Neighbors

Neighbors
Ray and Debra talking with the neighbors in "Neighbors"
Season	1
Episode	20
Air Date	March 10, 1997 (USA) September 17, 2004 (Canada)
Cast	Ray Romano Patricia Heaton Brad Garrett Doris Roberts Peter Boyle Madylin Sweeten Sawyer Sweeten Sullivan Sweeten Tommy Lasorda Lance E. Nichols Cathy Ladman Steven Hack Patricia Belcher Don Perry Gene Greytak
Director(s)	Jeff Meyer
Writer(s)	Jeremy Stevens
Preceded by	The Dog
Followed by	Fascinatin' Debra

Neighbors is the 20^th episode of Season 1, and is episode 20 of the full 210 episodes for the entire series. In this episode, the neighbors tell Ray and Debra that they're tired of everything they have to put up with regarding his parents, and they threaten to kick Frank and Marie out of the neighborhood if it doesn't stop.

Episode Information

• Episode Title: Neighbors
• Episode Number: Season 1, Episode 20 (#20 of 210)
• Air Date: March 10, 1997
• Episode description (from DVD): "The neighbors come to Ray and Debra's to complain about Frank and Marie's obnoxious behavior. Frank and Marie arrive during the meeting and get angry with Ray for betraying the family."
• Cast:
  • Ray Romano as Ray
  • Patricia Heaton as Debra
  • Brad Garrett as Robert
  • Doris Roberts as Marie
  • Peter Boyle as Frank
  • Madylin Sweeten as Ally
  • Sawyer Sweeten as Geoffrey
  • Sullivan Sweeten as Michael
• Guest Stars:
  • Tommy Lasorda as Himself
  • Lance E. Nichols as Mack
  • Cathy Ladman as Lilly
  • Steven Hack as Arthur
  • Patricia Belcher as Ruth
  • Don Perry as Priest
  • Gene Greytak as The Pope
• Crew:
  • Jeff Meyer - Director
  • Jeremy Stevens - Writer
• Preceded by: "The Dog"
• Followed by: "Fascinatin' Debra"

Synopsis

The episode opens with Ray cooking for baseball manager Tommy Lasorda, who criticizes Ray's cooking. This sequence has no relevance to the rest of the episode.

As the main story begins, Ray and Debra are waken up by flood lamps outside of Frank and Marie's house. Something triggered the motion sensor which turned on the lights. And then Frank's new car alarm goes off.

With hardly any sleep, the sound of a buzz saw is heard in Ray's house from across the street. Debra is mad at Ray for giving his father the Big Book of Hobbies...as is Robert who hasn't gotten any sleep either.

Then the phone rings and it's Ruth Greene from two doors down complaining about Frank and Marie. She tells Debra that the neighbors are coming over to talk about their parents' obnoxious behavior.

The neighbors Ruth, Arthur, Mack, and Lilly are soon gathered at Ray's house all telling stories about how horrible it is to have Frank and Marie as their neighbors. Mack even has a video tape of Frank caught in the act, showing Frank getting the morning newspaper on four separate occasions in his underclothes. One incident shows him dropping a box of fragile food and then eating the food off the pavement, whilst another shows him, with only a towel wrapped around his hips, getting the newspaper, and then dropping the towel, exposing his buttocks.

Frank and Marie then suddenly happen to barge in during the showing of the tape. They are appalled that Ray would turn against his family like that, with Marie even going so far as to steal Ray's VCR.

Ray later finds out that his parents have made peace with the neighbors and they're all friends again. But they shun Ray because of his betrayal.

Feeling angry with his parents, Ray visits the priest at his church. He asks for forgiveness for feeling this way toward his parents. He feels he's broken one of the Ten Commandments by not honoring his mother and father. When the priest finds out that it's Frank and Marie Barone Ray is describing, he forgives him instantly. The priest himself has had a past history with Frank and knows what kind of person he is.

Back at home, Ray sees images in the mirror...his m,ind playing tricks on him. First he sees his parents. Then he sees The Pope. Now Ray feels extremely guilty. So he goes over to his parents house to confront them. But when he starts to speak, the words "I'm sorry" come out instead. Then his parents are happy with him again.

The episode ends with Robert at the priest's office, in the same position as Ray.

Running Gags

• Frank's obnoxious behavior is seen throughout the entire series. That's just the kind of person he is. But this episode actually focuses on it.

Trivia

• This is one of the few episodes in the series that actually revolves around Frank's stubborn and obnoxious behavior.

Production Notes

• Jeff Wheat subs for Kenneth R. Shapiro as technical coordinator.

Quotes

• PRIEST (after finding out Frank and Marie are Ray's parents): You're absolved.

• RUTH GREENE (Staring at Frank's exposed rear in the television screen): Is that a tattoo?
• RAY: No.

(All groan in disgust)

• MARIE (In the mirror): It's in the Bible: "Honor thy mother."
• FRANK: What about the father?
• MARIE (Shrugs): Okay, him, too.

External links

• "Neighbors" at IMDb.com