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Everybody Loves Raymond Season 1 Episodes
Season 1 Episode Guide
22 Episodes 1996 - 1997
Episode 1
Pilot
Fri, Sep 13, 199624 mins
The episode begins with Ray arriving home from a sports-related road trip he was covering. He walks in to the kitchen where Debra is frantically trying to control Ally and the twins. While Ray mentions that Cal Ripkin signed his hat, Debra mentions how one of the twins spit up on her shirt. Later, Debra goes out to the movies and leaves Ray to take care of the kids. While Debra is gone, Ray's friend Leo arrives at the door and wants to take Ray out to Nemo's Pizza. Ray then allows his mother Marie to babysit for him. When Ray gets back, he finds the house in shambles. He kicks out his parents and brother and hurriedly cleans before Debra gets home. Later that night, Debra finds out that Marie, Frank and Robert were yet again interfering with their lives. She demands that Ray tell them NOT to come to her birthday party the following weekend. Afraid to tell his parents "no", Ray ends up lying to them, saying that he and Debra are going to Bear Mountain for her birthday. That Sunday, on Debra's birthday, they are at home and getting a bit intimate when Frank, Marie, and Robert barge in expecting them to be away at Bear Mountain. Ray then has to tell everyone that he lied and tells his parents and brother to get out because he and Debra want to spend the day alone. Afterward, as things begin getting romantic again for Ray and Debra, Ally interrupts them.
Episode 2
I Love You
Fri, Sep 20, 199623 mins
The episode begins with Ray interviewing Tommy Lasorda over the phone. While he's on the phone, he's yelling at Ally for eating a cookie. This short opening sequence has no real relevance to the main story of the episode. Later, Ray and Debra are out at Nemo's Pizza with their friends Bernie and Linda Gruenfelder. With all the kissing that goes on, it's obvious that neither Bernie nor Linda are afraid to show their affection for each other in public. When Debra tries to be affectionate with Ray, Ray doesn't play along. He's too shy to do that kind of stuff in a public place. That night after they get home, Debra mentions that they don't even say "I love you" to each other anymore. The next day, Ray gives a card he bought for Deb, saying 'I love you' amidst a greeting-card saying. Debra notices the effort, but says she actually wants the words spoken, organically. Later, Ray talks to his parents, Frank and Marie, about the situation. He tries to figure out why he is afraid to say the words "I love you". It turns out, Frank stopped saying it to Marie, thus, she stopped saying it to her kids. After a huge "I love you" fest, Debra is upset, not having wanted the entire family knowing about her feelings. Later, before Ray leaves on a road trip with the New York Mets, he notices the unmade bed, and does his best to make it. Debra notices and is touched. Then, noticing the moment-- Ray holds Debra in his arms and tells her he loves her. After a couple seconds of silence, Debra laughs at him for being so serious when he said it.
Episode 3
I Wish I Were Gus
Fri, Sep 27, 199623 mins
Frank tells Ray that Uncle Gus died and he wanted Ray to give his eulogy, but Ray doesn't like public speaking and is afraid to do it. Marie comes in and says that she won't go to the funeral because her sister Alda will be there. It's then explained that Marie had put Alda at a table all the way across the room at Ray and Debra's wedding, and Alda has been upset about that ever since, causing friction between Marie and Alda. Marie ends up going to the funeral and butting heads with Alda. They argue and make a big scene before, and during, the eulogy that Ray struggles to deliver. After the eulogy, Ray takes Marie and Alda outside, sits them down, and talks to them, and they eventually make up. But then Debra steps in and asks why Alda ruined her wedding all those years ago, which rekindles the conflict between the sisters.
Episode 4
Standard Deviation
Fri, Oct 4, 199624 mins
Robert tells Ray and Debra that he has to perform some IQ tests for a class he's taking for the police department. Robert asks them if they'll help him out by taking the test. Ray refuses, but Debra gives in and says they'll do it. After taking the tests, Robert announces that Debra scored higher than Ray, that she is the smarter one. This causes Ray to get depressed, but after a day, he hams it up to get Debra to do things for him. Robert later tells them that he may have "jumbled" the scores. He says Ray actually scored higher. Ray and Debra inevitably start fighting over it. Toward the end of the show, Robert confesses that the real test he performed for his class was the reactions between the two people when they found out which one was much smarter. Then Frank and Marie walk into the scene. Marie is upset because Frank ended up scoring higher than her on the tests. Robert exits and says that the test on Frank and Marie was considered extra credit for the class.
