The episode concludes with a nod to Psycho , featuring new neighbors moving in who are revealed to be Norman Bates and his mother.
After Burt takes a bad fall and ends up in a wheelchair, he becomes obsessed with his new "back-fence" neighbors, Gary and Gina. Convinced that Gary has murdered his wife with an axe, Burt enlists Virginia to help him spy on them using a telescope—mimicking the telephoto lens used by Jimmy Stewart's character in Rear Window . Because the Chances have a history of making "loony" calls to the police, the department only sends auxiliary officer Barney to investigate. "Raising Hope" Murder, She Hoped(2013)
The episode includes nods to The Birds , Vertigo , and Psycho through dialogue, camera shots, and background details. The episode concludes with a nod to Psycho
Virginia wears a black and white dress nearly identical to the one worn by Grace Kelly in Rear Window . Her other outfits throughout the episode also mirror various Hitchcock leading ladies. Because the Chances have a history of making
Watch this recap to see how the episode masterfully parodies Hitchcock's suspenseful style: Murder, She Hoped Raising Hope YouTube• Dec 7, 2013 "Raising Hope" Murder, She Hoped (TV Episode 2013) - Plot
The name "Murder, She Hoped" is a play on the long-running mystery series Murder, She Wrote .
Guest stars as the suspicious new neighbor, Gary .