We know you're probably sitting there thinking, "Damn, I wonder what life would be like if Jimmy Chance had not gotten busy in that van with a serial killer and had baby Hope?"
Well, don't you worry because you are not alone, [insert your name here]. It's questions like these that keep us up at night.
Luckily for you, we were on set for Raising Hope's Christmas episode (airing tonight), which tackles this very question, and brace yourselves, 'cause a Christmas without Hope sure ain't pretty! But it is, um, busty...
"There's some alternate realities that get brought into the equation for this episode," Lucas Neff tells us, "so it's a lot of fun. You get to see some what-if scenarios. There is a bit of an homage it It's a Wonderful Life. The title of the episode is, 'It's a Hopeful Life.'"
Garret Dillahunt explains that without baby Hope around to motivate and bond the Chance family, everyone basically ends up even crazier than before. "Virginia (Martha Plimpton) and I are split even though we are living in the same house and we are real snippy at each other...I'm a sleazebag with a big mustache and Virginia weighs 400 pounds just because she lost her self-esteem and it's just sad. Everybody is just sad." That'll put you in the holiday spirit, eh?
If you fans are wondering if Sabrina and Jimmy will finally get together (Come on, Christmas miracle!), then you are sadly mistaken because there are two giant obstacles that come between them. Somehow not having Hope around has lead Sabrina to getting huuuge fake breasts. Shannon Woodward (Sabrina) tell us with a laugh that everyone on set, um, noticed. "I'm not gonna lie, the immediate difference between people's reactions to me, even though they knew that they were enormous fake breasts, was I swear I felt a lot more visible then I have ever felt, and it made me excited and sad."
We've seen the episode, and believe us when we say that you don't want to miss Maw-Maw (Cloris Leachman) acting as the Ghost of Christmas, footie-pajamas and all! Woodward tells us that working with Leachman can be a "force of nature" on set. "[She's] liable to start some kind of food fight, that has happened. Or lick someone, that happens all the time. Or get naked, that happens everyday."
Even though this episode is filled to the brim with all kinds of crazy, Neff wants to reassure you it will still get you in the Christmas spirit. "I can tell you that it's chalk full of warm, good-heartedness. It's a really sweet episode."
Snuggle up with the all-new Christmas episode of Raising Hope tonight at 9:30 on Fox.
Which "what-if" scenario are you most excited to see? Wondering how Shannon Woodward didn't topple over from her new accessories? Speak your mind in the comments!