Everybody Loves Raymond



Everybody Loves Raymond is a CBS Dom Com about Ray Barone, a sportswriter for Newsday, desperately attempting to keep the peace in his dysfunctional family. He's a fairly typical TV husband, loving the simple things (sports, TV, lying around), but he's pretty lazy, and occasionally delves into man-child status. He's married to a horrid, holier-than-thou, harried stay-at-home wife. His brother is usually jealous of his status as the favorite child, and openly whines about it. His obnoxious parents live across the street and provide him and his wife no end of headaches by intruding upon their daily lives.

Notable is the fact that despite the main couple having children, the kids don't make up part of the core cast of the show, most often appearing as background or as the basis for some conflict amongst the adults. In fact, this was an early part of the show's beloved nature among critics during its first few seasons (which mostly went unrecognized by the Ratings), even mentioned in the opening credits of the first season ("it's not about the kids"). This was in stark contrast to other sitcoms airing during The Nineties such as Full House or Family Matters, where the kids had been at the front and center of almost all the plots.

Also unusual in that the show, in all of its 9 seasons, never suffered an obligatory Jumping the Shark moment, ending with the same characters and concepts it began with, aside from adding Amy to the core cast (though she came on as a bit character in the first season and stayed off-and-on from there). It also ended very much near its ratings prime, as well as never falling too far in the critics' eyes.

Now has a character sheet.

"Marie: Ah, here we go. * reads* "Where there are no oxen, the crib remains empty; but large crops come through the strength of the bull." Ray: Ma, that's got nothing to do with this. Marie: * looking triumphant* Oh no? Ray: * pauses* No! Marie thinks for a second, then goes back to searching"
 * Absent-Minded Professor: In one episode, Ray and Debra attend a lecture, where the professor appears oblivious to the fact that he's putting Ray to sleep as he drones on in a monotone voice.
 * Accentuate the Negative: One episode, "Recovering Pessimist", revolved around Ray's inability to look at the positives, even after winning a prestigious writing award. The episode reveals the obvious: that he learned this behavior from Frank and Marie.
 * The Adventure Continues: The finale changes almost nothing and other than a last supper inspired shot and a little bit of drama it is a regular episode that if shown out of order would probably be unrecognizable as a series finale by casual viewers.
 * Air Hugging: In the episode "What's with Robert?".
 * All Women Are Prudes: Debra, who, depending on the writer, flip flops around this trope. Sometimes she's absolutely adverse to having sex while other times not so much. Most definitely subverted in her youth as she was shown to have been sexually active in college and instigated Ray and her's first time together.
 * Subverted hilariously in two episodes with Marie of all people. First, the revelation that Marie wasn't a "good girl" when she was a teenager, then later the revelation that the elderly Frank and Marie actually have more sex than Ray and Debra.
 * Debra is so adverse to sex that her biggest turn-on was when Ray said he didn't want to have sex.
 * Always Someone Better: "The Sitter": Debra is infuriated by the fact that the kids have more fun with the babysitter than her, and decides to fire her and use Marie as a replacement, in order to guarantee that the kids wouldn't have fun, and thus be relieved to see Debra when she came home. They end up running Marie ragged, and she sprains her ankle tripping over one of the toys. By the time Debra realizes her mistake, the babysitter's employed by another family.
 * And Starring: "With Doris Roberts as Marie and Peter Boyle as Frank."
 * Apron Matron: Marie. Might be the example that modern audiences and young tropers are most familiar with.
 * Ascended Extra: Amy McDougall most definitely. Started out as an occasional guest star, gradually became involved in some of the Robert-centric plots, and finally married Robert in the later seasons and became a Barone.
 * Arguably Amy's entire family could count. They certainly didn't appear as often as she did, but in the later seasons, they became fan-favorite recurring guest stars.
 * As the Good Book Says...: In "The Nice Talk", Ray says, "As Jesus said: "Blessed are the nice."" Peter immediately remarks, "He never said that."
 * Another good example was the episode where Ally asked about the meaning of life. Marie exclaims "Oh I know! It's all in the Bible!" and begins thumbing through the family's copy of the Bible and reads Proverbs 14:4:
 * Ray, Debra, Frank, and Robert all stare blankly at Marie*

"Hank: Now Frank, God did say, "Let man have dominion over the fish of the sea, and the fowl of the air, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth." Frank: *pauses* You creepeth me out."
 * Or, when Frank was offended by Pat killing a bird that flew into their house and couldn't fly anymore.

