Everybody Loves Raymond
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Marie's Meatballs
Screenshot mariesmeatballs
Debra pulling off the fake label in "Marie's Meatballs"
Season 2
Episode 15
Air Date January 19, 1998 (USA)
September 30, 2004 (Canada)
Cast Ray Romano
Patricia Heaton
Brad Garrett
Doris Roberts
Peter Boyle
Director(s) Brian K. Roberts
Writer(s) Susan Van Allen
Preceded by Mia Famiglia
Followed by The Checkbook

Marie's Meatballs is the 15th episode of Season 2, and is episode 37 of the full 210 episodes for the entire series. In this episode, Marie teaches Debra how to make her famous meatballs. But Marie secretly sabotages Debra's recipe to make her look bad.

Episode Information[]

Synopsis[]

For dinner, Debra cooks Ray her lemon chicken. But then Marie comes over with her famous spaghetti and meatballs. Ray chooses his mother's spaghetti and meatballs over Debra's lemon chicken.

Debra becomes frustrated because Ray picked the meatballs over her lemon chicken. Ray then gets the idea to have Marie teach Debra how she makes it. Hesitant about it, Debra lets Marie teach her. But when Ray tastes the finished product, the meatballs just taste weird.

After some help from Robert, Debra finds out that Marie sabotaged her meatballs by placing a label for basil on a bottle of tarragon.

Ray then goes over to his mother's house to find her in the kitchen and confront her about the jar of tarragon. He asks her what this is, and she says in a very innocent way, “This is a jar of tarragon.” Why? And Ray pretty much told her that he and Debra are onto her. She asks Ray how he found out, and he replies that her fake label came off of the jar of tarragon. Ray is trying to stick up for Deborah but still trying to be respectful to his mother, reluctantly saying, “This is very bad, Ma.” Ray then asks her why she did it and also asks her, “ Do you know how crazy you drove Deborah?” She replies, “ I didn't mean to make her crazy. I just wanted her to try to make the meatballs, fail, and give up that way everything will be right.” Ray replies, “Right? What makes that right? You have a problem, Ma." She then admits she has a problem but then in a very guilt-trip way asks Ray, “ Would you still come over if I didn't make food for you?” Ray, falling for it, says, “Yes, I'm gonna come over for other things.” Marie then tells Ray that she's his mother and has done everything for him, and she blinked, and he grew up. What more can she do for him? What else is left, her food. Ray says it's very good food, but she can't do this. She admits she was wrong and also admits that she panicked when Deborah asked for her recipes. Then, trying to avoid accountability, she says, “ I'll understand if you won't come over anymore.” Ray reassures her that he will, but tells her again that she can't do this. She then again says, “ I know, I know what's wrong, and I'll talk to Deborah.” "He says she's pretty mad, Ma." She says, “Don’t worry, she's a mother; she'll understand.” Then she asks Ray if he wants something to eat. Ray accepts her offer, which makes her very happy.

Running Gags[]

  • This is one of the episodes where Ray walks in the door and calls Debra by some funny nickname. He actually does it two different times in the episode.
  • Debra's lemon chicken also appears in this episode, as it does many times throughout the series.
  • Robert's quirkiness is also referenced, when he mentions that he washes his keys because they smell.

Trivia[]

  • In the episode, the battle between Marie's Thanksgiving turkey and Debra's fish (in the Season 1 episode "Turkey or Fish") is referenced.
  • This episode is one of the few occasions of the entire show where Marie admits she was wrong.

Production Notes[]

  • In original airings, the closing credits now shift slightly right.
  • After four episodes without one, Dave Attell takes over for Steve Tompkins as Creative Consultant.
  • Twins Sawyer and Sullivan Sweeten are uncredited in original airings.
  • In this episode, Property Master Rhonda Schneider's credit in original airings shift more right than the rest of the credits and squeezes slightly. This also happens in The Ride-Along.

Quotes[]

  • DEBRA: You know what I don't get? I don't get how you couldn't see my side of this! You're so busy defending your saint of a mother, that you make me out to be some kind of ungrateful nutcase! Well, who's the nutcase now, Ray? Who's the nutcase now?!

External links[]

Season 2 Episodes

Ray's on TVFather Knows LeastBrotherMozartGolfAnniversaryWorking Late AgainThe Children's BookThe GiftHigh SchoolThe LetterAll I Want for ChristmasMia FamigliaMarie's MeatballsThe CheckbookThe Ride-AlongThe Family BedGood GirlsT-BallTraffic SchoolSix Feet UnderThe Wedding: Part 1The Wedding: Part 2

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