All Done RAISING HOPE

Article first published as TV Review: 'Raising Hope' - Series Finale on Blogcritics.

FOX’s Raising Hope has always been a really good show with just enough schmaltz to keep it from achieving true greatness. Though, that seems purposeful, and I don’t think it wants to be more than what it is. It has real charm and presents an authentic-feeling, extremely funny family. After four seasons, the series wrapped itself up this past Friday night in much the same vein it’s always been in, providing a touching half hour (or, rather, two half hours), but not going for the closure-filled ending.

The first half hour, which is its own installment, not connected to the second, is called “How I Met Your Mullet.” This is 100% a typical episode, with character-driven segments that illustrate the terrific dynamics, without actually changing who the players are. Burt (Garret Dillahunt) gets the chance to search for his passion since Virginia (Martha Plimpton) is now making “comma money,” only to realize he already has his ideal life. Jimmy (Lucas Neff) and Sabrina (Shannon Woodward) inherit a maid (Downton Abbey‘s Lesley Nicol), only to later realize they’re taking advantage of the help and setting a bad example for daughter Hope (Baylie and Rylie Cregut), so they let her go. None of this is anything spectacular or dramatic, but it’s a wonderfully typical episode.

The second half, “The Father Daughter Dance” goes in a little different direction, not reveling in the show’s personalities, as most entries do. Instead, this is all about Virginia’s father, Arnold (Jeffrey Tambor, Arrested Development), trying to get back in her good graces. He does so by throwing Virginia the dream wedding she never had, complete with a replica of Princess Diana’s dress. But his good intentions start to fall apart when the family realizes Arnold can’t pay for Hope’s college, as he promises to do, and ends up homeless, needing Virginia and Burt to take him in.

I do wonder if this is how the fourth season of Raising Hope would have ended if the show was renewed. After all, I can’t imagine Tambor sticking around full-time, so his crashing with the Chances would likely be only a temporary situation, perhaps Arnold even being gone by the fall premiere. That’s a shame because adding Arnold to the household gives the show a chance to really grow in a new and interesting direction, completely shaking up the firmly established dynamic. I’m not complaining about the mix, as I’ve enjoyed Raising Hope immensely, but almost all series would benefit from growth over time.

Raising Hope does allow change, usually incrementally. After all, Jimmy discovers how to be a good dad, marries Sabrina, and gets his own house in the first few seasons. This provides a lot more Virginia-Burt plots separate from the others, which works well because they are easily the two best characters on the program. But it’s never been a program that would shake things up too much, at least not in any kind of permanent way.

I’m disappointed “The Father Daughter Dance” is the last episode. Like Everybody Loves Raymond, Raising Hope decides to go out without a bang. It may work for the style established, but people want a memorable capper. The series with the best (or worst) endings are often talked about and debated for years to come. A stellar finale can raise the profile of a series significantly. By bowing out quietly, Raising Hope squanders a chance to attract even more viewers in its afterlife. And if there’s something this show has always deserved but never received, it’s more viewers.

The biggest regret about Raising Hope ending now may be that the writers didn’t have more time to explore the chemistry between Maw Maw (Cloris Leachman) and Frank (Todd Giebenhain). I don’t think their February-December relationship is romantic in nature, but we really doesn’t get the chance to figure out what it is, the twosome only being featured together a few times in the past few weeks. I am really interested to see where the show would have gone with this, but I guess we’ll never know.

Overall, I still enjoyed “The Father Daughter Dance” as much as most episodes of Raising Hope, which is a considerable amount. It’s a series that really knows itself, found its groove, and uses it effectively. Some shows flounder, but this one never does, being on very solid footing in tone, style, and sense of humor for quite some time. For those who connected with this spirit, it is a continuous joy, watching week after week, and it will be sincerely missed.

RAISING HOPE Raises My Hope Again

Article first published as RAISING HOPE Raises My Hope Again on TheTVKing.

FOX's Raising Hope got a late start this week with a pair of new episodes, "Deja Vu Man" and "Burt Bucks," that made it worth the wait. This series is goofy in the best of ways, and isn't shy about poking fun at itself or its subject matter before ending up in a warm, love-filled place. Season four gets started right.

"Deja Vu Man" begins with a scene unrelated to the rest of the story in which Maw Maw (Cloris Leachman) forgets Hope's (Baylie and Rylie Cregut) name, as well as many other things. To refresh Maw Maw's noggin, the family and a few friends sing songs about what's happened in the first few seasons, reminding us Maw Maw who the characters are and certain events in their lives. Yes, it's a cheap excuse to recap for the audience, but by building it believably into the fabric of the show in an original way, it really, really works. Especially as Maw Maw hopes that Hope is named Edgar.

In "Deja Vu Man," Virginia (Martha Plimpton) finds out that the guy that hangs around every so often snapping pictures of the Chance family is none other than her father (Jeffrey Tambor, Arrested Development). See, Maw Maw lied about Virgina's dad being dead because he abandoned his family. Now, Virginia has a chance to reconnect with her parent, who claims to have left because Natesville was unaccepting of homosexuals and he is gay.

