“As anyone who regularly watches the show can attest, it is the funniest, the smartest, the wisest, the most affecting and most resonant comedy on television. …..In short, it is the sitcom of our times.” —-The New York Times
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
And here we are, the last of my columns on EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND (that is, until the series finale airs in May, which I will most definitely offer my commentary on). I began my final two Raymond columns with a countdown of my own personal top ten favorite episodes of the series thus far. Last week, I started at the end with #10 and we worked our way up to #6. Today, the countdown will conclude with #5 all the way to my #1 favorite Raymond episode.
The top five episodes were chosen in particular because of the shock value they offered. Two of these in particular are the type of episode where any fan of Raymond will be talking about the show with another and saying “By the way, do you remember THIS episode?” They were also chosen for their comic value and how much they can make you laugh.
The format will be identical to last week, and without further ado, here we go with the rest of my countdown:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#5
EPISODE TITLE: The Tenth Anniversary
SEASON: 4
SUMMARY: When Ray and Debra play their wedding video on their anniversary, they discover Ray has taped a Super Bowl game over it.
COMMENTARY: Well, the obvious shock value here is the mere thought of a husband accidentally taping over his own wedding video, and with nothing else but a sports game. Once again, however, the cast excels at portraying the humor to be found in the situation, and this is one of those episodes I mentioned that all Raymond fans know about and love.
MEMORABLE MOMENT: At the renewal ceremony Ray plans to make up for his mistake, he realizes that despite all the wonderful work he had done to prepare it, he had screwed up once again by forgetting the most important part: his written vows.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#4
EPISODE TITLE: Wallpaper
SEASON: 5
SUMMARY: Frank and Marie’s car comes crashing into Ray and Debra’s living room due to faulty brakes. Later, Frank is only concerned about the condition of his car, rather than his son’s home.
COMMENTARY: Yet another episode with enough shock value to preserve it for all the fans to remember and talk about. The humor is also extremely present: when Frank and Marie emerge and are revealed as the drivers of the car, the largest audience laugh of the whole series, and possibly in all sitcom history, was their reward.
MEMORABLE MOMENT: Frank has just found out that he will need to pay the insurance deductible in order to construct the replacement wall. He turns to Marie in disgust.
Frank: Why did I let you drive?
Marie: Because you can’t see anymore.
Frank: I can see a house!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#3
EPISODE TITLE: Lucky Suit
SEASON: 6
SUMMARY: Marie ruins Robert’s suit jacket before his big interview for a job with the FBI, then, to make matters worse, she faxes a long apology to the FBI agent who is interviewing him.
COMMENTARY: A classic example of two major elements of Marie’s character: her meddling and her caring. This is probably her biggest case of meddling in her son’s life in the entire series (although season 5’s “Let’s Fix Robert” was a close second and just barely missed this list). However, at the end, we find out that she tries to ruin her son’s chances of getting this job not out of spite, but because she is terribly concerned about his well-being as a police officer, and she doesn’t want to see him go to an even more dangerous job when he has the chance to retire. The interaction between the characters of Robert and Marie is priceless in this episode, and that year, their performance in this episode earned each of them an Emmy.
MEMORABLE MOMENT: Robert squirms in embarrassment as the agent reads Marie’s fax.
Agent Garfield {reading}: “Please ask Robert to forgive me. I tried, but it’ll mean more coming from you.” {then, to Robert} Please forgive your mother.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#2
EPISODE TITLE: The Toaster
SEASON: 3
SUMMARY: Ray buys the family engraved toasters for Christmas. Everybody loves them, except Frank and Marie, who exchange it before even opening the box for a coffeemaker.
COMMENTARY: This is one of those episodes that just makes me laugh every time I watch it. Granted, they ALL do, but this one does in particular. It also has one of my favorite EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND quotes of all time, which I’ve put down as the Memorable Moment for this episode. This episode is on the high end of the list just because the acting is, as always, exceptional, and it’s one of those episodes I never fail to look forward to seeing in syndication.
MEMORABLE MOMENT: At the department store, Frank and Marie argue as they strategize about how to get Ray’s toaster back.
Frank: Can’t you ever just be quiet?
Marie: Don’t you tell me to be quiet! I have a mind of my own, you know! I can contribute! I’m not just some trophy wife!
Frank: You’re a trophy wife? What contest in hell did I win?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#1
EPISODE TITLE: Good Girls
SEASON: 2
SUMMARY: Marie admits she likes Amy more than Debra because she’s a “good girl,” i.e., virginal, just like Marie was before marriage. Competing with Robert, Ray lies to his mother, telling her Debra was also a good girl.
COMMENTARY: A classic episode with an amazing script and incredible acting. The entire second act is also one long scene, one of the first of many this show would do in the series. The clincher for what makes this episode exceptional is how the beginning monologue sets us up as viewers for a series of shocking, and very funny, revelations at the end of the episode. This was the type of episode that could have aired in any one of the seasons, and if it had aired in a later season when the show had much more of a following, it would have easily won an Emmy.
MEMORABLE MOMENT: Marie reveals she was pregnant with Robert before she and Frank got married, and that they’ve been lying about Robert’s birthday to cover it up.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
And there we have it. My top ten favorite episodes. Now, keep in mind that there are many, many, MANY more terrific episodes I couldn’t include on a top ten list that I would have included if I could have. I’m sure that for those of you Raymond fans out there who have been reading this since Vanuatu ended, you each have your own favorite episodes you’d put on YOUR list. Maybe some are the same, and some probably aren’t.
If you do have a favorite episode of yours I didn’t include on this list you’d like me to mention in a possible future column as the series nears its conclusion, then please, by all means drop me a line. If I get some different episodes, I’d gladly list them as honorable reader mentions, because like I said, there’s a lot I just couldn’t include and wish I could (such as the first two episodes of season 9 and season 9’s Thanksgiving episode, just to name a couple).
And, if you’re not a Raymond fan, I hope you will become one! I’ve said it a million times over these past few weeks, and the quote I included at the beginning of this column says it all.
EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND is truly the sitcom of our times, and as it nears its conclusion, let’s enjoy the fruits of the acting of the cast and the significance this show serves as a microcosm of the American nuclear family.
I’ll “see” you next week as we start to gear up for SURVIVOR: PALAU!
