I am a big fan of Raising Hope. I love the characters, the storyline, and just find it fun and hilarious. I especially love the ’80s references.
I LOVE the ’80s
The show is about James Bon Jovi “Jimmy” Chance, who is in his early twenties and a slacker. He left school before graduating, works for his dad, and spends most of his time getting drunk with his friends.
About life.
His mom and dad, Burt and Virginia, had him when they were 15 and have made a lot of mistakes over the years in raising him as they have no clue in what they are doing. All live with Virginia’s grandmother, Maw Maw, in her house. Maw Maw suffers from dementia and they have to care for her as she swings in and out.
Everything changes when Jimmy has a one night stand with a woman who turns out to be a serial killer. She is sentenced with the death penalty but before she dies she gives birth to a daughter, this little girl being given to Jimmy to raise.
What?!
So now they all band together to try and raise this girl, with three of the adults having no clue about children and one who is not in her right mind.
Throw in some other great characters: Sabrina, rich girl trying to “make it on her own” as a grocery clerk; Barney, the dorky but heart of gold store manager; Frank, a strange coworker; an evil cousin Delilah; and more.
Will Jimmy be able to raise her right? Or will he make the same mistakes as his parents?
This was the first episode I saw as my friend knew I would love it. This episode is fantastic as it is a homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window:
So as this takes place in the last season-I’ll do a quick wrap up. Jimmy had a gigantic crush on Sabrina and after the previous seasons of his being friends with her, them dating, they ended up getting married and moved into Sabrina’s grandma’s house. Since then Burt and Virginia have stayed with Maw Maw taking care of her.
Unfortunately, I can’t rewatch this episode as it is on Hulu and I don’t have that streaming service. So we will be going off my memory.
Hmm…?
In this episode, Burt and Virginia have new back fence neighbors and are super excited as they haven’t had any for years. They call that the “weirdo” house as no one stays very long-they are there for not that long and then gone. The meet them and the guy Gary seems like a lot of fun to Burt as he wants another best friend, and Virginia is happy to have people who she can talk to and borrow sugar from. Virginia also gets her hair done cheap at the local senior citizen home and gets it done in ’50s styles mimicking Grace Kelly’s style as Lisa. They are also doing themed weeks at her work (she cleans houses), and her dress looks just like the one in Rear Window.
So in this episode, they have started taking walks after dinner around their neighborhood. All the people they see are based off the different neighbors in Rear Window. A dancer, pianist, married couple who are sleeping outside on a mattress, etc.
IT’S TRUE!!!!
As Burt is walking, he trips on a root and falls breaking his leg. He’s stuck in a wheelchair-just like Jimmy Stewart’s character.
That night they have the back fence neighbors over for dinner. Gary is all smiles, creepy smiles and Gina is acting really strange. She is worried, keeps flubbing answers saying the wrong thing-Gary correcting her. It’s so weird-something is clearly not right in this marriage.
Hmm…
Gary likes to thumb wrestle and really enjoys facing off with Burt. Burt enjoyed his company but he is done-they go home and Virginia enjoys being with Gina but Burt feels like something is clearly not right there.
Hmm…
The next day Virginia tries to borrow a cup of sugar but Gina tells them they don’t have any. Her husband comes back and starts acting weird giving them packages. He asks if they wouldn’t mind holding them and of course the Chances say no.
That night the hear yelling and something crashing. They are both afraid something happened and call the police. The police won’t come because the Chances have called too many times-birds were attacking them (The Birds), thought a murderer in the house (Psycho), etc. and instead they send a member of their auxiliary force-Barney-their friend and the manager of the grocery store.
He has a tooth ache and mimics Jimmy Stewart’s voice as he talks. He tells them they are overreacting and that Gary and the wife are fine.
Barney leaves and the two decide they were just overreacting. They continue to collect Gary’s packages but then Burt sees that the wife isn’t there, instead it is another lady. He starts getting curious and looks through he packages finding an axe and jewelry engraved with “Carla”. They begin to believe that Gary killed his wife and is trying to be with this lady-Carla.
They start investigating, using an old toy of Jimmy’s Miss Suzy Snoop. The telescope used for spying mimics the telephoto lens used by Jimmy Stewart’s character, Jeff.
They want to investigate and try to enlist Jimmy and Sabrina, but while Jimmy is into it-Sabrina is done and takes him and Hope home.
The parents keep snooping and it is a really great episode with a twist ending I don’t want to ruin for you.
This is a great episode and even some of the shots are done to mimic Rear Window. It really is a delight to any Hitchcock fan.
TV episode
For more Raising Hope, go to I Only Care That You Succeed: How I Met Your Mullet, Raising Hope (2014)
For more Alfred Hitchcock, go to One Day You’ll See Something You Shouldn’t: Rear Window (1954)
Woman! Woah-man! Wooaahhhhh-man! We had love, not just sex. Is she Mrs. X? I had to run for my life… Jane, get me off of this crazy thing called love.
janeaustenrunsmylife 