Separation

Separation
Lois in "Separation"
Season	5
Episode	23
Air Date	May 14, 2001
Cast	Ray Romano
Director(s)	Asaad Kelada
Writer(s)	Phil Rosenthal
Preceded by	Say Uncle
Followed by	Frank Paints the House

Separation is the 23^rd episode of Season 5, and is episode 120 of the full 210 episodes for the entire series.

Episode information

• Episode Title: Separation
• Episode Number: Season 5, Episode 23 (#120 of 210)
• Air Date: May 14, 2001
• Episode description (from DVD): "Debra gets a surprise visit from her mother."
• Cast:
  • Ray Romano as Ray Barone
  • Patricia Heaton as Debra Barone
  • Brad Garrett as Robert Barone
  • Madylin Sweeten as Ally Barone
  • Doris Roberts as Marie Barone
  • Peter Boyle as Frank Barone
  • Sawyer Sweeten as Geoffrey Barone
  • Sullivan Sweeten as Michael Barone
• Guest Stars:
  • Robert Culp as Warren Whelen
  • Katherine Helmond as Lois Whelen
• Crew:
  • Asaad Kelada - Director
  • Phil Rosenthal - Writer
  • Ray Romano - Writer
• Preceded by: "Say Uncle"
• Followed by: "Frank Paints the House"

Plot

Lois drops by one morning and tells Debra that she's separated with Warren and they are planning on divorcing. Marie comes in and insists on finding out what is going on, but is made to go back to her house. Debra is angry at her mother as she thinks it must've been her idea, insisting she hadn't given the marriage enough effort and was too quick to call it quits - even though Lois and Warren had been married for 41 years. Lois reassures Debra that she and Warren are happier to divorce.

Lois goes over to Marie and Frank's house, finding Frank without pants on. Marie walks in and Lois tells the two of them that she and Warren are splitting up. Marie chats with Lois about the separation while Frank puts pants on, causing a brief but heated argument about the pants, displaying Frank and Marie's argumentative tendencies but also their openness. Marie asks Lois what separation is like.

In their bedroom, Debra informs Ray that she needs to tell him something, causing some angst for Ray. She tells him that her parents are splitting up, that they are "on the path to divorce". Ray, presumably out of relief that the issue wasn't closer to home, cracks a smile, upsetting Debra and Ray then proceeds to be unable to hold in his laughter, saying he had a mental image of a path in the woods with "divorce" on it and also that he'd stolen lots of candy from a broken vending machine at work. Debra is bemused at how lightly Ray is taking the news.

In the kitchen, Debra begins to eat candy. Ray wants some, but after sitting down and talking to Debra about her parents' marriage, which includes a semantic field about candy, Ray suggests that Lois and Warren separated because they kept everything inside instead of addressing each other, whilst Debra berates Frank and Marie's marriage, saying theirs was the more likely to end than her own parents'. Debra then asks Ray whether their own marriage is going to go the same way as Lois and Warren's but Ray is doubtful. After one joke too many, Debra storms off as she feels that Ray can't have a normal conversation.

Several days later, at Ally's birthday party, Lois asks Debra about whether she's come to terms with the separation, and Debra is still unmoved. Robert and Ray argue about roleplaying at the party and Ray gets to play the bad guy. Robert then consoles Lois about the divorce, stating that he'd been divorced, and that things "get better". Robert is then uncomfortable and leaves Lois alone.

In Ally's bedroom, Warren appears and reassures Debra that the separation is not Lois' fault, instead he says it was his idea. The whole family knew it was coming. Warren approves of Frank and Marie's marriage, admiring how open they are but Debra is sure that they're "maniacs". Later that night, Ray and Debra get into bed and they're both reassured that their own marriage is not heading for divorce.

External links

• "Separation" at IMDb.com