Of course, it's a line of bull. Tambor's character is charming enough to fool people for a little while, but viewers and Virginia alike soon come to see just how selfish and terrible a person he is. (Burt sees it right away, a credit to how smart he is, even if it's not book smart.) It wouldn't really make sense for a father who loves his child to stay away from them, no matter how hostile neighbors might be, so at the end of the day, we need to see he's a scoundrel, which we do.

That doesn't mean he shouldn't return to guest star in other episodes, though. And no tears for Virginia, who had a great man to take care of her in Paw-Paw (Terrence Beasor, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story).

In the second installment, "Burt Bucks," Virginia and Burt (Garret Dillahunt) find they can barter their services for the finer things in life, then try to get their friends to barter with one another, too, ultimately creating a new currency, which Virginia and Burt keep printing more of so that they can live the high life. As Burt insists, probably necessarily given the IQ level of the town, despite the label not really making sense, this is not a pyramid scheme. Of course, it all collapses.

I love this commentary on our economic system and our government. It doesn't necessarily take a Republican or a Democratic viewpoint, instead, zeroing in on the system itself. This keeps the episode from being controversial, but also illustrates large economic issues in a way that's simple to understand.

I did keep thinking that the new system would catch up with Virginia and Burt, and they would no longer have U.S. currency to get things they need outside of their barter system, but that didn't happen. I guess there's only so much that can be gotten through in half an hour, and the focus was on satire, not keeping the zany characters stuck in the laws of reality.

An interesting thing happens in "Deja Vu Man" and "Burt Bucks" - Sabrina (Shannon Woodward) and Jimmy (Lucas Neff) make a conscious effort to stay out of Burt and Virginia's schemes. I can't say I'm not disappointed, as I love seeing the whole family together. Yet, Sabrina and Jimmy are newlyweds who live apart from Burt and Virginia, so they should have their own things. I'm sure they won't stay divided every week, and I guess the characters have to show growth, but it's a turning point that is still a little sad.

This doesn't mean Sabrina and Jimmy aren't in the installments. They have their own comedic situations, often involving Barney (Gregg Binkley) and the store. And I don't want less of the recurring cast, which has many talented players like Kate Micucci and Todd Giebenhain. I just love it when both groups mix, as they do in the opening of "Deja Vu Man."

Either way, these are still sharp, witty, welcome episodes. Clearly, Raising Hope has lost nothing during its break, and I'm glad to see it back on the air. Raising Hope now airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on FOX.

Raising Hope Continues to Raise the Bar

Article first published as Raising Hope Continues to Raise the Bar on TheTVKing.

FOX's Raising Hope completed its third season with a pair of new episodes last night, "Burt Mitzvah: The Musical" and "Mother's Day." Both are truly excellent examples of a consistently great series, and unable to choose between them, this review will cover elements of each.

In "Burt Mitzvah: The Musical," Burt's mother (Shirley Jones, The Partridge Family, The Music Man) tells her son that she's recently discovered she is Jewish, and by extension, so is he. She lays in a fitting Jewish mother guilt trip until Burt (Garret Dillahunt) agrees to have a Bar Mitzvah. However, Burt soon learns that his mom is lying, and his parents are trying to get even with all of their friends, whose children they have paid for gifts for all these years. They abscond with his money gifts, and, feeling like a disappointment for not having any celebration-worthy events of his own, he lets them.

Burt is a kind, good man. He has made some mistakes in his life, such as knocking up Virginia (Martha Plimpton) when they were only teenagers, but he takes care of his family, and has a big heart. It isn't fair that his mother and father treat him so poorly and look down on him so much, a theme also present in the second episode concerning others characters' parents. It's no wonder he tries so hard to please his parents now, but he shouldn't have to.

Burt's patience does have limits. He goes along with their scheme because of his love for them, but he also lets them know this will make them even, and not to try anything like this again. He understands and accepts his parents for who they are, but he won't be abused by them. They may still treat him like a child, but Burt is truly a man in every way that is important.

"Burt Mitzvah: The Musical" features three big musical numbers, which are definitely a high point of the series. The tunes are catchy and fun, with a host of upbeat extras dancing their way through. It all fits perfectly in tone with the series, and also adds something special that makes this episode more memorable than most. I love a musical done right, and my only complaint is that there should have been more than three songs, and that the episode should have ran an hour. I could definitely have used more.

Each member of the main cast gets to sing, including a big solo for Barney (Gregg Binkley), but the show is really stolen by Jimmy (Lucas Neff), who turns out to be quite the rocker. Add in Jones and Smash's Jason Kravits as a Rabbi, and the musical talent is quite impressive.

Part two of the season finale, "Mother's Day," finds Maw Maw's (Cloris Leachman) mother still alive at the rope old age of one hundred and four. Burt and Barney bring her back to the house, and Maw Maw and her mom resolve a grudge they've held against one another for seventy years.

