Ep 8. The Article
- TV-PG
- November 9, 1998
- 22 min
-
6.9 (376)
In Everybody Loves Raymond season 3 episode 8, titled "The Article," Ray's ego takes a hit when he discovers that a sports-writer has published a less-than-flattering article about him in a local newspaper. The article suggests that Ray's skills as a sports columnist may not be up to par and that his success has come more from his connections than from his talent.
Feeling humiliated and angry, Ray decides to confront the writer, only to find that the writer is an old high-school classmate who got his start in journalism because of Ray's father, Frank. Ray's father had helped the writer get a job at a local newspaper, and the writer had promised to give Frank the exclusive on any big stories he came across in exchange for his help.
When Ray confronts the writer about the article, the writer claims that he had no choice but to write it because it was a good story, and he couldn't give Ray preferential treatment just because they were old friends. Ray is furious and tells the writer that he doesn't want anything to do with him anymore.
Meanwhile, Debra is struggling to come up with a topic for her column in the same newspaper, and when she reads the article about Ray, she decides to write a response defending her husband's skills as a writer. Ray is initially grateful for Debra's support, but when he realizes that her column has caused even more attention to be focused on the article, he starts to worry that his reputation is permanently damaged.
In the end, Ray realizes that he may have overreacted to the article and that his ego has gotten the better of him. He decides to write a response to the article himself, apologizing to the writer for his outburst and acknowledging that the writer had a point in his criticism.
Throughout the episode, the tension between Ray and Debra is palpable, with Debra resentful that Ray is so focused on his own problems that he doesn't seem to care about her struggles as a writer. However, when Ray sees the pride and satisfaction on Debra's face after reading her published column, he realizes that he has been neglecting her needs and promises to be more supportive in the future.
Overall, "The Article" is a classic episode of Everybody Loves Raymond that deals with themes of ego, pride, and the sometimes-complicated relationships between friends and family. The episode is full of great comedic moments, but also has a lot of heart and emotion, making it one of the standout episodes of the season.