Everybody Loves Raymond Episode Rating Graph

Tempers flare when Marie accuses Debra of not returning a borrowed canister that holds sentimental value and Debra insists that she has already given it back. Debra is then horrified when she discovers that she does indeed still have the canister in her possession. With Ray and Robert's reluctant assistance, she concocts an elaborate scheme to get rid of the evidence, rather than confess to Marie that she was wrong and her mother-in-law was right all along.

Ray fears getting his adenoids removed, but Debra convinces him to go through with the surgery. At the hospital, while Marie is in the bathroom, the nurse says that Ray isn't waking up from the anesthesia and everyone fears he may die. Fortunately, thirty seconds later, the doctor comes out and says he's just fine. Everyone agrees not to tell Ray or Marie about it; however, Frank ends up telling Marie who rushes over to smother Ray with kisses. Ray finds out about it and begins acting weird as if he thinks he really is going to die. After a couple minutes, he gets out of it. The show closes with the entire family sitting around the table eating and arguing, just like the Barones always have in the past nine years.

When Marie and Frank get some test results back they find out that they're not as healthy as they thought. So Marie throws out all the unhealthy food and makes Frank go on a diet with her. This doesn't sit well with him and the rest of the family when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner. Instead of the traditional turkey dinner she makes a tofu turkey. So Ray orders a traditional Thanksgiving dinner from a restaurant. Debra thinks that Ray might have hurt his mother's feelings but it's quite the opposite when he catches Marie eating his Thanksgiving dinner in the middle of the night.

Robert and Amy exchange vows in a classic Barone family wedding ceremony.

Ray's attempts to alleviate Debra's PMS moodiness only make her more irritable. When Ray witnesses Debra's hypersensitive mood and generally annoyed reaction to everything he says and does, he checks the calendar and realizes it's going to be a long couple of days ahead. In his desire to get a ""quick fix"" for Debra's womanly problems – thus making his life a heck of a lot easier – he turns a bad situation worse by suggesting that a simple pill will help with his wife's insufferable mood swings.

Robert is ecstatic when he is recommended for an FBI job. That is, until it becomes apparent that Marie's intrusive ways may be his undoing. This time, she may have gone too far and Robert may not be able to forgive and forget.

The Barones clash even more than usual in the sixth-season opener when they get a child's-eye view of all the bickering that goes on in the family. The fireworks begin when the whole gang attends an open house at first-grader Michael's school, during which the kids all read stories that they've written themselves. Most of the students tell tall tales that are obviously fictional. But then Michael gets up and reads the title to his story, ""The Angry Family."" The shocked Barones fear the worst---and for good reason---as Michael begins the saga of a clan that is constantly arguing.

When Ray and Debra find Frank painting their house, they find out that Marie put him up to the job due to his retirement. But, when Frank paints it the color they don't like, Ray fires him. That's when Marie reveals the truth behind Frank's retirement.

Raymond decides to spend a shift accompanying his brother Robert, a policeman. Initially, spending a shift in the back of Robert's patrol car bores Raymond and he wonders why he even bothered putting on the bullet-proof vest. But his boredom quickly turns to terror during a chance visit to Nemo's restaurant that puts them in the middle of the hold-up. When Robert saves the day by throwing a hot pizza in the burglar's face, Raymond sees for the very first time how courageous his brother really is.

As Ray escorts Ally to a father-daughter dance, he realizes how grown up and independent his daughter has become. As a result, he begins to recall the day, nine years ago, when the Barone clan welcomed her into the family, but not without incident. In the flashback, expectant parents Ray and Debra are caught by surprise when Debra goes into labor in the back seat of Robert's patrol car, forcing him to be called into action. Meanwhile, Ray and Debra plot to keep a pushy Marie away from the delivery room until after the baby is born, not an easy feat.

Ray and Debra reminisce about their fateful first meeting 15 years before. Memories flood back when Ray and Debra prepare Ally for her first playdate with a little boy. The first time Ray and Debra laid eyes on each other, their first kiss, the first time Marie met her future daughter-in-law and what she thought of her, and the first time Ray sampled Debra's cooking are all revealed.

After Debra suggests that she might be more consistently romantic if she weren't in charge of the birth control, Ray decides to make the drastic move of "cutting the wires." But after a discussion with Robert, and other top "medical experts" he chickens out, but does muster enough bravery to go to the drugstore and buy "the stuff." He even goes crazy and splurges on "the rainbow pack" but the plan for Halloween romance goes awry when Grandpa distributes the "chocolate coins in brightly colored wrappers" that he found to the remaining trick-or-treaters in the neighborhood.

