The King (Vice Principals)
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Episode 3
- Danny McBride
- John Carcieri
- Adam Countee
| "The King" | |
|---|---|
| Vice Principals episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 3 |
| Directed by | David Gordon Green |
| Written by |
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| Cinematography by | Michael Simmonds |
| Editing by |
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| Original release date | October 1, 2017 |
| Running time | 31 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
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"The King" is the third episode of the second season of the American dark comedy television series Vice Principals. It is the twelfth overall episode of the series and was written by series co-creator Danny McBride, co-executive producer John Carcieri, and Adam Countee, and directed by executive producer David Gordon Green. It was released on HBO on October 1, 2017.
The series follows the co-vice principals of North Jackson High School, Neal Gamby and Lee Russell, both of which are disliked for their personalities. When the principal decides to retire, an outsider named Dr. Belinda Brown is assigned to succeed him. This prompts Gamby and Russell to put aside their differences and team up to take her down. In the episode, Gamby stalks Snodgrass' new boyfriend, while Russell tries to find the person who made a dirty drawing of him.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.892 million household viewers and gained a 0.3 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received positive reviews from critics, who praised the character development and humor, although some criticized the pacing.
On the day Gamby (Danny McBride) was shot, Snodgrass (Georgia King) arrives at the hospital to check on him, claiming that she is his girlfriend. The doctor returns, stating she cannot be allowed as Gamby claims he has no girlfriend, confusing her.
Back in present day, Gamby tries to look for Robin (Conner McVicker), providing him with a special pass to avoid paying at the cafeteria. As Russell (Walton Goggins) introduces the new North Jackson teachers, he is disgusted to discover someone put a cruel drawing of him. Needing to find more information on the teachers, he assigns Gamby to replace Hayden's history class. Gamby struggles at teaching, with the students mocking his lack of information and having gone to an online university. He is also disheartened to discover that Snodgrass' boyfriend, Brian (Fisher Stevens), works at Penguin Press and could help publish Snodgrass' manuscript. He then corners Hayden (Mike O'Gorman) for information regarding Brian, discovering that he is a novelist whom she met during a lecture.
After buying a cabin to settle a base for investigation, Gamby mentions to Ray (Shea Whigham) that he is following Brian as a possible suspect in his shooting, given that he often traveled to many dangerous areas. He visits Brian at his college after class, pretending to be a detective, threatening him to stay away from Snodgrass. Nevertheless, Snodgrass finds out about Gamby's visit and confronts him at his office, informing him that she got her manuscript accepted and will be leaving for New York City for a meeting. When she confronts him about why he did not want to continue their relationship, Gamby states that he committed many bad things and was protecting her. Dismissing his claims, she states they wouldn't have worked anyway. In the school's restroom, Russell turns off the lights and assaults Mr. Milner (Christopher Thornton), the person responsible for the drawings.
Production
Development
In September 2017, HBO confirmed that the episode would be titled "The King", and that it would be written by series co-creator Danny McBride, co-executive producer John Carcieri, and Adam Countee, and directed by executive producer David Gordon Green. This was McBride's twelfth writing credit, Carcieri's eleventh writing credit, Countee's second writing credit, and Green's third directing credit.[1]