Everybody Loves Raymond Episode Rating Graph

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.

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

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.

Since Debra’s parents will be out of the country on Thanksgiving Day — in Turkey — Debra, Ray and the kids make plans to spend the holiday at Frank and Marie’s house. But their dreams of turkey with sausage stuffing and yams with marshmallows on top are quickly shattered by Marie’s new heart-healthy diet. After she gets her hands on “101 Healthy Things To Do in the Kitchen,” life as the Barones have known it seems to be gone.

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.

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.

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'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.

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.

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

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.

Memories of how they first met flood back when Ray and Debra prepare Ally for her first play date 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. It’s a flashback episode as Ray and Debra reminisce about their fateful first meeting 15 years before.

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 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 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 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.

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

Everywhere Ray looks, beautiful women are coming out of the woodwork to stop by and say “hi” to new tenant Robert. It’s the best looking “welcome wagon” Ray has ever seen. Unbeknownst to Debra, who believes him when he tells her that the brotherly visits are an attempt to cheer up a lonely, homesick Robert, Ray is having the time of his life pretending to live the carefree life of a bachelor – that is, until Debra shows up unexpectedly.

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 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.

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.

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.

The feud continues when Ray realizes that he can use the feud to get Debra to do almost anything for him, dragging Frank into doing it with Marie. Things are going as planned, but Robert is sickened by their carelessness. The pressure gets to Robert and he tells both Debra and Marie that Ray and Frank are ""exploiting the situation"" in order to bring them back together. But, all it creates is more mayhem. To Be Continued...

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.

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.

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

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.

When Robert informs Ray that Amy filled him in on some juicy gossip about him, Ray decides to get even with Debra by sharing some nasty secrets of his own.

Debra throws the Barone family into turmoil when she finally creates a dish that everyone likes. Ray can't believe it when he samples Debra's braciole. Even though her past attempts at cooking seemed to have ruined his taste buds, it's simply delicious. But, when Marie gets wind of Debra's cooking prowess, and sees the effect that the braciole has on Ray, Robert and Frank, it's war!

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.

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.

While celebrating Thanksgiving, Debra discovers that her seemingly contented parents are really not very happy with each other. When Ray accidentally overhears his in-laws going at it with each other, he relays the news to Debra... who has always believed her parents' relationship to be a lot healthier than Frank and Marie's. But, when things come to a head at the Thanksgiving table, it's apparent that there really isn't that much of a difference between the two older couples – much to Debra's dismay.

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.""

When Raymond chooses his mother's spaghetti and meatballs over his wife's lemon chicken for dinner, Debra blows a gasket. With good intentions, Ray asks his mom to teach Debra how to make her world-famous dish. Although Marie and Debra have fun in the kitchen, the meatballs lead Marie to believe that it's only her cooking that keeps Ray coming by.

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.

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 Ray learns that Troup Leader Peggy and her daughter have targeted his parents house as a spot to make a big sale for themselves during the Frontier Girls' selling competition, it's war. Ray vows to get even with this woman no matter what and to take home the grand prize in the cookie drive.

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

When Debra grudgingly agrees to let Ray be more involved in daily decision making, Ray starts grocery shopping for things that he likes, and Debra lets him choose where the family will go for their next vacation. However, these newfound powers quickly become Ray's undoing.

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.

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.

When Robert and Amy get caught alone by some of Robert’s fellow apartment tenants, they are desperate to find someplace, any place, where they can have some time to themselves. Ray comes to the rescue, at Debra’s urging, by allowing Robert to move into their basement for a while. But, when caught again, by someone even more intimidating – – the couple is mortified.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ray and Debra disagree over whether they should purchase an expensive dress for Ally to wear to a friend's formal 13th birthday party. Debra thinks they should, but Ray can't see spending $250 for a dress that will be worn only once. The price tag has Ray seething, especially since the mom he loves to hate, Peggy, is hosting the soiree. Naturally, Marie takes her son's side.

Ray is mortified when he realizes that Marie used to read the personal journal he kept as a teenager. When Marie blurts out an embarrassing incident from Ray's past, he can't figure out how she could have possibly known that information. That is, until he discovers that she must have broken the secret code he used when writing in his journal. And in the process, his mother has learned about his most personal, and perverted, thoughts.

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.

