Ep 18. Recovering Pessimist

Ray is deeply concerned when he notices that his brother Robert seems to be going through a difficult time. He discovers that Robert has been seeing a therapist named Sarah. Ray is curious about Sarah and asks Robert what she's like, to which Robert replies that she's smart, pretty, and seems to genuinely care about him. Ray feels a bit left out and wishes he could have someone like Sarah to talk to as well.

Feeling inspired, Ray decides to see a therapist himself, much to the surprise of Debra. At first, Ray is skeptical about therapy and doesn't think it's going to help him. However, he soon realizes that he has a lot of repressed thoughts and feelings that he needs to work through. As he talks to his therapist, he begins to understand himself better and gains a new perspective on life.

Meanwhile, Robert is still struggling with his negative outlook on life. Sarah suggests that he try looking at the world through a more positive lens, but Robert finds it hard to change his ingrained pessimism. He confides in Ray that he feels like he's stuck in a rut and that nothing he does ever seems to make a difference.

After several sessions, Ray begins to make progress and starts to feel more optimistic about the future. He shares his newfound hope with Robert, but Robert is skeptical and says that Ray will eventually revert back to his old ways. This gives Ray a new challenge to prove Robert wrong and continue on his journey towards positivity.

Throughout the episode, we see the Barone family supporting each other through their struggles, from Debra encouraging Ray to attend therapy to Marie offering Robert words of comfort. In the end, both Ray and Robert make progress towards a brighter tomorrow.