Why Are We Here?

Why Are We Here?
Ray and Debra in the flashback in "Why Are We Here?"
Season	1
Episode	22
Air Date	April 7, 1997 (USA) September 20, 2004 (Canada)
Cast	Ray Romano Patricia Heaton Brad Garrett Doris Roberts Peter Boyle Madylin Sweeten Sawyer Sweeten Sullivan Sweeten
Director(s)	Jeff Meyer
Writer(s)	Ray Romano Tom Paris
Preceded by	Fascinatin' Debra
Followed by	Ray's on TV

Why Are We Here? is the 22^nd episode of Season 1, and is episode 22 of the full 210 episodes for the entire series. In this episode, Ray and Debra flashback to when they first moved in across the street from his parents. Then they start to question why in the world they would do that.

Episode Information

• Episode Title: Why Are We Here?
• Episode Number: Season 1, Episode 22 (#22 of 210)
• Air Date: April 7, 1997
• Episode description (from DVD): "Debra asks Ray why they ever left their old apartment. Flashback to three years earlier...Frank tells Ray and a pregnant Debra about the perfect house - right across the street from him and Marie."
• 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
• Crew:
  • Jeff Meyer - Director
  • Ray Romano - Writer
  • Tom Paris - Writer
• Preceded by: "Fascinatin' Debra"
• Followed by: "Ray's on TV"

Synopsis

The episode starts out in the present day (1997). Debra is helping Ally build a solar system model for school when Frank, Marie and Robert all barge in. After Ray pushes them all out through the door, Debra asks Ray why they left their old apartment to move in next to his parents.

The episode then flashes back three years earlier (1994).

(In the flashback, Debra has long hair, Robert has a mustache, and the twins are dresses up in girls clothes to play the baby Ally.)

The flashback scene has Ray and Debra living in an apartment in Queens. Ally is a baby and Debra is pregnant. (We learn in later seasons that it was Debra's apartment before she married Ray.)

When they find out that Debra's pregnant with twin boys, they figure they need a bigger place...preferably a house. Ray examines a map and figures they can't be too close to his parents because they would be over every day. And they can't live too far away because they would become "overnight guests". There had to be someplace in the middle.

When the Barone family is informed that Ray and Debra want a house, Frank says he can get them one because he still has his broker's license. The house he has for them just happens to be the one across the street from them.

They go over to take a look at the house. Ray hates the idea of living next to his parents, but Debra thinks it's great. She eventually convinces Ray to buy the house.

The episode then jumps forward, back to the present day. Debra is sitting at the kitchen table questioning why she made that choice three years ago.

Running Gags

• This episode's gags hark back to the pilot episode. Frank sniffs the twins heads and explains that he's "sucking in that youth". And Marie opens Debra's refrigerator and announces that she smells "something questionable".

Trivia

• Actress Patricia Heaton actually was pregnant with her third child during the filming of this episode. So the writers and creators used her pregnancy in the episode.

• Robert's dog Shamsky appears in this episode. Robert also mentions his wife Joanne in the flashback scenes.

• Frank talks about a cat Whiskers that Ray and Robert apparently had as kids. It's unknown whether Whiskers is the same cat that's mentioned in the episode "I Love You".

Quotes

• Ray: "Am I a man or what?!"

External links

• "Why Are We Here?" at IMDb.com