Ep 21. Hungry Man

Doug, the protagonist of The King of Queens, is a delivery driver for the International Parcel Service (IPS). The show focuses on his life with his wife Carrie and his father-in-law Arthur. In season 1, episode 21 titled "Hungry Man," Doug discovers that Carrie has been treating him like a child by hiding junk food in the house. Doug struggles with the realization that his wife feels the need to hide the food from him and decides to confront her about it.

As Doug relaxes on the couch after a long day at work, he discovers a bag of chips hidden in a box of baking powder in the kitchen. Carrie comes home and Doug accuses her of hiding junk food from him. He is surprised and offended that his wife would think he can't be trusted to control his own diet. Carrie admits that she feels responsible for Doug's health and doesn't want him to gain weight. Doug argues that he is a grown man and can make his own choices, but Carrie counters that he has a tendency to binge on junk food when he's stressed.

Doug's feelings are hurt, and he seeks advice from his best friend Deacon. Deacon is sympathetic to Doug's feelings but admits that his own wife Kelly hides junk food from him as well. Deacon suggests that Doug prove to Carrie that he can control himself by going on a diet and not eating any junk food. Doug embraces the challenge and decides to go on a strict diet.

Doug's attempts at dieting prove difficult as he is constantly hungry and craving junk food. At the same time, he is bombarded by ads for fast food and treats. Carrie feels guilty about the situation and tries to make it up to Doug by cooking him healthy meals and trying to distract him from his cravings. However, even the healthiest meals are not satisfying Doug's hunger.

As he continues to struggle with his cravings, Doug begins to hallucinate images of junk food. At one point, he even envisions himself as a giant burger and fries. He is so desperate for food that he even attempts to eat one of Arthur's homemade high-fiber bars, which he claims are inedible. Doug's hunger and the lack of results from his diet are beginning to take a toll on his physical and mental state.

Meanwhile, Arthur, Carrie's father, has his own problems with hunger. Arthur fakes diabetes in order to get free food samples from the local health food store. When he discovers that the manager of the store is onto his scheme, Arthur is forced to come up with a new plan. He recruits Doug to help him sneak into the store after hours to steal food. The plan runs into trouble when they accidentally trip the alarm and have to quickly escape through a window.

In the end, Doug is unable to stick to his diet and Carrie is unable to control Doug's eating habits. They come to a compromise where they agree to support each other in making healthier choices but still allowing themselves to indulge in treats occasionally. Arthur realizes his food addiction is becoming a problem and decides to join a support group for overeaters.

Overall, "Hungry Man" is a humorous episode that explores the challenges of dieting and self-control, as well as the dynamics and compromises of a healthy relationship.