Honestly, if you haven’t seen a 84-year-old woman wander onto a front lawn in her bra to "watch for Japanese planes," have you even lived? That was the introduction most of us had to Barbara June Thompson. Better known as Maw Maw from Raising Hope, she wasn't just a side character. She was the chaos engine.
The show premiered in 2010 on FOX. It followed the Chance family, a group of well-meaning but broke underachievers raising a baby named Hope. But the house they lived in? That belonged to Maw Maw. And because she had Alzheimer’s, the power dynamic was... let's just say it was unconventional.
The Woman Behind the Madness
Cloris Leachman played Maw Maw. Let’s be real: nobody else could have done it. Leachman was already a legend by then. She had an Oscar for The Last Picture Show and more Emmys than almost anyone in history.
She was 84 when the show started. Most actors that age are looking for "dignified" roles. Not Cloris. She wanted to be the one eating spaghetti in the bathtub or trying to smother her grandson because she thought he was a prowler.
Her character, Barbara June, had a backstory that was actually kind of tragic if you looked past the jokes. She was a former singer and a retired firefighter. She had a life. But by the time we meet her, she’s basically a roommate her family has to "manage" so they don't lose their rent-free house.
Is the dementia portrayal actually okay?
This is where things get tricky. If you watch the first season, the jokes are pretty brutal. The family treats her like a pet or a ticking time bomb. They use a spray bottle on her. They lie to her constantly.
💡 You might also like: Ebonie Smith Movies and TV Shows: The Child Star Who Actually Made It Out Okay
Critics have pointed out that it trivializes a horrible disease. And they aren't wrong. A study from the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging noted that reducing a person with dementia to "wacky antics" can be a disservice to the real-life struggle.
But something weird happened in Season 2. The writers pivoted.
Why Maw Maw from Raising Hope Changed
Creator Greg Garcia reportedly told Leachman they were going to make her more lucid. Why? Because you can only do so many "naked grandma" jokes before it gets stale.
By Season 3 and 4, Maw Maw wasn't just a victim of her brain. She became a player. She was savage. She’d have moments of absolute clarity where she would manipulate Burt and Virginia just for fun. It turned the character from a prop into a person.
- She once confessed to murdering her husband just to mess with a judge.
- She’d go from thinking Jimmy was her dead husband to calling him a "loser" in five seconds flat.
- She became the family’s secret weapon when they needed someone who didn't care about social norms.
The fans loved it. There’s a popular theory among the Reddit community that she was actually faking it at least half the time. Like, she just realized that being "crazy" meant she could say whatever she wanted without consequences. Honestly? Iconic behavior.
📖 Related: Eazy-E: The Business Genius and Street Legend Most People Get Wrong
That Nursing Home Episode
If you want to see the show actually grapple with the ethics of how they treated her, look at the two-parter "Throw Maw Maw from the House."
The Chances finally put her in a state-run home. They feel guilty, but they also feel free. Then they see how the professionals treat her. They use "kinder" methods, like Pez dispensers for meds and telling her carrots are "Japanese pickles."
Virginia realizes she’s been crappy to her grandmother. It’s one of the few times the show gets genuinely emotional. Of course, it ends with Maw Maw taking hostages in an animal therapy lounge because she wanted taffy. Typical.
Moments That Defined the Character
You can't talk about Maw Maw from Raising Hope without mentioning her relationship with Burt.
Garret Dillahunt (who played Burt) has some of the best chemistry with Leachman. He treated her like a weird, dangerous buddy. He’d play jacks with her when she thought she was nine years old. He’d hide from her. He’d protect her.
👉 See also: Drunk on You Lyrics: What Luke Bryan Fans Still Get Wrong
One of the most famous bits involved music. The family discovered that certain songs triggered different parts of her brain. "America the Beautiful" apparently made her poop faster. It’s low-brow, sure. But it’s also that specific brand of "poor people logic" that made the show feel authentic.
What happened at the end?
When the show was cancelled after four seasons, we got a finale that felt right. The family was still struggling, but they were together. And Maw Maw was still there, probably plotting her next escape from her own bedroom.
Cloris Leachman passed away in 2021 at the age of 94. Looking back, this was her last great TV role. She wasn't playing a "grandmother." She was playing a force of nature.
Lessons from the Chance Household
What can we actually learn from this show? Besides not feeding a baby anything with a picture of a boy on it (lest they grow a mustache, according to Sabrina)?
- Adapt or die. The family learned to live with the chaos rather than fighting it.
- Music is a key. Real-life studies do show that music helps dementia patients, even if it doesn't usually involve the national anthem and a bathroom.
- Humor is a survival tactic. For the Chances, laughing at the absurdity of their lives was the only way to keep from crying.
If you’re revisiting the series now, look for the small details. Watch how Cloris uses her physicality. The way she stands, the way she glares. It’s a masterclass in comedic timing from a woman who had nothing left to prove but did it anyway.
To really appreciate the character, go back and watch the Season 2 episode "The Men of Let's Go." It shows the perfect balance of her "old" self and the chaotic version we grew to love. It's the best way to see the layers Leachman brought to a role that could have been a one-note joke.