"Robert: You know what's really bad? She [Marie] apologized to you, even though she knew she was right! Debra: Oh shut up! Why do you come over here? To state the obvious? Is that what you're here for?! Robert: ...I must say, Debra, this is not your most attractive side."
 * Aw, Look -- They Really Do Love Each Other: Frank and Marie.
 * To the point where Frank is appalled and damn near has a conniption when Marie questions this.
 * The final episode appeared to address the issue of Debra's treatment of Ray. After Ray, Debra actually cries, and spends the middle part of the episode in a state of shock. The episode (and show) ends with Debra and Ray reconciling their differences with a simple, touching scene towards the end where they reiterate that they really do love each other.
 * Badass Grandpa: Frank, much to everyone's chagrin.
 * Beauty Equals Goodness: Played straight with Debra (the male characters often lampshade her physical attractiveness) but subverted with Joanne (Robert's ex-wife).
 * Beta Couple: Robert and Amy. They were an off-and-on couple throughout most of the series, breaking up and then getting back together repeatedly. Finally, Robert proposed to her and Amy agreed to marry him. A great side benefit was that this led to the introduction of Amy's family, who are arguably the best guest stars of the show.
 * Big Applesauce: While not actually set in New York City, the show is firmly set in the New York metro area. Truth in Television, Lynbrook is located about a mile outside the NYC border (just outside Queens, to be specific). In fact, the show's creators originally wanted the show to be set in Queens. Also, Ray speaks with a very deep New York accent.
 * Big Fancy House: The Barones' (rather infrequently-seen) rival neighbors, the Parkers, live in a big fancy house. In one episode, Ray has to ring their doorbell and is stuck listening to a long, grandfather clock-like chime after he pushes the button, after which he growls "Parkers."
 * Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: In a flashback episode, Robert's ex-wife Joanne is revealed to have been one of these.
 * Marie acts sweet and loving, but is very condescending and hypocritical. Not to mention her obsessive control over the lives of Frank, Ray and Robert in the name of keeping up her vision of a perfect, happy family, even if they actually aren't.
 * Debra becomes one in later seasons.
 * Bittersweet Ending: Many episodes feature this, usually played for laughs.
 * Black Best Friend: Judy, Robbie's partner on the police force, was this for him. We didn't see her often on the show, but when we did, she was often trying to help Robert be more confident.
 * Borrowed Catchphrase: In "Sex Talk", Ray said "Holy crap", which is Frank's catch phrase.
 * Breakout Character: Amy started out as a one-shot who dated Robert and was Debra's friend. She quickly became popular - despite being the co-creator's wife - and was fully added to the regular cast by the later seasons, where she married Robert.
 * Amy's entire family actually counts, as the show successfully avoided getting tired in it's last couple seasons with the addition of Hank, Patricia & Peter to the recurring cast.
 * Break the Cutie: Averted. In the later seasons, it appeared that the Barones were going to give Amy the Break the Cutie treatment after she married Robert, but at the end of the series, she still managed to be, well, The Cutie.
 * Butt Monkey: Robert for the most part. Ray himself in the later seasons, particularly to Debra. Debra herself is Marie's least favorite.
 * Call Back: Fruit of the Month Club.
 * Captain Obvious: In "The Canister", after Debra realizes she forgot to return the canister to Marie and got an apology from Marie after Debra felt insulted that Marie kept pestering her about it:

"Ray: Angela ate the fly! Robert: What? Debra: What?! Ray: The fly, that was flying around...Angela killed it, it landed on her napkin, she picked it up...and then SHE. AAAAAAATE IT!!!!!!!!"
 * Car Meets House: Marie/Frank crash into Ray/Debra's house once.
 * Cassandra Truth: Ray sees Robert's date eating a fly and tells Robert and Debra, who adamantly disbelieve him.

"Marie: That's what parents do! We all lie to our kids for their own good! Ray: But other parents aren't lying. They believe in their kids! Marie: No they don't."
 * Casanova Wannabe: Gianni, one of Ray's best buddies, was usually portrayed this way.
 * The Cast Showoff: Patricia Heaton and Brad Garrett have showed off their singing abilities from time to time, Robert even lampshaded this by saying that in chorus he originally was going to be a "basso profundo" (although most school choruses aren't that specific beyond soprano and alto for girls and tenor and bass for boys).
 * Catch Phrase: Frank: ''Holy Crap!"
 * Garvin: Hey, Ray's here! Ha ha ha!!! * does a little dance* 
 * In the episode in which Debra helps out at the lodge, he does the same for Debra, simply replacing her name with Ray's.
 * Marie: "Are ya hungry, dear?" and "I don't like that, [character's name]."
 * Peggy, to Ray: "Hello, Ally's dad."
 * Ray, when he walks in the house from work/golfing/etc, to Debra (who has to already be in the house): "Hey, [cute nickname]!" Nicknames used include Snickerdoodle, Snugglepants, Cat Ballou, Jimmyjack, Puka Shell, Puddlepants, Jambalaya, Puff N Stuff, Krispy Kreme and Cranapple.
 * And the infamous "Smelly Tramp."
 * Ray also mentions, upon walking in and seeing Debra and their (temporary) baby-sitter Lisa, that "Oh... I don't have a nickname for you" (towards Lisa).
 * Character Development: Characters gradually change over time. Particularly obvious in Robert (see below), as well as Debra and Ray, who get angrier and more argumentative as they age. Marie explicitly calls this out as a natural progression of marriage.
 * Characterization Marches On: In the first season, Robert was so neurotic and quirky that it seemed amazing that he was able to function at all. But as the series progressed, Robert's characterization developed so that he eventually grew much more confident. By the end of the series, he had finally remarried.
 * Christmas Episode: "All I Want For Christmas", "The Toaster", "The Christmas Picture", "Christmas Present", "Season's Greetings", "The Thought That Counts", "Jazz Records".
 * Church of Happyology: Inner Path, the cult that Robert briefly joins. They apparently also have their sights set on recruiting Ray because of his status as a famous sportswriter. The leader of the local branch of the cult explains that they like to recruit celebrities in order to help get their message to a wider audience.
 * Clip Show: The hour-long "Everybody Loves Raymond: The First Six Years", split into two parts for syndication.
 * Closet Key: Robert tells Ray about a fellow police officer who had no idea he was gay until his Closet Key came to the door one day (a pizza guy or cable guy or something), and they now live together in Hawaii. Ray then considers the possibility that everyone has a Closet Key, and that neither of them have met "Mr. Right".
 * Cloudcuckooland: This is how Amy initially views the Barone household(s) when she first joins them.
 * And conversely, this is how the Barones view the McDougall household when they come to visit.
 * Cloudcuckoolander: Peter, Amy's brother, seems to be this trope to a certain extent.
 * Debra's mother Lois seems to be this too, although she seems to fit more with the "rich airhead" stereotype.
 * Cold Open: Occurs in the episodes with a title sequence.
 * Continuity Nod: Every so often, the characters will mention (with horror) the "Fruit of the Month Club" incident from the Pilot episode.
 * An example was the episode where Frank and Marie . Before walking out of the house, Marie tells the "kids" that if they're hungry, she and Frank left some food in the fridge, and comments "There's always too much fruit in this house," a reference back to her whole "I can't think, there's too much fruit in the house!" rant from the Pilot.
 * Cool Old Guy: Frank may have been gruff (and sometimes a little gross), but his one-liners were a big part of what made the show great..
 * Cool Old Lady: Somewhat surprisingly, Amy's mother Pat turns out to be this trope.
 * Cool Uncle: In one episode, Raymond laments the fact that Robert is always willing and able to play with Raymond's kids when he comes over, never seeming to be too busy or too tired to do so. When Robert discovers this, he explains that he's only able to do it because he only ever sees the kids for an hour or so at most. Raymond, meanwhile, cares for his children effectively all the time, and shouldn't be ashamed that he lacks the energy to "Play Monster" with them all day.
 * The Couch
 * Crossover: Doug Heffernan from the King of Queens made a couple of guest appearances. The entire Barone family (before Amy was added) guest-starred on The King of Queens. And Ray himself appeared on The Nanny at Fran Fine and Val Toriello's high school reunion (Truth in Television, as actors Ray Romano and Fran Drescher really did attend Hillcrest High School in Queens, NYC in the same class).
 * The Cutie: Amy
 * Dark Secret: Think parents always mean it when they give their kid a compliment? According to Marie and Frank, you should think again:

