Everybody Loves Raymond: Episodes That Haven't Aged Well

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Frank (Peter Boyle) looking surprised in Everybody Loves Raymond.

Published Apr 7, 2026, 9:01 AM EDT

Zach Moser is a Philadelphia native who loves films, television, books, and any and all media he can get his hands on. Zach has had articles published on satirical sites such as Points In Case, Slackjaw, and McSweeney's.

Everybody Loves Raymond has aged better than many other sitcoms from the 1990s, but there are still a few episodes that don't hold up very well. The CBS sitcom began airing in 1996 and went for nine seasons, finally coming to a close in 2005, and accruing 69 Emmy wins with 15 wins in total.

It's a sitcom that bucks classic sitcom tropes, painting an honest portrait of family life. It isn't overly dramatic with people constantly at each other's throats, and it's not schmaltzy. Even though there are some things that don't hold up, Everybody Loves Raymond as a whole is worth returning to, save for a handful of episodes.

Frank's Tribute

Season 3, Episode 16

In "Frank's Tribute", Frank Barone's (Peter Boyle) lodge friends vote him as "Man of the Year", which requires Ray (Ray Romano) and Robert (Brad Garrett) to film a video tribute for their father for the ceremony. However, Ray and Robert quickly learn that Frank's "friends" aren't keen on Frank after all, which Frank sadly comes to find out.

The episode takes a very heavy turn halfway through as Frank realizes he's not very well-liked. Most of the episode sees Marie (Doris Roberts) and Frank talking openly and honestly in their room, which almost never happens again. It feels like there was an intended direction for Frank's character here that never paid off.

How They Met

Season 3, Episode 26

"How They Met" is a flashback episode that shows, of course, how Debra (Patricia Heaton) and Ray first met. The couple reminisces about the first time they met. As a futon delivery driver, Ray once brought Debra a futon and ended up asking her on a date, which naturally wasn't the most straightforward affair.

The flashback episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond have always been a little hard to sit through. They often remove key characters from the show and, particularly in the case of "How They Met", they reveal information that the audience never asked for nor gives us any interesting insights into the characters.

The Can Opener

Season 4, Episode 2

In "The Can Opener", in an attempt to make dinner, Ray attempts to open a can of tuna with a new opener that Debra brought. However, while doing so, the can spills tuna water on him. Ray blames the opener, and Debra blames Ray. The entire Barone family gets involved, recounting their own version of the events they saw.

Like the movie Rashomon, the events are shown multiple times over, with some details slightly tweaked depending on who is doing the telling. Each of the made-up stories doesn't feel reflective of the character telling each story, which gives us one of the rare examples of poor writing in the series.

Italy

Season 5, Episode 1-2

Season 5 of Everybody Loves Raymond opens with a two-episode premiere where the Barone family takes a vacation to Italy. Initially unimpressed with the country, Ray soon grows to appreciate it. Robert is in the middle of a romance with Amy (Monica Horan), but ends up spending time with an Italian gelato scooper.

"Italy" ends up looking like a tourism ad for the country, which feels a little hokey after you notice it. Kids play soccer, Ray's eyes pop open in amazement after he tries pizza, and Robert immediately finds a beautiful romance with a gelato maker. Showrunner Phil Rosenthal clearly loves travel, but come on.

Super Bowl

Season 5, Episode 13

One of the great parts about Everybody Loves Raymond is the very real relationship between Debra and Ray. The pair often fights, but not in an unrealistic way. Their angst feels natural, and the way they get on one another's nerves doesn't feel healthy necessarily, but it never feels over-the-top.

Episodes like "Super Bowl" push the dynamic a bit too far. When Ray gets Super Bowl tickets for his job, he invites his friend, Gianni (Jon Manfrellotti), which upsets Debra, particularly after she learns Ray's colleagues invited their wives. Debra's anger feels unfair and out of place here, even if she sort of has a point.

No Roll!

Season 6, Episode 2

In "No Roll!", Ray and Debra decide to play "Sensuoopoly", a romantic board game designed to inspire them in the bedroom. As they begin to play, they both realize they have very different opinions on what constitutes a sexual relationship, leading to an uncomfortable conversation about intimacy after 12 years.

The Barone family standing in the kitchen in Everybody Loves Raymond.

Everybody Loves Raymond Was A "Sophisticated" Version Of This Classic American Sitcom

Everybody Loves Raymond stands out from other classic American sitcoms with its unique blend of adult humor and sophisticated storytelling.

While it's never bad for a show like Everybody Loves Raymond to tackle an issue like intimacy with older couples, Everybody Loves Raymond handles it in a bit of a hamfisted way. It doesn't feel like an Everybody Loves Raymond, with a distinctly different tone and sensibility that doesn't mesh with the rest of the show.

The Annoying Kid

Season 7, Episode 8

Some people appreciate "The Annoying Kid" for how well it portrays the type of child everyone has had to deal with at least once in their lives, but for me, it's a frustrating example of annoying sitcom tropes; the child at the center is so rage-inducing that I can't enjoy the episode.

Ray and Debra are becoming friends with a new couple when they bring over their child, Spencer (Brett Burford). Spencer is the worst kind of rambunctious, sneaking child. Whether he's eating a prized cannoli and throwing it away, or saying Ray "stinks!", you'll find yourself getting as angry as the Barones with Spencer.

Lateness

Season 8, Episode 14

In "Lateness", Ray is getting more and more annoyed with Debra's constant lateness and finally gives her an ultimatum when an important event comes up. When she is late again, Ray decides to leave without her, resulting in one of their biggest fights in the show. Despite breaking a promise, it's Ray who is made to be at fault.

Ray is more often the problem than Debra, but Everybody Loves Raymond is good at making sure he gets a fair shake, and that he is truly at fault when the episode portrays him as such. In "Lateness", it's clear that this is Debra's problem, and yet the audience is seemingly supposed to side with her.

Ally's F

Season 9, Episode 5

Everybody Loves Raymond episodes tend to stumble when they focus on characters outside of Debra, Ray, Robert, Marie, or Frank. Even Ray's kids aren't very interesting, which has actually always been a strong point of the series. Everybody Loves Raymond is about people who have kids, not people and their kids.

So an episode like "Ally's F" already has a lot going against it. In the episode, Ally tells her parents she got an F in math but blames her teacher. Ray takes Ally's side while Debra sides with the teacher. It's a boring episode that feels dated, especially with the subplot about Ally talking to boys on the phone.

The Faux Pas

Season 9, Episode 11

In "The Faux Pas", Ray is watching his twins play basketball and teases their new friend by making a joke about his father's job, who is a custodian. To smooth things over, Ray invites George (Joel McKinnon Miller) over, where he ends up putting his foot in his mouth again, and Debra makes things worse.

It's a very cringeworthy episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, and it's uncomfortable to watch all these years later. We've seen Ray and Debra make themselves look foolish many times before, but rarely are they so mean and specific. It's a poorly aged episode of Everybody Loves Raymond and not one you'll be returning to.

Release Date 1996 - 2005

Showrunner Phil Rosenthal

Directors Gary Halvorson, Will Mackenzie, Jerry Zaks, Kenneth Shapiro, Steve Zuckerman, Jeff Meyer, Michael Lembeck, Brian K. Roberts, John Fortenberry, Michael Zinberg, Jeff Melman, Ken Levine, Alan Kirschenbaum, Andy Ackerman, Asaad Kelada, Michael Lessac, Paul Lazarus, David Clark Lee, Rod Daniel, Wil Shriner

Writers Jason Gelles, Bruce Kirschbaum, Eric Cohen, Jay Kogen, Kevin James, Scott Buck