Debra is sick and tired of having Raymond's parents and his brother show up unannounced. With her birthday coming up they try not to get his parents and brother to come over.

When newlywed friends make a public display of their affection, Debra wonders why reticent Raymond has trouble saying those three little words.

When Ray's upper class in-laws come for a visit, he begs his parents to be nice to them and accept their differences even though their lifestyles are worlds apart. Ray admits to his parents that he doesn't always see eye-to-eye with Debra's folks but manages to fake it and he'd like his parents to do the same when they all go out and try to have a family dinner. The request, however, proves to be a tall order for Frank and Marie.

Ray's love of the links is in jeopardy after he tricks Debra into letting him play golf, and his guilty conscience translated into a big bogey. Marie gives Debra marital advice, much to Debra's dismay.

After Raymond asks Debra why she ever married him, they take a walk back in time to the very beginning of it all. Raymond is very, very nervous. He's about to propose to his lovely girlfriend Debra and nothing is going right. But when he finally pops the big question, she accepts, the families celebrate, and all is well. At least for five minutes. Then the "nervous" turns into "pure fear" when Ray wonders if she really wants to marry him for love or if it's just for the elaborate wedding she's been planning since she was twelve.

While the Barones prepare for a friend's wedding, Ray kiddingly asks Debra, "Why did you marry me?" When she hesitates, he flashes back to the not-so-magical night 10 years before when he popped the big question. Ray gets unexpected, unsolicited and unwelcome help with from his parents, but Debra says yes anyway. That leaves the gloomy groom wondering if she did so because she loves him or because she felt pressured. So, Ray decides he's "gotta give her another chance to say no."

Ray is overjoyed by the reaction he is getting from friends and family who received a personalized “Barone” toaster from him as a gift — even Debra’s pretentious parents are thrilled with it. But, having heard nothing from his parents, Ray confronts Frank and Marie, the two people whose approval matters most, and is amazed beyond belief to hear what they did with the gift — and then what they resort to in order to get it back.

Memories of how they first met flood back when Ray and Debra prepare Ally for her first play date with a little boy. The first time Ray and Debra laid eyes on each other; their first kiss; the first time Marie met her future daughter-in-law (and what she thought of her!); and the first time Ray sampled Debra’s cooking are all revealed. It’s a flashback episode as Ray and Debra reminisce about their fateful first meeting 15 years before.

While discussing the possibility of having to hold Michael back for another year of pre-school, Ray is shocked to discover that he too was left back when he was that age. Once Ray learns of his scholastic past, he is convinced that of all the traits a parent could pass on to a child, his legacy is to pass his stupidity on to Michael. Meanwhile, Frank heads over to the school to sweet talk the kindergarten teacher into letting Michael advance with the other kids.

Ray's attempts to alleviate Debra's PMS moodiness only make her more irritable. When Ray witnesses Debra's hypersensitive mood and generally annoyed reaction to everything he says and does, he checks the calendar and realizes it's going to be a long couple of days ahead. In his desire to get a ""quick fix"" for Debra's womanly problems – thus making his life a heck of a lot easier – he turns a bad situation worse by suggesting that a simple pill will help with his wife's insufferable mood swings.

When Marie surprises the family with the news that she's treating them all to a two-week vacation in Rome, everybody loves the idea – except Raymond. It's virtually impossible not to enjoy oneself in a country as beautiful as Italy; but, if anyone can manage it, Raymond can. Not willing to let his sour mood spoil it for the rest of the family, Debra, Frank, Marie, Robert and the kids go on their merry way and soak up the atmosphere, sights, smells and tastes of the city of love and try their best to ignore Ray. Meanwhile, Robert meets the girl of his dreams – she's stunningly beautiful, unbelievably sexy and works in a gelato shop.