"Ally: It's not Santa, it's Uncle Robert! Robert: No, no! I...I've just assumed the shape of a lifeform you would accept! Ray: OK, you're supposed to be Santa Claus, not a Klingon!"
 * Another dark secret: the revelation that Marie held Ray back a year and made him repeat preschool. And not really for any academic reasons, but really just because she enjoyed walking Ray to the preschool past a bunch of yellow flowers. Ray's reaction upon discovering this as an adult was...not pleasant.
 * What about Robert finding out that Frank and Marie had lied about his birthday, and that he was actually a couple months older than he had previously thought?
 * Deadpan Snarker: Frank is the king of this trope. Ray is also definitely a Deadpan Snarker. Arguably, everyone in the family gets moments of this trope, but Frank and Ray are the most prominent examples.
 * Demoted to Extra: Ray's friends were much more important in early seasons, eventually showing up less and less.
 * Some of his friends were written out of the show entirely, such as Dave (played by Dave Attell).
 * Diet Episode: In one episode, Marie decides that everyone needs to eat healthier. Unfortunately, it's the Thanksgiving special...
 * Dinner and a Show: A ruined family dinner is practically a Once an Episode occurrence.
 * Ray himself actually invoked this trope by name in one episode (and once in Ice Age!)
 * Dom Com
 * Double Standard: Ray and Debra fall victim to this. Much of the behavior Debra exhibits wouldn't fly if Ray did the same thing. Ray's buffoonishness gets played up on the show in order to provide Debra with an "excuse" for her aggressive behavior. Ray being an imbecile is anti-male, but Debra's bitchiness is fairly anti-female and stereotyping that gender.
 * An example is that whenever Debra is in conflict with another person, she demands Ray back her up, but whenever Ray is in the same position, which is more often, Debra never takes his side, unless it's against Frank or Marie. Maddeningly, whenever Debra finds out that Ray was right, she never apologizes to Ray for getting on his case. An example of this is in "The Annoying Kid", where Ray dislikes the kid of friends of his and Debra's. When he tells Debra this, she immediately tells him that he's "bad with kids" and "doesn't want to make new friends". Later, when Debra finds out how smarmy the kids' parents are and how bratty the kid himself is, she simply calls them freaks, without any acknowledgment that Ray had a genuine reason for not liking the kid.
 * Double Standard Abuse (Female on Male): Debra in the later seasons repeatedly employed this trope, smacking him on the arm or pushing him when Ray does something stupid or annoying. It's played for laughs, and the studio audience reciprocates. She'd also use manipulation, and insult Ray frequently, all for laughs.
 * Dysfunctional Family: While certainly not the first show to have this trope in play (All in The Family, anyone?), to modern audiences and young tropers, this show may be the Trope Codifier.
 * Early Installment Weirdness: In the very early episodes, the show seemed to have a different pace. Robert was much more quirky (to the point where many fans speculate that the writers were originally writing him as being borderline autistic, but that they seem to have changed their minds), Debra was much nicer, Frank was a little more open about his emotions, and the writing in general appeared to be more about wry humor than over-the-top humor.
 * The Eeyore: Robert comes across as this sometimes, even down to the vocal intonation.
 * The European Carry All
 * Fat and Proud: Ray's friend Bernie.
 * Fat Best Friend: Doug, who eventually got his own spinoff.
 * Fee Fi Faux Pas: The Trope Namer. An episode from the last few seasons is entirely devoted to an outsider being stuck in the Barone home for an afternoon and surrounded by their customary insanity, as every member of the family spits out one faux pas after another.
 * Flanderization: Ray was initially only unhelpful around the house and a sometimes-incompetent father, while Debra was only perturbed at him sometimes. Compare that to later seasons, when she becomes a shrill omni-harpy and Ray is a doddering imbecile.
 * Flashback Cut: Ray briefly flashed back to his teenage years in "The Car" and "Pants on Fire".
 * Food Slap: Ray and Debra are eating ice cream when Ray brags about how he got a higher score than Debra in an IQ test. Debra responds by dumping the ice cream bowl on his crotch.
 * Foreign Remake: Voroniny (The Voronins), a Russian remake. The characters seem to be kind of bland, most of the humor is derived from the father's charisma, jokes and making fun of the mother. The brother is, despite being a cop, quite a manchild. The wife is much less of a bitch, portrayed as closer-to-Earth with shades of Woobie thrown in because the mother just openly dislikes her. Oh, and they live in two separate apartments but they are next to each other, allowing the parents to come over through the balcony whenever the hell they want,many jokes are made of that fact also. Otherwise, according to whoever saw the original, Its the Same So It Sucks.
 * Foreshadowing: While many people thought Debra's behavior in later seasons was unexpected, it was heavily hinted that this is common progression among Barone wives who marry into the family. In Season 1, Marie mentions that Frank's mother (who she compares to herself in the same manner Debra does to Marie) moved in with them at some point when Ray and Robert were kids. Frank's relationship with his mother is almost identical to Ray and Robert's with Marie. Early in Season 2, Marie and Frank tell Ray about a time when they nearly divorced over the same kind of petty arguments that Ray and Debra have and even openly admit that they were alot like Ray and Debra at that age (Frank and Marie were about the same age as Ray and Debra were in later seasons when this became a problem). Frank, several seasons later mentions that his father was alot like him, but violent, saying that each generation of Barones are getting better at these negative traits but that it'll be a while before they're gone. Debra starts walking the path to becoming a new Marie once they moved across the street, like how Frank's mother moved in with them at one point. In the first season, they had only lived across from the elder Barones for 2 years (they moved in when the twins were born and there was only mild friction between Marie and Debra before that, mostly from Marie), so Debra was still very much her pre-Barone self. By later seasons, she had progressed down the same path as Marie with one major difference. She rarely showed any signs of controlling Ally or the twins (beyond basic parental needs, like chores) as opposed to Marie's complete dominance over Ray and Robert, focusing that part of her personality primarily towards Ray (and Amy in one episode). So while Debra became a Bitch in Sheep's Clothing and Not So Different from Marie, she did however, stop the cycle towards the kids. Although, Ally did become quite the Deadpan Snarker in later seasons.
 * Former Teen Rebel: An early episode is devoted to Marie's fury when she discovers that Ray was one of these in his younger days. In another episode, the grownups debate the futility of attempting to be an overly-strict parent when they end up talking about how young Ray and Robert both managed to do things that fit this trope.
 * A Form You Are Comfortable With: When little Ally unmasks "Santa Claus" in an early episode, revealing that it's really Robert in disguise, the following exchange occurs:

