Ray was gone on business for four days and comes home 16 minutes late. The kids are having dinner and they are just finishing up. The kids are in array. Ray saves the day by handing out cookies. It is Debra’s birthday; ray forgets the day and how old she is. Debra accepts it. Debra wants a birthday without the in-laws. Tiered of the in-laws coming over unannounced and being intrusive. 40-year-old brother still living at home, ray makes excuses for his brother and his family. Debra has to take care of the house, and the kids all the time. Ray can’t tell the difference between his two-year-old twin sons. Debra goes out with her girl friend a special treat; ray watches the kids, a scary idea according to Debra. Grandmother intrudes and comes over and snoops through the house. Grandmother makes fun of Debra for going out and spending too much money at Victoria secret. Frank wakes up the kids and chaos begins. Ray gets home from sneaking out to get pizza and the in-laws get kicked out. Debra gets home and is impressed that ray cleaned the house gives him a look that initiates sex, ray gets exited. Debra catches ray, Debra is fighting for privacy from the in-laws. Ray can’t uninvited them, parents have a hold on him. Ray has to struggle between his mother and his wife. Parents offended because Raymond sends them a fruit of the month club, feel offended because they should be able to buy their own fruit. Sex is scarce and both feel like they don’t get it enough. Ray lied to grandparents to get them to stay home but they came anyways. Ray is a chicken as well as well as Debra. Debra not expected to speak up, ray quiets her down but then he himself cannot muster up the courage to say something to his parents. As soon as the sex begins again, the little girl wakes up.
I Love You:
Interview with Tommy Lasorta but then ray starts yelling at daughter alley to put the cookie down. On a double date at an Italian pizza place ray embarrassed by the PDA of the other couple. Debra wishes it were she, try to get ray to perform a PDA kiss but he is scarred. Fine is bad, its nothing, nothing is worse. Grandmother tries to pry open the desk drawer. Robert broke the shower after he fiddled with it. Robert can’t be alone at the house. Debra is still not ok and ray doesn’t know what he did. Debra wants more affection. Ray sees it as playboy drunkenness. Debra sees it as passion, want ray to say he loves her. Yelling it during sex doesn’t count. Ray seems bewildered. Ray gets a card for Debra. But something is wrong he thinks it should be a pop up, but he realizes she wants the talking part. Ray is uncomfortable with showing his affection toward his wife but is fine with showing his kids that he loves them. He still refuses to say that he loves Debra, blames it on his parents. Dad thinks love is for a fairyland, and nice people. Marie makes frank lunch and claims that frank doesn’t know what love is. Claims that their parents didn’t say that they said it to them so that it wouldn’t spoil them. They aren’t living in a fairyland. Marie breaks down and says that she loves everyone. Frank breaks down and says that he loves ray. Then Robert follows suit. Ray freaks out and is very uncomfortable, as is Debra at the whole idea of loving each other. Disagreements between Ray and Debra are broadcasted to the rest f the family. Ray makes the bed while he running late, Debra takes that as a sign of affection. She drops the idea of saying the love thing. He finally says it and she laughs at him just like he was afraid of happening.
I wish I Were Gus
Ray comes home with dinner but a little late one of the twins falls asleep in his high chair. Debra thinks that a man who does the dishes is sexy, ray answers that two women doing the dishes is sexy. Marie holds a grudge with her sister and everyone worries there will be trouble at the funeral. Marie claims she won’t go. Ray has to give the eulogy, don’t want to do a public speech. Ray is openly sexual and sarcastic with his mother in order to convey humor. Ray makes mom cry when he says that she should cook a steak to be useful. She comes back and is angry at ray. Marie and sisters argue in the middle of everyone and ray has to give the eulogy. Total bust, he gave all facts, not sentimental or from the heart, made to seem insincere. Used uncle Gus’ death to reconcile his mother and aunt. Goofy brother Robert source of comic relief. Debra turned on because ray is capable of doing a speech and reconciling his family. Then everything goes to hell again with the family. Ray initiates sex.
