Raising Hope

Virginia agrees to be a live-in house sitter for her client and look after a troublesome teenage girl. When she learns that the teen and her boyfriend are ready to take their relationship to the next level, she and Burt try to use their experience to convince them against it. But Burt makes a confession that comes as a surprise to Virginia. Meanwhile, Maw Maw once again confuses Jimmy with her late husband Wilfrid, so Jimmy and Sabrina play along.

When attention-seeking Sarah Louise (guest star Vivica A. Fox) announces her plans to run for another term as chairperson of the Natesville church group, Burt decides to run against her. To test Burt's ability to handle a community task, Sarah Louise assigns him pig-sitting duties for a blind church member. But when the guide pig accidentally becomes family dinner, Burt must find and train a replacement pig before Sarah Louise finds out and ruins his chances of being elected.

When Jimmy finds out Sabrina has a new attractive study partner (guest star Travis Van Winkle), Virginia convinces him that they are doing more than just studying. Meanwhile, Burt develops an obsession with a wall figurine.

In a very special “mockumentary” episode, Nancy Grace (guest-starring as herself) examines the “real story” of Hope’s mom, serial killer Lucy Carlisle (guest star Phillips). Grace interviews each member of the Chance family, all of whom relay personal accounts of exactly what happened when Jimmy met Lucy back in 2008. At the end of the program, the Chances are shocked to find out developing details about Lucy.

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.

The Chance family meets Sabrina’s mother, Tamara (guest star Melanie Griffith), at the funeral of Sabrina’s grandmother, Nana (guest star Tippi Hedren). Nana’s last will and testament, revealed in a video she recorded before she died, has a big impact on Jimmy and Sabrina’s relationship.

A social worker visits the Chance house to investigate a claim, but when she spots some of the tactics the family employs to keep Maw Maw under control, she starts to suspect the Chances of elder abuse and threatens to take her away. Meanwhile Sabrina and Jimmy test the boundaries of their new engagement when Sabrina wants Jimmy to part with his beloved T-shirt.

In the conclusion of a special two-part episode, the Chance family devises a ridiculously intricate plan to break Maw Maw out of a state-run nursing facility. The plan backfires when Virginia notices how gentle the staff is with Maw Maw, and begins to think that she might be better off in her new home. Meanwhile, Jimmy fears that he’s destined to go crazy in his old age, and interrogates the other elderly patients for tips on staying sane.

Jimmy and Sabrina attend a marriage retreat lead by a priest (guest star Jordan) before they get married. Not wanting to miss out on a free vacation, Virginia and Burt pose as a newly engaged couple, so they can attend too. It becomes a true family affair when Sabrina’s mom Tamara (guest star Griffith) and her young lover, Roberto (guest star Valderrama), tag along. Meanwhile, Barney forgoes his birthday plans to babysit Maw Maw.

It’s Halloween, and Sabrina asks Jimmy to hang out with her gay best friend and his partner. But first, Jimmy asks Burt to do some recon by spending time at the local gay bar. When Burt keeps going back to the bar, Virginia wonders if he’s enjoying his time there a little too much and tracks him down in costume on Halloween night.

When Jimmy finds a childhood photo of himself with an older boy and a family he doesn’t know, Burt reveals that he and Virginia gave him up for adoption for a short time when they were teen parents. Jimmy recruits Sabrina to forge a scheme to meet and bond with his would-have-been big brother Brad (Guest Star Chris Klein). Meanwhile, Virginia and Burt question their decision to take Jimmy back when the would-be adoptive parents turn out to be affluent and nurturing.