"Robert: Queen Marie, that's you!. And look! There's little Prince Raymond, heir to the throne! [points to Frank] And there's your court jester! And then there's me...the peasant, the serf. And God forbid I move up a bit because it might upset your perfect order!"
 * Four-Temperament Ensemble: Ray is phlegmatic, Debra and Frank are choleric, Robert is melancholic, Marie is sanguine.
 * Freudian Excuse: An episode from the later seasons is devoted to exploring why Robert's "Crazy Chin" habit started.
 * Friend to All Children: Amy is definitely this trope. After Amy marries into the family, one episode reveals that Ally goes to Amy to talk because she knows that Amy wouldn't be judgmental.
 * The Fun in Funeral: More specifically, a wake. In "Who's Next?", Marie is upset because Rose Caputo (who the wake is for) is the person she chose for him if she died. Frank is annoyed that she didn't let him choose Harriet Lichmann, and during an argument, Frank shouts out, "I don't care how many plans you make, I wouldn't be caught dead with Rose Caputo!" Understandably, everyone is shocked, and Frank and Marie sheepishly leave the wake (followed by the rest of the Barones).
 * Girls with Moustaches: Ray's wife had a mustache that she waxed regularly. He didn't know this until years into their marriage.
 * God Save Us From the Queen: While Marie technically isn't royalty, she certainly rules the family as if she is. In the famous "Lucky Suit" episode, Robert actually invoked this trope:

"Ray: I...I've never seen him like that before. One minute he's my brother who eats like this (makes the crazy-chin motion)...and then the next minute he's this...cop. He later notes that he's really glad he saw that and that he's proud of Robert."
 * Halloween Episode: "Halloween Candy".
 * Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today? - Uncle Mel, full stop.
 * Hello, Nurse!: Stefania. Invoked in pretty much every episode she appeared in.
 * Henpecked Husband: Ray, Ray, Ray.
 * And Frank too.
 * Hidden Badass: Ray is awestruck when he discovers that Robert is this, while tagging along with Robert and Judy on their police patrol. While they take a break from patrol at Nemo's Pizzeria and Judy goes to the bathroom, Ray notices that there is a man threatening Nemo (with what may or may not be a gun in his jacket pocket) and demanding cash. Robert simply tells Ray: "Get down. And whatever happens, stay down," before crawling across the floor, sneaking up behind the robber, throwing a tray with a hot pizza onto the robber's face and then physically subduing him. Later on, Ray tells Debra:

"Frank: I never told you this, but I used to think of you as kind of a weak little mama's boy. Ray: Yeah, you told me that."
 * Hidden Heart of Gold: Frank. This turns out to be the case in several episodes.
 * Hilariously Abusive Childhood:

"Robert: When you're out on the street, anything can happen. And that's no bull."
 * Hot Amazon: Ray in one episode reveals his crush on Xena: Warrior Princess to the audience.
 * Hot Mom: Debra, undoubtedly
 * How We Got Here: This trope was used in an early episode that actually used this phrase as its title. The episode was a flashback to how Ray and Debra ended up living across the street from Frank and Marie, revealed that it was actually Debra who had strongly insisted that they live there, while Ray had desperately attempted to convince her that they should live somewhere else, because he knew how crazy his family could be.
 * Identical Grandson: Or, in this case, Identical Son. In a flashback to Ray and Robert's childhood, young Frank was played by Ray Romano.
 * Let us not forget "baby" Ally. In a flashback to Debra being pregnant with the twins, the child playing Ally looks suspiciously like one of the twins dressed as a girl...
 * Incredibly Lame Pun: From "Confronting the Attacker" during the public service announcement where Robert's standing next to the bull that gored him:

"God, I hope that's a bourbon salesman."
 * I Need a Drink: Debra has three caterwauling children under foot and hears the doorbell ring:

"Frank: Well I don't want it in the house. It's depressing! Marie: What are you talking about? I looked beautiful in these pictures!
 * Informed Attribute: Warren (Debra's father) was repeatedly described by the other characters as being a rather heavy drinker, but oddly enough, we never actually saw anything to suggest this onscreen, besides one occasion when Warren accepts an offer by Robert to go out for drinks (along with food) at Nemo's Pizzeria.
 * I Was Quite a Looker: Marie. Mentioned in an episode where she discovers that, among other books, Frank is about to throw away her high school yearbook, in which there are several pictures where Marie looks beautiful. Marie snatches it back and says she wants the yearbook...

