Since the 5th season 4 DVD only had four episodes I decided rather than do an abbreviated article next time to wrap up the season I would do a longer article this time to cover all the remaining episode. So with that said, let’s dig right in!
Season 4, Episode 16
The Tenth Anniversary
Plot Summary-Debra is angry when she finds out Ray recorded over their wedding video with football
Nitpick of the episode-You know it’s bad when Marie takes Debra’s side!
Best Line-“ten years, that’s enough”…Ray
Episode Fun Fact –
Deleted Scenes-Ray and the invitations
Syndication Edit-Top of the scene at frank and Marie’s
Best Character-Debra, Man does she get angry! However, for once I can’t fault her for getting upset. If I had something special on video and someone carelessly recoded over it I’d be a little peeved to. I might have said that she overreacted except the next day she has calmed down and admits she’ll get over it. So a pretty natural reaction here.
Worst Character-Ray, can’t forgive that one. Though you gotta admire how he desperately tries to blame it on someone else when Debra is fuming. He even tries to blame the kids none of whom were born yet! The fact that he forget the vows at the renewal makes even dumber. Thank goodness he managed to remember Debra’s favorite flower!
Final Thoughts-A lot of times this series will have a great idea, and have no idea what to do with it. This is a prime example! The set-up is great, Ray taped over his wedding video. Cool, so what do they do? Ray is coaxed into renewing his vows with Debra. How does that fix the problem? It’s boring and I wish they had gone another way. It’s more about Ray planning the stupid shower than it is Ray recording over the wedding video. Even in the commentary for the episode the creator Phil Rosenthal suggests this very thing when he hears what happened to the writer whose experience this episode is based on. And Father Hubley’s clear disdain for Ray starts to get kind of annoying here. You do have to admire how the friends at the renewal are characters we’ve already seen before on the show.
Grade-B-
Season 4, Episode 17
Hackidu
Plot Summary-When Ray gives away Ally’s favorite card he goes to great lengths to get it back
Nitpick of the episode-Why did Ray have to go to the comic store that same day?
Best Line-“go love yourself”…Ray
Episode Fun Fact – So we meet Amy’s brother Russell in this one, played by Paul Reubens. Later her brother will be Peter played by Chris Elliott. I’ll discuss it more down the road but why did they change the name when they recasted the role? I can understand why they had to recast it, but did Paul Reubens own the rights to the name or something? And yes it’s clearly supposed be the same character because this episode gets referenced in Peter’s first appearance.
Deleted Scenes-none
Syndication Edit-teaser, the kids singing the Hackidu theme (yep, just like Pokémon it’s also a tv show, wonder if it became a series of awful movies too?)
Best Character-Ray, nice to see him care about his kids (even if he’s forced to)
Worst Character-Marie, she has nothing to do in this one but offer some exposition. And she feels out of character when she does it! In fact when she explains what Hakidu is the other characters give her looks because they know she shouldn’t know that. And they’re right! She can’t figure out what a FAX machine is or how to use a VCR but that she knows? And no “because she’s grandma” doesn’t fly.
Final Thoughts-Another one of my favorites. Though the premise is a little forced, obviously hakidu is a stand in for Pokémon. But I like seeing the lengths Ray will go thru to make ally happy. But the episode is stolen by Paul Reuben’s and his clever cameo. I’m no big fan of Reuben’s but he’s great here. At one point he gets a laugh with just a facial expression. Gotta admire that.
Grade-A-
Season 4, Episode 18
Debra Makes Something Good
Plot Summary-Debra actually makes something good, which pleases Frank and upsets Marie
Nitpick of the episode-Obviously they needed conflict in this episode, why else would Ray make fun of the food he clearly loved? The episode tries to make a good argument for it, husband always make wife jokes, but no. And the most shocking thing of all is that Robert defends Ray for once!!!
Best Line-“This is insane. I never would have made the stuff if I’d thought it would turn everyone’s world upside down!”…Debra
Episode Fun Fact –Frank says he’s 64 in this episode. Two years earlier he turned 65!
Deleted Scenes-none
Syndication Edit-top of the teaser, Marie and frank playing clue to keep Roberts mind sharp
Best Character-Frank, Yeah its silly the way Frank loves the food and subsequently Debra but it’s a funny kind of silly
Worst Character-Marie, if you ever had any doubt how insecure Marie was, this episode is the convincer. Man does she overreact! She actually asks Debra why she is trying to destroy her! Who talks like that?
