The Wedding: Part 1

The Wedding: Part 1
Ray, Debra, Warren, and Lois in "The Wedding: Part 1"
Season	2
Episode	24
Air Date	May 11, 1998 (USA) October 6, 2004 Canada
Cast	Ray Romano Patricia Heaton Brad Garrett Doris Roberts Peter Boyle Robert Culp Kevin James Andy Kindler Katherine Helmond
Director(s)	Jeff Melman
Writer(s)	Ray Romano Phil Rosenthal
Preceded by	The Garage Sale
Followed by	The Wedding: Part 2

The Wedding: Part 1 is the 24^th episode of Season 2, and is episode 46 of the full 210 episodes for the entire series. In this episode, there's a flashback to when Ray proposed to Debra.

Episode Information

• Episode Title: The Wedding: Part 1
• Episode Number: Season 2, Episode 24 (#46 of 210)
• Air Date: May 11, 1998
• Episode description (from DVD): "Ray's marriage proposal to Debra."
• Cast:
  • Ray Romano as Ray
  • Patricia Heaton as Debra
  • Brad Garrett as Robert
  • Doris Roberts as Marie
  • Peter Boyle as Frank
• Guest Stars:
  • Robert Culp as Warren
  • Kevin James as Kevin
  • Andy Kindler as Andy
  • Katherine Helmond as Lois
• Crew:
  • Jeff Melman - Director
  • Ray Romano - Writer
  • Phil Rosenthal - Writer
• Preceded by: "The Garage Sale"
• Followed by: "The Wedding: Part 2"

Synopsis

The episode begins with Ray and Debra getting ready for an evening out (or rather, Debra helping Ray get ready). Ray tells Debra he doesn't want to dance while they're out, making Debra complain since she likes dancing while he hates it. Ray sarcastically asks why she married him, and Debra has to think about this. This makes the two reminisce about the events surrounding their wedding.

Ten years earlier, Ray had just been promoted to sports columnist for Newsday, so decides to propose to Debra in his very first official column. Unfortunately things very quickly start to go wrong, starting when Andy and Kevin come over to hang out just before Debra is about to arrive. Ray eventually gets rid of them but only by telling them of his plans. They leave as Debra arrives, and Ray shows her his first column. Debra is very happy for him, but before she can read it Frank arrives as he forgot his driving glasses, followed by the rest of the family. Frank ends up reading the column aloud and inadvertently reads the proposal. Debra is shocked but accepts when Marie presses, delighting everyone (except, naturally, Robert who is put out at the focus on Ray's promotion and engagement at the same time).

The next day at breakfast, Robert congratulates Ray but as he thinks about the events Ray starts to get paranoid that Debra only accepted because he proposed through his column and they were in front of his family. Against Robert's advice, he decides to go and speak to Debra. Arriving at her apartment, Debra is already looking through bridal magazines. Ray arrives and gives her the engagement ring he didn't get around to giving her the previous night, and her joyful reaction makes him worry she's only accepting for the ring. He then sees she's already started planning the big day, and is put out when Warren and Lois arrives and quickly set a date and start arranging things. Ray is left more paranoid than ever that Debra is only marrying him so she can have a wedding.

Running Gags

Debra makes a crack about Ray being obsessed with monkeys when they talk about the movie Planet of the Apes. Ray's obsession with monkeys continues through the series.

There is also the running joke about Ray's big nose. He refers to himself as a flamingo in this episode.

Trivia

• This is the first multi-part episode in the series. The second would be Italy: Part 1 and Part 2. The third is the big fight between Debra and Marie that carries over from Season 6 to Season 7, spanning 4 episodes: Mother's Day, The Bigger Person, The First Time, and The Cult.

• This is also one of the few times the audience gets to see Debra's apartment.

• Debra's sister Jennifer was mentioned, but not seen. They mention her wedding but in later episode she hasn't married and is becoming a nun.

• They went to see Fr. Hubley as Debra's parish priest in Conneticut. Later Fr. Hubley is the priest at their parish on Long Island. That is a different Diocese than the one in Conneticut and a priest can not serve in two different Dioceses.

Production Notes

• Today's reruns shift the credits to the left.

Quotes

• Ray: "I'm invited, right?"

External links

• "The Wedding: Part 1" at IMDb.com