Season 8, Episode 6
Peter on the Couch
Plot Summary-After staying with Amy and Robert for awhile, Peter goes home to find out that he’s been thrown out.
Nitpick of the episode-We finally soften Peter’s characters and he is more likable from now on.
Best Line-“Yeah, I noticed his underwear hanging on the doorknob. Which reminds me, if you go out today, pick up a new doorknob.”…Robert
Episode Fun Fact –
Deleted Scenes-more of ray and peter in the car, the family waiting for ray to get back
Syndication Edit-Peter and Robert Looking for food in the fridge
Best Character-Robert, I liked how sympathetic he is with Peter in the end especially considering his attitude at the start of the episode.
Worst Character-Ray, he’s just a jerk here when he it comes to driving Peter home
Final Thoughts-This episode serves no purpose aside from developing Peter’s character a little more. So if you don’t like him, this isn’t going to be your episode. Its nice to see Robert and Amy acting like a normal married couple. The first half feels like standard sitcom fare as peter disrupts Robert and Amy’s routine. I can relate to this episode after being stuck living with my parents again I know it is easy to get comfortable. But as Peter discovers, it can’t last forever.
Grade- C+
Season 8, Episode 7
Liars
Plot Summary-When Ray blows off dinner plans with Marie, he and Debra concoct lie after to lie to cover the reason why
Nitpick of the episode-And the reason Ray didn’t just call his mother the night before to tell her had a headache was??????? And why didn’t Marie call to see where he was until waiting for the next morning?
Best Line-“I can put things together. You think I was born yesterday? ”Marie
Episode Fun Fact –
Deleted Scenes-none
Syndication Edit—Ray and Debra telling the boys they are playing a trick on grandma and grandpa, good cut this scene is useless
Best Character- Marie, I’ve said before she’s smart and this is one episode she proves it by deconstructing Ray and Debra’s lie.
Worst Character-Robert, Marie had intended to spend time with Ray and complain about stuff. Robert is upset that he was not even on Marie’s list of complains. Of course he was. And why is he so surprised the food Marie gave them was leftovers?
Final Thoughts-The one point I give this episode is that it’s nice to see Ray and Debra collaborating, even if it is on a lie. By the end the lies get so frequent that they don’t even believe each other! The episode ends the way many episodes will end the next two seasons, with the family in the kitchen. I have said before that the scenes where the family debate an issue were usually good. But this is the point where the series begins driving it into the ground and it gets so repetitive you can forget which episode you’re watching. My favorite part is the tab wheee ally shows she has picked up Debra and Rays skill at lying
Grade-B-
Season 8, Episode 8
The Surprise Party
Plot Summary-Ray and Lois collaborate on a surprise party for Debra. When Debra gets wind of it, she comes up with another idea.
Nitpick of the episode-Where in the world did that Chinese idea Debra had come from? Even Debra can’t come up with a good reason for it. And why didn’t she just let Ray do whatever he was going to, she always has to control everything! Course if Ray had mentioned Lois was involved she may have.
Best Line-“I’m looking for something in a LIpton”…Ray
Episode Fun Fact –
Deleted Scenes-Lois spending time with Ray and Debra, Debra finds ray hiding from Lois
Syndication Edit-the tag, Ray offers Debra a back rub with no expectation of sex. Uh huh
Best Character-Lois, the scene where she asks Ray why he doesn’t like her was quite overdue. I’ve been wondering that for eight seasons now. He can’t even be subtle about is as Lois points out.
Worst Character-Robert, he’s in an awful mood and when Ray mentions that Debra knows about the surprise party Robert just announces it. I get him wanting to make Ray look like a jerk (we discussed that in the previous Christmas episode) but he likes Debra why would he want to ruin the party for her?
Final Thoughts-Man, this episode. It’s one of those episodes that tries really hard for Ray to be the bad guy even though he really isn’t. It was Debra who ruined her own party by interfering and pushing Ray to go with her Chinese idea rather than the English tea idea her mother came up with. Not to mention everyone bitching and moaning at the party that they hate the theme which gets ridiculous. Robert blows the surprise making the guests and Debra mad at Ray. Then Lois reports to Debra that it was all his fault, somehow. You know, Ray is not perfect but at least let him do something wrong before he gets yelled at! Ok to be fair he does fail to give Lois any credit (she did all the work) but Debra’s the one who made Ray do the stupid Chinese thing, he was trying to spare everyone’s feeling, so it’s more her fault than his.
Grade-B-
Season 8, Episode 9
The Bird
Plot Summary-The Barone’s are shocked when Pat kills an injured bird
Nitpick of the episode-OK we know Pat killed the bird, but then what did she do with it? Throw it in the trash?
Best Line–“ You creepeth me out!”..Frank
Episode Fun Fact –
Deleted Scenes-original teaser with the family on the way to Amy’s parents for thanksgiving, original tag-after dinner frank and hank take their nap
Syndication Edit-
Best Character-Ray, I like how he stands up for his kids when Peter is a pain about the play and does it anyway.
Worst Character-Debra, of course she isn’t on the family’s side when she finds out what happened.
Final Thoughts-I guess this is supposed to be a sort of country mouse vs city mouse thing, as The Barone’s see things are little different in the country. Not that Lynbrook isn’t a suburb but it’s still not really country. It’s nice to see the family getting along in the start and the pageant with the kids is cute. Of course the big focus of the episode is the debate over whether pat should or shouldn’t have killed the bird. I think frank sums it up in the end when the turkey is ready and he happily asks for a leg.The only annoying part is Ray whining about no tv. Oh poor baby.
Grade-B- decent thanksgiving episode
Season 8, Episode 10
Jazz Records
Plot Summary-Ray finally decides to buy Frank new jazz records to replace one’s he apparently ruined as kid.
Nitpick of the episode-Ah, retcons! Suddenly not only did Ray destroy Frank’s records years ago but Frank keeps bringing it up to punish him. Of course, we’ve never heard this story before. Its not even consistent it sounds like the records were destroyed on a random day and suddenly it was on Christmas. Oh and I love this-at one point we see Ray has been waiting for an hour at Frank and Marie’s to show them the CD’s. His plan is to play them as soon as they walk in. When he does, the volume is cranked up and scares the two! Sooo…he was there an hour and in all the time didn’t think to check the volume first??????
Best Line-“You two are so screwed up”…Frank
Episode Fun Fact –The final Christmas episode. The magic basement is back, suddenly Frank and Marie’s basement has a whole corner of gifts they received and discarded. Which was never there before.
Deleted Scenes-Ray and Robert bringing in the Christmas tree
Syndication Edit-
Best Character-Robert, he has the right idea getting actual records.
Worst Character-Marie, she proves that she just likes being mean to Debra for the sake of being mean. Ray accidentally brings home one of Marie’s bra’s (long story). Debra decides to give it to Marie as a stocking stuffer. When Marie gets it, she tells Debra it’s a kind she never wears. Uh huh.
Final Thoughts-I get the message this episode is trying to convey, and it’s a good one. Sometimes we love the old stuff we had when we were young and no matter how cool technology gets that nostalgic feeling will always be there. I find that watching TV on my laptop or phone is just not the same as watching it on a TV. Even though it’s the exact same program! What I don’t get is why Ray doesn’t get that. Why didn’t he try to replace the records, like Robert did, rather than get him brand new CD’s? The best scene is probably that last shot of Frank listening to his music, you can see what it means to him.
Grade-B-, not terrible
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