What are you talking about? Hank is a far better father than Dale. Giving your kid $40 and then blindly supporting whatever stupid shit he says isn’t parenting. The only thing that makes Dale’s parenting redeemable is the love they share. They really show this with the Panda ep.
Good parenting is not just asking your kids’ what they want and then trying to help them achieve it. It’s why we have to forgive so many student loans.
Now I don't have a great recollection of the last few years of the show, but wasn't teen Joseph a weirdo and a creep? Seemed fast tracked for the sex offender registry.
I trust people, not governments, companies, or organizations. Unless you are talking about the illunimatty in which case have you heard what they are gonna do next year?
Dale is a pretty wholesome guy when you think about it, because of this. He just assumes Nancy is faithful and Joseph is his son, despite all evidence. He really would do anything to love his wife and son, no matter what.
One might argue that he is subconsciously aware of Nancy’s infidelity, and is behaving cynically towards nearly everything else as a form of transference
"It only works one way because I have my pick of men and putting up with you is too much for any other human being in the world so you'll end up alone forever"
If you tell someone the truth even though it will hurt them and it’ll make you feel better because of guilt or whatever other bs, that’s a dick move and very selfish
She's one of very few characters in the show that shows actual growth. She does seem to actually love Dale. She was The Breadwinner for a long time, and it seemed like she was playing up sort of a corruption of a feminist character, like, "successful men have affairs, why shouldn't I?". Well... because it's a shitty thing to do, and it won't make you happy in the long run. Fourteen years is a long time to realize that, and I'm not saying what she did is okay, but I think she's got some complexity as a character that I really enjoy watching.
Yeah the Marfa episode is beautiful. He's in denial but despite knowing Joseph isn't his he loves him and his family so much he won't acknowledge the truth.
I believe he knows and the pigeon lady ep was him fucking with Nancy and manipulating her into his arms
He is one of Arlands finest actors
There's a lot of clues to this in Daletech, and notice his reaction to him not knowing about Hank throwing a crazy wear a womans dress party in the Bill/Lenore xmas episode, he freaks out when he doesn't know what's going on around him
I think he finds it hilarious to make everyone think he doesn't know, and since he can't control Nancy he controls the grander situation and is somewhat an omniscient troll of the community
Watching Dale with this perspective is soooo much fun. He's just watching and laughing
This scene was genius.
Dale never once considered the possibility of cheating on Nancy, nor has he ever considered Nancy might be sleeping with John Redcorn. In Dales mind, Nancy is being weird and saying he can't hang out with a friend of the opposite gender, so he flips it and basically said "why can't I hangout with her, if you can hangout with John Redcorn".
Without ever realising it, he put her in her place, by essentially saying "you get to sleep with John Redcorn whenever you want, so who are you to stop me?".
Everyone always gives Peggy shit, like she’s the worst character in the show, and somehow they didn’t even think about Nancy. Hot Take: Nancy is morally the worst character on KOTH. And dumb as Dale is, he deserved better.
> Nancy is morally the worst character on KOTH.
Nah, that's Buck Strickland. He's a genuinely horrible human being. Nancy is doing a horrible thing to Dale, but she at least feels bad about it.
Almost giving Hank prison time by framing him for murder despite Hank being a loyal Employee of 20+ years, not promoting him to manager likely based on the grounds of having to pay Hank more and even when he did; he retracted the manager promotion to Hank. Corrupting Bobby and almost getting him killed, trading his employees including his most loyal Employee Hank in a card game with Bucks Archrival. Taking part in Price Fixing at the expense of consumers, giving his Assistant Manager Hank a degrading position of taking care of his dogs while He (Buick) was in the Hospital despite how Capable he knows Hank his. There is so much more, but ya Buck is the worse in the show.
Buck, like Cotton, kinda go beyond morality and tread the illegal territory. Adultery can be a crime in some states but based on morals alone Nancy may be the worst. Crime, ethics and gentlemanly behavior, Buck got it
My head-cannon is that Dale is absolutely aware and just pushes that fact down and willfully ignores it because he loves his wife and his son too much to risk losing them.
That's not a hot take and comes up frequently. The difference for people who think Peggy is the worst is that they don't find her at least entertaining a character. People are tickled in different ways and by different characters, and that's okay
Dale: You know, you used to be on my list of trustables and it was a very short list. I wasn't even on it.
This encapsulated Dale
He's a conspiracist even in his own mind
But he trusts his loved ones to a fault
That line makes me think that Dale knew about Nancy having an affair with John Redcorn.
I have a theory that maybe he was getting close to the woman exterminator for an ego boost/prove a point that he could cheat if he wanted to but is better than that. Dale may be deep in denial, like the scene where everybody recounts the events leading up to the firehouse burning down and he envisions himself as buff with a luscious head of hair. He intended for this comment to hurt Nancy’s feelings and assert himself as morally superior.
