Welcome to season 8! We’re finally getting toward the end with only a few more articles left. So what did we get this season? While we got some good episode the crappier ones are getting more common. Sadly that started with the first episode…
Season 8, Episode 1
Fun with Debra
Plot Summary-Debra complains that she and Ray don’t do enough together so Ray agrees to take her golfing
Nitpick of the episode-This seems a lot like a few earlier episodes which tried to address this issue.
Best Line-(yeah I got nothing)
Episode Fun Fact –Brad Garrett is absent in this episode, the only episode of the series he missed, due to contrast negotiations with CBS. Thankfully they had a perfect excuse for where Robert was in this episode.
Deleted Scenes-none
Syndication Edit-top of teaser
Best Character-Ray, love he spends time with the kids in the beginning. I should bring up why he seems to hate doing this with Debra, but I feel like we’ve discussed that already.
Worst Character-Debra, in the opening Debra tells Ray to watch the boys. He ends up taking them golfing and even though the boys had fun she can’t let Ray off the hook for doing “what he wanted to do”. Finally she relents but why was she such a pain about it? She gets mad even when Ray does what she wants!
Final Thoughts-This was clearly not supposed to be the first episode because it feels like a filler show. Debra talks Ray into going golfing with her and it goes as expected. We see him and Debra enjoying each other’s company at first but tired of each other by the end. Is this a metaphor for their marriage? I get Debra wanting to do more with Ray but even she gets that golf is something he does as alone time. Why not find something new? Oh yeah we did that before. In fact this feels like at least three episodes they’ve already done!
Grade-B-, been there done that
Season 8, Episode 2
Thank You Notes
Plot Summary-When Robert and Amy return from their honeymoon, Marie pesters them about their thank you notes.
Nitpick of the episode-isn’t the etiquette that newlyweds have a couple months to get thank you notes out?
Best Line-“Those stupid broads. You can’t overthrow Marie. Besides, anytime you cut the head off something, the body still runs around by itself, all crazed-like.”…Peter
Episode Fun Fact –I relate a lot this episode!
Deleted Scenes-
Syndication Edit- teaser, Ray and Debra seeing the kids off to school. Debra is already aggravated and yelling so I guess her attitude the rest of the episode makes sense.
Best Character-Ray, for being the only one with common sense here.
Worst Character-Marie, yeah this is one of the worst “crazy Debra” episodes but Marie wins the prize. First of all, they just got home from the honeymoon do you really think either have gotten around to thank you notes? Second, as usual Marie acts like a baby when she doesn’t get the answer she wants. Third, we find out in the end that the reason she was so adamant about the thank you notes for Lee & Stan was because she had talked Lee into the gift and she was anxiously awaiting praise from Lee for being so brilliant. Uggghhh. Frank does an eye roll in that last second which sums it up perfectly!
Final Thoughts-When I did my top 5 worst Everybody Loves Raymond episode, this was #1. I hated this episode when I first saw it. But I’ve realized that “Cruising with Marie” is much worst (as I noted when I discussed that one) because the characters are at least accurate, even if this is one of Debra’s worst episodes. She gets so nuts I keep wondering if she is on some kind of medication that she hasn’t taken that morning. The weird thing she is docile after this episode. As much as I complain about Debra here she isn’t entirely wrong when she spouts off about Marie. The thing I don’t get is, she does realize Marie is Ray’s mom right? She acts like she can cut her off from her life period. I’ll get more into that in another episode but I get so sick of the power struggle crap on this show. Have she never heard of respecting your parents or elders? Debra whines Ray has no backbone but she doesn’t either! I kind of agree with Ray here, sometimes you have to be nice and Marie is still the mother faults and all. Even Amy agrees with this by the end.
Grade-D+
Season 8, Episode 3
Home from School
Plot Summary-Michael refuses to go to school until Ray finally learns the reason why.
Nitpick of the episode-How many days in a row does Michael stay home without any repercussions?
Best Line-“Who do you think you’re dealing with here huh? I may seem stupid but that’s just to get your mother to not ask me to do stuff”…Ray
Episode Fun Fact –
Deleted Scenes-none
Syndication Edit-top of the teaser
Best Character-Ray, the scene where talks to Michael about his embarrassing moment is great. Honorable mention for Ally who gets the last laugh at the end and I love it especially since it’s directed at Debra.
Worst Character-Debra, once again Ray proves he can relate better to the kids. Debra does know there are other way to handle things than yelling, right? This comes up twice in the episode when it’s stated Michael called the teacher mommy by accident. The response “why was she yelling? “sums it up. I also love it’s ok to share responsibility when it’s her but why is Ray always on his own? I especially love when Debra says parenting is part of his job. Sure Rays boss may not see it that way.
Final Thoughts-This isn’t a bad episode but it’s not perfect. The scene in act one is clearly just an excuse to get the family some scenes since it really doesn’t accomplish much. And I hate the tag where the bus of kids is calling Ray the name he said he had been called as a kid. But the scenes with Ray and Michael are very well done. Clearly the show wasn’t ready for Amy to be on full time she doesn’t appear for no real reason.
Grade-B-
Season 8, Episode 4
Misery Loves Company
Plot Summary-Amy tries to push a marriage book into Ray and Debra.
Nitpick of the episode-“You’re an idiot wrapped in a moron!”…Ray
Best Line-“What day was the high?”..Frank
Episode Fun Fact -for the first time we get no tag, something that will happen more often
Deleted Scenes-Ray doesn’t want to help with the laundry
Syndication Edit-Ray tries a fake apology before going to Robert and Marie’s
Best Character-Marie, love her speech in the end.
Worst Character-Amy, she really thinks three months of marriage makes her an expert huh? She doesn’t think she’s gonna have any fights or arguments? Wow, so naïve
Final Thoughts-I guess it’s normal for a nearly married couple to think they have a better marriage than others (since the first few months are pretty nice) but Amy should still know better. As I’ve said many times Roberts reactions were priceless and the look on his face when Amy tried pushing the marriage book on Marie is classic. Here speech here is one of her best. The problem is that while the last ten minutes is good the rest is just another Ray and Debra fight. Of course Debra mocks Ray until Amy gives her advice also, shocking.
Grade-C+
Season 8, Episode 5
The Contractor
Plot Summary-Debra insists they hire Ray’s friend Gianni but later regrets it when he turns out to be so lazy.
Nitpick of the episode-If Gianni is that lazy how does he get work? Also, yeah dude you don’t bill someone when you screwed up and they got nothing. Ray’s 100% right. And since when does Ray have back trouble?
Best Line-“No Gianni’s hour fix it guy now. Call him dad”…Frank
Episode Fun Fact –
Deleted Scenes-none
Syndication Edit-
Best Character-Frank, I like how he acts like Marie when he finds out Gianni is working on the stove, but by the second half he’s apparently over it. He may think of himself as “Ray and Debra’s fix it guy” but he doesn’t have Marie’s rampant insecurity either.
Worst Character-Ray. His trying to spare his friends feelings gets a bit annoying. But he handles things right when he gets that idiotic bill.
Final Thoughts-I like the idea exploring Gianni as a character but why did he have to such a loser? I guess because if he did a great job it wouldn’t have been much of an episode. There really isn’t much to say about this one. Gianni sucks, Ray hurts his back, but they make up in the end. We also get a callback to Gianni’s brief relationship with Amy which Robert is still jealous about, for some reason. And Frank getting jealous of Gianni’s working on the stove is so weak it doesn’t even last. And of course even though Debra wants to fire Gianni’s it’s ray who has to do it. Because god forbid she do any conflict.
Grade-B-
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