Initially starting as a show whose future was in serious doubt after its first season, Everybody Loves Raymond became a phenomenon that captured the hearts of audiences. Through nine stellar seasons, the show gave viewers a lot of unforgettable moments, with its sensitive and moving finale the penultimate tribute to everything that made it great. Despite what is explicitly indicated in the show’s name, not everyone really cared about Ray Barone (Ray Romano), or at least that’s what they showed.
The entire Barone family was a hodgepodge of personalities more diverse than the flavors in a box of jellybeans, each of them annoying Ray in their own little way. However, with all the marbles at stake, they proved that family always matters.. His adenoids need to come out. It’s not a dangerous procedure, but the oft-paranoid Ray treats it like a gunshot wound that’s going to leave him dead. Debra urges him to go for it, while his overly protective mother Marie (Doris Roberts) is dramatically concerned with what’s going to happen. His brother Robert (Brad Garrett) is visibly annoyed at this. It’s a daily occurrence for him for Raymond to receive all the attention while he gets scraps, and today was just another reminder of his second-class citizenship among the Barone children.
Frank (Peter Boyle), the ever-masculine and obnoxious father, mentions that he should get his undescended testicle checked out as well. In one sweeping sequence, the audience gets a refresher of what this entire show is about. Ray complains about everything in his life even though he has more to be thankful for, and his family either becomes a benefit or bane to everything. When he is brought to the hospital to undergo the procedure, Robert complains that he was only brought along because he is the same blood type as Ray. Everything seems to be fine, and Marie goes to the restroom. The entire situation is suddenly turned upside down when a nurse informs Debra that he couldn’t be brought back from sedation.