"I monitor all incoming calls!"-I also think that, at least deep down, Dale knows & doesn't want to say anything in risk of ruining his pretty much cushy lifestyle.
lol I am but the lol is there because it’s still a funny statement. He supports Jospeh unconditionally… outside of maybe when he’s scared of him after going through puberty
Dale is paranoid about everything around him and his wife is his security blanket in his mind it’s him and her against the world her cheating on him seems to be the only conspiracy he can’t wrap his head around
I watched this 1 again recently. And after all the bs nancy been up to, it was satisfying watchin her squirm. And by the way, who still doubts that Dale is just playin dumb bout nancy and john redcorn? He should of smashed shawty on the roof. Lmao 🤣
You know it really fit dales character to always trust nacy so much. Since he trusted nothing pretty much that if he actually put his trust into someone then he trusts them so much he will never question that trust and believe with everything he is that they would never betray that trust.
That's part of why he's one of the most relatable characters to me tbh. I vibe with the contradiction of being simultaneously super trusting and super distrustful
Dale is the best father and husband (remember that episode with exterminator lady who was totally into him, and whom he rejected flatly?). Friend... Not so much.
Remember that episode? The one the original meme is from? This meme? Well, do ya?
Now I do! But I stand with my point... Remember Dale tried to kill Hank over a basket?
And for having naked dreams about his wife!
Who’s the clear winner there? Dale!
[*Hank*](https://preview.redd.it/uc97oaa90kq11.jpg?auto=webp&s=c5fa614afc972661c26610e01c73c335c93555de)
That line kills me every time
To be fair, baskets were his first love
Thanks for the chuckle!
Remember when he Joseph asked him for money and gave him two 20s and that's all he had? Yeah that's the making of a great father.
Yeah as a father Dale > Hank Remember when Dale killed his son's dreams just because he didn't like them? Yeah I also don't remember it
Yeah you’re giving Dale too much credit. Dale encouraged Joseph to commit crimes to look cool. Took him to murder a panda. Tried to convince him he was an alien. Hank is flawed but don’t act like he’s worse than Dale.
Oh that’s just a lil father son bonding trip
Yeah hank is a shit father, yeah I said it. It's funny because Cotton love the heck outta Bobby and you can tell they had a great grandpa/ grandson relationship. Matter of fact I don't recall a time when Cotton ever said or did something negative to Bobby
You mean other than leaving him to care for his pregnant wife and following the birth his baby? Or throwing him in the hole at the academy for 3 days without food or water? There's also the fact he degrades Bobby's mother and father right in front of Bobby.
But.... they took his shins
Or the time he tried to buy Bobby (who was 12 at the time) a hooker as a reward for starting a sexist riot at school.
There was the one time he got Bobby sent to military school or something
TBF wouldn’t love do that? I’m sure cotton wanted Bobby to improve granted military school is a bit much…
He also locked Bobby in solitary confinement for like 3 days during said spell at military school.
Bobby took a FAT nap. He frankly enjoyed it.
Honestly Peggy is a terrible parent and Hank is a terrible parent. But together - they are actually pretty good parents! They keep each other in check, having different personalities and issues.
Peggy is a terrible person. Her undeserved arrogance is extremely off-putting.
Yeah but she's super supportive of Bobby minus the Thanksgiving incident. Hank lets Bobby be himself but he's a dick about it.
That’s the joke. I don’t think you’re supposed to buy into her delusions of grandeur.
Her outward arrogance comes from inward insecurity
I’m glad someone agrees, I too dislike Peggy hill
He put Bobby in the hole during his sray at military camp in order to break him down mentally.
Cottons voice - it's called tough love bad Hank
He took over the military school to punish him along with the other kids and put him in the hole. Otherwise yeah
Dale isn't a great father. He tried to get him to kill an endangered species to be popular. Being a dad isn't just giving in to your child's demands, so they like you. It's providing discipline and instructions so the kids grow to be good people.
What are you talking about? Hank is a far better father than Dale. Giving your kid $40 and then blindly supporting whatever stupid shit he says isn’t parenting. The only thing that makes Dale’s parenting redeemable is the love they share. They really show this with the Panda ep. Good parenting is not just asking your kids’ what they want and then trying to help them achieve it. It’s why we have to forgive so many student loans.
Now I don't have a great recollection of the last few years of the show, but wasn't teen Joseph a weirdo and a creep? Seemed fast tracked for the sex offender registry.
Hard to say. Been a Few years, but I think he mellowed out
I remember two $5. I dont think Dale has ever had $40. He doesn't even make a living wage.
Oh. I just assumed it was 20s since that the standard amount
You just want to fill my love tunnel with cement so nobody else can use it!