Episode 5
Look Don't Touch
Fri, Oct 11, 199623 mins
Bernie takes Ray to Nemo's Pizza to show him the new waitress Angelina, who happens to be Nemo's beautiful niece. After looking at this other woman, Ray acts guilty around Debra. Both Frank and Marie are suspicious that Ray may be having an affair with Angelina. Curious about what this waitress is like, Debra takes the family to Nemo's Pizza for dinner. Ray, of course, is frantic and doesn't know what to do. So the night ends up being a total disaster.
Episode 6
Frank, the Writer
Fri, Oct 18, 199624 mins
The episode begins with Ray bringing basketball star Kareem Abdul Jabbar to his house to meet Debra. But Debra is asleep and doesn't even realize he's there. This scene has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the episode. Frank mentions to his family that someone he knows got paid $50 for getting a funny little story published in Reader's Digest. So Frank, claiming that it's practically free money, gets the idea to send his funny stories in to the Digest. When he finally sees it in print, he considers himself a writer. Frank then hands Ray some of his work and wants Ray to turn it into his editor at the newspaper. Reluctantly, Ray does. Ray then gets a call from the editor saying how horrible and embarrassing it was. Ray is then scared to tell his father what the editor said for fear that Frank would be mad.
Episode 7
Your Place or Mine?
Mon, Oct 28, 199624 mins
Frank and Marie have a little squabble over something as simple as tuna, and it ends up becoming a huge fight. Marie says she can't take it any more. She's tired of being unappreciated. So she tells Ray and Debra that she's living with them until Frank apologizes to her. Frank, on the other hand, feels like a free man without Marie there to nag him. Not wanting his mother at his house forever, Ray tries to talk to his father about apologizing to Marie. Frank, of course, disagrees. When Ray returns to his own house, Marie begins mothering him and treating him like a child. Taking matters into her own hands, Debra heads across the street to talk to Frank and eventually convinces him to talk to Marie.
Episode 8
In-Laws
Fri, Nov 1, 199630 mins
Debra's parents come to the Barones house for a visit. While there, they invite all the Barones, including Robert, to have dinner with them at a fancy restaurant. While waiting to eat at the restaurant, Ray's parents begin to butt heads with Debra's parents. An argument starts and Ray has to intervene.
Episode 9
Win, Lose or Draw
Fri, Nov 8, 199630 mins
Frank has one more spot to fill in a poker game at Nemo's Pizza and asks Ray if he wants to join. Reluctantly, Ray agrees to it. During the game, Ray eventually wins a ton of money, but makes a horrible mistake and ends up losing it all to his father, Frank. Debra then becomes upset and demands that Ray ask his father to give him the money back. Of course, Ray refuses. Marie tries to force Frank to give the money back, and even Robert steps in to solve the problem. After a long discussion, Frank realizes that a son should be able to come to his father to make everything right. So he then gives Ray back his money...to make things right for his son.
Episode 10
Turkey or Fish
Fri, Nov 22, 199624 mins
Debra wants to start her own tradition this year of having the family over for Thanksgiving at her house. Part of her new tradition is cooking fish instead of turkey. Marie then sets her up to fail horribly. She informs her and Ray that Uncle Mel and Aunt Emma are also coming for Thanksgiving. Wanting to impress Marie and the rest of the guests, Debra does everything possible to make this meal absolutely perfect. Expecting things to fall apart, Marie brings her own turkey. During the dinner, Frank begins choking on the food. Both Debra and Marie argue over whether it's the fish or the turkey. After Frank spits out the food, they find that it is in fact the fish. Then Marie makes Debra feel horrible. They then have a talk and resolve the issue.
Episode 11
Captain Nemo
Fri, Dec 13, 199624 mins
Ray and Robert play basketball for Nemo's Pizza. The team has been on a long losing streak under Kevin's captaincy and the players decide to pick a new team captain. The majority of the team picks Robert. Even though the team starts winning, they are unhappy with Robert's attitude as a captain. So they replace him with Ray. With Ray being the new captain, he is away from his family a lot more...and Debra doesn't like that. Also, Robert is upset that he was kicked out of his job as team captain. So he joins Wo-Hop's Chinese Takeout's basketball team. After an argument with Debra, and seeing his family all sitting at the table having a nice breakfast, Ray has a change of heart and decides to quit the team so he can spend time with his family. Nemo's basketball team eventually loses in the final round of the playoffs to Robert and his new team, Wo-Hop's.
