Misery Loves Company

Misery Loves Company
Marie, Frank and Robert in "Misery Loves Company"
Season	8
Episode	4
Air Date	October 13, 2003
Cast	Ray Romano Patricia Heaton Brad Garrett Doris Roberts Peter Boyle Madylin Sweeten Sawyer Sweeten Sullivan Sweeten
Director(s)	Gary Halvorson
Writer(s)	Aaron Shure
Preceded by	Home from School
Followed by	The Contractor

Misery Loves Company is the 4^th episode of Season 8, and is episode 175^th of the full 210 episodes for the entire series.

Episode Information

• Episode Title: Misery Loves Company
• Episode Number: Season 8, Episode 4 (#175 of 210)
• Air Date: October 13, 2003
• Episode description (from DVD): "Robert and Amy think they have a great relationship."
• Cast:
  • Ray Romano as Ray Barone
  • Patricia Heaton as Debra Barone
  • Brad Garrett as Robert Barone
  • Doris Roberts as Marie Barone
  • Peter Boyle as Frank Barone
  • Madylin Sweeten as Ally Barone
  • Sawyer Sweeten as Geoffrey Barone
  • Sullivan Sweeten as Michael Barone
• Crew:
  • Gary Halvorson - Director
  • Aaron Shure - Writer
• Preceded by: "Home from School"
• Followed by: "The Contractor"

Synopsis

Robert visits the Barone house, inviting Debra and "a guest" to a party celebrating Robert and Amy's three month wedding anniversary. After Debra leaves, Robert gives Ray some marriage advice that the key to a happy marriage is to hold hands.

Later in bed, Ray attempts to hold Debra's hand. Debra initially refuses, thinking Ray just wanted to have sex. After he explains, the two try to hold hands until Ray criticizes the way that Debra grinds his hand while holding hands. Debra criticizes Ray for having a floppy hand, triggering a fight between the two. When they are unable to make up, Ray tries to convince Debra to pretend they are happy long enough to convince Robert and Marie that they have a happy marriage.

The next day, Ray and Debra arrive at Robert and Amy's apartment, where Ray once again tries to make up. Frank is upset because they're late and the dinner was delayed. Robert and Amy set the table in perfect sync, much to the dismay of Ray and Debra. Later, Amy thanks Debra for helping her find Robert, and gives her a self-help book to improve Debra's marriage.

As the family prepares to eat dinner, Robert gives a toast to his new bride, annoying Ray and Debra. As Amy attempts to give a toast, Ray and Debra comment that Robert and Amy are laying it on thick. Robert reassures Amy, saying that Ray and Debra are just jealous. Amy tells Frank and Marie that she also got them a self-help book to improve their marriage. As Ray and Robert begin to argue and throw food at each other, Marie breaks them up and gives both couples advice about marriage. She tells them that you will fight and argue sometimes, but you just have to stick with it. The whole family then toasts to marriage, as Ray adds "til death do us part".

Trivia

At the beginning of the episode as Ray and Debra try to hold hands Debra turns the page of her book to start reading but then her and Ray start fighting. After their fight she goes back to reading but instead of reading at the top of the new page, she turns another page.

Quotes

• MARIE: [to Robert and Amy] You two, you're newlyweds, you're in love. God bless you, you know nothing.
• MARIE: [to Ray and Debra] And you two are always fighting. And the reason you get so upset about it is because you think there's something wrong with that.

• MARIE: You want some real marriage advice? I'm gonna give you the secret. There's gonna be yelling! There's gonna be anger! Don't fight it, accept it! You love him, you hate him. He disgusts you, look how he eats. You keep your head down, and you plow through!
• FRANK: Amen!
• AMY: But Marie, you said "hate". How can hate have any place in a marriage?
• MARIE: [shrugs] You make room. There's gonna be hate. Hate is real. Marriage is real. We may fight... but we're okay with each other. And you know why? We've endured, we have been through it all. And now...
• FRANK: ...We're waiting for death!
• MARIE: [goes with it] Not that we're in a rush.
• FRANK: ...Fair enough.
• MARIE: THAT's a marriage.

• MARIE: We've been married 46 years. We've seen the lows, and we've seen the highs.
• FRANK: What day was the high?

External links

• "Misery Loves Company" at IMDb.com