Hank and the Great Glass Elevator

Infobox Television episode
Title = Hank and the Great Glass Elevator
Series = King of the Hill


Caption =
Season = 5
Episode = 11
Airdate = February 11, 2001
Production = 5ABE12
Writer =
Director =
Guests = Ellen Barkin, Ann Richards
Episode list = List of King of the Hill episodes
Prev = Yankee Hankee
Next = Now Who’s the Dummy?

Hank and the Great Glass Elevator is the 95th episode of the Fox animated situation comedy "King of the Hill", broadcast as the 11th episode in the 5th season. The episode's title refers to the Willy Wonka sequel novel "Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator".

Plot

For Bill's 40th birthday, the guys take him to Austin, where they stay in a fancy hotel. While Hank is gone, Peggy and Bobby attend a picnic where they discover that hamburgers cooked with charcoal taste better than ones made with propane. Hank is his usual uptight self at the hotel, until the guys tease him about not participating in a mooning episode back in high school. Hank agrees to join the guys in mooning the lobby from the glass elevator, however they trick him and Hank is the only one to drop his pants. To make matters worse, in the lobby is former Texas governor Ann Richards. Peggy and Bobby use Hank's absence to buy a charcoal grill.

Hotel security ejects the guys, but Bill takes the blame and says that he was the mooner. He apologizes to Ann Richards, but she finds it amusing, relating that she knew a man in WWII who mooned Eleanor Roosevelt. The gang comes home early, prompting Peggy to panic and dispose of the charcoal. In the alley, the guys are shocked to learn that Bill is now dating Gov. Richards, and they have whirlwind romance, attending a number of high society functions together. At one event, Bill runs into his ex-wife Lenore (Ellen Barkin) who wants to worm back into Bill's life now that he's famous. Hank finds evidence of the charcoal and forces Peggy and Bobby to choose; they lie and say the propane burgers taste better, to keep the peace.

Bill gets caught trying to juggle Richards and Lenore, and Richards dumps him, after confessing that she knew Hank had mooned her but admired Bill's character in taking up for a friend. Bill has his birthday party, and tries to convince Lenore to remarry him, but Richards shows up and convinces Bill that he should have a backbone and stop letting people walk all over him. A jealous Lenore starts to throw a fit, but Bill moons her from Richards' limo. Although their relationship is over, Richards gives him a ride next door to his house and wishes him luck.