Plot: What’s it about?
Jimmy Chance never knew what to do with his life. He wasn’t that smart, he didn’t have a great job, and he wasn’t able to find true love. But a one night stand with a serial killer was just what he needed, as that tryst resulted in the conception of his daughter, Hope. While her mother was executed soon after her birth, Hope is surrounded by people who love her, even if they struggle to make it through daily life. Jimmy and Hope live with his mother Virginia and father Burt, who live with Virginia’s mother, so the household is quite a busy one. As Jimmy tries to raise Hope and pursue the affections of a coworker, he and his family learn some lessons, some more useful then others. But regardless of the mishaps, slip-ups, and poor planning, the Chance family can always rely on each other, at least sometimes.
The dysfunctional family premise is a common one on television, but few shows have nailed the concept as well as Raising Hope was able to. The show not only offers up household dysfunction, but also one of the most unusual, dumbest, and poorest families on television. The Chance clan might not have money, brains, or social graces, but they know to entertain. The cast is impressive, but Martha Plimpton steals the show. She seems to relish the Virginia character, as her performance is impossible to not watch and simply unhinged at times. But the rest of the cast also shines and the chemistry between the core group is excellent, a crucial reason why the show is so great. As you’d expect from a Greg Garcia show, there are tons of internal references, so the more episodes you watch, the funnier the show becomes. I loved this first season of Raising Hope and look forward to hopefully many more seasons, so this collection is given a high recommendation.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. While I would prefer a high definition release, this looks about as good as possible for standard resolution. The image is sharp and clear, with no issues aside from some light noise in a few isolated instances. The colors are natural, contrast is consistent, and no compression woes creep in. As I said, I think we’d all rather have this in high definition, but this looks great for a DVD edition.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is a dialogue driven comedy, so the audio has no real duties outside of the show’s main element, vocals. So the theme music sounds good and the basic sound effects come through, but the sole spotlight here shines down on the vocals. From Virginia’s scathing remarks to his Burt’s quiet rage, all the vocal work is in excellent form here. The whispers even sound clear as a bell in this release, so you won’t miss a single one-liner. This release also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The unaired pilot is available here, complete with optional audio comments, while the season finale features a special extended edition. This release also includes a gag reel, some deleted scenes, and three behind the scenes featurettes.