Robert discovers Pat smoking and she pleads for him not to tell. Later, when Amy smells smoke on Robert, she thinks Robert smokes. Frank, Marie, Peter, Hank and Amy all think Robert smokes. Robert gets yelled at, and Pat doesn't tell the truth or back him up. The next day, Robert tells Raymond and Debra about Pat, and the family comes over. There is a bitter argument and then Ray and/or Debra yells out that Pat smokes. She confesses and tells the truth. There is another argument and Peter confesses something, then Hank, then Ray, then Debra. It ends with Frank and Marie telling them that they are weird and that they shouldn't do the stuff they are doing.

Ray and Debra wind up in a two-week standoff over a suitcase. When Robert asks Ray if he can borrow a suitcase sitting on the stairway landing for his honeymoon, Ray explains he and Debra have been locked in an ""unspoken"" battle of wills since a weekend trip over who is responsible for putting the suitcase away. Although Robert thinks Ray and Debra are insane, Frank and Marie can easily relate and offer their own words of wisdom – with Frank counseling Ray and Marie advising Debra on how to resolve their marital differences.

Ray's latest manipulative plan involves constantly turning down Debra in the bedroom.

While the Barones prepare for a friend's wedding, Ray kiddingly asks Debra, ""Why did you marry me?"" When she hesitates, he flashes back to the not-so-magical night 10 years before when he popped the big question. Ray gets unexpected, unsolicited and unwelcome help with from his parents, but Debra says yes anyway. That leaves the gloomy groom wondering if she did so because she loves him or because she felt pressured. So Ray decides he's ""gotta give her another chance to say no.""

Fed up with his wife's constant lateness, Ray leaves Debra at home rather than take her to the ESPY Awards. While Debra seethes over Ray's actions, Marie and Amy get into a heated debate with Frank and Robert when they air their own grievances about their wives' blatant disregard for the time.

Ray feels jealous of Robert when he visits his new apartment and sees that it's filled with beautiful women. Also Frank turns Robert's old room into a lounge.

Thinking it would be hilarious to show the partygoers a typical day in the life of Frank and Marie, Ray and Debra do a dead-on impersonation of the two that brings down the house at the party. But, when Frank and Marie turn the tables and do a ""Ray and Debra"" imitation, Ray and Debra don't find it funny at all.

Ray is bewildered, but not altogether displeased when Debra starts initiating sex on a more than regular basis. He can't believe his luck - and good fortune when as a result of Debra's new behavior it's as if he and she were newlyweds again. Ray is even willing to give up his golf game to satiate Debra's desires. But, never able to leave well enough alone, Ray looks for a reason behind her sudden burst of energy and gets a crushing blow to his ego.

After Frank has one accident too many, Debra decides that the kids can't ride with him anymore, which makes Raymond realize that his dad is getting older. Not only did Frank back into Robert's patrol car, but further investigation reveals that his driver's license is expired! Uncomfortable with the fact the he's not a safe driver anymore, Debra decides she doesn't want the kids in his car. But the most uncomfortable part for Ray is thinking about the fact that his parents are really getting older – and unsafe driving is only the beginning of the journey.

Ray and Debra are horrified when Marie presents them with an abstract sculpture she made in art class which bears a striking resemblance to a part of the female anatomy. Frank, on the other hand, is totally mesmerized by Marie's creation, though neither he nor Marie have picked up on it's erotic resemblance.

Ray and Debra are discouraged when they realize that their sex life isn't what it used to be. Ray and Debra shrug it off by assuring each other that it's not an unusual occurrence for older couples to experience since the kids are always underfoot, they're sleep deprived, etc. Trying to make themselves feel better, they approach Frank and Marie about what constitutes a "normal" sex life for an older couple, but are left feeling more inadequate when they discover the bedroom secrets of the elder Barones.

When Marie crashes and ruins her Tupperware party, Debra decides that she's had just about enough of her mother-in-law's constant interference. She takes pen to paper and writes a letter to her mother-in-law, telling her to stop intruding into her life. Horrified by the problems that this letter might trigger, Ray does everything in his power to intercept the offending document – but he fails. Surprisingly, the family discovers that honesty really may be the best policy.

Debra discovers that her mother-in-law, Marie, likes Robert's girlfriend, Amy, better than she likes her because Amy is a ""good girl."" When Robert accidentally lets it slip to Marie that Amy is a virgin, Marie is thrilled to pieces. Jealous of the attention Amy is receiving from Marie, Raymond minimizes Debra's premarital activities, leading his mother to believe that Debra was a ""good girl"" too. When the family discovers why Marie has this sudden ""purity"" fixation, Robert and Raymond are in for a big surprise.

Robert and Amy exchange vows in a classic Barone family wedding ceremony.

Robert gets a surprise visit from Stefania, the woman with whom he fell head over heels in love when the Barones vacationed in Italy. Robert's excitement over having his beloved, and stunningly gorgeous, Stefania so close quickly gives way to annoyance when he is witness to a few of her idiosyncrasies. After spending some quality time with the Italian beauty, sans gelato and gondolas, Robert has to rethink his feelings for her. Meanwhile, Stefania's father, who has accompanied her to America, has his own change of heart with respect to his feelings for Robert.

