Ep 7. The Walk to the Door

In Everybody Loves Raymond season 5 episode 7, titled "The Walk to the Door," the Barone family prepares for a big event - Ally's first play date with a boy from her class. While Ray and Debra are excited for their daughter, Frank and Marie are anxious and overprotective.

As the play date approaches, Ray and Debra anxiously wait for the boy's father to arrive with him. When they finally do, they are pleasantly surprised to find that he is a friendly and normal guy. However, Frank and Marie's fears are only heightened when they meet the boy's father, who reveals that he is a police officer.

Feeling uneasy about the situation, Frank and Marie decide to stick around and supervise the play date. But their overprotective behavior quickly becomes a source of tension between the families. Ray and Debra try to convince Frank and Marie to relax and give Ally some space, but they refuse to budge.

Meanwhile, Robert stops by the house to ask for Ray's help in planning Amy's birthday party. But Ray is too preoccupied with the play date situation to give him the attention he needs. Frustrated and feeling neglected, Robert becomes determined to plan the party on his own.

As the play date continues, tensions rise and the families begin to argue. Eventually, everyone starts to calm down and Frank and Marie leave to give the kids some space. Ray and Debra are relieved, but not before they hear Frank make a snarky remark about the police officer father.

In the end, the play date goes well and the families make peace. Robert decides to let Ray handle the birthday party planning and the two brothers reconcile. The episode ends with the Barone family coming together to celebrate Amy's birthday.

Overall, "The Walk to the Door" is a classic episode of Everybody Loves Raymond that showcases the dynamics of the Barone family in a humorous and relatable way. It touches on themes of overprotectiveness, family conflict, and sibling rivalry, while still being light-hearted and entertaining.