I'm not a fan of Maw Maw, and while I like the idea of allowing Leachman to pull double duty in both roles, the humor in this subplot falls short. Leachman is a comic god, and being reduced to gross jokes and farts played for laughs seems beneath her. Yet, there is no arguing that she does such trivial junk with a talent and grace that should put to shame many modern day performers.

The ending, where Maw Maw's mother dies, but Maw Maw remembers the resolution, if little else, is incredibly sweet. I love that there is a peace between them, and that her mom hung around long enough for Maw Maw to make things right. It's a little bit disturbing, seeing what Maw Maw may turn into, but kudos for designing a story that deepens the character, even if the bits aren't particularly funny, in my opinion.

Even better is the plot involving the other women in the household. Hope (Baylie and Rylie Cregut) makes Sabrina (Shannon Woodward) a Mom necklace, which arouses jealousy in Virginia, who has helped raise Hope. Virginia is a grandmother, not a mother, to the toddler, and shouldn't feel left out. However, one can understand, now that Jimmy and Hope have moved out of the house, why she might be sad.

Thankfully, Sabrina not only makes things right with Virginia, but points out how she herself sees Virginia as a mother. Sabrina's own mother can't be reached (see my comments early in this article about parents), and Virginia treats Sabrina well. Virginia may not live in the same house as Sabrina and Hope, but she definitely has positive relationships with both, and that counts. Sabrina even gets Frank (Todd Giebenhain) and Shelley (Kate Micucci), the extended family that could very well be part of the main cast at some point, to help her make Virginia feel better.

Seeing how the Chance family gathers, full of love for one another, is heart-warming and moving. Not every family likes each other this much, and even if they screw up and get into trouble, they always support one another. That's why I like Raising Hope. It shows how a family should be.

Plus, it's super funny. From Barney and Burt walking through a gate where there is no fence, to singing pastrami sandwiches, to Virginia's tendency to get words wrong, there are so many fantastic little touches in these, and every, episode that keep the show amusing and round out the world. Make no mistake, Raising Hope isn't just a family, it's a fully flesh out, very specific universe in which these characters dwell. It's charm is rarely matched.

Raising Hope has been renewed for a fourth season and will return next fall on FOX.

Raising Hope asks "Don't Vote for This Episode"

     For the season finale of FOX's Raising Hope, the series goes back in time five years. Jimmy (Lucas Neff) is a goth, attracting the attention of a the new awkward, braces-wearing cashier at the grocery store, Sabrina (Shannon Woodward). Maw Maw (Cloris Leachman) still seems fully lucid, and is tired of supporting her immature granddaughter, Virginia (Martha Plimpton), and Virginia's equally clueless husband, Burt (Garret Dillahunt). So on Jimmy's 18th birthday, which is also Maw Maw's 80th, she kicks the trio out on the street. At the grocery store, a morbidly obese Barney (Gregg Binkley) hunts for the "gypsy" squatting in the shop at night (it's Jimmy), while Shelley (Kate Micucci) and Frank (Todd Giebenhain) are expert shelf stockers until an accident leaves the former with a dead tooth. And Lucy (Bijou Phillips) begins to get awfully tired of her boyfriend.

     An episode like this is purely gratuitous, but it's such fun, so that can be easily forgiven. No plots arcs or ongoing stories are furthered, but the origin of many relationships and familiar characteristics are explored. This episode also bridges the gap between other past exploits that have been briefly shown and the modern incarnations of the characters, helping explain away some major life changes.

     The title is "Don't Vote for This Episode," which can only be a message for Emmy voters. Why the minds behind the series do not want this very special entry to be considered for awards is anyone's guess, but perhaps they want to be judged on their general merits, rather than one, far from representative, effort. It's too bad, because despite all of the perfectly logical arguments against doing an episode such as this, it is wonderfully executed and very entertaining, much as Raising Hope is almost every week.

     Perhaps the neatest thing about "Don't Vote for This Episode" is Sabrina's infatuation with Jimmy. Throughout season one, Jimmy has exhibited feelings for Sabrina that she doesn't return. While some may wonder if she just isn't interested in him, others may point out that her boyfriend could be a deterant, and were he not in the equation, the pair may have a chance. This episode supports the latter reasoning, as under different circumstances, Sabrina is very much attracted to Jimmy. Also, the elaborate goth makeup is a neat device so that Sabrina will not recognize her former crush years later when they meet under more ordinary circumstances.

     It is also nice to see Maw Maw in a transitional state. She appears more vulnerable and layered than the usual one-note jokes the character is often subjected to. Maw Maw used to be a complete individual, and it's illuminating to see some of that spirit before it is tempered by age and disease.

     Finally, "Don't Vote for This Episode" provides very good development for Burt and Virginia. Jimmy always complains about the mistakes they made with him, and they are often shown as irresponsible parents in flashback. Being put in a situation where they have to care for a sick relative, and have thier own safety net removed, is a reasonable explanation for their current (relative) maturity. Their story is actually one with an emotional impact, melding seamlessly with this mostly-for-laughs episode.

     Raising Hope has already been given a second season, and will return to FOX next fall.

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Article first published as TV Review: Raising Hope - "Don't Vote for This Episode" on Blogcritics.