Ray and Debra get caught up in telling lies in order to cover up previous falsehoods after Ray fibs to Marie about why he missed a scheduled time with her. When the lies snowball into an out of control degree, Marie picks up the scent and traces everything back to the initial fib. Marie seems to have won – until Frank reveals a damaging lie of her own.

Robert think he has finally found "the one" or a girlfriend. The girl is Angela, an international-trade lawyer who seems too good to be true. She's bright, speaks four languages and clearly loves Robert. The girl goes on to endear herself to Debra by complimenting her lemon chicken. While Ray, is also initially smitten with Angela, he see's something disgusting: Angela eats a dead fly out of a napkin. After he tells Robert and Debra, the won't believe him.

Amy's parents put Robert on the defensive when they point out his strange habit of touching food to his chin before he eats it. When Amy confides in Debra, who tells her that Robert's strange behavior could be psychological, she devises a plan to break him of his chin habit for good.

Robert proves to be a crashing bore when it comes to teaching traffic school, so he decides to practice his presentation on the family-which drives them crazy. In an attempt to lighten things up, he puts in an assist-officer call to ""Traffic Cop Timmy,"" a puppet dressed as a policeman.

Ray and Debra renew their wedding vows after they find out that Ray accidentally taped over their wedding with the 1991 Super Bowl.

When the kids ruin Ray's dictionary, Frank shares how Ray ruined his prized jazz collection. After trying to make amends for his childhood mistake, Ray discovers that he may not have been the culprit.

Ray finally tells Frank and Marie how he feels about their constant intrusiveness after Marie accidentally drives the car through the front of his house.

In this flashback episode, Ray and Debra remember their days in their first apartment. Debra finds out she's having twins, and so they decide they need a house. Ray maps a strategy where they are not close enough for everyday visits from his folks but not far enough for overnight stays. A mustached Robert discovers his wife wants a divorce. Part-time realtor Frank finds Ray and Debra a perfect house across the street from him and Marie. Debra decides living across from her in-laws is a good idea.

Ray finds out that the diamond on Debra's engagement ring is a fake, so he steals it from her to get it changed, only to find out after that she already had it changed. She had her grandma's $15,000 diamond put in.

After Marie has Frank return an anniversary gift Ray and Debra gave them Ray and Debra reminisce about the first time they slept together. Debra then decides to go apologize to Marie but Marie refuses to accept her apology when she learns that Debra lied to her in front of a priest.

Robert's entire demeanor changes when he starts clubbing with his patrol partner, Judy, and her friends. When he starts using expressions such as ""This is so whack"" and ""I'm down with it"" and showing up in mustard colored suits, Ray and the rest of the family find it hard to believe the extent to which Robert will go to fit in with his new friends.

While out for a family dinner, the Barones spot Robert's ex-wife, which prompts them to reminisce about the demise of his marriage. The family tells Amy the truth about Robert's failed marriage to Joanne, whom Frank not-so-affectionately refers to as ""a nutcracker."" The surprise sighting also brings back some personally harrowing memories for Robert – although, when Joanne suggests the ex-spouses get together, Robert seems intrigued.

Nemo's niece, Angelina, takes employment at Nemo's as a waitress at Nemo's. When Angelina catches Ray's eye, he has a lot of explaining to do to his wife, Debra especially when Angelina calls him at home. Ray accidentally leaves his wallet at Nemo's, and Angelina calls him at home to let him know she found it. But, because he feels guilty about his innocent attraction, Ray denies ever knowing her. When the situation is blown out of proportion by the Barone family, Debra decides to visit Nemo's to see what all the fuss is about.

Held captive at Frank and Marie's during a snowstorm, Debra, Ray and Amy actually find themselves having a great time. Then Debra makes a nasty comment to Frank which totally upsets the good mood. This causes Marie to defend Frank and finally reveal her true feelings for Debra.

Ray decides to get his parents a family portrait for Christmas and they love the idea, until Debra's parents show up to be in it too.

When Robert and Amy break up Raymond is blamed by everyone because of some bad things he told Robert about marriage.

Amy's mom and dad finally meet the Barone Family. Amy's folks show up unexpectedly at their daughter's house on a Sunday morning. They want to talk Amy out of marrying Robert and take her home to Pennsylvania with them. First, they are stunned to see Robert there. Then Frank and Marie arrive. It doesn't take long for the two sets of parents to disliking each other.

When Frank wins ""Man of the Year"" at his lodge Ray and Robert are asked to make a video tribute about Frank. While making the video they realize none of his lodge buddies like him.