Episode 12
The Ball
Fri, Dec 20, 199630 mins
It's Christmas time and Debra is giving away some old stuff to the needy. One of the items happens to be an old baseball with Mickey Mantle's autograph on it. Ray finds it and remembers when his father, Frank, gave it to him. When showing it to his father, Frank says that he forged Mickey Mantle's signature and then gave it to Ray. As a child, Ray had had his heart set on getting his autograph, but Frank was never able to get it. So he faked it and gave the ball to Ray. He lied to him and said it was actually Mickey Mantle's signature, when, in fact, it wasn't. Now, nearly 30 years later, Ray is disappointed that his father lied to him. So he vows to never lie to his own kids. Soon after, Ally walks in and has questions about Santa. Ray is then unsure of what to say. He knows that if he tells Ally the truth, she'll be crushed. After talking with Frank again, Ray realizes that his father only faked the autograph to make him happy. Ray suddenly has a change of heart. He forgave his father and thanked him for making him a happy kid. Ray then goes and tells Ally everything she wanted to hear about Santa, flying reindeer and all.
Episode 13
Debra's Sick
Fri, Jan 3, 199724 mins
Ray has a meeting scheduled with football star Terry Bradshaw because he plans to ghostwrite Bradshaw's book. When Debra and two of the three kids get sick, he has to cancel the meeting and take them to the doctor. Trying to salvage something, Ray asks Bradshaw to meet him at the doctor's office. After a brief and unproductive talk in the waiting room, Bradshaw says it's not going to work out and leaves. While Ray is in the doctor's office with Ally and Michael, Dr. Hammond asks about the kids eating habits and friends they play with. Ray, not being at home a whole lot, stutters to find an answer. He didn't even know what Ally's favorite movie is. Then, to top it off, it turns out that he accidentally brought Geoffrey to the doctor instead of Michael. At the end of the episode, Terry Bradshaw calls Ray and wants to meet again. Ray, realizing that he needs to spend more time at home with his family, declines Bradshaw's offer. After hanging up the phone, Debra gets mad at him for not taking the job. They could have used the money.
Episode 14
Who's Handsome?
Fri, Jan 17, 199730 mins
As the episode begins, Debra has her old friend Amy over to the house. As they talk, Robert walks in asking for donations for the police department. Debra ends up introducing Robert and Amy. After a short talk, they plan a date. Later, Robert wants to break it off because he becomes self-conscious of his looks. He even calls himself the Hulk, to which Ray replies that he's not green. While Ray makes jokes, Debra tries to boost Robert's confidence by telling him how handsome he is. But she stops short when she's about to say that Robert's the best-looking of the Barone men. While Ray is shocked, Robert exits with a smile and a whole ton of confidence. Ray has a discussion with his parents about his and Robert's looks, and they end up saying that Robert was the better-looking son while Ray was the sweetest and nicest. Robert returns having had a wonderful time with Amy, and Ray comes back with a tan, gelled hair and new clean clothes. Debra laughs and comments that he looks like George Hamilton. She explains that Robert is good-looking, but it's Ray that she's attracted to.
Episode 15
The Car
Fri, Jan 31, 199723 mins
Frank says that he wants to sell his old 1972 Plymouth Valiant. He's already had an offer of $800. But Ray had a lot of memories growing up with that car. He ended up buying it from his father for just over $400. The car soon breaks down while Debra and the kids are at the supermarket. She complains that it's a "piece of crap" and wants to return it to Frank...and get their money back. She's convinced he sold them a lemon. Ray argues that he can fix it up and keep it in good working order. Robert mistakenly explains that Ray only wants to keep it because he "got lucky" in it...in other words, had sex. The girl he was with at the time was Lisa. And he mentioned that Ray had named the car "Lucky". After hearing that, all Debra could see when looking at the car was Ray and this other girl kissing. Debra still wants to get rid of the car, but Ray insists it has other memories also. One of which was his old fake ID from when he was 17 years old, which was found in the trunk. So Debra eventually agrees to keep the car until they can save up enough to buy their new minivan.
Episode 16
Diamonds
Fri, Feb 7, 199724 mins
The episode opens with Ray at Shea Stadium talking to baseball star Barry Bonds about the differences in their salaries. After the opening credits, Robert announces that he arrested Frank's old friend Leon. Frank had gotten Marie's ring from Leon at well under the price he would have paid in a store. Leon was known for selling merchandise on the street. Turns out that Leon was selling glass rings and calling them diamonds. Ray is stunned when he finds that out, because he bought Debra's ring from Leon also. So Ray tries everything to get the ring from Debra without her knowing it. He finally manages to snatch it while she was in the shower. While Ray was out, Debra turned the house upside-down looking for it thinking she had lost the ring. Ray then returns, ready to surprise her with it. But Debra confesses that when they got married, she had replaced the original mediocre diamond with her grandmother Abby's $15,000 diamond. When Debra sees the new ring Ray brings home, she immediately realizes it's not her grandmothers. Ray had thrown out the old one, thinking it was the glass one from Leon.
