#fiction

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This review discusses major moments from Season 15**

I absolutely loved this season from start to finish.

After how much I enjoyed Season 14, I was excited to see where the show would go next. Somehow, Season 15 managed to be even better. It took everything that worked in the first new season and leaned into it even more.

Ten episodes just wasn't enough. By the time I reached the finale, I was already wishing there were ten more.

One thing that really stood out was how heartfelt so many of the stories were.

The episode where Hank tries to help Peggy through menopause was one of my favorites. It perfectly captures who Hank Hill is. He doesn't always understand what someone is going through, and he certainly isn't great at expressing his emotions, but he'll do everything he can to support the people he loves. Everyone deserves a Hank in their life.

The relationship between Bobby and Connie also gets some great development. Instead of pretending every relationship is perfect, the show lets them disagree, argue, and work through their problems together. That's one of the things King of the Hill has always done well. Relationships take work, and the show isn't afraid to show that.

There are plenty of great comedy moments too.

Luke Jr. is a fantastic addition, and I loved seeing Boomhauer, Bill, and Kahn team up. That group ended up being one of my favorite parts of the season, and it was especially fun seeing Kahn taken down a peg. Dale is somehow even more Dale than ever, and I mean that in the best possible way.

If I had one criticism, it's how the show handled Nancy and John Redcorn.

I wasn't a fan of suggesting that Nancy was cheating again. One of the things I appreciated about the original series was that she grew beyond that storyline. It felt like she had earned that redemption, and it showed real growth for her character.

I understand why the writers may have gone in that direction, especially since it serves as something of a farewell to John Redcorn following the passing of Jonathan Joss. Even so, I don't think it was the right choice. Unless I missed something, the only indication that Nancy was cheating again came from a reference to internet comments. Internet comments say all kinds of things, and I don't think that was enough to undo years of character development.

It's not a huge issue. It was just the one nitpick I had in an otherwise fantastic season.

Overall, Season 15 reminded me why I love King of the Hill. The humor is still there. The heart is still there. The characters still feel like real people instead of caricatures, and that's something very few sitcoms can pull off after all these years.

I'm already ready for more. Ten episodes flew by, and now I'm just sitting here hoping we don't have to wait long for Season 16.

Although Clown in a Cornfield came out in 2020, I was a bit late to the party and didn't discover it until early 2025. The title caught me off guard and made me pause while browsing the horror section at Barnes & Noble. I was just getting back into reading horror and picked the book up on a whim. Little did I know that this would be my gateway into a genre I had forgotten I loved so much. After finishing it, I promptly went back to B&N and picked up books two and three.

After tackling a couple of other books in my TBR pile, I finally got to Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives. I was anxious to see what was happening with the characters I grew to like and cheer for in book one. I'll try not to overly spoil the plot of the first book for those who haven't read it—though I guess you wouldn't be reading this review if you hadn't! However, it is a given spoiler that the three main characters we followed in book one are back: Quinn, Cole, and Rust.

All of them are trying to put the past in the past and move forward with their lives. Quinn starts college in Philadelphia and soon meets up with Rust and Cole. Things go sideways, as they tend to do in horror fiction, and eventually, they head back to where it all started—back to Kettle Springs, baby! As with the first book, I didn't see the meta-twist coming, and the way Adam Cesare pulled it off is brilliant. I absolutely loved it. While there is a "main" villain, the real antagonist here for me was the internet. I loved the social commentary on the state of the world, where people are so quick to believe unverified sources.

We find out that Quinn's dad is now the mayor of Kettle Springs and faces a whole new set of trials with the public. This is primarily driven by Eli Duvall, an entrepreneur of sorts who has opened a haunt experience in Tillerson's field—the exact location where the climax of book one took place. Speaking of Tillerson’s field, another standout character in book two for me was Jeri Shaw. I really liked the dynamic Cesare added with this character, which brings the events of the first book directly into the sequel. Jeri is suffering from PTSD after the events of book one, which affected her in a very real way. Cesare did a great job portraying someone suffering from this debilitating disorder and grief in a grounded, realistic manner.

The rising action of the book revolves around new events (and bloody kills!) in Kettle Springs. As the title suggests, Cesare's monster has come back to life to wreak more havoc on our main characters' lives. There's plenty of suspense in this part of the book as we start to understand all the forces at play. The action sequences were well-thought-out and incredibly well-written; I could vividly imagine the terror the characters were going through in my mind's eye. Being a horror novel, you already expect a lot of graphic violence, and it absolutely delivers. The kills are superbly masterful and made me physically cringe—so awesome job there. I know it sounds weird, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The climax of the book was great, and seeing a certain character's demise felt fulfilling in all the right ways. It left me anxious to see where the next book takes us.

The wrap-up and falling action do a good job of tying up most of the hanging threads and plotlines. I found myself particularly moved during a scene between Jeri Shaw and Izzy Reyes. To say more would give major spoilers away, but I really loved this scene in the closing moments of the book. I also thoroughly enjoyed the closing chapter, seeing what Quinn was embarking upon, which gave a hopeful sense of direction for the next installment. I loved this book, I love the series, and I can't say enough good things about it. However, with all of my praises, and this being a review, I should briefly mention the one thing that didn't quite work for me. Truly, in the grand scheme of the book, it's a very minor complaint: Cole. His role in the book felt incredibly small. While there was a certain amount of dramatic tension between him, Rust, and Hunter, his overall presence felt almost negligible and didn't have much impact on the main story. By saying this, I know I'm talking about a major character I've tried my best not to mention. I'm aware of his role and why he's there, but he just felt underused and... honestly, a bit douchey.

To be frank, where I was cheering for him in the first book, I found myself wanting him to disappear in the second. There! I said it. The guy reached total douchebag levels for me in this book. I'm chalking it up to him dealing with personal trauma from the first book—real life reflects fiction, and people deal with crap differently—but it was a minor issue that didn't take away from my enjoyment.

To wrap up this review, I'm still a massive fan of this series and Adam Cesare. If you're looking for a great slasher romp, this series delivers. Readers can genuinely connect with the characters and enjoy watching them navigate the terrifying situations they're put in. The plot is complex but not hard to follow, featuring fantastic layers that I loved. The meta-twist was my favorite element; it was something I didn't expect but really enjoyed, and it gave me a lot to think about. It's an accessible read, and Cesare's style was appropriately awarded and well-earned.

My final cut: if you're looking for a bloody good time, you'll absolutely find it with this book.