Feeling pathetic because he lives with his parents, Robert finally musters up the courage to move out on his own. Encouraged by Ray, and much to his parents' horror, Robert packs up his bags, takes his dog and moves into a garage apartment. But the move affects the family more than they anticipated. They feel the absence of their relationship ""buffer."" As Debra describes it, ""He's like.the lead apron at the dentist."" Meanwhile, Robert enjoys his newfound freedom, until Raymond comes to visit and points out that the older couple with whom he is living are really carbon copies of their own parents -- from whom he was trying to get away.

Marie instantly tries to get the upper hand in her relationship with her new daughter-in-law when Amy and Robert return from their honeymoon, but Debra steps in, determined to stop Marie's meddling once and for all, which horrifies the guys.

For a criminal-psychology course, Robert issues standard IQ tests to Raymond and Debra and boy, is Raymond smarting when they get the results. But his feelings change when he discovers that Robert was playing mind games with them by telling each they scored hired than the other.

When Debra's mother comes to visit the family for a week, Debra finds herself shocked to discover that she wishes her mom were more like Marie. Debra's highly anticipated week of "quality time" with her mom, Lois, and the family quickly turns into a big disappointment when her mother seems more interested in the Renoir exhibit and her crossword puzzles than in Debra, Ray and the children. When her frustration with Lois' disinterest reaches a boiling point, Debra makes the mistake of blurting out that she wishes her mother were more like Marie. Then she has the unfortunate double trouble of making amends with her mom -- and dealing not only with Marie's glee, but also with her claim that she deserves credit for teaching Debra parenting skills.

After deciding to lend Robert $1,000 when he complains he's struggling with finances, Ray and Debra are surprised when Robert uses the money for a vacation to Las Vegas.

Ray accidentally insults the twins' new friend and the faux pas quickly spirals out of contral when he repeats it to the boy's dad.

When Marie surprises the family with the news that she's treating them all to a two-week vacation in Rome, everybody loves the idea – except Raymond. It's virtually impossible not to enjoy oneself in a country as beautiful as Italy; but, if anyone can manage it, Raymond can. Not willing to let his sour mood spoil it for the rest of the family, Debra, Frank, Marie, Robert and the kids go on their merry way and soak up the atmosphere, sights, smells and tastes of the city of love and try their best to ignore Ray. Meanwhile, Robert meets the girl of his dreams – she's stunningly beautiful, unbelievably sexy and works in a gelato shop.

Debra and Ray pick out replacement spouses for each other and jealousy starts. Marie announces that Rose, the elderly lady next door, has passed away. Marie is upset because Rose is the woman she'd chosen for Frank if she hadn't died. Debra thinks it would be fun to fantasize about who should take her place and tells Ray she's selected her friend Linda. But then Ray picks Linda's husband Bernie for Debra.

After losing his nerve on the job during his first day back from medical leave, Robert quits the police force. No one realized how much of an effect the ""bull incident"" had on Robert's mental state – and his ability to confront fear and the unexpected. Now, back on the job only one day, he finds himself too scared to handle a minor altercation so, rather than face his fears, he decides to change his career to something ""safer and more solitary"" – telemarketing. However, he rejoins the force after confronting the bull that gored him.

When Ray's house is tented for termites, he moves his entire family into his parent's house and gives Frank and Marie a taste of their own medicine. Marie's initial excitement that ""Raymond has come home!"" quickly fades when the world's greatest home intruders start to feel intruded upon. Sensing her in-laws' growing frustration with the disturbance of their daily routine, Debra decides to have a little fun at their expense and ""help them"" like they always claim to be ""helping her"" – until she and Ray realize that once again, they just can't win the game.

Ray is mortified when he meets a girl whom he dated 25 years earlier and believes he treated with disrespect. Meeting Elizabeth again, Ray, wracked with guilt because he feels he didn't behave properly on their high school date, is determined to apologize. However, when he finds out the real reason Elizabeth went out with him that night long ago, he regrets ever bringing up the past. Meanwhile, Debra demands that Ray give her an example of something he regrets, but incredibly he can't come up with anything.

Marie is astounded when Franks puts salt on her homemade lasagna, leading her to believe that she's lost her touch in the kitchen. However, Ray and Robert discover that the problem is Frank, who has lost his sense of taste. They believe it's a side-effect from some potency medication Frank is taking, but Frank doesn't want to give it up, and he doesn't want anyone to know he's taking it, especially Marie.

Debra complains to Raymond about leaving things around the house. Later on, when Raymond receives a personal letter from his idol, Muhammad Ali, he remembers what Debra told him, so he puts it away in a drawer. Unfortunately, when Debra later looks for a coupon in the same drawer, she's so put off by how much 'junk' is in there, she indiscriminately dumps most of its contents into the trash - and then dumps the trash into a garbage truck just as it arrives. When Debra realizes her mistake, she goes to Marie, desperate for help. Marie takes the blame, but Debra soon finds out that Marie, as always, has ulterior motives.