Standard Deviation
Morning showers screen. Ray insults Debra and she turns the hot water on high so that ray jumps out of the shower. Debra exited that all kids are asleep and she is now free. Ray has to go over health insurance and says that is should be considered women’s work. Debra does men’s work and turns on the TV and scratches herself. Debra takes pity on Robert and agrees to do an IQ test for him. Debra doesn’t want to cheat and ray is intimidated that she will do better than him. Debra thinks it’s easy and ray comes out sweating. Marie is not afraid of taking the test, Frank is also intimated by the test says that test measure book smarts and he is street smart. Ray got an average score and Debra got a much higher score that put her in a higher grouping. Ray feels like an idiot. Debra tries to make ray feel better, she feels guilty for being smarter than ray. Ray is taking advantage of the results because Debra does everything for him. He says that this is the greatest thing that has ever happened to him. Debra gives him the last of the ice cream on the couch. Debra has had enough, sees through his act. Debra makes ray do everything now. Robert says that Ray actually got the higher score, not Debra, and now ray is happy with his marriage, Debra throws the ice cream on ray’s crotch. Ray wants sex; Debra says no several times and means it. They try to compare inelegance, they know typical male/female facts, and ray sleeps on the couch. Ray can’t remember things. Debra thought that they had their strengths and weaknesses worked out. But the IQ test was about self-image and human behavior. They were fighting for three days. Robert is impressed with the results. Robert gives the IQ test to his parents.
Look don’t touch
Debra wakes ray up to go check out the noise that Debra hears. It would look pathetic on the news if Debra were beaten up while ray was sleeping. Ray and Bernie go to the pizza parlor and there is a new waitress. Bernie thinks she is supper hot and ray seems to scared of her. Ray forgot his wallet and is supper defensive, Debra knows that she is pretty and laughs at ray for being so defensive. Debra is fine with the fact that the girl at the pizza parlor is beautiful. Ray doesn’t want to get in the middle of a fight. Debra tries to get out of Ray if he would sleep with the waitress. That was the wrong answer. She trapped him into saying something to get him in trouble. Ray just wants to get his wallet but Bernie gets him to eat at the restaurant again. Frank comes by to see the new waitress with the other guys. Marie comes over concerned, and tells Debra looks tired. Marie tells Debra that she needs to keep up her appearance to keep him interested. Marie comes over saying that she has heard some things; Debra is not concerned about Ray. Debra takes Ray to Nemos, awkward dinner follows. Debra gets milk spilled on her and then takes maries words to heart and puts hemorrhoid cream abound her eyes so that they wont have wrinkles. Debra asks why it’s so important the way a woman looks. Debra is concerned that ray looked at the woman at the pizza parlor. Debra admits to looking at a guy at rays work. Ray gets offended and defenseless. Ray takes to making fun of the guy at his work that he is fat and like a pig.
Frank the Writer
Ray had dinner with mom and dad, dad is telling ray to write for readers digest to make some extra cash, mom makes lamb chops and a full dinner with all the condiments. Debra watches kid shows with her Alley. Frank makes an article for readers digest. Marie typed it out, made a reference that frank could have never done this alone; the man can’t even wipe his own chin. Marie took away Franks check for calling her his little typist. Frank looks over rays shoulder while he tries to write a column, ray is annoyed and bothered. Frank feels good and worth something as an old retired male because he can write. Frank stops by rays work and ray feels like his father stepping on his shoes. Marie upset because she is a grease monkey; with ink all of her hands, fixing the typewriter. She used to make angle hair pasta with her hands and now she had to work for him being an ink stained wretch. Frank wants ray to pass on a column to his editor. Marie is upset because her hands are stained black. Debra is baking with her daughter Alley. Ray worried about loosing his job and then he would have to stay with the kids. Robert convinced that one of his nephews doesn’t like him. Every time ray walks through the door Marie asks if he is hungry. Frank disappointed when he finds out that his writing was embarrassing and amateurish. Ray tries to console his father after he hears this news. Ray lies to frank when he says that his column was great.
Your Place of Mine?
Car phone is Debra’s idea, could be affordable, Ray objects and she asked him why he is opposed to technology, he told Debra he showered her the wonder bra, a great technology. Makes fun of her that soon she will have a phone implanted in her head so she can talk to her friends. Quality time means ray reads the paper. Marie is tiered of being Franks slave. Frank says the sandwich Marie made him was tuna slop. Marie goes on strike, Frank says he can do it himself, and then he asks where the knives are? Marie is staying at their house. Ray says its ok even though Debra looks at him like no way. Marie compares Debra being dead and criticizes her closet and that she is sloppy. Ray is afraid of the look his mother will give him if he asks her to leave, he chickens out. Frank loves his freedom to sit in his boxers, watch TV. He went to the super market and hadn’t been there in 30 years. The real frank can do what he wants when he wants; he’s a free man. Going to watch Arnold shwatenager films instead of chick flicks. Debra catches ray in a lie. Debra chickens out, Ray pretends he is asleep. Robert upset that Debra is in moms chair. Ray comes around to the idea of his mother being there because she feeds him the food he loves. Both boys can’t turn down chocolate milk. A woman want to be nurturing but if there is no appreciation then she can get hurt feelings and resentment. She just wants to be appreciated; no woman wants to be the mommy all the time. Robert and ray start to fight about the cereal box. Sexual innuendo, tell him your tired and he will climb off. Frank came to get Marie but he didn’t apologize, but Marie came running in his arms.
In-Laws
Child is daydreaming about candy and ray says that is the peak time of happiness. Marie is cooking; frank is ripping the newspaper. Tearing out coupons. You hungry, no I just ate, she smells him and says don’t lie to me and fixes him a plate. Ray sits and eats. Ray likes Debra’s parents, and there begins the rivalry between the in-laws. Debra worried about impressing her parents, bought a sculpture. Debra’s mother loves Peruvian art, Rays parents don’t get it and make fun of Debra’s parents. High-class verses low class humor. 4 star restaurant invite for Debra’s parents treat, more fun than Vietnam. The whole family is coming. Rays family is completely inappropriate during dinner. Marie gets rid of the extra silverware and plates. Rays family astonished with the prices, thinks they are being taken. Unnecessary luxury seems to be necessary, enjoy life. Complete disaster at dinner, they didn’t even get to eat. Ray is now embarrassing to everyone. People aren’t supposed to convey actual thoughts to their families, its offensive. Ray bad at apologizing, Debra needs detailed apology. Ray will call the parents and take Debra back to the restaurant for dinner. More sexual innuendos, make up sex is in order.
Win, Lose or Draw
Take out brought home for the family on dads night to cook, complains about non-lingual restaurant employees. Ray wants breakfast, Debra sends him out with a list of errands, and he asks her what she does all day while he is at work. Poker night with Frank and the boys. Nemos poker night. A real mans game, poker. Frank brags about rays awards but the guys resort to making fun of his large head as a child. Ray is winning. Ray starts to make fun of the old guys. Franks is upset because he thinks ray is showing off. Ray ended up loosing the money to his dad, 2300.00 Debra upset but not extraordinarily. Debra looks to the future, and is upset that they aren’t saving. Ray wanted to show his dad that he was his own man. Debra makes ray see that his actions were childish; he doesn’t want to be a baby so he won’t ask for the money back. Frank wants to teach him a lesson by taking his money. Don’t get in over your head; Marie wants frank to give the money back. Ray is demasculinized by losing the money to his dad. Debra is frosting cupcakes with Alley, Marie makes fun of Debra for having frosting from a can. Ray can tell that Marie gave Debra money because they were both smiling. Marie keeps money because how long does she expect to be married forever. Marie tries to return the money. A good father is one who you can go to and make it all better.
Turkey or Fish
Ray scarred because he found a lump then he found a matching one, Debra reads the paper and pays no mind. Thanksgiving, tired of going to parents houses. Have thanksgiving at home. Debra wants to make a tradition. Marie is worth something because she is a good cook. Debra does all the cooking, shopping and cleaning. Frank smells like mothballs and Marie is disgusted. Ray backs up mom and then Debra because he sleeps at Debra’s house. Frank apathetic, as long as he gets his favorite part of the turkey the caboose. Debra want the whole family at thanksgiving, makes it better. Ray doesn’t want any parents to come, not fond of Debra’s idea to make fish on thanksgiving. Debra is concerned that it is healthier and it would be a start of a tradition. The first thanksgiving had fist, Debra makes good fish and Marie does good turkey. Marie is happy to come because Debra is going to fail; the fish is expected to fail. There cannot be a flaw. The whole meal will be made from scratch, the perfect thanksgiving. The females compete for the best thanksgiving. Give me something a man can do, gets the baking soda and baking powder. Debra is freaking out because the squash is missing. Debra is having a breakdown, overwhelming. Ray reacts with turning on football, but doing the dishes at the same time. Ray puts the fish in the dishwasher. Ray realizes that he put it in the dishwasher and takes it out, Debra has another breakdown. The guests arrive. Soccer is on instead of football and its unacceptable Frank changes the channel to football. Marie brings a turkey despite Debra cooking a fish. Ray torn between trying the turkey of the fish to appease the two women. Frank choked on the fish; Debra has a sense that she failed in front of Marie. Marie and Debra reconcile because both felt threatened by the other. Now Debra can make every thanksgiving now ray is crying. Perfect thanksgiving because all the men are asleep on the couch.
