Welcome to Season 3! As I noted last time, the season started really good, but there were a lot of clunker episodes after Patricia Heaton became pregnant. But at least today we have some great episode to look over. Let’s dig in:
Season 3, Episode 1
The Invasion
Plot Summary-When termites invade, Ray and Debra are forced to stay with Marie and Frank
Nitpick of the episode-Seriously Ray and Debra have the quietest kids in the world we never hear them making noise or playing or anything
Best Line–“You don’t know a monkey wrench from a monkey’s ass.”…Frank
Episode Fun Fact – New opening and the best, set to Ludwig van Beethoven’s 9th Symphony (better known as “Ode to Joy”) as Ray and Debra panic to lock the door as the family arrives.
Deleted Scenes-Debra calling an exterminator , Ray gets an estimate while Debra books a hotel room (apparently the episode originally had a longer opening)
Syndication Edit-part of the teaser, other assorted dialogue
Best Character-Frank, man does he remind me of my dad in this episode. The best is that last scene where he finds the remote in Roberts room. We don’t hear or him do anything but we don’t have to. We know these characters well enough that the look Frank giv s him is all we need.
Worst Character-Marie, I’m with Debra on the whole “I need my space” crap that Marie pulls. What? And what did she do to her kids to make them tremble with fear every time things don’t go her way?
Final Thoughts-This episode has a good idea in it but I think it gives up by the end. Because Marie and Frank learn nothing. Though seeing Ray and Debra try to turn the tables on them is still kind of fun. And it’s is cool to see life at Marie and franks for once. Watching Debra mess with Marie is great since of course she isn’t terrified of her like everyone else is. However Marie is smart and knows how to turn things on Debra so she has to suffer more!
Grade-A
Season 3, Episode 2
Driving Frank
Plot Summary-Marie decides she doesn’t trust Frank driving the kids.
Nitpick of the episode-My girlfriend was quick to point out how in the tag Debra has Ally in the front seat, and not buckled up. Also Robert talks about why he arrested someone which is a violation of Police ethics.
Best Line-: I don’t care if I killed a guy! You’re my son, you have to look the other way! Am I right, Ray?
Episode Fun Fact –
Deleted Scenes-none
Syndication Edit-Ray hitting on Debra in the top of the teaser
Best Character-Frank, one of his best episodes
Worst Character-Debra, once again she forces Ray to confront Frank but refuses to back him up about it.
Final Thoughts-This is a great episode, it really feels like a slice of life. The situation is totally realistic and the dialogue is very natural. We see that it’s hard for frank to accept he’s older and hard for ray to accept as well. Franks is, well, Frank as he deals with things in his usual way. I like how ray is afraid to talk to frank but after an incident he changes his tune. It shows he has some common sense. The best part is the end where he seems to accept that he can’t drive, without actually saying it.
Grade-A-
Season 3, Episode 3
The Sitter
Plot Summary-Debra and Ray hire a babysitter but Debra feels insecure
Nitpick of the episode-ray and Debra need a babysitter?? Really?!? Ally is like six or seven shouldn’t she be in kindergarten or daycare by now? And Marie takes the news better here than she would later on.
Best Line-“Robbie, give your father his order of miserable bastard”…Marie
Episode Fun Fact –First reference to Bill Parker, Ray’s nemesis and played by Patricia Heaton’s real life husband.
Deleted Scenes-none
Syndication Edit-sigh. In the teaser when Ray suggests she needs real help she gives him a look. In the syndicated version the scene cuts. In the DVD version he responds with a comment about his busy schedule which she counters with an insult basically calling him lazy. I mean I’ll never get this, Debra does understand ray works for a living…right?
Best Character-Marie, she wins without even trying
Worst Character-Debra, for some reason in season 3 we will see insecure Debra. One thing to look forward to, after this season Debra will stop being do depressing. In this episode not only does her insecurity end with Marie getting hurt but Debra even cries over it. I get that feeling when a kid seems to like someone over you but Debra should know it wouldn’t last and definitely handles it wrong.
Final Thoughts-There is so much lame in this episode. Debra needs a babysitter? Then fires her when the kids like her? Debra if you didn’t want the kids to like then why not just stick with Marie? Course she actually thinks of this only for Marie to hurt her ankle so Debra feels guilty. Then Ray’s attempt to get the babysitter back is ridiculous. After two solid episodes this one sucks.
Grade:C+
Season 3, Episode 4
Getting Even
Plot Summary-After embarrassing her at a charity drive, Debra vows revenge.