Frank: That's what's depressing."

"Ray: The girls'll buy that.
 * Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Frank is so much this trope. While he definitely has his angry, judgmental moments and often acts boorish, many episodes end with him doing something genuinely sweet or heartwarming. He may have a gruff exterior, but he's definitely not a bad guy.
 * In one episode, Frank, Ray, and Robert are having lunch, trying to come up with therapy "breakthroughs" to tell their wives while they're at the track instead. Frank reveals that his father used to beat him all the time, and his grandfather used to beat his father. Ray notes, "So his father hit him, he hit you, and you...you never hit us really." Frank replies "I was always weaker than him." Robert offers, "Maybe you didn't want to be like him." After a quiet moment, Frank replies "I didn't."

Robert: They'll eat it up like a bag of candy!"

"Robert: * nervously* What happened to Nemo? Marco: He go away. Robert: * freaked out* Where? Marco:* glares significantly* Away."
 * Marie is arguably this trope too.
 * Jewish Mother: Although Marie is portrayed as an Italian-American Catholic, like Ray Romano's real-life family, she is also partly based on producer Phil Rosenthal's Jewish mother, and the character shares many of the Jewish Mother trope traits.
 * When Robert briefly moves in with an elderly Jewish couple called the Stipes, the wife, an actual Jewish mother obviously, fits the trope 100%. When Ray meets the couple, it's lampshaded how similar they actually are to Frank and Marie, and that their being Jewish is literally the only noticeable difference between the Stipes and Frank and Marie.
 * Karma Houdini: Debra could get this way regarding her treatment of Ray (he was rarely ever able to verbally defeat her -- just annoy her), but Marie would nearly always get the best of her, and the Barones regularly invaded her home and directly and indirectly criticized her, so she's not exactly getting off scot-free. Marie is a better example, almost never getting her comeuppane. The writers would claim after the series had ended that this was a deliberate way of making their wives like the show more.
 * Knock-Knock Joke: One of the biggest fights between Debra and Marie started with Debra not allowing Michael and Jeffrey to tell a knock knock joke to Marie's friends.
 * Lost Wedding Ring: Down the vent.
 * Lysistrata Gambit: A few episodes center around Ray being convinced Debra deliberately withholds sex from him. One, "The Power of No", has Ray turning the tables of being the one to say "no" to sex.
 * The Mafia: It is heavily implied that Stefania's father Marco has ties to the Mafia. In a hilarious scene, Robert discovers that Marco has taken over Nemo's Pizzeria and the following exchange occurs:

"Ray: It's morally and ethnically wrong! Debra: ...You're out of your element, Ray."
 * Mafia Princess: As noted above, it's implied that Stefania is this, although if it's true, then she at least seems to be blissfully unaware of it. She knows that her father can seem intimidating to potential suitors such as Robert, but she apparently has no idea that he might be in the Mafia.
 * Malaproper: From "Party Dress":

"Ray:*peeking out the window a few moments later* Joanne's gone already. The scary thing is, I think I saw a bat flying away."
 * Mama Bear: Marie has many moments of this trope. One notable one, which doubles as a huge Crowning Moment of Awesome for her character, is the flashback episode to when Robert and his first wife got a divorce. Upon hearing that Joanne has dumped Robert (after treating him cruelly for years), Marie puts down the cake she was carrying, turns to glare icily at Joanne and growls You... before beginning a speech about how she had held her tongue for years and that she found out all about Joanne's sordid past. She ends by saying "You think you're dumping my son? No. My son is dumping you. It's time to TAKE OUT THE TRASH!" and shoving Joanne out the door.

"Marie: Let's all eat this food I made, and remember that this was nobody's fault."
 * Man Child: Ray acts like this. Marie virtually enforces it with her mothering, much to Debra's consternation.
 * Manipulative Bastard: Marie is very good at controlling the family. They're all aware of it, but they try not to think about it. Can be best summed up by a line uttered by Marie during a time the family is about to connect the dots and realize she's to blame for something:

