Show cover for Raising Hope

The Best Episodes of Raising Hope

Every episode of Raising Hope ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Raising Hope!

James "Jimmy" Chance is a clueless 24-year-old who impregnates a serial killer during a one-night-stand. Earning custody of his daughter after the mother is sentenced to death, Jimmy relies on his oddball but well-intentioned family for support in raising the child.

Genres:ComedyFamily
Network:FOX

Top Episode Ratings Summary

The best episode of "Raising Hope" is "Jimmy's Fake Girlfriend", rated 9.2/10 from 632 user votes. It was directed by N/A and written by Bobby Bowman. "Jimmy's Fake Girlfriend" aired on 2/14/2012 and is rated 0.1 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "Don't Vote for this Episode".

  • Jimmy's Fake Girlfriend
    9.2/10 632 votes

    #1 - Jimmy's Fake Girlfriend

    Season 2 Episode 14 - Aired 2/14/2012

    Jimmy's new friend from an improvisational class agrees to pretend to be his girlfriend to make Sabrina jealous.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Bobby Bowman

  • Don't Vote for this Episode
    9.1/10 637 votes

    #2 - Don't Vote for this Episode

    Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 5/17/2011

    The Chances reminisce about the year Jimmy turned 18 - when Maw Maw kicked them out of the house, when a goth Jimmy took up residence in the grocery store and when Burt and Virginia finally figured out how to be adults.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Murder, She Hoped
    8.5/10 359 votes

    #3 - Murder, She Hoped

    Season 4 Episode 7 - Aired 12/6/2013

    Burt and Virginia get new back-fence neighbors, and Burt is convinced that there is something suspicious about them.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Throw Maw Maw from the House, Part One
    8.4/10 399 votes

    #4 - Throw Maw Maw from the House, Part One

    Season 3 Episode 2 - Aired 10/9/2012

    A visiting social worker sees how the Chances take care of Maw Maw and suspects elder abuse; Sabrina asks Jimmy to get rid of a beloved t-shirt.

    Director: Eyal Gordin

    Writer: N/A

  • Candy Wars
    8.4/10 326 votes

    #5 - Candy Wars

    Season 3 Episode 7 - Aired 11/20/2012

    Jimmy tries to win a candy-selling contest so Hope can ride on a float in the Thanksgiving Day parade.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Making the Band
    8.4/10 437 votes

    #6 - Making the Band

    Season 3 Episode 19 - Aired 2/26/2013

    It's a "My Name is Earl" reunion as the Chances throw a birthday party for Hope. Jason Lee reprises his guest-star role as former rock star Smokey Floyd, and he is joined by guest stars Jaime Pressly, Ethan Suplee, Nadine Velazquez and Eddie Steeples as Natesville locals who all band together to save the party.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Father Daughter Dance
    8.4/10 256 votes

    #7 - The Father Daughter Dance

    Season 4 Episode 22 - Aired 4/4/2014

    In the series finale, Virginia's father Arnold returns to Natesville seeking help in planning his upcoming wedding. But Arnold surprises everyone when he reveals that the wedding Virginia has planned is really for her and Burt—the dream wedding they never got to have as teen parents.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Prodigy
    8.3/10 472 votes

    #8 - Prodigy

    Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 9/20/2011

    When Jimmy watches a home video of himself as a thirteen-year-old, he discovers that he was a musical prodigy with a promising career as a singer and pianist until a horrible accident involving a golf putter rendered him talentless. Jimmy recruits Burt, Virginia and Maw Maw to help him rediscover his lost abilities.

    Director: Eyal Gordin

    Writer: Christine Zander

  • Credit Where Credit Is Due
    8.3/10 309 votes

    #9 - Credit Where Credit Is Due

    Season 3 Episode 11 - Aired 1/8/2013

    When Jimmy and Sabrina decide to buy a new car, they learn Burt and Virginia ruined Jimmy's credit when he was a child.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Happy Halloween
    8.2/10 433 votes

    #10 - Happy Halloween

    Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/26/2010

    When Sabrina's boyfriend can't make it to the deli guy's Halloween party, Jimmy offers to put on his costume and go in his place. Virginia takes Maw Maw, who is dressed as a cat, trick-or-treating while Burt plots ways to play tricks on Jimmy.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Blue Dots
    8.2/10 487 votes

    #11 - Blue Dots

    Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 11/16/2010

    Jimmy decides to put Hope in an expensive daycare center, but meets an obstacle in the form of an old record from Burt's past, so the family decides to take matters in their own hands and deal with the law.

    Director: Eyal Gordin

    Writer: N/A

  • Mongooses
    8.2/10 421 votes

    #12 - Mongooses

    Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 3/15/2011

    The Chance family goes to see a lawyer to get their wills done, and Burt is insulted when Jimmy chooses Sabrina over him. Meanwhile, Sabrina is overcome with emotion by the news, while Maw Maw thinks mongooses are infesting the household.