Marie gathers Robert's ex-girlfriends Amy and Stefania and his female police partner, Judy, together so they can dissect his character in an effort to help her better understand why her eldest son can't commit to a relationship. Unfortunately, Robert unexpectedly drops in and is forced by his mother to listen to his character being assassinated by the women as they discuss his relationship hang-ups in detail and compare notes on his quirky dating behavior, inability to commit to one woman and his flawed personality.

Robert and Amy convince their families to spend Thanksgiving together. When the Barones arrive at the Pennsylvania home of Amy's parents, they find that their differing family traditions encourage lots of lively conversation. If only the MacDougals owned a television set! Things start to come together when the families separate into Pilgrims and Indians for the annual MacDougal Thanksgiving Family Pageant. All is well until a bird flies into the house and Pat McDougal decides to ""put it out of it's misery.""

Still recuperating from his recent run-in with a bull, a cantankerous Robert is driving everyone crazy with his mean-spirited and nasty behavior. When Robert is told by his doctor that he will need two more weeks of convalescing at his parents' home before he can return to living on his own, everyone figures that's the reason for his foul attitude. But Debra gets to the heart of the matter when, playing amateur psychiatrist, she uncovers the real reason behind Robert's cruel conduct.

After Robert takes a second job selling home security systems, he reveals he's been asked to join the security firm full-time and is mulling over retiring from the police force early. While Marie is overjoyed, Amy questions if this is really what Robert wants or if he's only retiring early to make his mother happy. The disagreement about his future leads to a tense birthday party for Robert.

While Raymond, Robert and Frank don't want to bring up the fact that Marie is having vision trouble, Debra decides to level with her and suggests she visit an eye doctor. When Marie winds up with a pair of specs just in time for the holidays, she winds up putting the family on edge when she starts seeing them for better and for worse! Meanwhile, Robert gets back together with Amy and invites her to a Thanksgiving dinner.

Trying to impress Robert when they visit the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, Ray uses his ""weight"" as a sports writer for Newsday to jump to the front of the line to meet the members of the 1969 New York Mets.

Armed with research and much preparation, Ray is ready to speak with Ally about the facts of life only to find that Ally's interest has changed from where babies come from to the meaning of life. Totally unprepared for this line of questioning, a baffled Ray gets unsolicited advice from his family on how to answer.

Irate neighbors are seriously up in arms over Ray's noisy dad and meddling mom so they demand a powwow at Ray's house, where his parents stumble upon the raucous caucus.

When Debra gets a job Ray isn't too happy because it means he has to help around the house. But she gets fired on first day so Ray goes and gets her job back. Debra isn't happy about this at first but seems okay with it at the end.

After Debra reads a newspaper article about people who enjoy being at work more than being at home, she convinces Ray to set up an office in their house.

When Ray realizes that his kids would rather spend time with their Uncle Robert than with him, he decides to do something about the situation. When Robert makes the observation that, as a parent, Ray finds it boring to be around his kids, Debra couldn't agree more. She then suggests that Ray follow Robert's example and to try to have more fun with his children. But, when her own parenting skills are called into question by Marie, Debra quickly changes her tune and rallies behind Ray, insisting that they are both very involved parents.

When Frank gets a few anecdotes published in Reader's Digest, he submits his writing samples to Ray's editor, hoping to get his own column in the newspaper. Frank, feeling he has a new lease on life, convinces Ray to submit his story ideas for the column, which he plans to call "I Was Just Thinking." Ray then has to break the news to his father that the editor thinks Frank's writing is the most embarrassing work he's ever read.

When Michael stays home from school for two days in a row, Ray suspects he simply has homework he hasn't finished. While everyone in the family has an explanation for Michael's sudden aversion to school, Ray decides the tough love approach is the way to go – making Michael spend the day without television, games or comics. When Michael is forced to watch Ray work in his downstairs office, the sheer boredom leads him to finally confide why he doesn't want to return to class.

Everyone gets on Ray's case because he's doesn't go to Sunday Mass. When Ray starts feeling guilty about the good example Frank is setting by attending church, he commits to becoming a regular parishioner. After all, if Frank can do it, so can he. But, when Ray shows up at the church, he quickly realizes what it is that draws Frank to this house of worship week after week, and it isn't the sermon.

Ray is jealous of Andy who's article is published by ""Sports Illustrated"". He feels better however when he learns they had rewritten the article.

Debra decides to hire a babysitter so she hires Lisa. Lisa is highly recommended and is very popular with the kids she baby-sits. When Marie finds out that she wasn't asked to baby-sit she feels insulted and Debra feels left out when the kids prefer Lisa to her. So Debra lets Lisa go and asks Marie to baby-sit. Marie however can't handle the energy the kids have and trips over a toy and hurts herself. So Ray tries to get Lisa to come back but she's already found another job at the Parkers.

