
Now while I don’t usually advocate marathoning five episodes at once, that’s exactly what I did last night. I mean, I know I’m not the only one who was excited by an entire hour of Raising Hope last night. Well, it was really two half hours but the end result is the same. As I left my notes at home (you’ve heard that before), I’ll just highlight the bits I remember. Dead Tooth: Jimmy needs to put Hope in daycare after he gets the police called on him for taking her to work. When he discovers that a former hook-up, Kate Micucci’s Michelle, will care for Hope for free he thinks he’s scored a jackpot. The only problem is that she wants to date him and Jimmy’s just not ready to give up on Sabrina yet. And perhaps he’s not able or willing to mack on a girl with a dead tooth. Kinda gross. So Victoria agrees to give up her cigarette money after Michelle decides to start charging him.
Dream Hoarders: I didn’t realize Victoria is a hoarder but I love that she guards her precious possessions like a woman possessed. Of course it becomes a problem when Hope escapes from the house (damn that Jimmy for teaching her how to crawl!) and get’s into Victoria’s stuff. Leave it to Maw Maw to use her jenga skills to help the family get to the baby. Grrr. I wish I could remember the names they came up with for their imaginary boat. I loved all of them.
Say Cheese: What is it about horrific family pictures? I do remember my family taking a few good photos but lately it seems like all family portraits end in disappointment and/or horror. The whole Jimmy eating his hair thing? Disturbing and funny. It’s kinda fitting that the best family portrait they take happens to be a red-light camera photo.
Happy Halloween: Finally, Jimmy’s getting some action. Too bad Sabrina thinks he’s her boyfriend Wyatt. Even though Jimmy’s not a big fan of Halloween – all thanks to his dad scaring the bejesus out of him every year – he decides to accompany Sabrina to a costume party when her boyfriend bails. In other news, Jimmy’s dad concocts a plan to get Jimmy to hug him (which was why he scared the bejesus out of Jimmy every year on Halloween). Do I love that he pretends Hope was safe dropped to rescue her? Not so much but it was kinda funny.
Family Secrets: Who is the missing link in the Chance family tree? Jimmy comes face to face (face to butt?) with his grandmother in an embarrassingly uncomfortable scene). Now Jimmy realizes why there are so many secrets in his family and he’s more than happy to keep this one. And I guess that lesson makes him want to make sure Hope has some record of his mother’s existence but I’m so glad he edited that raunchy video down. Wow. Watching Jimmy’s dad enjoy the tape in private or put makeup on the baby? Hilarious.
Up until last night I had only watched the pilot which I found very promising. Now I’m ready to say how much I enjoy this show. I think all the players are perfectly cast and there is something so charming about watching Lucas Neff’s 24 year-old slacker try to do the right thing by his baby girl. Martha Plimpton and Garett Dillahunt are cast perfectly as his parents and I’m a fan of Shannon Woodward’s Sabrina. And, of course, I have to mention Cloris Leachman’s Maw Maw. She’s simply amazing. I think she balances the crazy perfectly with the moments of clarity. And I don’t think this show would be the same without the inappropriate bordering on tasteless vibe. It hasn’t gone too far for me yet. It just works.
Related posts
Classics
George R. Olson, Tim Rozon, and Sarah Levy Talk the SurrealEstate S2 Finale
[Spoilers for the SurrealEstate Season 2 finale.] How’s everyone doing after the finale? As we close out the second season of SurrealEstate, some of our merry band of misfits are scattering to the winds–Zooey to law school, Phil to the Vatican, and Augie back to his think tank with Rochelle,…
Previewing SurrealEstate Season 2 Finale + Revisiting the Season with George R. Olson
[Warning; General spoilers ahead.] Strap in, SurrealEstate fam, because we’ve arrived at the Season 2 finale, and it’s a doozy. As we saw in the closing moments of last week’s episode, Susan is back. But because we have one more episode left, it’s not as simple as all that, as…
Tyler Hynes Talks Through His Eight-Film Hallmark Holiday Library
Things you realize when you have to re-record your shows on a new DVR – just how many Hallmark movies your people have done. Fan favorite – and one of ours – Tyler Hynes has done eight Christmas movies for Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries since 2018. Alongside…
Spencer Creaghan Talks About Creating SurrealEstate’s Signature Sound
SurrealEstate is winding down its second season, with two episodes left, and just as in Season 1, Spencer Creaghan’s music continues to be a character unto itself. And every week, he shares tidbits with the fans via his s social media channels, something he started to help give them an…
Andrew Walker Talks Christmas Island and the Magical Hallmark Community
[Warning: Spoilers for Christmas Island.] Now that the Screen Actors Guild strike has been resolved, we’re able to resume regularly scheduled programming and interview our favorites and yours. Up first, earlier today, I spoke with Andrew Walker about Christmas Island, which premiered last weekend and encores tonight and through the…
George Olson and Danishka Esterhazy Talk SurrealEstate “I Put a Spell on You”
[Warning: Spoilers for the episode.] Tonight’s fun new SurrealEstate found Luke caught up in an especially bewitching woman, Kay, played by Tara Yelland, Susan trapped in her house, and Zooey learning the ropes. In the next part of my conversation with showrunner George R. Olson and producing director Danishka Esterhazy,…
Danishka Esterhazy Talks SurrealEstate: “The Butler Didn’t”
[Warning: General spoilers for the episode]. Tonight’s new SurrealEstate, “The Butler Didn’t,” follows the team as they investigate the years-earlier mysterious death of a woman whose ghost now reenacts her hanging by dropping over the banister from the second floor to terrify anyone on the landing or at the bottom…
Scott McCord and Elizabeth Saunders Talk the From Season 2 finale
[Warning: Spoilers for the season finale.] How’s everyone doing after that finale? While we wait and wonder and hope for a third season announcement, soon, here’s what Scott McCord and Elizabeth Saunders had to say about their parts of the finale, and where they hope they get to go next….