"Frank: (referring to Ray) I remember one time I went up to the attic, turned the light on, and lo and behold... Ray: Alright, stop it Dad!"
 * Debra has her moments well, such as in the episode where she gets annoyed that Ray is spending so much time volunteering at a hospital, so she tells Robert that he'd be talented enough to take Ray's place there as the resident entertainer. Ray gets upset and leaves the hospital, just as Debra planned. Of course it backfires totally, as she's forced to entertain the cranky seniors who hate her.
 * Meddling Parents: Is there a better way to describe Frank and Marie?
 * Men Are Uncultured: Played painfully straight...over and over and over again.
 * Menstrual Menace: The show provides one of the most iconic examples -- Debra became even crankier than usual, and goes through a full gamut of insane mood swings while Ray alternates between being sympathetic, confused or accusatory ("It's hard to hug someone who's TRYING TO KILL YOU!!")
 * Mind Your Step: When Ray hurts himself in a particularly athletic bedroom session, he claims he tripped on a broken step to his parents. It backfires when turns out the stairs really were broken and Frank falls THROUGH them when he investigates.
 * Mood Whiplash: In one episode, Robert is angling for a job at the FBI, for which it seems Marie unwittingly ruined by sending his interviewer a long apology note for ruining Robert's lucky suit. It's played for laughs, especially when Marie goes to the office to set things right, unitl she reveals that she did it on purpose because Robert was one year from retirement on the police force, and she was tired of worrying about Robert on the job every night. It's a very moving speech...
 * The second act of "Golf For It" starts heavy on the comedy as Ray and Robert, still annoyed at Marie's demands, joke about her and place a bet on who has to take her after Frank dies. However, things turn serious when Ray says, "She's gonna be with you 'til the day she dies!" After that, the tone gets more serious as the two golf with the reward of taking Marie after Frank dies. Robert even accuses Ray of not loving Marie as much as he does. Things veer back towards comedy, though, when the two physically fight and call a truce.
 * "Snow Day", which starts out light-hearted as usual, gets a sudden mood whiplash when Debra blurts out that she's surprised she's having a good time with Frank. Frank, offended by the idea that Debra doesn't enjoy his company, sullenly walks out of the house. Cue commercial break.
 * Then there's the finale, which runs the gamut of comedy and drama, especially concerning Ray's near-death experience.
 * Ms. Fanservice: Debra provides this in at least two episodes - one where she "tells off" a woman who she thought accused her of dressing provocatively by overdoing it in front of her, and another where she tries to seduce Ray wearing only a nightie. Generally though, it's relegated to her wearing tight, but not out-of-place in reality clothing.
 * Stefania was also a good example of this trope. Lampshaded in one episode where the Barones are hosting a party for singles, in hopes of getting Peter together with a girl. When Stefania shows up and takes off her winter coat, revealing a sexy dress on her already-sexy body, the other women simply declared "I'm out!" and left, assuming that they had no hope of getting a guy's attention with Stefania in the room. However,.
 * My Beloved Smother: Marie, Marie, Marie.
 * Never Mess with Granny: You do NOT want Marie angry with you. She won't retaliate with violence, but she will find other ways to settle the score...
 * New York City Cops: Robert and Judy. They completely avert the "grim and gritty" stereotypes that often accompany the NYPD on drama shows.
 * No Accounting for Taste
 * Noodle Incident: Whenever Ray and Robbie reminisce about their rather interesting childhood, they seem to mention a lot of incidents that seem to fit this trope.
 * One is brought up by Frank in the episode where it is found out that Ray pre-wrote Frank's eulogy:

"Debra:: When I got married, I didn't just get a husband, I got a whole freak show that set up their tent right across the street!"
 * Validated in the Stinger when Robert also leads in to the same scenario, but never clarifies it.
 * No Periods, Period: The episode Bad Mood Rising didn't just avert this trope. It smashed it to pieces.
 * The Not-Secret: Ray's journal. Not only does it turn out that Robert knew about it, but apparently, in Marie's own words, she and Frank used to "sit up to read it after Johnny Carson."
 * Not So Different: Marie and Debra. Think about it. Their personalities really aren't very different at all, especially in their desires for complete and utter control over Ray.
 * Ray and cousin Gerard. Namely the whiny, nasal voice.
 * Obfuscating Stupidity: Several episodes suggest that Ray is actually far more clever than he lets on. One episode has him & Frank actually telling Robert to deliberately act this way so the wife will do all the work.
 * The idea of Ray being more clever than he lets on is hinted at further during the "Angry Sex" episode: if you look closely during one scene, Ray is actually reading a book about Zen Buddhism.
 * Obnoxious In-Laws: Frank, Marie, and Robert are practically the Trope Codifiers
 * Occidental Otaku: Peter.
 * Only Sane Man: Ray, particularly in the early season.
 * The kids, fit this trope throughout the entire series, as they were the only characters who appeared to be relatively "normal."
 * Amy as well. It's true that she was a bit naive, but for the most part she was one of the few "normal" members of the family.
 * Debra is this on occasion as well. Though, she can be just as crazy and a Jerkass as the others. Frank considers himself and Debra as the "normal ones".

"Ray: Angela ate the fly! Robert: What? Debra: What?! Ray: The fly, that was flying around...Angela killed it, it landed on her napkin, she picked it up...and then SHE. AAAAAAATE IT!!!!!!!!"
 * Parental Favoritism: What do you think the title means?
 * The Unfavourite: Where else could Robert fit?
 * Parenting the Husband: Used frequently, especially in the later seasons, either due to Ray being lazy or Debra wanting control over Ray. Ray at one point outright states he pretends to be a buffoon so that Debra does all the work.
 * Pet the Dog
 * Preacher Man: While not actually a preacher, Amy's father Hank definitely could have been one.
 * Progressively Prettier: Debra spends the early seasons with short, dowdy hair, "mom jeans" up past her waistline, and big sweaters. By the final three seasons, she's wearing the tightest T-shirts humanly possible, painted-on jeans, and has glamorous hair, as if someone suddenly realized Patricia Heaton was attractive.
 * Public Domain Soundtrack: The intro to certain episodes in seasons 4 and 5 used Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" as its theme.
 * Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: LOVELESS MARRIAGE?!
 * An exchange from the episode where Robert ends up dating a girl who secretly eats bugs and raises hundreds of frogs:

"Robert: Well you know what? She can love ya all she wants, because I love her more than you do. Ray: What? Robert: Ya heard me. I love ma more. Ray: Are you crazy? Robert: Deep down inside, Raymond, you know it's true. Ray: Are you saying I don't love my mother?! Robert: Not as much as I do. You take her for granted. But me? I cherish every ounce of affection that woman gives me, because I have to fight for it like a dirty dog in the street. But you? You don't even have to try. She makes it so easy for you. You're just a fat kid with his mouth open at the end of a chocolate assembly line. (mimes Ray eating chocolate) You disgust me."
 * Quietly Performing Sister Show: The King of Queens
 * Rashomon Style: "The Can Opener".
 * Real Life Writes the Plot: A rare case where this was done intentionally. Producer Phil Rosenthal has explained in interviews that the vast majority of plots on the show really did happen to himself, Ray Romano, or someone else on the writing staff.
 * Real Song Theme Tune: Season 7 used The Time's "Jungle Love".
 * "The Reason You Suck" Speech: In "Golf For It", after Ray says that Marie loves him more than Robert:

"Robert: Could I get some frozen baby peas, Deb? Debra: You know what, Robert? You get your own damn peas. Robert: What did I do?? Debra: What did you do?! Robert: Hey, look, you're the one who told Amy about Stefania in the first place. You should be apologizing to me. Debra: And what you should've done is tell Amy the truth about everything, or better yet, not be such a pig in the first place! Robert: That's the worst apology I've ever gotten. Debra: Why would you get involved with someone else when you already have a relationship? What, does juggling three women at a time make you cool? You know, if that's the only way that you can build your self-esteem, then you are pathetic, and you don't deserve to be with anyone."
 * In "Meant to Be", Debra gives one to Robert:

"Jerry Musso: Well there's just something about you. I've read your column, I've heard you speak, I look at you and I go, "I don't get it". I guess you don't have to be smart to have a career in this business! Now if you know me, you know I have pretty high standards, and a very low threshhold for dumb."
 * In "Somebody Hates Raymond", Jerry Musso (after much goading) reveals how he really feels about Raymond:

"Ray: Now, not every family would {something the family was doing in the background while Ray is explaining the premise} for you, but mine would because-- Robert: Eeeeeeverybody loves Raymond...
 * A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside An Enigma: Robert once described himself as "an enigma wrapped in a mystery." Ray promptly replied that Robert was more of "an idiot wrapped in a moron."
 * Running Gag: The weird pimple on Ray's neck that won't go away.
 * Uncle Mel is NOT GAY.
 * The awful fruit of the month club gift Ray gave to his parents.
 * If Robert enters a room and everyone stops talking to look at him, he often asks, "Is this about me?"
 * Sassy Black Woman: Robert's partner on the police force, Judy, fits this trope. This led to the classic episode where Robert starts hanging out with Judy and her friends and ends up trying to act stereotypically "black" to fit in with them. Hilarity Ensues.
 * Secret Diary: Ray's journal from when he was a teenager.
 * Shipper on Deck: Marie and Debra were both this for the Robert/Amy ship.
 * Sibling Rivalry: Raymond and Robert. In spades. Mainly fueled by Robert resenting Raymond for being the favorite son, and the fact that, well, everybody loves Raymond, and not him. The title of the show is at least partly a reference to their rivalry, and in the first season credits, Robert is the one who glumly does the Title Drop as he passes by.
 * Sick Episode: "Debra's Sick".
 * Sitcom Arch Nemesis: Ray has one in Peggy, the mother of Ally's best friend and leader of her scout troop.
 * Marie gets one too (at least in her own paranoid imagination) in the form of Harriet Lichtman. Marie is convinced that Harriet is trying to steal Frank away. Though, it should be noted that when we finally met Harriet on-screen in one episode, she seemed mostly bewildered by Marie's accusations (though admittedly, we only saw a snippet of that conversation, as there was a lot going on with the other characters in that scene).
 * Also the Barones have a rivalry with their slightly wealthier neighbors the Parkers. Ray seems to despise Bill Parker in particular.
 * Sixth Ranger: Amy, as she officially joined the family in the later seasons.
 * Slap Slap Kiss: The Frank-Marie relationship was this to a tee. They argued with each other a lot...but it is heavily hinted in most episodes that they enjoy the witty banter, and really are deeply in love with each other. Ray and Debra get this way as the show goes on, and Marie states that it's normal for marriage.
 * Snowed In
 * Somebody Doesn't Love Raymond: Trope Namer.
 * Spoiled Brat: Spencer, the titular character from the "Annoying Kid" episode.
 * Stealth Insult: Marie is quite good at this and employs it quite a bit on Debra. Though it should be noted that Debra quite frequently uses it too.
 * Sugary Malice: Marie often makes insulting comments to Debra while pretending to give friendly advice.
 * They Don't Make Them Like They Used To: Frank's attitude towards jazz records. He greatly prefers vinyl over CDs, something which baffles Ray greatly in "Jazz Records".
 * Through His Stomach: One of the main reasons why Frank decides to stay with Marie.
 * Title-Only Opening: Seasons 8 and 9, as well as random episodes from earlier seasons.
 * Title Drop: The title sequences of the first two seasons:

Ray:* rolls his eyes and continues sweeping* Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"Debra: You know, if you break your promise, I'll know. Ray: (seductively) That's right, and then... you'll have to punish me. Debra: Oh I'll punish you. Ray: (smiling) Yeah? Debra: Seriously, Ray; I'll hurt you. (Debra leaves, and Ray tries to follow her) Work, Ray!"
 * Title Montage: Season 7.
 * Title Please
 * Too Kinky to Torture: In "The Author":