Upon drafting their wills, Ray and Debra must decide who would make the best guardians for their children. After pondering long and hard over their decision, Ray and Debra choose the two people who they feel would be the best candidates to raise their children should anything happen to them. But their choice doesn't meet with everyone's approval.

After Ally comes home with an ""F"" on her report card, Debra feels she is not paying enough attention. Ray, however, feels it might be the teacher. After a small meeting, Ray goes on how Debra didn't do anything to stick up for Ally and how you should always stick up for your kids. Frank and Marie could relate to Ray's disobediance when he was in high school. But Debra finds out that Ally has a crush on Tommy Sanders, a boy in her class. When Debra confronts the teacher with this, it turns out that the teacher is a mean old bat that doesn't understand the trials kids go through.

When the MacDougals are invited to spend Easter with the Barones, the families attempt to bond over a 500-piece puzzle. While members of the Barone and MacDougal families get frustrated with the complicated puzzle, Ray and Pat continue working on it until the wee hours of the night while sharing private stories about themselves and their families. But when Debra, Marie, Robert and Peter find out about Ray and Pat's newfound friendship, jealousy ensues.

It seems "even dead people love Raymond," as reticent Ray learns when he's chosen to deliver the eulogy at his great uncle's funeral. It's an occasion that serves as a reunion for Ray's mother and her feuding sister, Alda.

Debra gets upset when she finds out that her parents have seperated.

Debra convinces Ray to let her join him on the golf course after she (once again) realizes that they don't have fun together anymore. Let's just say, it wasn't all fun.

While discussing the possibility of having to hold Michael back for another year of pre-school, Ray is shocked to discover that he too was left back when he was that age. Once Ray learns of his scholastic past, he is convinced that of all the traits a parent could pass on to a child, his legacy is to pass his stupidity on to Michael. Meanwhile, Frank heads over to the school to sweet talk the kindergarten teacher into letting Michael advance with the other kids.

Ray's love of the links is in jeopardy after he tricks Debra into letting him play golf, and his guilty conscience translated into a big bogey. Marie gives Debra marital advice, much to Debra's dismay.

Debra and Ray feel tremendous pressure to show each other a good time on a romantic weekend getaway in Vermont. From the moment they set foot in the quaint bed and breakfast, it's apparent that Debra and Ray are trying a bit too hard for this to be a perfect weekend. Debra agrees to a tour of the Ben and Jerry ice cream factory while Ray suggests they check out a local antique fair. Meanwhile, Marie spies on Robert, who is left to babysit for the kids.

Amy's parents ask Ray to give their son, Peter, some tips on dating. Later, Debra throws a cocktail party and invites some single women to meet Peter, but Ray isn't thrilled with the guest list.

When Ray hires his overwhelmingly annoying cousin Gerard to assist him, and Debra points out how alike the two men are, Ray is mortified. The whiny, nasal voice, the need to find something negative to say about everything, the stupid questions ... it's a toss up. You could be speaking about either Ray or Gerard. When Ray confronts his family to refute Debra's findings, he realizes that he's just made a bad situation worse.

At a big surprise party for Frank and Marie's 40th wedding anniversary, Raymond is shocked to learn that his parents were once separated for a year and might have gotten divorced if Frank hadn't returned home to help with Ray's broken arm. After the initial shock wears off, Ray starts to wonder if it's his fault that his parents are still together... and miserable.

Ray fears something is wrong with him after he comes back from a night out with his friends and tells Debra that he didn't enjoy it. She thinks Ray is finally growing up. But then Ray says he wants to join his Father's lodge.

Debra brings an ""unapproved snack"" to Ally's T-ball game and Ray doesn't stand up for her – prominently displaying his fear of being disliked. Debra had no idea that pretzels were not on the ""approved snack list"" in the orientation packet for Ally's team. And, as a mom juggling three children under the age of 7, she doesn't have time to cater – and really doesn't care. But when Raymond won't take her side against the uptight team parents, she loses her cool and points out that he's just afraid of making enemies. But enemies he makes – at the very next game.

Ray and Debra are excited to have finally met a couple, Neil and Lauren, who are just like them. However, Ray starts having mixed feelings when their annoying 8 year-old son, Spencer, wreaks havoc around the Barone household.

Sick of reading Ally the same stories night after night, Debra decides to try her hand at writing a children's book. Feeling great about doing something other than being a mom, she invites Raymond to write the story with her. But Debra sees the other side of her easy-going husband when he turns their little project into an all-out competition - with Ally as the judge.

Robert starts to date a 22-year old woman and Marie and Debra don't think it's right. They break up when he finds out that she's really only 19 and she finds out that he's really 43.

Ray and Debra discover that they have nothing to talk about except the kids.

Ray resumes his interest in the piano to teach Ally a lesson about quitting when she refuses to continue with her lessons. But it's Marie who orchestrates an even more valuable lesson when she strikes a sentimental chord from Ray's past.