When Marie surprises the family with the news that she's treating them all to a two-week vacation in Rome, everybody loves the idea – except Raymond. It's virtually impossible not to enjoy oneself in a country as beautiful as Italy; but, if anyone can manage it, Raymond can. Not willing to let his sour mood spoil it for the rest of the family, Debra, Frank, Marie, Robert and the kids go on their merry way and soak up the atmosphere, sights, smells and tastes of the city of love and try their best to ignore Ray. Meanwhile, Robert meets the girl of his dreams – she's stunningly beautiful, unbelievably sexy and works in a gelato shop.

Debra gets upset when she finds out that her parents have seperated.

The Barones clash even more than usual in the sixth-season opener when they get a child's-eye view of all the bickering that goes on in the family. The fireworks begin when the whole gang attends an open house at first-grader Michael's school, during which the kids all read stories that they've written themselves. Most of the students tell tall tales that are obviously fictional. But then Michael gets up and reads the title to his story, ""The Angry Family."" The shocked Barones fear the worst---and for good reason---as Michael begins the saga of a clan that is constantly arguing.

It's the first Thanksgiving since Debra's parents have been divorced and Debra is thrilled that both her parents have agreed to have dinner with the Barones. However, she soon learns that Warren is bringing a date. Everyone is horrified except Debra's mother, who thinks it's just great.

Depressed that Marie and Debra can't seem to resolve their differences, Robert decides to join a support group that the family believes is a cult. After taking the feud between Marie and Debra very hard, Robert's cousin Gerard convinces him to attend a ""Pathway"" meeting – a group seeking the path to inner peace and unlocking one's potential. Although Robert is rejuvenated by his encounter with ""Pathway,"" the family is concerned it's a cult and they convince Ray to go to a meeting to see what Robert's gotten himself into.

Robert think he has finally found "the one" or a girlfriend. The girl is Angela, an international-trade lawyer who seems too good to be true. She's bright, speaks four languages and clearly loves Robert. The girl goes on to endear herself to Debra by complimenting her lemon chicken. While Ray, is also initially smitten with Angela, he see's something disgusting: Angela eats a dead fly out of a napkin. After he tells Robert and Debra, the won't believe him.

The six-year on-again, off-again relationship between Robert (Brad Garrett) and Amy (Monica Horan) is definitely on again in this pivotal episode. So much so, in fact, that ""Robert wants to propose to Amy,"" says executive producer Philip Rosenthal. But there's one formality the hopeful groom-to-be must take care of first: asking Amy's devout churchgoing folks (Fred Willard, Georgia Engel) for their daughter's hand in marriage. To that end, ""Robert convinces Ray to accompany him to meet her parents in [Pennsylvania],"" says Rosenthal. How they---and possibly Amy---respond determines whether wedding bells will be ringing anytime soon. Peter: Chris Elliott. Frank: Peter Boyle.

Robert and Amy exchange vows in a classic Barone family wedding ceremony.

Robert and Amy exchange vows in a classic Barone family wedding ceremony.

Marie instantly tries to get the upper hand in her relationship with her new daughter-in-law when Amy and Robert return from their honeymoon, but Debra steps in, determined to stop Marie's meddling once and for all, which horrifies the guys.

When Ray and Debra visit Fank and Marie's condo, they learn that the owners are going to kick them out. Marie and Frank move out. Robert and Amy are upset, but they let Frank and Marie live with them.

The women pressure Ray and Frank to accompany Robert to one of his therapy sessions. Instead, they go out to the track, and then put on an act in front of the wives. However, even though they skip the therapy sessions, the three unwittingly get closer.

Ray fears getting his adenoids removed, but Debra convinces him to go through with the surgery. At the hospital, while Marie is in the bathroom, the nurse says that Ray isn't waking up from the anesthesia and everyone fears he may die. Fortunately, thirty seconds later, the doctor comes out and says he's just fine. Everyone agrees not to tell Ray or Marie about it; however, Frank ends up telling Marie who rushes over to smother Ray with kisses. Ray finds out about it and begins acting weird as if he thinks he really is going to die. After a couple minutes, he gets out of it. The show closes with the entire family sitting around the table eating and arguing, just like the Barones always have in the past nine years.