Episode 17
The Game
Fri, Feb 21, 199730 mins
Just as Ray sits down to watch TV, a lightning storm knocks the cable out. Ray begins freaking out because he is unable to watch ESPN. Debra comments that it's not the end of the world. Just then, Frank rushes in and realizes their cable is out also. After having trouble keeping the kids asleep, the family gathers at Ray and Debra's house contemplating what to do. Someone suggests they play a game. Ray and Frank refuse. Then Marie says that they can just sit and talk. Ray then jumps up to grab a board game. They end up playing the game Scruples that Robert bought them for Christmas 2 years prior. He was upset that the shrink wrap was still on it and it had never been used. The game progresses, and the questions that are being asked start offending people, such as a question about adult diapers. The tension soon grows and things get out of hand. Then the cable guy from Lynbrook Cable shows up at the house and says that there was an illegal splitter on Ray's cable line. It splits and heads right into Frank's house across the street. That's why both cable lines went out at the same time. Frank had put in the splitter to "share" the cable that Ray was paying for. Ray didn't have any idea it was happening. The cable guy then fines them $2500 for the illegal splitter.
Episode 18
Recovering Pessimist
Fri, Feb 28, 199723 mins
Ray gets a letter in the mail from the editor of his newspaper. Apparently his editor nominated him for the Federated Press Association "Sportswriter of the Year" Award. Ray is reluctant to go to the awards dinner for fear that he will lose. He doesn't want to get his hopes up because he doesn't want to end up disappointed. But Debra convinces him to go. The nominees for the award were Bill Scheft from the Boston Globe, Chuck Heaton from the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Ted Stankovich from the Chicago Tribune, and Ray Barone from New York Newsday. Ray always said that Ted was a hack. Chuck's big story that year was "Too Much Violence In Boxing". And Bill has already won the award twice. Ray's chances of winning were pretty good. While at the dinner, he ran into Olympic figure skater Katarina Witt as well as sportscaster Marv Albert. Both of them told Ray how much they liked his work and wished him the best of luck. As it turns out, Ray did in fact win the award. When he brings home the Sportswriter of the Year trophy, Ray is depressed. He knows that because this good thing happened to him, there's something bad waiting for him. Debra then questions why he's so pessimistic about everything. Ray explains that he doesn't want to be disappointed. She tries her hardest to get him to think optimistically. And Ray tries - The next day, Ray's editor gives him a promotion, which is good but it means more work and responsibility for him. Then his parents are unimpressed with his award. Then he comes back home to find out that his editor wants to send him to Alaska for a few weeks to cover the Iditarod. After all of that, Ray is finished being optimistic.
Episode 19
The Dog
Mon, Mar 3, 199730 mins
The episode opens at Madison Square Garden where Ray is interviewing pro figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi in the locker room. This opening sequence has no relevance to the rest of the episode. As the main story begins, Ray comes home with a bulldog that has followed him home. Ray asks Debra if they can keep it, and of course she answers "no". So they post signs around town saying that a lost bulldog was found. In the meantime, Robert sees the dog and falls in love with it. He had a pet bulldog just like that one when he was a kid. But the family had to get rid of it because of Ray's childhood allergies. When no one comes to claim the dog, Ray gives it to Robert. But not long after that, the owner, Phyllis, shows up at the door wanting her dog back. So Ray heads across the street to get the dog. Over there, Robert was so happy with the dog that Marie made Frank get their old "moving pictures camera" and film the occasion. Amongst all the happiness, Ray tells them he has to give the owner back her dog. So Ray did just that. But then the owner didn't want the dog anymore because he had been neutered. She only owned him because he was a prize-winning stud, and made her a lot of money. So Robert ended up keeping the dog after all and naming it Shamsky II ( or Shamsky Number 2) after his first bulldog Shamsky...who was originally named after his favorite baseball player Art Shamsky.