Final Thoughts-It’s a pretty good idea, what if Debra made something good for once? And the episode delivers on that idea. Well, with Marie and Frank anyway. The stuff with Ray feels forced, as I already noted. It’s so silly we need Ray’s friend Andy to pointlessly show up to set it all up. Marie teeters on being just plain unlikable here. The is a reason, it’s not just that Debra made something good but she made the one dish that convinced Frank to marry her. What are the odds! It gets a little too silly. Of course in the end we learn that when Debra made something else it sucked, as usual, and thus order was restored to the universe. As for the stuff between Ray and Debra and him making fun of her at work, it’s good just feels like it’s in the wrong episode. I’ve seen this episode a few times and have still yet to figure out what the heck Braciole is exactly.
Grade-A-
Season 4, Episode 19
Marie and Frank’s New Friends
Plot Summary-Marie and Frank make new friends who want to spend all their time with Ray and Debra.
Nitpick of the episode-What did Robert do to Rita and Harry to make them hate him so much? At one point Robert is talking to them, and when Ray enters Harry is so relieved he literally says “Thank god”! Why?
Best Line-tell them that you lose a bet and have clean and feed him for another year
Episode Fun Fact –
Deleted Scenes-none
Syndication Edit-teaser, ray comes home from a trip
Best Character-Robert, kind of a process of elimination thing
Worst Character-Rita and Harry, what the hell is their obsession with Ray? I can maybe buy the first night but the second night? Ok the excuse is they wanted their son to meet him but…c’mon! Is Ray really that big a celebrity? Thank god the two never appear again.
Final Thoughts-I have mixed feelings about the very end of the episode when Ray is reluctantly dragged off with his parents and Rita and Harry, and Robert and Debra happily decide to order out. I guess Ray deserves it but it was more Marie’s fault than Ray’s. It’s really hard to be on Debra’s side on this one, I get the whole point of getting Marie and Frank out more was so that she would see them less but she gets a little ridiculous about it. Though to be fair this time it could be more bad directing than writing.
Grade-B+
Season 4, Episode 20
Alone Time
Plot Summary-Debra wants alone time from Ray, which Ray is ok with until he spies her crying for no apparent reason
Nitpick of the episode-Yeah I’m on Ray’s side here. Crying “just because she felt like” doesn’t wash with me.
Best Line-“I don’t mean to alarm you son, but even if she had a full lumberjack beard she wouldn’t need an entire afternoon”…Frank
Episode Fun Fact –
Deleted Scenes-Debra tells ray to go to work
Syndication Edit-good edit, ray is almost out the door when he realizes he forgot deodorant. Also Ray bringing the kids to Marie’s and telling Marie about how Debra wants alone time. This edit is obvious if you see the rerun.
Best Character-Robert, he gives good advice and comes off supportive here. Nice to see once in a while.
Worst Character-Ray, sort of by default since the others don’t really do anything and he does spy on Debra. Though the tag is funny and quintessential Ray
Final Thoughts-I get Debra wanting alone time but time to cry? Sure. This is one time when Rays worrying is understandable. I like this episode though that final between Ray and Debra feels like it goes a little too long. By the way, remember Debra complaining that she never has any place to be alone in the house, I’ll have a tangent for a future episode.
Grade-B+
Season 4, Episode 21
Someone’s Cranky
Plot Summary-Robert is in a bad mood when he has three weeks of rehab at Frank and Marie’s left
Nitpick of the episode-Robert explains he left a carton of milk out the day he was gored by the bull. So we’re supposed to believe in three months no one went back to Robert’s apartment? To get his mail or check his messages or get extra clothes…. or something?
Best Line-“I can’t believe you’re still living with them. If it was me I’d be cleaning off my fingerprints and rehearsing my 9-1-1 call.”…Ray
Episode Fun Fact-Ray Romano has said that the scene between Debra and Robert was the first one he wasn’t in all season. That’s a lot of Ray!
Deleted Scenes-none
Syndication Edit-
Best Character-Debra, her scene with Robert is great I love how she gets him to breakdown by pointing out he wasn’t upset that he had three more weeks at Marie and Frank’s, he was upset he ONLY had three weeks left. Love a good character deconstruction and how she points out how much he loves playing the victim. No way!
Worst Character-Robert, acting like a jerk makes him a jerk
Final Thoughts-This would be a horrible episode if not for that scene between Debra and Robert. It saves the whole thing. Very well done scene. The rest of the episode is just Robert in a bad mood being a jerk to everyone. This episode serves no purpose other than to establish Robert is finally recovered.