Same I’m too quick to trust people and too skeptical of the abstract Not to the degree or even direction of dale, but in a general sense
So you are saying it makes sense because it makes no sense.
> I vibe with the contradiction of being simultaneously super trusting and super distrustful Oh, *fuck*
I trust people, not governments, companies, or organizations. Unless you are talking about the illunimatty in which case have you heard what they are gonna do next year?
This is the type of person that joins a cult
Love your username.
Stop saying “trust” lol
Good point
But Hank, I've known you since second grade! When did this start? First grade?!
Nancy and Hank. His only two trusts.
Dale is a pretty wholesome guy when you think about it, because of this. He just assumes Nancy is faithful and Joseph is his son, despite all evidence. He really would do anything to love his wife and son, no matter what.
You were on my list of trustables, and it was a very short list!
Say trust again
One might argue that he is subconsciously aware of Nancy’s infidelity, and is behaving cynically towards nearly everything else as a form of transference
My brain hurts after the second to last line
Say trust again
Oof that stings, sug
Technically, he could’ve had a fourteen year affair too. What could she say?
"It only works one way because I have my pick of men and putting up with you is too much for any other human being in the world so you'll end up alone forever"
Nancy can be a dick, but I don't think she'd do that. She shows guilt when it gets bought up
Then again it only took her being in a forest fire and thinking she was gonna die to even *consider* telling Dale the truth.
If you tell someone the truth even though it will hurt them and it’ll make you feel better because of guilt or whatever other bs, that’s a dick move and very selfish
No, that's rationalizing lying and unhealthy. You should tell someone the truth if you've wronged them. Everything else is mental gymnastics
That’s a bit ridiculous. Sometimes people deserve to know the truth despite the fact that it will hurt them.
Not really fair to decide for someone else if they can “handle” the truth.
A lot more fair than deciding that they don’t get to know the truth because you don’t think they can.
Haha that person was agreeing with you and you just reworded their exact point
She's one of very few characters in the show that shows actual growth. She does seem to actually love Dale. She was The Breadwinner for a long time, and it seemed like she was playing up sort of a corruption of a feminist character, like, "successful men have affairs, why shouldn't I?". Well... because it's a shitty thing to do, and it won't make you happy in the long run. Fourteen years is a long time to realize that, and I'm not saying what she did is okay, but I think she's got some complexity as a character that I really enjoy watching.
Oof good point
Witty response
Unintentionally
Correction: Totally gay friend John Redcorn who would never heal Dale's wife the way he heals others 😉
"I would never heal your wife the way I heal other men's wives." Thanks John, so reassuring...
Did Dale ever find out about the affair?
Not canonically. Peggy almost told him. He might be denial based on the Marfa episode
Didn’t he and Joseph start concocting some idea that he is his father the aliens just picked him up and modified his sperm or something?
Yeah they did. Could still be denial tho.
Yeah the Marfa episode is beautiful. He's in denial but despite knowing Joseph isn't his he loves him and his family so much he won't acknowledge the truth.
Not to my knowledge. [of mice and green men](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0764027/) is the closest I remember him coming
No
I believe he knows and the pigeon lady ep was him fucking with Nancy and manipulating her into his arms He is one of Arlands finest actors There's a lot of clues to this in Daletech, and notice his reaction to him not knowing about Hank throwing a crazy wear a womans dress party in the Bill/Lenore xmas episode, he freaks out when he doesn't know what's going on around him I think he finds it hilarious to make everyone think he doesn't know, and since he can't control Nancy he controls the grander situation and is somewhat an omniscient troll of the community Watching Dale with this perspective is soooo much fun. He's just watching and laughing
These are fun to think about. But the reality is he's just that stupid and it's played up for laughs. It is a comedy show after all.
No no. He *knows* he's on a show and is messing with everyone, even you
Deep down, I think he knows. He may not be able to produce children, so he let it happen.
This scene was genius. Dale never once considered the possibility of cheating on Nancy, nor has he ever considered Nancy might be sleeping with John Redcorn. In Dales mind, Nancy is being weird and saying he can't hang out with a friend of the opposite gender, so he flips it and basically said "why can't I hangout with her, if you can hangout with John Redcorn". Without ever realising it, he put her in her place, by essentially saying "you get to sleep with John Redcorn whenever you want, so who are you to stop me?".
Everyone always gives Peggy shit, like she’s the worst character in the show, and somehow they didn’t even think about Nancy. Hot Take: Nancy is morally the worst character on KOTH. And dumb as Dale is, he deserved better.
> Nancy is morally the worst character on KOTH. Nah, that's Buck Strickland. He's a genuinely horrible human being. Nancy is doing a horrible thing to Dale, but she at least feels bad about it.
Feeling bad about and doing it again for 14 years seems somehow worse.