Episode 20
Neighbors
Mon, Mar 10, 199730 mins
The episode opens with Ray cooking for baseball manager Tommy Lasorda, who criticizes Ray's cooking. This sequence has no relevance to the rest of the episode. As the main story begins, Ray and Debra are awakened by flood lamps outside of Frank and Marie's house. Something triggered the motion sensor which turned on the lights. And then Frank's new car alarm goes off. With hardly any sleep, the sound of a buzz saw is heard in Ray's house from across the street. Debra is mad at Ray for giving his father the Big Book of Hobbies...as is Robert who hasn't gotten any sleep either. Then the phone rings and it's Ruth Greene from two doors down complaining about Frank and Marie. She tells Debra that the neighbors are coming over to talk about their parents' obnoxious behavior. The neighbors Ruth, Arthur, Mack, and Lilly are soon gathered at Ray's house all telling stories about how horrible it is to have Frank and Marie as their neighbors. Mack even has a video tape of Frank caught in the act, showing Frank getting the morning newspaper on four separate occasions in his underclothes. One incident shows him dropping a box of fragile food and then eating the food off the pavement, whilst another shows him, with only a towel wrapped around his hips, getting the newspaper, and then dropping the towel, exposing his buttocks. Frank and Marie then suddenly happen to barge in during the showing of the tape. They are appalled that Ray would turn against his family like that, with Marie even going so far as to steal Ray's VCR. Ray later finds out that his parents have made peace with the neighbors and they're all friends again. But they shun Ray because of his betrayal. Feeling angry with his parents, Ray visits the priest at his church. He asks for forgiveness for feeling this way toward his parents. He feels he's broken one of the Ten Commandments by not honoring his mother and father. When the priest finds out that it's Frank and Marie Barone Ray is describing, he forgives him instantly. The priest himself has had a past history with Frank and knows what kind of person he is. Back at home, Ray sees images in the mirror...his mind playing tricks on him. First he sees his parents. Then he sees The Pope. Now Ray feels extremely guilty. So he goes over to his parents house to confront them. But when he starts to speak, the words "I'm sorry" come out instead. Then his parents are happy with him again. The episode ends with Robert at the priest's office, in the same position as Ray.
Episode 21
Fascinatin' Debra
Mon, Mar 17, 199723 mins
The episode opens with Ray meeting with Desmond Howard in a bar. They talk about the article Ray wrote about the football star. This opening sequence has nothing to do with the main story of the episode. As the main story begins, Ray comes home to find his wife Debra on the phone with the radio psychologist Dr. Nora. Debra then explains to Ray that she and Dr. Nora talked about Debra feeling unappreciated at home. After the radio show ends, Dr. Nora calls Debra back and says she would like to interview her for a book she's writing. She tells Debra that she's a dying breed: a housewife. Debra tries so hard to impress Dr. Nora when she arrives that things begin to go terribly wrong right from the start. First, Ray starts in with his sense of humor, then the kids act-up, and to top it off, Frank, Marie, and Robert all barge in. Trying to continue on with the interview, Debra tells Dr. Nora that she did PR work of a hockey team. But Dr. Nora wasn't paying attention to her at all...she was more interested in the rest of the Barone family's behavior. For the remainder of the episode, Ray and his family try to make Debra feel better because she thinks that she's a boring person. Ray ends up telling Debra that she was weird and twisted because she willingly married into his crazy family.
Episode 22
Why Are We Here?
Mon, Apr 7, 199724 mins
The episode starts out in the present day (1997). Debra is helping Ally build a solar system model for school when Frank, Marie and Robert all barge in. After Ray pushes them all out through the door, Debra asks Ray why they left their old apartment to move in near his parents. The episode then flashes back three years earlier (1994). (In the flashback, Debra has long hair, Robert has a mustache, and the twins are dressed up in girls clothes to play the baby Ally.) The flashback scene has Ray and Debra living in an apartment in Queens. Ally is a baby and Debra is pregnant. (We learn in later seasons that it was Debra's apartment before she married Ray.) When they find out that Debra's pregnant with twin boys, they figure they need a bigger place...preferably a house. Ray examines a map and figures they can't be too close to his parents because they would be over every day. And they can't live too far away because they would become "overnight guests". There had to be someplace in the middle. When the Barone family is informed that Ray and Debra want a house, Frank says he can get them one because he still has his broker's license. The house he has for them just happens to be the one across the street from them. They go over to take a look at the house. Ray hates the idea of living near his parents, but Debra thinks it's great. She eventually convinces Ray to buy the house. The episode then jumps forward, back to the present day. Debra is sitting at the kitchen table questioning why she made that choice three years ago.
