From Amy MacDougall to Robert Barone and Raymond himself, who are the smartest characters in Everybody Love Raymond?
Frank and Debra From Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond is a sitcom with surprising staying power. While there might be many other comedy series similar to it from the ‘90s and ‘00s, many people can relate to the family dynamics from the show. While the characters are rather over-the-top given the genre, many fans still found them, and many of the scenes within the show applicable to their own lives.
While the main character from the series might not be geniuses as they are mostly just average people, some of them are smarter than others. And, since intelligence comes in many forms, there is a lot to consider.
Peter MacDougall
Peter MacDougall Everybody Loves Raymond
Peter is one of the least likable and most annoying characters from the series, and this is saying quite a lot. While people today recognize the actor that plays him, Chris Elliott, from Schitt’s Creek for his role as Roland Schitt, he guest-starred as Amy’s brother on Everybody Loves Raymond.
Peter is a rather eccentric weirdo, and he’s also not very smart. He definitely thinks he’s much smarter than he is but really he just has something to prove.
Frank Barone
Everybody Loves Raymond Frank Barone
Frank isn’t dumb by any means as he can be rather astute at times. However, he’s also not really someone who tries to be book smart or emotionally intelligent.
Frank does have the mental capacity to judge others, but he doesn’t have the emotional intelligence to know when to keep his thoughts to himself. He has many years of life experience, but this seems to have made him more close-minded than anything else.
Louis & Warren
Warren and Lois Whalen in Everybody Loves Raymond
Louis and Warren are Debra’s parents, and in many ways, they are a bit smarter than the Barones. However, while they might be more worldly and well-traveled, this doesn’t mean they are smarter in all ways.
They can be a bit arrogant and think that because they have been exposed to different places that they know everything. However, they are often rather oblivious to others and how they are perceived.
Robert Barone
Robert Barone Everybody Loves Raymond
Robert Barone is smart in many ways, but he also has a lot of self-esteem issues that hold him back. While he’s intelligent enough to move up the ranks in the NYPD, he doesn’t seem to know how to have healthy relationships.
His emotional IQ is pretty low, and while he has observational skills, he also lest his jealous emotions get the better of him. Because of this, he doesn’t always make the best decisions.
Raymond Barone
Ray Romano as Ray Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond
Raymond isn’t an unintelligent person when it comes to his career, and he can be really smart. However, in other areas of his life, he’s rather lacking in the intellect department.
Whether it’s laziness or just sexism, Ray is able to thrive in his career as a sports writer but can’t seem to figure out how to clean the house. While this is obviously played up for the sitcom element of the series, it does often make him seem dumber than is even logical.
Pat & Hank MacDougall
Pat MacDougall looking surprised at the Barones’ kitchen
Pat and Hank are Amy’s parents, and while they might be guest characters, they are in some really funny scenes. While they might not be the most modern or worldly of couples, they do have a lot more common sense than most of the Baroness.
They definitely have a healthier relationship as a couple and also have a better family dynamic in how they treat one another. So, when looking at emotional intelligence, they have most of the Barones beat out.
Marie Barone
Doris Roberts as Marie Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond
Marie Barone is definitely intelligent, but she’s proof that being a smart person doesn’t mean you always use these abilities for good. While she doesn’t have any formal education or a career, she’s got a keen mind, and she always knows what’s going on.
Because of her intellect, she’s able to manipulate her family in ways that are often very unhealthy. So, she clearly isn’t very good at relationships or healthy connections, but she is smart enough to know how to use people.
Amy MacDougall
Amy is one of the newest additions to the Barone family after she marries Robert, and this is definitely a good thing. Because she was raised by my sensical and kind parents, she often seems just how ridiculous the Barones really are.
Amy is overall a well-rounded person who is intelligent and kind, and she has good insights into the issues between the other characters.
Debra Barone
Everybody Loves Raymond makes it clear that Debra is very smart. We know that she has a college degree and that she was set to be successful in her marketing career as she worked in PR for the NHL. But, she decided she wanted to be a stay at home mom and focused on this instead.
But, in most ways, it’s made obvious she is more intellectual than Ray and that she is also more emotionally intelligent than he and most of the Baroness are. However, this doesn’t mean that she never gets caught up in the drama.