Grade-B-
Season 4, Episode 22
Bad Moon Rising
Plot Summary-Ray tries to help Debra when she’s in a bad mood
Nitpick of the episode-OK I am a guy and maybe I just don’t understand, but why wouldn’t you want to try medicine that might help even a little? Also there is an inconsistency in this episode that drives me nuts. Ray brings home takeout food. Then he and Debra have a fight and Debra storms out. When she comes back, Ray explains that he fed the kids Peanut Butter & Jelly before they went to bed screaming. Wait, if he had takeout food why didn’t he feed them that??
Best Line-“If they find me chopped up In the refrigerator don’t believe the suicide note”…Ray
Episode Fun Fact –This episode won Patricia Heaton her first Emmy
Deleted Scenes-Ray realizes it’s going to a long week
Syndication Edit-top of the teaser
Best Character-Frank, again he has very little to do but his speech at the start of the episode is the best part. The tag where he tries to record Marie is funny too.
Worst Character-Ray and Debra, they are both equally out of line in this episode so let’s call it a tie
Final Thoughts-This is a real hard episode to review because, obviously, I have no idea what it’s like to have PMS. So while Debra comes off horribly here, she may have good cause. That doesn’t excuse everything, like pushing Ray into the bookcase. The worst part for me is that she just won’t admit that maybe she is a little extra irritable. Ray is a lazy slob but that doesn’t mean he deserves to be reamed out. And as a male the scene where she and Marie attack pisses me off. Yeah it isn’t possible that isn’t just the fact that Ray is a slob, a point ray actually makes. I can understand being annoyed if a guy just blames everything on PMS without cause but if she is experiencing it then isn’t it possible that it’s a factor? Also I see not announcing it to the world but why is it so hard for Debra to tell her husband she has PMS? On the other hand, Ray recording her wasn’t the nicest thing to do either. He was probably better off with his original plan, just wait for it to pass.
Grade-A, quintessential episode
Season 4, Episode 23
Confronting the Attacker
Plot Summary-Robert experiences PTSD when he returns to work after recovering from his injury
Nitpick of the episode-Why didn’t Robert have therapy while he was recovering? Only on TV can you can quit your job and then change your mind and just go back
Best Line-“Telemarketing? You think people hate cops”…Ray
Episode Fun Fact –Clearly that scene at the petting zoo was filmed on the Warner Bros backlot.
Deleted Scenes-Marie wants who watch sports with ray (easy edit)
Syndication Edit-teaser, Robert explains how he and Amy got back together (with this edit her appearance on the episode seems to come out of nowhere)
Best Character-Robert, what he feels in this episode it totally believable.
Worst Character-Ray, Yeah Ray always has to remind us how selfish he is. Robert announces he quit the force, and all Ray can think is that now rather than going out to eat he’s stuck with Debra’s meatloaf.
Final Thoughts-This is a good episode and a nice conclusion to the Robert arc. Brad Garrett does a great job with his panic scene and then with the scene with the bull. It makes perfect sense that he would need to confront his attacker, and kudos to the creators for remembering that. So many times in sitcoms a character will suffer some accident and be just fine in the next episode. This episode ends with a fake PSA which I am not sure about. It’s a little to out there for this kind of show, but I get the feeling the creators couldn’t resist. I also like how Ray is in this episode. Yeah I know I have him worst character for that one line but he’s good in most of it.
Grade-B+
Season 4, Episode 24
Robert’s Divorce
Plot Summary-How Robert got divorced from Joanne
Nitpick of the episode-The episode doesn’t quite match up with other things established about how and why Robert broke up with Joanne. But you could argue that more happened that we didn’t see and it’s also from the family’s point of view so details could have been missed.
Best Line-“I tell you what you don’t do. You don’t call Mom a bitch”…Ray
Episode Fun Fact –Since this episode takes place just prior to Season 1, in the flashback Debra is back in her short hair that she had that year.
Deleted Scenes-none
Syndication Edit-top of the teaser
Best Character-Marie, you gotta love her big scene in this episode when she throws Joanne out.
Worst Character-Robert, why would he take Joanne’s card at the end of the episode???
Final Thoughts-Pretty good episode, always liked Susie Plakson and she does a great job being nice and a miserable witch at the same time. I get why Robert married her, he was desperate to have what Ray had, but what made Joanne marry Robert? Anyway the episode is a nice throwback and nice way to end the season. We even get a cliffhanger, when Joanne says hello to the family she gives Robert her card. He throws it away at first, but ends up taking it in that last scene.
Grade-A-
Season four was great! I loved almost every episode and this is the season that really made me a fan. So will that continue into Season 5? Come back next time as we begin that year. And since this article went a little long, I promise the next will be short and sweet.