Nitpick of the episode-You know, Ray didn’t intend to embarrass Debra why does she take it so damn personally? I’m all for validating feeling and while I may concede that Ray could have apologized she still seriously overreacted. Which isn’t unusual for her.
Best Line- “Yeah, everything my wife touches falls off, so you can guess how scared I am.”…Ray
Episode Fun Fact –
Deleted Scenes-Debra telling Ray he would be the auctioneer (of course she forces him)
Syndication Edit-Debra shows ray her jewelry box
Best Character-Frank, that tag is hysterical
Worst Character-Ray, yeah you’d think it would be Debra here but truth is Ray’s obsessiveness is just, well, ridiculous.
Final Thoughts-There are things in this episode I love but man Debra kills me here. Why can’t she just appreciate how great Ray was (at a job she forced him into)? No of course it’s all about her saying she was humiliated. The second half of the episode is Ray waiting for her revenge, but I kind of like the scenes because it’s just slice of life stuff. The worst part is that the fake apology she gives Ray at the start of the second act is exactly what she should have said. But nope, she has to be vindictive.
Grade-B-
Season 3, Episode 5
The Visit
Plot Summary-Debra’s mother visits but Debra wishes she were more like Marie
Nitpick of the episode-Ok this is a regular thing but I have to ask, why can’t Ray call Debra’s mother by her name?? He says it’s because she’s a mother he can’t call her by a name. Of course he rejects mother (which kind of makes sense) so what is he supposed to do? Oh I know he can poke her with the phone like he does in this episode. Ugh.
Best Line-“I want you to help or at least want to help. I want you to be more like….her!”…Debra
Episode Fun Fact –We see traits in Lois that would be standard later, like how creepy she finds Robert.
Deleted Scenes-Ray tries calling Marie by her first name before Lois arrives and Ray tries to call her by her name; Lois commenting on the house (to Marie’s amusement)
Syndication Edit-some dialogue in the teaser
Best Character-Marie, she is fantastic in this episode (well ok the bit where she and frank are looking in the window was stupid)
Worst Character-Ray, refer to my nitpick
Final Thoughts-This is a rare time when Debra actually gives Marie credit. It doesn’t happen often! But she can be helpful and involved and compared to Lois and that say a lot. Lois makes me see where Debra gets her uptightness. I hate that scene where Marie tries to talk to Debra but forced Ray to stay for some reason. The best scene in the episode is the tag where we see Ray, Robert, and Frank wiping out the cake Marie bought before Marie can find them. Fantastic moment, and again like with the other episode we don’t see what Marie does when she finally shows up at the house. We don’t need to, the look she gives is all the information we need.
Grade-B
Season 3, Episode 6
Halloween Candy
Plot Summary- Frank is handing out candy and when he runs out he unknowingly grabs the bag of condoms Ray had just bought. And begins handing them out to trick or treaters.
Nitpick of the episode-The one thing I never understood, how in the world did the neighbors figure what house the condoms came from?
Best Line-“You think this is so different from who you really are? ”…..Marie reacting to Frank
Deleted Scenes-none
Syndication Edit-
Best Character-Frank steals the show dressed as Frankenstein, of course Peter Boyle was in Young Frankenstein!
Worst Character-Ray, I get your horny but can’t you let your kids trick or treat at least!!!!
Final Thoughts-This episode is far from the worst of the “Ray is horny” episodes we’ll get, in fact it’s much better than the Christmas episode I discussed a few days ago. And there is enough Halloween in it for it to count as a seasonal episode. You got to love the non-use of the word condoms (referred to as “things” and spermicidal jelly as “stuff”). This show learned from Seinfeld that sometimes not using the word makes it funnier (and it wouldn’t be the only time they would do that either as we saw in “Good Girls”). The funny thing is this episode starts as an episode about vasectomies before it changes gears. And the one scene that is kind of stupid is the one at Nemo’s where Ray gets the “advice” from his friends regarding the vasectomy. Even Debra scoffs at that, why is he listening to them? And by the way, Home Improvement did it better! But in the end the episode isn’t about Halloween, it’s about horny Ray. And yes he’s annoying the way he won’t stop obsessing about it, but the reveal of what happened with the Condoms and Ray’s “comeuppance” at the end is funny. All in all, an enjoyable slice of life episode.
Grade:B+
And yes this last one is the trimmed version of my article I did last Halloween, I didn’t want to leave it out of in case someone missed it.
I’ll be back with more soon.
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