When Hank and Peggy go with Luanne and Lucky to a Japanese restaurant, they leave Bobby at the care of Cotton, who gets indignant and crashes their dinner, and throws a tantrum when he has a flash back to the war, where he gets critically injured when he falls atop of a hibachi grill. At the hospital, Hank goes to say his goodbyes as it looks like Cotton won't makes it, but the elder Hill can't help but remark that being Hank's father was the worst thing that happened to him. As Hank steps out of the room, Peggy tells Cotton he's just a bitter old man whose death will be celebrated instead of mourned, but Cotton is unrepentant until he finally dies. When Hank reenters the hospital room, Peggy lies about Cotton's last word, telling him that Cotton regretted being such a tough father, but deep down truly loved him, but didn't know how to properly express it.
As Cotton lies dying in the hospital, Luann and Lucky babysit Bobby, thinking it's the perfect opportunity to train to become parents.
Tropes
- Calling the Old Man Out: Peggy finally gets to chew out Cotton, for how much of a complete jerk he's been to Hank for all of his life. The kicker? She waits until he's on his deathbed to let him have it. His response is to perish through spite alone. Afterwards, Peggy spins a lie to spare Hank's feelings.
- Damned by Faint Praise: Cotton Hill may be one of the most abrasive people to have ever lived in Arlen that hates everyone equally; especially his own son Hank, but even he's quick to state in his final moments that he actually had a slight level of standard for Hank by telling Peggy that she wasn't good enough to be married to his "Worthless, Nothing-Of-A-Loser Son".
- Everyone Has Standards: Even after Peggy openly stated she hoped Cotton would die because of what an awful man and father he is, she's still shocked when he actually does it just to spite her.
- Killed Off for Real: Cotton dies in this episode, and his death is referenced in future episodes.
- Last Request: Cotton tells Dale that his dying wish is to destroy "Hank's sissy shed", which he tries by, weakly, slamming on to it. When Hank goes to see Cotton at the hospital a second time, he asks Hank to cut his head off, put an expletive filled letter in his mouth, and send it to the Emperor of Japan. After Cotton dies, Peggy lies to Hank about Cotton saying not to send his severed head to the Emperor of Japan, and after Hank finishes his shed and dedicates it to Cotton, Dale blows it up in honor of "the Colonel".
- Master of Your Domain: When Cotton is on his deathbed, he takes one last opportunity to Troll everybody by making it look like he's flat-lining several times. Then he makes himself die for real, just to spite Peggy.Peggy: You want to die alone? Fine. You want to keep coming back and never die? That's fine too. In fact, I hope you do go on living, forever, as the unhappy person you are in the Hell you have created here on Earth. I hope you live forever, I really do.
Cotton: [smiling] Do ya now? Heh-heh-heh... [dies] - Morton's Fork: As Peggy puts it, Cotton could either drop dead or go on living in the Hell he created for himself as a miserable, loveless man. He's screwed no matter what he does.
- Not in Front of the Kid: Peggy doesn't want Bobby around when Cotton bites it, even though he was closest to his grandfather out of everybody, and witnessed him collapsing in the restaurant.
- Plot Allergy: The reason why Cotton passed out and fell on top of the flattop grill after swallowing a piece of shrimp at the Hibachi restaurant was because he was severely allergic to shellfish.
- The Power of Legacy: Cotton dies unrepentant after Peggy called him out for how horribly he treated Hank, who was out of the room when Cotton expired. When Hank asks Peggy what Cotton said before he died, Peggy lies about their final interaction by saying that Cotton regrets being such a tough father, and deep down he did love him, and to never mind about sending his severed head to the Emperor of Japan.
