The Finale

The Finale
Debra and Amy in "The Finale"
Season	9
Episode	16
Air Date	May 16, 2005
Cast	Ray Romano Patricia Heaton Brad Garrett Doris Roberts Peter Boyle Madylin Sweeten Sawyer Sweeten Sullivan Sweeten
Director(s)	Gary Halvorson
Writer(s)	Phil Rosenthal Tucker Cawley Ray Romano
Preceded by	Pat's Secret
Followed by	n/a

The Finale is the 16^th episode of Season 9, and is episode 210^th of the full 210 episodes for the entire series.

Episode Information

• Episode Title: The Finale
• Episode Number: Season 9, Episode 16 (#210 of 210)
• Air Date: May 16, 2005
• Episode description (from DVD): ""
• 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
  • Monica Horan as Amy MacDougall Barone
  • Sawyer Sweeten as Geoffrey Barone
  • Sullivan Sweeten as Michael Barone
• Guest Cast:
  • Charles Rahi Chun as Doctor
  • Henrietta Mantel as Nurse
  • Tracie Leong as Woman at Hospital
• Crew:
  • Gary Halvorson - Director
  • Phil Rosenthal - Writer
  • Tucker Cawley - Writer
  • Ray Romano - Writer
• Preceded by: "The Power of No"

Synopsis

Ray has been to the doctor and been told he has to get his adenoids out. Although this is a routine surgery, Ray is terrified something is going to go wrong despite Debra's attempts to convince him otherwise. Marie is also taking the upcoming surgery badly, devastated that a piece of Ray is going to be taken away.

When it's time for the surgery, Marie drags the whole family down to the hospital to wait. Robert is especially annoyed, since he feels that Marie only brought him since he's the same blood type as Ray. Marie insists that as a family, they need to support each other and gets angry when they start to joke around. She leaves to freshen up but orders them to be more concerned when she gets back. After she's gone, a nurse comes out of the OR and asks Debra if Ray has any conditions he might not have told them about as he isn't coming out of the anaesthetic and his blood pressure has dropped. Debra panics and begins to break down in tears, with Robert also gets upset demanding to be let into the operating room. Just then a doctor arrives and tells everyone that Ray is coming round as he just suffering from a form of hypertension but otherwise he's fine. Everyone is very relieved and agree that neither Ray or Marie can ever find out what happened.

Returning home, Ray enjoys ice cream in bed while Debra spoils him with sports magazines. As he eats and reads, Debra looks at Ray lovingly which he notices. She pretends she was just thinking about the next day and what she has to do, but as she does so she begins to get upset which Ray puts down to it being her time of the month. Over the street, Frank reflects on what happened in the hospital as he and Marie lie in bed. Marie notices that he isn't watching TV as usual, and Frank decides to try and tell Marie that he doesn't really mean the things he says about her. However, when he tenderly touches her shoulder, she realises something is wrong. After initially denying it, Frank tells Marie what happened when she went to the bathroom, while trying to be clear about the fact it only lasted for a few seconds. Obviously this makes no difference as Marie flies into hysterics and immediately bolts for Ray's house.

Ray and Debra are just beginning to get passionate when Marie bursts into the room, throws herself between them and starts covering Ray with kisses, causing Debra to remark she always knew this would happen eventually. Frank follows to try and bring Marie home, forcing him and Debra to tell Ray what happened in the hospital. Ray doesn't take it well, now starting to believe he was actually dead for thirty seconds and even thinks he saw a light and starts hopping on one foot, patting his head and rubbing his belly in case he lost brain functions. Robert and Amy arrive, causing Robert to comment that now they'll literally watch Ray do anything.

Ray asks Debra what she did during the thirty seconds they thought he was dead, and starts to imagine Debra immediately planning to get on with her life and start dating again. The scene takes on a moment of seriousness when Frank matter-of-factly tells Ray that Debra completely fell apart and makes it clear he never ever wants to see that happen again. Ray is shocked, and then asks Robert what he did. Robert tries pretending he was fine, but Amy tells everyone that when driving home Robert had to pull over as he started crying when 'You Are the Sunshine of my Life' came on the radio. The excitement over, Frank finally drags Marie away and everyone goes home. Now alone again, Ray tells Debra (through hand signals) how much he loves her and she tells him she feels the same. The two then eagerly resume their night of passion, with Ray joking that since he's getting sex and ice cream he might not have actually woken up.

The next day, the family are eating breakfast when Frank and Marie burst in, Marie carrying Frank's tools after his attempt to fix the stove by hitting it with the hammer broke it. Robert and Amy follow and everyone decides to stay for breakfast, with Marie (as usual) taking over cooking duties and everyone else squeezing around the table. Debra comments how crowded the kitchen is getting, and Ray responds that they need a bigger table. The Barones then begin the usual assortment of teasing, bickering and good-natured insults that make up their everyday life as a family.

Trivia

• Filming of the series finale was delayed twice when Patricia Heaton and then Doris Roberts were ill and couldn't speak well on the filming days.

• Sawyer Sweeten's final on-screen appearance before his death on April 23, 2015, almost 10 years after the show ended.

Quotes

• RAY: For thirty seconds you all thought I might be dead.
• [He pauses and looks around at the family who remains silent]
• RAY: What'd everybody do?
• DEBRA: You weren't dead! It was thirty seconds!
• RAY: Well thirty seconds is a long time. What went through your mind. Thirty seconds okay go. I have to plan a funeral. I have to raise three kids myself. On the other hand I can start dating again. I'm gonna need new shoes. You know who's cute? Gianni.
• MARIE: Debra!
• FRANK: Enough! I was there! I saw your wife fall apart! I never saw her look that way and I tell ya I never want to see her look that way again!
• RAY: Is that true?
• DEBRA: A little

External links

• "The Finale" at IMDb.com