When Ray's "free" time goes to coaching his basketball team in preparation for the Pizza League championships, he is reminded by Debra that their kids are growing up fast and he's missing precious time with them. When Robert is forced out as captain of Nemo's basketball team, Ray gets the title and the opportunity to lead his team to victory. Meanwhile, Frank and Marie are upset with Ray for de-throning Robert as captain, and feeling guilty Ray begs Robert to re-join the team.

Ray and Debra's plan of getting Frank and Marie their own friends backfires when instead of going to their house they bring their friends to Ray and Debra's.

When six-foot-tall Raymond discovers that he's shrunk a quarter of an inch, the resultant midlife crisis grows until it stretches into ""an end-of-life crisis."" So before he gets put six feet under, he decides to make a list of his dreams and goals in life. But when Debra finds him writing his ""Things To Do Before I Die"" list, she decides to show her husband the proper way to have his crisis. Meanwhile, Marie gets mad at Frank when she discovers that he sold half of their burial plot for a profit.

Ray tells Frank that he and Debra fell down the stairs so Frank tries fixing the stairs but ends up in the hospital. Ray feels so guilty that he tells Frank the truth, that he and Debra fell out of bed while having sex.

Boisterous Frank learns a difficult lesson in humility from his granddaughter, Ally. During a trip to the supermarket with Ray and Ally, Frank starts nibbling on some trail mix, completely ignoring the nearby ""no sampling"" sign. He's soon confronted by a testy manager, and a heated argument ensues. Watching it all unfold is Ally, who becomes frightened by Frank's ranting. When the trio returns home, Ray speaks to his father about his behavior. While Ray's comments initially fall on deaf ears, Frank later realizes he needs to talk to Ally... but now he's scared because he's never had a real conversation with her.

Ray and Debra have differing points of view on how best to handle the situation when they learn that Ally has been bullying another child on the school bus. Ray thinks Ally's pushiness comes from Debra. Meanwhile, Debra thinks if she doesn't instill that independence in Ally, she'll end up being a wuss - just like her dad. But, when push comes to shove and they confront Ally about how to better her behavior, they find themselves questioning their own parenting abilities.

When Ray finds out that his father let him win a game of ping pong when he was twelve he challenges him to a game. When Ray loses he tells Frank that he let him win. Frank then tells Ray the truth. He didn't let him win, he really did win.

After inadvertently leaving the twins home alone, Ray and Debra are impressed with Ally when she steps up and takes care of the twins until they return. Ally asks if she can baby-sit more often, and, in yet another attempt to rid her house of Marie, Debra consents. However, Marie believes Debra is turning her daughter into a slave when she gives Ally additional responsibilities, including cooking and laundry chores.

Ray inadvertently commits ""petslaughter"" on Ally's hamster while Debra and the kids are away for the weekend. When Ray breaks the difficult news to Ally about ""Pumpernickel's"" untimely demise, Debra insists that they give the beloved pet a proper burial -- complete with eulogies -- to help the youngster get through the grieving process. What Ray at first thought was an utterly ridiculous way to mourn the passing of a family pet, ends up being one of the most emotional experiences of his life.

Ray becomes jealous when Marie starts treating Robert better than him. Ray finds out that Marie gave Robert a ""gift basket"" full of lotions, massage oil, candles, etc. Ray deduces Marie is just manipulating Robert by giving him all this, so it will put him and Amy 'into the mood'. She does this with the intention of eventually having new grandchildren. Robert sees this as wrong, and actually puts him out of the mood with Amy, not able to get Marie out of his head.

Raymond's friend Andy tells him that Jerry Musso, a radio talk show host, hates him. While Raymond is in shock over this, Robert enjoys seeing him fall over like this and they fight.

Ray finds it hard to understand why Debra needs her ""alone time."" When Debra realizes that all her time is spent with the kids, Ray and his family, she implores Ray to take the kids out more often so that she can have more time to herself. Of course, this makes Marie think that something must be wrong in their marriage, despite Ray's assurances. However, when Ray spies on Debra to see what she actually does with her ""alone time,"" he is not so sure all is okay.

Marie starts to favor Robert when Ray admits to having a party 20 years ago. The tables turn however when Robert tells her it was his party not Ray's.

When Debra comes down with the flu and is bedridden, inexperienced Raymond must take care of her and the three kids

Ray, feeling guilty about only getting his dad a card for his 65th birthday, makes up for it by buying him a fancy and expensive aquarium just like the one he always admired in the Chinese restaurant. At first Frank adores the gift, but after one of the fish dies, he starts to hate it. Ray thinks it must be because the fish's demise reminded his dad of his own mortality - until he finds out the real reason and learns an important lesson about father-son relationships.