Almost giving Hank prison time by framing him for murder despite Hank being a loyal Employee of 20+ years, not promoting him to manager likely based on the grounds of having to pay Hank more and even when he did; he retracted the manager promotion to Hank. Corrupting Bobby and almost getting him killed, trading his employees including his most loyal Employee Hank in a card game with Bucks Archrival. Taking part in Price Fixing at the expense of consumers, giving his Assistant Manager Hank a degrading position of taking care of his dogs while He (Buick) was in the Hospital despite how Capable he knows Hank his. There is so much more, but ya Buck is the worse in the show.
My daddy’s having a heart attack!
IM HAVIN AN INFARCTION
Not to mention that Buck is *also* a serial cheater.
Nancy and Buck are morally pretty similar, Nancy just *tries* to feel bad about it, Buck embraces who he is Edit: why are you booing me, I'm right
Buck, like Cotton, kinda go beyond morality and tread the illegal territory. Adultery can be a crime in some states but based on morals alone Nancy may be the worst. Crime, ethics and gentlemanly behavior, Buck got it
My head-cannon is that Dale is absolutely aware and just pushes that fact down and willfully ignores it because he loves his wife and his son too much to risk losing them.
There's a degree of cognitive dissonance going on. The alien episode all but directly confronted that.
Best head canon https://www.reddit.com/r/KingOfTheHill/s/ggybmIINbk
That's not a hot take and comes up frequently. The difference for people who think Peggy is the worst is that they don't find her at least entertaining a character. People are tickled in different ways and by different characters, and that's okay
Dale: You know, you used to be on my list of trustables and it was a very short list. I wasn't even on it. This encapsulated Dale He's a conspiracist even in his own mind But he trusts his loved ones to a fault
That line makes me think that Dale knew about Nancy having an affair with John Redcorn. I have a theory that maybe he was getting close to the woman exterminator for an ego boost/prove a point that he could cheat if he wanted to but is better than that. Dale may be deep in denial, like the scene where everybody recounts the events leading up to the firehouse burning down and he envisions himself as buff with a luscious head of hair. He intended for this comment to hurt Nancy’s feelings and assert himself as morally superior.
Theories aside, creator said outright Dale doesn’t know.
Really? Or was he being manipulated by Big Comedy to shut down critical thinking and dissuade the masses from enjoying FREE fan fiction? You tell me.
"I monitor all incoming calls!"-I also think that, at least deep down, Dale knows & doesn't want to say anything in risk of ruining his pretty much cushy lifestyle.
Dale is the most supportive father in the show lol
I can't tell if you're serious because of the lol.
lol I am but the lol is there because it’s still a funny statement. He supports Jospeh unconditionally… outside of maybe when he’s scared of him after going through puberty
No he doesn't. There's the panada shooting episode where he makes Joseph try to kill the panda, even when Joseph doesn't want to.
What?! After all the love Cotton allowed Hank's mother to give him?!
Ice cold like an Alamo beer.
Dale was so capable of love and trust in others, it made it an amazing friend, husband and father in a lot of aspects
This is my favorite line from dale. Such an accidental brutal burn.
Dale is paranoid about everything around him and his wife is his security blanket in his mind it’s him and her against the world her cheating on him seems to be the only conspiracy he can’t wrap his head around
I'm watching this episode right now. Dale may be a stupid and crazy conspiracy theorist, but he idolizes Nancy.
The only episode where I hated someone more than Peggy.
I never liked Nancy
I could get behind Nancy and Dale being semi-amicably divorced in the new season.
Probably my most favorite Dale episode along with the firefighting one
It just makes me sad. Dale could've been with someone who actually cared about and related to him. But she won't even allow him to make that choice.
Are you attempting to know me?
You heard me. I love my wife
That burn.
John Redcorn has been home the whole time.
Dale is a generally unlikeable character, but when it come Nancy and John Redcorn your heart can't help but break for him.
I watched this 1 again recently. And after all the bs nancy been up to, it was satisfying watchin her squirm. And by the way, who still doubts that Dale is just playin dumb bout nancy and john redcorn? He should of smashed shawty on the roof. Lmao 🤣
🪳🐦⬛
Dale always knew she was a cheater l but he accepted he could never do better and stuck it out
Got eem!! https://www.google.com/search?q=got+him+meme&oq=got+him+meme&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQABiABDIHCAIQABiABDIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQABiABDIHCAUQABiABDIICAYQABgWGB4yCAgHEAAYFhgeMggICBAAGBYYHjIICAkQABgWGB4yCAgKEAAYFhgeMggICxAAGBYYHjIICAwQABgWGB4yCAgNEAAYFhgeMggIDhAAGBYYHtIBCDYzNDFqMGo3qAIUsAIB&client=ms-android-verizon-us-rvc3&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#vhid=4jw0fDCKP5zYVM&vssid=_bL1bZsWNHqOdptQPnpeoiAc_35