I think it’s human nature to be curious about other people. When the Chances learn they have new neighbors, they resort to eavesdropping through Hope’s baby monitor. It’s not exactly planned. You see, they discover they can do this by accident, which just makes it easier to say, “Hey, I didn’t know I could do this!”

Virginia (Martha Plimpton) goes head to head with nasty neighbor Donna (Jaime Pressly)

The married couple, Andrew (Ethan Suplee) and Donna (Jaime Pressly), is rather nasty and always fighting. Donna is the mean wife who reams out her husband at home and in front of people. As a result, he’s cowed by her and Virginia (Martha Plimpton) takes it upon herself to intervene, even though she hates being the “judgmental busybody snoop.” Virginia sees how awful Donna treats her husband and she freely takes on the responsibility of being the bad guy. This is a positive trait in Virginia: she’s unafraid of standing up to people when she witnesses incidents of injustice.

Meanwhile, at Howdy’s Market, Barney (Gregg Binkley) tries to get his employees excited about making a promotional video for the store. He’s a conscientious though goofy manager, but his store videos are pretty pathetic. Frank (Todd Giebenhain) and Sabrina (Shannon Woodward) are creative with their input, but ultimately (and without telling them), Barney trashes their submissions instead of sending them to headquarters. I think this is a commendable move, as it demonstrates a concern for his employees and how much Barney thinks of them. He may be goofy, but he’s a good guy who will have your back at work. Jimmy (Lucas Neff) will probably never have a manager as nice as Barney.

As you may recall, Greg Garcia used to write for the show My Name is Earl. I never watched the series because it seemed pretty stupid (and not in a funny way), but Suplee and Pressley were regulars. I don’t care for either of these actors; Suplee portrays Andrew like a simpering cry baby. You want to tell him to grow some balls and leave his nasty wife, but if he were the wife, you would be less inclined to say this. I know this is a double standard, but that’s how much Andrew really bugs me. Pressley doesn’t fare much better, either; her Donna is downright nasty, but also ridiculous. She spews venom over the most ridiculous things, like Andrew spilling wine on the rug. In comparison, the Chances are absolute saints.

Burt (Garret Dillahunt) and Virginia (Martha Plimpton) demonstrate their affection in front of their neighbors

You’d think Donna and Andrew would move out of town after they find Hope’s baby monitor, but no. Donna learns she’s pregnant, which, surprisingly, is good news, and then turns her hatred toward Virginia. It seems to be Donna’s character to hate someone, anyone. This is fine by Virginia as it saves Andrew from dealing with his wife’s venomous behavior. Now they can celebrate the news of their pregnancy. Oh joy!

Next week is the season finale, and I want it to go out with a bang.

Watch Raising Hope on Tuesdays 9/8c on FOX.

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