The BEST episodes of Raising Hope season 1

Every episode of Raising Hope season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Raising Hope season 1!

At 23 years old, Jimmy Chance is going nowhere in life. He skims pools for a living, parties every night and still lives at home with his family, including his parents and his cousin, Mike. Jimmy's life takes a drastic turn when a chance romantic encounter with Lucy goes awry once he discovers she is a wanted felon. Months later, when Jimmy pays a visit to the local prison, he discovers Lucy gave birth to their baby, who he is now charged with raising.

Last Updated: 12/9/2024Network: FOXStatus: Ended
Don't Vote for this Episode
star
8.01
1128 votes

#1 - 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.

Directors: Greg Garcia
Writer: Greg Garcia
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
A Germ of a Story
star
7.75
1167 votes

#2 - A Germ of a Story

Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/15/2011

When Sabrina points out to Jimmy just how many germs are lurking around his house, the Chance family becomes obsessed with cleanliness. Finding it impossible to keep Maw Maw clean, they move her to the backyard greenhouse, but after watching some old family movies, they discover a surprising secret that has kept them healthy all these years.

Directors: Phil Traill
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Dream Hoarders
star
7.74
1547 votes

#3 - Dream Hoarders

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/5/2010

The family baby-proofs the house as Hope learns to crawl. Jimmy visits the grocery store in hopes of seeing Sabrina.

Directors: Michael Fresco
Writer: Ralph Greene
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
What Up, Cuz?
star
7.73
1015 votes

#4 - What Up, Cuz?

Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/22/2011

Virginia's cousin Delilah, who struggles to make ends meet, pays a visit to the Chance family unannounced, determined to claim her share of Maw Maw's - whom she thinks died years ago - estate. Further tension builds when Delilah admits she still has a crush on Burt. Meanwhile, Jimmy babysits Maw Maw and panics when she takes off on Sabrina's moped.

Directors: Rebecca Asher
Writer: Bobby Bowman
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Baby Monitor
star
7.70
1064 votes

#5 - 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.

Directors: Eyal Gordin
Writer: Bobby Bowman
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Snip Snip
star
7.70
1147 votes

#6 - Snip Snip

Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/1/2011

When Virginia and Sabrina discover secrets about each other, Sabrina blackmails Virginia into keeping her mouth shut. Meanwhile, Jimmy takes Burt to get a vasectomy after a family vote.

Directors: Chris Koch
Writer: Mike Mariano
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Pilot
star
7.68
2011 votes

#7 - 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.

Directors: Michael Fresco
Writer: Greg Garcia
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Burt Rocks
star
7.68
1108 votes

#8 - Burt Rocks

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/30/2010

A washed-up rock star who is hired as the lead act at 'Grocery-Palooza', a rock concert at the supermarket where Sabrina works. Smokey was once Burt's musical idol, and Burt hopes to relive his rock-star years by playing backup for him at the concert.

Directors: Jace Alexander
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Mongooses
star
7.67
1165 votes

#9 - 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.

Directors: Eyal Gordin
Writer: Bobby Bowman
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Sniffles
star
7.65
1390 votes

#10 - The Sniffles

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/9/2010

When Hope catches a cold, Jimmy panics because the family does not have health insurance. Jimmy figures out a way to get a second job at Sabrina's grocery store so he can afford to take Hope to the pediatrician.

Directors: Eyal Gordin
Writer: Mike Mariano
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Say Cheese
star
7.65
1486 votes

#11 - Say Cheese

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/12/2010

Jimmy realizes that he has no family photos that include Hope, so he organizes a family photo shoot.

Directors: Eyal Gordin
Writer: Greg Garcia
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Everybody Flirts… Sometimes
star
7.65
1177 votes

#12 - Everybody Flirts… Sometimes

Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 5/3/2011

When Burt's flirtatious ways are exposed, the entire family begins to experiment with flirting. Jimmy and Sabrina compete to be Barney's favorite employee, Maw Maw gives away her treasures and Virginia is stalked by a coffee shop employee.

Directors: Jerry Levine
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Happy Halloween
star
7.59
1491 votes

#13 - 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.

Directors: Greg Garcia
Writer: Dan Coscino
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Dead Tooth
star
7.58
1722 votes

#14 - Dead Tooth

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/28/2010

Jimmy asks Sabrina's cousin to baby-sit Hope so he can return to work. Burt tries to persuade Virginia to quit smoking.

Directors: Michael Fresco
Writer: Greg Garcia
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Cheaters
star
7.58
1153 votes

#15 - Cheaters

Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/19/2011

Maw Maw has a crush on a man she meets at Shelley's daycare. Jimmy takes Sabrina to see Wyatt after she suspects he might be cheating on her, and he resorts to drastic measures to win her back.

Directors: Daniel Attias
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
A Cultish Personality
star
7.57
1136 votes

#16 - A Cultish Personality

Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/8/2011

Mike returns after going through a spiritual quest with a wife and her other three husbands in tow. Burt attempts to fix the relationship between his brother and Mike.

Directors: Phil Traill
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Romeo and Romeo
star
7.57
1341 votes

#17 - Romeo and Romeo

Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 2/8/2011

Jimmy hasn't had any time to socialize or make friends since Hope was born, so when he meets another single dad at the grocery store, he immediately sets up a play date. But when Jimmy finds out that Virginia is his new friend's housekeeper, Virginia insists that Jimmy cancel the outing. In an effort to keep the peace, Jimmy and his friend arrange a dinner at the Chance house.

Directors: Eyal Gordin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Family Secrets
star
7.57
1488 votes

#18 - Family Secrets

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/26/2010

When a box containing videos of Hope's mother arrives from prison, Jimmy must decide whether or not to let Hope see them. Virginia explains that children need to be protected from the truth, leading Jimmy to question what exactly his parents have been keeping from him.

Directors: Randall Einhorn
Writer: Bobby Bowman
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Toy Story
star
7.56
1240 votes

#19 - Toy Story

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/7/2010

Jimmy finds out about his father's annual Christmas scheme where he sells the most wanted toy for a lot of money, which always left Jimmy disappointed when he was a child. Virginia wants the family to be a part of the living nativity scene at their church to gain the respect of the members.

Directors: Michael Fresco
Writer: Bobby Bowman
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Meet the Grandparents
star
7.56
1197 votes

#20 - Meet the Grandparents

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/23/2010

Instead of sleeping in and ordering pizza, per his normal Thanksgiving custom, Jimmy invites Hope's other grandparents, Dale and Margine, to join the Chances for a more traditional holiday dinner. The Chances soon realize that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree when Dale and Margine kidnap Hope, and it's up to them to get her back.

Directors: Jace Alexander
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Blue Dots
star
7.56
1480 votes

#21 - 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.

Directors: Eyal Gordin
Writer: Liz Astrof
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Sleep Training
star
7.42
1122 votes

#22 - Sleep Training

Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/26/2011

When Burt is introduced to a book on sleep-training, he and Virginia decide to try it on baby Hope. Meanwhile, Jimmy's wild new girlfriend introduces him to a special beverage that takes him on a scary trip.

Directors: Eyal Gordin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV