The classic sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond features many vibrant and over the top characters, from the titular character in sportswriter Ray Barone to his overbearing and judgmental mother Marie Barone. But one of the most fondly remembered and iconic of them all is curmudgeonly patriarch Frank Barone, effortlessly portrayed by comedy legend Peter Boyle.
Known for sitting around with his pants unzipped, uttering choice offensive phrases, and eating as much food as humanly possible (and then some), Frank is a character that manages to be both a one-dimensional trope of a sitcom husband and father, but also a nuanced depiction of a man who can be both a total jerk and surprisingly kind, too.
Jerk: “Sampling” at the grocery store
Frank Barone in Grandpa Steals episode of Everybody Loves Raymond
Frank has always loved food and makes no qualms about doing whatever it takes to get it. But in the episode “Grandpa Steals,” his love of food gets him in some serious trouble when he decides to “sample” some of the trail mixes from the display containers at the supermarket.
After being caught by a grocery store employee (played by Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Jeff Garlin), Frank doubles down on his theft, refusing to admit he’s wrong while screaming at the employee and making a particularly ugly scene right in the middle of the grocery store.
Nice: Comforting Ally
Frank and Ally Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond
The fallout from the scene at the grocery store winds up leading to one of Frank’s sweeter moments in the series. After Ally, who witnessed the scene, is too scared to interact with her grandfather, Frank engages in some rare one-on-one time with his granddaughter as he joins her in the backyard.
After making some poorly received jokes, Frank listens to what Ally has to say and seems to learn from it, even going so far as to return to the grocery store and apologize, no matter how tough it may be for him to do so.
Jerk: Raymond’s $2,300
The first season episode “Win, Lose or Draw” gives an early look at just how much of a jerk Frank can be when he wants. After inviting Raymond to join his poker night with his friends, Frank cleans Ray out, winning $2,300 from him during the poker game.
The majority of the episode is spent with Debra and Marie fighting with Frank to return Raymond’s money, but both men are stubborn as ever. In the end, Frank does return the money, but that doesn’t lessen the callous way he behaved for the rest of the episode.
Nice: The Mickey Mantle baseball
Another first season episode, “The Ball,” shows a markedly softer side of Frank, and also in terms of his relationship with his son, Ray. Frank has never been one to show affection or offer meaningful gifts or words of praise. But in this Christmas-themed episode, it’s revealed that Frank once gave Raymond a gift more special than Ray ever knew.
Raymond thought he received a signed ball from Mickey Mantle when he was young. But as it turns out, Frank had tried and tried in vain to get the ball autographed. Instead, he took it upon himself to practice Mantle’s signature, again and again, getting it just right to be able to make Raymond happy, even if it wasn’t the real thing.
Jerk: Ping Pong
Everybody Loves Raymond Frank Barone Ping Pong
There are few things about Frank that aren’t loud, over the top, and mean. But the memorable episode “Ping Pong” truly finds Frank in some of his least flattering moments, as he becomes both a sore loser and sore winner in a very short amount of time.
After recounting past ping pong competitions with his sons, Frank once again challenges Ray to a match, showing his boisterous, bragging, taunting side again and again as he mercilessly mocks Raymond while handily defeating him in their rematch.
Nice: Defending his marriage
Marie and Frank Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond
Not only has Frank Barone never really been much of an affectionate father, but the moments he shows real love and affection for his wife Marie are also few and far between. One uncharacteristically poignant moment in their relationship comes about after a rather ugly fight.
In “Marie’s Vision,” Marie lashes out and claims that she and Frank have a loveless marriage. This prompts Frank to break Marie’s new glasses, before retreating to their home across the street. When Marie seeks him out, she tries to reason with him to understand his hurt feelings, eventually coming to the conclusion that he does, in fact, truly love her after all. “You don’t need glasses to see that,” a particularly resolute Frank replies.
Jerk: Marie’s jar of fat
Frank Barone and the jar of fat in Everybody Loves Raymond
In an episode that features Ray and Debra fighting over a can opener, Frank and Marie revisit an old fight regarding a jar of fat that Marie had kept in the kitchen years before. Marie is immediately hurt and offended when Frank brings the topic up again, but Frank is immediately offensive and unsympathetic, repeatedly calling Marie nuts.
He lashes out even further, screaming at the top of his lungs about his entitlement to the jar (to keep his coins in) all because he was the only one in the marriage who worked a traditional job, and because it’s Marie’s “job” to serve him. It’s an ugly moment that’s still somehow played for laughs.
Nice: Defending Debra
Frank Barone defends Debra at the lodge in Everybody Loves Raymond
There are few things in life that Frank loves more than spending time with his friends down at the lodge. But his opinions of his fellow lodge mates drastically change during the episode “Debra at the Lodge.” When Debra starts spending time down at the lodge, helping out with tasks and befriending the old men, things quickly become tense.
The men begin to talk in offensive, sexualized ways about Debra, which makes Frank both uncomfortable and incredibly protective. “The one time we have a nice lady work here, you guys have to act like idiots,” he accuses, before offering an uncharacteristically sweet observation: “I’m like her father.” And through his protective dad mode behavior, he really is.
Jerk: Keeping the football
In the episode “The Kicker,” Frank’s selfish behavior makes him the embarrassment of the family and the target of public scorn. After catching an important game-winning ball at a football game, Frank refuses to give the ball up, and even demands that anyone who wants the ball should have to pay thousands of dollars for it.
What’s more, he goes on the radio and brags all about his entitlement to the ball, even sullying his sportswriter son Raymond’s reputation in the process. While Frank does give the ball over in the end, his jerky behavior in this episode is truly without parallel.
Nice: Petting the bunny
Frank Barone in Pet the Bunny episode of Everybody Loves Raymond
One of Frank’s kindest moments of all is only revealed through retrospect and only comes about through arguments caused by Raymond’s writings. After a story Ray writes in Frank’s draft eulogy, about a time that he saw Frank petting his pet bunny, is made public knowledge among the family and the lodge, Frank becomes incredibly defensive and denies that it ever happened.
But in the end, Frank admits the truth: “I had to pet that bunny. Every night. Every night. The damn bunny needed some attention.” He criticizes Ray for his refusal to take care of the bunny as a child and highlights the bond he developed with the little furry friend – which is just one of the many times it’s clear that Frank cares more for animals than he does for people.