When Debra stumbles across a cassette tape that contains a message from Ray's college girlfriend, she wants to know why he has saved it all of these years. So Ray retaliates by asking Debra to divulge any gifts that she's kept from her former boyfriends – but he's in for quite a shock when he sees the quantity of gifts still in her possession.

Debra invites her divorced parents, Warren and Lois, to the family Thanksgiving. When Ray walks in on the two making love, he and Debra assume that they are getting back together. Later on, Warren and Lois inform Debra otherwise and an unprecedented turn of events shocks everyone.

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 ’69 Miracle New York Mets. Members of the ’69 World Champion Mets appear as themselves.

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.

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.

When Debra gets a part-time job in the big city, an unhappy Ray is left to fend for himself — and Marie is left wondering what’s to become of the children, the house and her beloved son now that they will be neglected. However, Ray’s misguided attempt to be more supportive of Debra threatens to put an end to her career before it even starts.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Feeling overwhelmed with her responsibilities, Debra decides to get a babysitter. But when Lisa, the babysitter, becomes the smash hit at “Space Station Barone” with her alien-catching games and endless energy, Debra develop into a jealous mother. To become the kids’ favorite again, Debra replaces the babysitter with Grandma and disaster ensues when Marie sprains her ankle and Ray uncovers Debra’s secret plot. But by that time, Lisa has been stolen by the Parker family and Bill Parker kicks Ray out of the car pool when he tires to woo her back.

It has always been Raymond’s life long dream to get an article published in Sports Illustrated. So when his friend Andy, the “stat guy” and novice sportswriter, sells a piece to the magazine, Ray is devastated. Instead of being happy for Andy, he’s only unhappy for himself. But things get even worse when Debra points out that he’s being self-centered. Then his father agrees and adds that he’s always been an “attention pig,” leaving Ray to deal with his newly discovered self-image.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

When Marie discovers that Ray held an unchaperoned, wild party at their home some 20 years ago, she is hurt and disappointed that her beloved Ray would have lied to her. Unable to forgive or forget, Marie can no longer put Ray on a pedestal. He’s been bumped for big brother Robert — and it’s killing Ray.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

When Ray and Debra realize they're nicer to strangers than to each other they vow to change their ways.

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.

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 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 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.

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 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.

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 teenager with his girlfriend. Imagining what might have happened in the car during its earlier life, Debra decides not to drive it again.

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.

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.

Just as Frank and Marie are about to embark on a high seas vacation, Frank hurts his knee and Ray, not wanting to disappoint his mother, agrees to accompany her on the Caribbean cruise. It’s endless hours of shuffleboard and bingo and an extremely cramped cabin for two that can barely fit one. Could things get any worse for Ray? Marie, meanwhile, is having the time of her life soaking every ounce of fun in the sun. And back home, Robert is just about out of patience as caretaker for the injured Frank.

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

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

Ray is upset when he finds out that Debra signed up Michael and Geoffery to play fairies in a school play.

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 Raymond asks Debra why she ever married him, they take a walk back in time to the very beginning of it all. Raymond is very, very nervous. He's about to propose to his lovely girlfriend Debra and nothing is going right. But when he finally pops the big question, she accepts, the families celebrate, and all is well. At least for five minutes. Then the "nervous" turns into "pure fear" when Ray wonders if she really wants to marry him for love or if it's just for the elaborate wedding she's been planning since she was twelve.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

As the entire family prepares for "Honest Frank's Yard of Bargains," Ray is surprised to see Debra unloading their cribs and baby clothing for the sale and even more surprised to hear that she just assumed they were finished having children. As usual, their private business becomes a family matter, and Marie reminds Debra that, "You want to plant your seedlings before...winter comes and everything freezes over." Eventually, their disagreement leads to a sentimental journey down the lane of messy memories past. While collecting the kids' baby clothes and old furniture for a garage sale at his parents' house, Ray gets to thinking about having another child, but that's not something Debra has given much thought to.

When Debra tries to change Ray's pessimistic attitude about winning the "Sports Writer of the Year Award," he agrees to change his ways and become more upbeat – and suffers the downside of being the only optimist in his family. When Ray finally starts feeling good about himself and his recent accomplishments, his family is surprised by the change in his personality and accuses him of being a "bragger with a swelled head."

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.