Ray moves his things out of his bathroom and into the kids' bathroom so Debra has more space, but he soon regrets it when his dad and Robert start teasing him and tell him that he is no longer the king of his own house, Debra is.

Although Marie has always cooked the traditional turkey dinner for Thanksgiving, Debra decides it's her turn to prepare the holiday meal, but, not wanting to compete with Marie's turkey, she chooses to serve fish which upsets the apple cart. Marie, feeling threatened when her family thinks Debra's fish idea is perfectly acceptable, decides to bring her own turkey to the dinner party to prove that she's the better cook. Meanwhile, Ray's idea of a traditional holiday at home becomes even more untraditional when the relatives opt not to watch football.

Ray discovers, after many years, that the autographed Mickey Mantle ball he got as a kid from his father isn't authentic. Feeling hurt by the fact that his father was not truthful about the ball, Ray decides he's going to tell Ally the truth about Santa Claus. But when two familiar looking Santas unexpectedly show up at his house to surprise Ally, she's even more confused--about the truth.

When Debra accepts a position at Frank's lodge to help plan a member recruitment party, Ray begins to resent how much time she is spending away from home.

Frank fakes an injury so he won't have to go on a cruise with Marie. Ray ends up going and gets mistaken for her lover.

Frank is so green with envy that he forces Marco to choose either Marie or him as a friend. Meanwhile, Ray sides with Frank because he doesn't approve of a married woman (especially his mother) having a male friend.

Ray reluctantly agrees to do some charity work at a hospital after Debra signs him up, but he soon becomes a hit with the patients and starts spending more time there than at home, much to his wife's dismay.

When Ray and Debra visit Fank and Marie's condo, they learn that the owners are going to kick them out. Marie and Frank move out. Robert and Amy are upset, but they let Frank and Marie live with them.

Debra is hurt when Ray receives an honorary doctorate and thanks everyone except her in his acceptance speech. He claims it was accidental, but Debra is quick to remind him of past snubs that were all too deliberate.

After realizing that Debra places bets with the kids on his questionable behavior traits, Ray is disgusted that his own children now think he's a ""doof."" When reflecting upon his own childhood, Ray remembers that Marie used to complain about Frank in front of him all the time – making him think his dad was a loser. Concerned that his own kids will think of him the same way as Frank, Ray contemplates how to get the kids back on his side.

Debra, already annoyed at getting stuck driving the old car Ray bought from his parents, really gets upset when she discovers that it was his old "make-out-mobile." Debra had been unable to understand why Ray wanted so desperately to buy his parents' old car, until Robert mistakenly blurts out that it's the car in which Ray first "got lucky" as a teen-ager with his girlfriend. Imagining what might have happened in the car during its earlier life, Debra decides not to drive it again.

When Ray gets hit on at the airport after losing his wedding ring on a business trip Debra gets jealous and tries to get back at him by going to the supermarket without her wedding ring but her plan backfires on her when nobody pays attention to her.

Debra is upset when her hippie, free spirit sister decides to become ... a sister. It's a good indication that something is up when Debra's sister, Jennifer, shows up for a visit with rosary beads and prayer cards as gifts for the kids. Unable to share the real reason why she is so upset with Jennifer's decision to become a nun, Debra reacts by accusing her sister of going through yet another phase and not being truly worthy of the calling to the religious life.

Depressed that Marie and Debra can't seem to resolve their differences, Robert decides to join a support group that the family believes is a cult. After taking the feud between Marie and Debra very hard, Robert's cousin Gerard convinces him to attend a ""Pathway"" meeting – a group seeking the path to inner peace and unlocking one's potential. Although Robert is rejuvenated by his encounter with ""Pathway,"" the family is concerned it's a cult and they convince Ray to go to a meeting to see what Robert's gotten himself into.

Marie gets upset when she sees Ray calling Lois, Debra's mother, mom so Ray tells Debra that maybe she should start calling Marie mom. When Debra calls Marie mom in front of Lois, Lois gets upset because she doesn't think that Debra should be calling Marie mom since she isn't her mother. An argument between Marie and Lois erupts and they decide that perhaps it would be best if Ray and Debra only call their respective mothers mom.

While the Barones watch their sons play, Ray finds that Geoffery is having trouble getting the hang of the game. As Geoffery skips down the court and does pirouettes at the free throw line, Ray is mortified. He then learns the hard way that his son's lack of ability shouldn't interfere with either of them enjoying the game.

Ray is devastated when he discovers his family lied to him about his television debut on a sports chat show. When he gets a second chance to appear on the show, his family decides it's time they gave him some pointers on how to correct his awkwardness with certain words. While Ray tries his best to remember his family's advice, his guest appearance turns out to be even more disastrous than the debut.

After embarrassing Debra at an auction she vows to get even with Ray but doesn't tell him when. This drives him crazy and leads him to believe that everything she does is to get even at him.