Seen as an impossible instance for such a routine procedure, the idea that they may actually lose Ray has everyone showing their true colors. Debra is often exasperated with her husband, regularly calling him an idiot, and is even implied in several episodes that she is dissatisfied with him. Suddenly, we see her in her most vulnerable state, fearing for her spouse’s life. It is as if all the annoyance that she has been on the receiving end of from Ray was erased, as she clings on to every inch of hope. In desperation, she calls on Robert and delivers the news. Robert, who has been vocal about his distaste for his brother and even admits to hating him more than anything in the world, shows a grave look of concern and sadness while pleading with the nurse that he is the same blood type. Frank, the character you could always count on to deliver the funniest comebacks, is entirely speechless. He is a father after all, and the thought of losing his youngest son brings him more pain than his countless war stories and experiences in Korea.
As Robert rushes to the operating room, the doctor greets him and tells him that Ray is going to be fine, with the Barones all experiencing a sigh of relief. They regroup and agree to never tell Ray, or Marie for that matter, about what had just transpired. It is a brilliant scene that makes everything clear. Everybody does indeed love Raymond. It is as if they have made all of its episodes as mere building blocks to subvert in this scene, and its result was nothing short of spectacular. In the aftermath of this eventful visit to the hospital, everyone retreats to their old personalities like a Turtle locking itself in its shell. Perhaps it was one of their ways of dealing with their discomfort in displaying intimacy towards family, but a slip of the tongue once again uncovers their true feelings.
With Ray resting in his bed while eating a big bowl of ice cream and reading a racy Sports Illustrated issue, Debra looks into her husband’s face with pure romance. Ray, obviously surprised by this unusual show of care by his wife, asks why. Suddenly, Debra breaks down into tears and kisses her husband. Without a concrete idea of why she is doing this, Ray reciprocates.
On the other hand, it transitions to a scene with Frank and Marie in bed. Frank is spaced out and suddenly becomes emotional in addressing his wife. Marie inquires as to the sudden change in character, and he accidentally spills the beans on Ray’s near-death experience. Dumbfounded, Marie rushes next door to Ray’s room while he and Debra are on their way to having sex. She jumps on the bed and begins to kiss and hug her son, making for an extremely hilarious situation. Ray is obviously shaken, but once he opines that they must have not cared when he was almost dead, Frank shouts at the top of his lungs that Debra was devastated, and he never wants to see her that way again. Robert was also experiencing a sentimental moment in the car, singing along to “You Are the Sunshine of My Life.”
