'Raising Hope' Season 3, Episode 22: 'Mother's Day' Recap

“Raising Hope”, season 3, episode 22, “Mother’s Day”

Burt and Virginia go through some of Maw Maw’s possessions on Mother’s day. When Jimmy gets home, they reveal that they figured it would be a nice Mother’s Day gift for Maw Maw if they helped her remember that she had a mother, but they haven’t found anything to help trigger her memory, or any pictures. Maw Maw doesn’t believe she had a mother.

Sabrina tries to get ahold of her mother who is in China with no success. Jimmy asks to borrow one of Maw Maw’s boxes to place a necklace in that Hope made in daycare. Virginia mistakenly believes it’s for her and is upset when Jimmy says it’s for Sabrina.

Burt heads to the store to stock up on supplies for his little road trip. He plans to go to Maw Maw’s childhood home and take pictures, hoping it will stir up some memories. Barney says he was planning on a road trip, too, and invites himself along.

When Burt and Barney arrive at the house, they notice someone is inside. Burt asks if he could take pictures inside when the woman draws a shotgun on them. He quickly realizes that the woman is Maw Maw’s mother, and that she is still alive somehow.

Burt tries to reason with her to get her to put the gun down. He tells her about her family, but she tells him that she has no daughter. She tells him that she thinks she’s dead, and that she’s waiting for angels to come take her away. A man arrives at the house delivering a meal who seems to ignore her. This makes Barney believe that they’re dead, too. Burt gets the man’s attention, and he confirms that the woman is alive, but she believes she’s dead and hasn’t left her home in decades. Burt gets the idea to bring her back home with them to surprise Virginia and Maw Maw. She isn’t too pleased and smacks him in the crotch with her gun.

Back at home, Virginia tries to prove to Jimmy that she’s more of a mother to Hope than Sabrina is.

Burt and Barney switch tactics and pretend to be angels from heaven come to take the old lady to heaven. They lead her into their truck via song.

Back at home, Burt surprises Virginia with her great-grandmother. She is both surprised and slightly terrified by the aged creature before her. Maw Maw sees her mother, and after a touching moment, she attacks her.

Virginia asks why they are fighting. Maw Maw tells the story of how her mom kicked her out because she supposedly stole 25 cents. Maw Maw gives her a quarter, she forgives her, and they hug it out.

Sabrina helps Virginia set the table, and they feud over who knows Hope best. Jimmy takes the opportunity to give Sabrina the necklace that Hope made. It upsets Virginia.

Barney checks on Maw Maw’s mom, and finds her dead in the bathroom. Barney says Burt should tell Maw Maw. But rather than tell her, he decides to ask if she has a mother, and she says she doesn’t, clearly forgetting what happened that day. They decide not to tell her.

Sabrina goes to talk to Virginia, and tells her that she’s more of a mother to her than her own mother ever has been. She tries to give Virginia a ‘mom’ necklace, but Virginia doesn’t believe she deserves it. Sabrina points out that she totally deserves it.

As they all sit down for dinner, Maw Maw eats some pasta made using her mother’s recipe and suddenly remembers her mom. She says that he a big falling out, but she believes that they eventually made up. Everyone is relieved.

Sabrina, sad that her own mom hasn’t called, realizes that Jimmy’s family is her new family.