    Director: Eyal Gordin

    Writer: Bobby Bowman

  • Baby Monitor
    8.2/10 426 votes

    #13 - Baby Monitor

    Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 5/10/2011

    Burt and Virginia try to help a couple they heard arguing on Hope's baby monitor.

    Director: Eyal Gordin

    Writer: Bobby Bowman

  • Throw Maw Maw from the House, Part Two
    8.2/10 309 votes

    #14 - Throw Maw Maw from the House, Part Two

    Season 3 Episode 3 - Aired 10/16/2012

    The Chance family devises a plan to break Maw Maw out of the nursing facility; Jimmy worries about his future sanity.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Mother's Day
    8.2/10 378 votes

    #15 - Mother's Day

    Season 3 Episode 22 - Aired 3/28/2013

    When Burt and Barney travel to Maw Maw's childhood home, they learn that her mother may still be alive.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Burt Bucks
    8.2/10 289 votes

    #16 - Burt Bucks

    Season 4 Episode 2 - Aired 11/15/2013

    Burt and Virginia introduce Natesville to a new bartering system called "Burt Bucks," that looks an awful lot like a pyramid scheme. Jimmy questions his masculinity after Sabrina saves his life.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Men of New Natesville
    8.1/10 309 votes

    #17 - The Men of New Natesville

    Season 2 Episode 9 - Aired 12/6/2011

    After being encouraged to be more of a daredevil by Burt, Jimmy jumps at the chance of showing off his bolder side at a party at Frank's house. Frank and Jimmy realize they have shared a common high school bully, and when they try to take him down, they realize their old bully has changed.

    Director: Michael Fresco

    Writer: N/A

  • It's a Hopeful Life
    8.1/10 404 votes

    #18 - It's a Hopeful Life

    Season 2 Episode 10 - Aired 12/13/2011

    In this "It's a Wonderful Life" themed episode, Jimmy is transported into a cinematic dreamlike state and watches on at a world where he never met Lucy. When he returns to reality he realizes that if Hope had never been born, his life wouldn't be as good. Meanwhile, Virginia, Burt and Maw Maw see a movie that bares a striking resemblance to their day-to-day lives.

    Director: Tucker Gates

    Writer: Ralph Greene

  • Mrs. Smartypants
    8.1/10 327 votes

    #19 - Mrs. Smartypants

    Season 2 Episode 11 - Aired 1/17/2012

    When Hope shows signs of being a baby genius, the family pits themselves against one another to earn their GEDs. While attempting to secure his GED, Jimmy finds out that his old high school teacher, Mr. Swift, is teaching the class.

    Director: Eyal Gordin

    Writer: Alan Kirschenbaum

  • Sheer Madness
    8.1/10 339 votes

    #20 - Sheer Madness

    Season 2 Episode 15 - Aired 2/21/2012

    Jimmy and Sabrina continue building their relationship by learning more about their strange habits and childhood fears. Meanwhile, Virginia learns more about a habit Burt has been hiding from her for years.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Inside Probe (1)
    8.1/10 350 votes

    #21 - Inside Probe (1)

    Season 2 Episode 21 - Aired 4/10/2012

    Nancy Grace examines the "real story" of Hope's mom, serial killer Lucy Carlisle, resulting in the Chance family learning some shocking things about her.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Alan Kirschenbaum

  • I Want My Baby Back, Baby Back, Baby Back (2)
    8.1/10 427 votes

    #22 - I Want My Baby Back, Baby Back, Baby Back (2)

    Season 2 Episode 22 - Aired 4/17/2012

    Following the revelations of the "Inside Probe" expose of their family history, the Chances are put on trial in a fight to retain custody of Hope.

    Director: Eyal Gordin

    Writer: Bobby Bowman

  • Last Christmas
    8.1/10 286 votes

    #23 - Last Christmas

    Season 3 Episode 10 - Aired 12/11/2012

    Convinced that the world will end on Dec. 21, 2012, Virginia stocks up on supplies and makes her family train for the apocalypse. Jimmy tries to make Hope's Christmas special.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Modern Wedding
    8.1/10 376 votes

    #24 - Modern Wedding

    Season 3 Episode 14 - Aired 1/29/2013

    It's Jimmy & Sabrina's wedding day, and Sabrina's mom has hired the camera crew from "Modern Family" to capture the event.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Pilot
    8.0/10 621 votes

    #25 - Pilot

    Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/21/2010

    A 23-year-old man must enlist his family to help him raise a baby that is the result of a one-night stand with a wanted felon.

    Director: Michael Fresco

    Writer: N/A