Analysis
Ray is seen as the somewhat goofy dad who had a constant struggle between appeasing his wife and his mother. Both women are dear to him but the hardly ever agree. Ray is a newspaper sports columnist and leaves occasionally on trips. On a few occasions Debra is seen waiting for him to come home and the house is in a disaster. Ray is seen to do many quick fix things that usually blow up in his face. Ray tries to please everyone but he has to make decisions that sometimes let people down. Ray is seen as a baby boy who never really grew up, either Debra or his mother Marie takes care of him. He is a man who has to be told what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. He is not the most reliable man. Ray makes enough money to support his family but in one episode Debra’s parents come to town and they are depicted as snotty because they travel and eat at fancy places. Ray was embarrassed by the way his low class family acted and ended up ruining the evening by making a scene. The way Ray dealt with the embarrassment of being middle class was to make fun of Debra’s parents with his own parents. Ray is uncomfortable with public displays of affection and he was not raised to say that he loves people. An entire episode was dedicated to this and the outcome was that Ray was too goofy to tell his wife that he loves her. Ray had no problem showing affection to his children but it was weird to him to tell his wife that he loved her. Ray is sometimes perceived as a baby. When he was sick or when his mother fawns over him. Ray if often times not seen as the head of the house. Ray may be considered the head of what he does, his work but he is not looked at as a solid rock that holds his family together.
Debra is seen as the woman who takes care of things in the house. There was one episode where Ray had been away and in order to give Debra a break he offers to watch the children and stay home while she goes out with her girl friends. In that time however everything falls apart. What leads up to this conflict mostly is that Ray cannot manage to tell his family no. Debra can always tell when something has gone array in her house, when Ray has lied to her, when the in-laws have been over, when any little thing is out of place it will be found out be Debra. Debra seems to be desiring her husbands attention a lot of the time, if that be by him telling her the she is loved, if that is by some physical sexual display, or by Ray helping her. Debra is always busy doing something around the house or with the kids. Debra is either cooking with her daughter or watching children’s television shows or feeding the children. There was only one scene where she was reading the paper and sitting on the couch and it was after the kids had gone to bed and the house was already clean. Debra is in a constant struggle with her mother-in-law. In the thanksgiving episode it was really apparent. Debra wanted to cook a fish on thanksgiving in order to start a new family tradition and Marie brought over a turkey. Debra was under such strain to perform a perfect dinner that she broke down to Ray several times crying and was obviously distraught. There were many times when the presence of in-laws created strain on the family, specifically Debra. Debra’s family was seen to be somewhat more upper class and this was threatening to Ray and his family. Debra was not under strain from only Ray’s family but also from her own. She bought a piece of exotic art to place on the table so that her mother would see it and be impressed. Debra had more than just her husband to impress. Debra is not a bad cook but Ray criticizes that Debra cooks for health rather than for taste. When Ray looses a large some of money Debra is not extremely upset. I take this to another level when I assume that the reason behind that could be because Ray is the one who has paychecks made out to his name. This is purely a personal opinion but her reaction did not match one that I would have expected. In one episode Debra makes Ray get up and check on what noise she heard downstairs. Ray does not want to and asks if she can go check on the mystery noise. Debra makes Ray go by saying that it would look really great in the eyes of society if there was someone there who beat up Debra while Ray was upstairs sleeping.
Marie is a very caring character in the show. Marie takes care of both of her sons as well as her husband. The show plays on the idea of who does a better job of taking care of the family, the wife or the mother. There were several cases where Debra was challenged that her house was not clean enough or that the children or Ray were lacking in being fed correctly. Marie does however get tired of being unappreciated by her husband Frank and leaves him and stays with Ray and Debra. The part I found disappointing was that Frank did not have to come actually apologize to Marie he simply had to come over and talk to her, she took that as an apology. She then went happily back with Frank and resumed the role of caretaker. Marie’s overbearing character is comical and seen to be over the top. If this were a real life couple the first thing they would try to do is move away from the overbearing in-laws who live next door.
Frank is not a very complex character. He is mostly cynical and somewhat old school. He has expectations to be waited on and cared for and he offers minimal to no appreciation. Frank is rigid and is constantly be explained for.
-Nichole
No comments:
Post a Comment