Scott McCord and Elizabeth Saunders Talk From Season 2 + A Season Finale Preview
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] It all comes down this, #FROMily. As Sunday’s episode wraps up Season 2, we begin with the aftermath of the terrifying onset of seemingly simultaneous attacks on Julie, Marielle, and Randall, which accelerate the “We gotta get out of this place” of it all. Sara comes…
Alison Sweeney Talks About What’s Next for Hannah and Mike After Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery
[Warning: Spoilers for Carrot Cake Murder.] Everybody OK after that Hannah Swensen Mystery twist? Thankfully, our favorite crime-solving couple is still on speaking term, even if they’re on a break (hopefully not that kind of break). Most importantly, we already know this isn’t the last film in the series. No…
What They Said: Three Revealing Conversations from Survivor’s Remorse “Closure”
WARNING: Spoilers for Survivor’s Remorse “Closure” The latest episode of Starz’s Survivor’s Remorse featured conversations that showed characters really digging deep into their thoughts, emotions and motivations.
Two Takes: The Catch “The Knock-Off”
Who can you trust? If this episode of The Catch was any indication, the answer is just about nobody. Betrayal was running rampant as Felicity (Shivani Ghai) arose from the dead to seduce-con Margot, Gretchen (Maria Thayer, Gotham, The Mindy Project) played gold-hearted Alice 2.0 before swindling Ethan, Tessa jumped…
What They Said: Top 3 Quotable Moments from Preacher “El Valero”
Both Quincannon and Jesse refuse to give up on what they each think is rightfully theirs. While Jesse is struggling to face the consequences of his actions, Quincannon has laid his past demons to rest and is hellbent on moving forward and putting Annville on the map again. Despite a…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Supergirl “Worlds Finest”
Oh, Supergirl. That ending was cold. But I can’t hate on you because the latest episode has quickly become one of my favorites.
What They Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Black Sails “XXIII”
The dialogue in “XXIII” is phenomenal. It’s always a fun ride when Black Sails carries its viewers along without giving them the chance to catch their breath. When an episode moves at this unforgiving pace, there is no chance for a breather nor is there a respite from the information…
What Lucifer Said: Favorite quotes from Supernatural “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
Supernatural episodes are almost always funny but thanks to the dialogue and a certain man speaking said dialogue, I laughed a lot during “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” You know, when I wasn’t busy fearing for Sam’s life or wondering what in the world was going on with Dean and…
What They Said: The Flash, “Legends Of Today” and Arrow, “Legends Of Yesterday”
Two nights of Arrow + The Flash = what more could we ask for?! I don’t know what it is about blending these shows, but I can’t help but feel that every time they come together, they somehow become greater than the sum of their parts. And that’s saying a lot…
What they Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Graceland “Little Bo Bleep”
Shoot outs. Fake outs. And long-awaited revelations. “Little Bo Bleep” was a jam-packed episode that wrapped up some loose ends and totally frayed others. Â It finally gave us one Sarkissian in jail and pulled back the curtain on Briggs’ master plan, but it also set up Jakes for a world…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Poldark “Part 4”
“What have I told you, I don’t require my wife to crochet and sip tea, but I do require her to remember she’s not a beast of burden.†No, I’m not talking about The Rolling Stones! I have to admit though, just for a second, the lyrics popped into my…
3 Moments of Goodness from Brooklyn Nine-Nine “Johnny and Dora”
The most satisfying part of this season’s finale has to the Jake and Amy kiss. Well, they kiss three times but the last one is the best one — and it means something. The Charles and Rosa dynamic was also great. I love how she’s convinced he doesn’t know anything…