"Ray: But I love her!"
 * Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Ray & Debra virtually define this trope (and were nearly the Trope Namer) and its endless stream of copycats - including The King of Queens - use it as part of their schtick, where before sitcoms tended to have parents of at least reasonably equal levels of physical appearance. Ray may not be hideous, but his giant nose and various other aspects are played for laughs. This difference in their attractiveness is played for laughs in the scene where both try to seduce the other in underwear. Debra provokes cat calls and hollers from the audience. Ray's satin boxers provoke laughter.
 * Ray brings this up in "P., T. & A.", saying that while Debra is always attractive, no matter what he does, he'll always be "this". In a rare act of kindness, Debra tells Ray that he is in fact, quite handsome.
 * Patricia Heaton stated she had an edge on the role in the audition process because she was one of the few actresses who was willing to kiss Ray. And in How They Met, one of the things that attracted Debra to Ray was that he was "a good kisser".
 * Interestingly inverted in the episode "Ray's Ring", in which Ray is hit on by another woman shortly after Robert loses his wedding ring. When Debra finds out, she gets angry at Ray, even though he tells her he set the woman straight. Jealous, Debra takes off her wedding ring and goes to the supermarket, which Ray secretly follows her to. When Debra finds out that Ray is watching her, she tries to get other men to flirt with her, but to no avail. Debra angrily confronts Ray and tells him "You're obviously married to an old hag."


 * Also their friends, the overweight Bernie and the slim attractive Linda, would qualify.
 * The Unfair Sex: After the first few seasons, the show began using this trope a lot. Used in-show by Debra as a justification for her vindictiveness. Debra and Marie were often able to "win" arguments they had no business winning (Marie over Debra, since she was the pro), and the men were forced to deal with it.
 * Also used on a Crossover episode of the King of Queens, where Ray and Debra guest-starred. At one point in the episode, Debra and Carrie declare that men should be forced to wear an electro-shock collar around their neck to keep them in line (this joint declaration ends up being the event that makes Debra and Carrie become friends: the discovery that they share a mutual condescension towards men).
 * The Unfavorite: This trope could be renamed The Robert.
 * Unwanted Gift Plot: In one episode, Marie gives Ray and Debra a sculpture that she made in a class. The sculpture is unintentionally very suggestive, leading the family to try various means of getting rid of it without telling her why.
 * Upper Class Twit: Debra's parents, Warren and Lois, were the epitome of this trope.
 * Vacation Episode: The two-parter "Italy".
 * This was one Vacation Episode that actually had further ramifications for the plot, as it introduced the recurring characters of Marco and Stefania.
 * The Verse: Everybody Loves Raymond is set in the same universe as fellow CBS sitcoms The Nanny and The King of Queens. In real life, Ray Romano went to high school with "Nanny" star Fran Drescher and has done standup comedy with "King of Queens" star Kevin James. All three shows are set firmly in the New York metro area, with "Raymond" being set in a Long Island suburb just outside the city, "King of Queens" being set (of course) in the NY City borough of Queens, and "The Nanny" being set largely on Manhattan Island itself (although the action frequently moves to Fran's parents' apartment in Queens).
 * The Ray Barone character appeared in an episode of "The Nanny" where it was revealed that he and the fictional Fran Fine both went to Hillcrest High School, just like their actors, Romano and Drescher. Doug Heffernan from "King of Queens" made a few appearances on "Raymond", and the "Raymond" characters had several guest appearances on "King of Queens."
 * Interestingly, the final appearance of the Ray Barone character was on the "King of Queens" episode "Raygin Bulls," as this episode aired in the fall season after "Everybody Loves Raymond" had ended. From what we heard Ray saying to (offscreen) Marie over the phone at the beginning of that episode, life apparently hadn't changed much for Ray Barone since the series finale of "Raymond."
 * The Ray Barone character was also the only character to appear in all three shows. Ray appeared on an episode of The Nanny, and several episodes of The King of Queens, in addition to, of course, being in every episode of "Raymond." The characters from The Nanny didn't appear in the other two shows, and the Doug Heffernan character from The King of Queens made a couple of guest appearances on "Raymond". Ray Barone's buddy Gianni also made an appearance on The King of Queens, as did Frank, Marie, Robert, and Debra.
 * War Is Hell: Often, when the characters would complain about something in their lives, Frank would retort "You think that's bad? Try being in Korea during the war! We didn't have [Insert Modern Convenience Here], we had to tough it out!"
 * Welcome Titles: The family was introduced while passing by on a conveyor belt for a while.
 * What Happened to the Mouse??: In the episode 'Liars', after Ray lies to go to a golf game, Ray catches Debra lying about her doctor's appointment... TWICE! However, she isn't interrogated any further (like, as to where she went, or why she lied about it...) But Ray still got yelled at for her for doing the same thing as her. It's not a big deal but still... where did she go?
 * Debatable. It's unclear as to whether she was lying or if Ray was just being paranoid.
 * What Is Going On?: In "The Bird", Debra is understandably confused why the Barones and the McDougals are at each other's throats when she returns from the kitchen, when both families were just fine a few minutes ago. (the reason: Pat put an injured bird out of its misery and the Barones thought she was a thoughtless animal killer)
 * Whole-Episode Flashback: There's a couple episodes that explore the characters' lives before the pilot episode, from the episode where Ray and Debra first meet, to several episodes of them as boyfriend/girlfriend. Interestingly, these were usually reserved for season finales. The flashback episodes are as follows:
 * Why Are We Here?: Explains how Ray and Debra moved across the street from Frank and Marie.
 * The Wedding Parts 1 and 2: Ray and Debra's marriage.
 * How They Met: Explains how Ray first met Debra (he was a sofa installer).
 * Robert's Divorce: Explores Robert's disastrous first marriage to Joanne "Cinnamon" Glotz.
 * Ally's Birth: Self-explanatory.
 * The First Time: Ray and Debra try to have sex for the first time, but their romantic evening is interrupted by Frank, Marie, Robert, and the priest at their church.
 * Younger Than They Look: In "Young Girl", Robert dates Erica, a woman who claims to be 22. (making her roughly half his age) However, at the end of the episode it's revealed that she's even younger than that: She's 19. Debra incredulously asks if Erica is even out of high school yet.