Ep 13. Tissues

Ray and Debra decide to buy Frank and Marie an elaborate Christmas gift, in return for all the years of them giving them terrible ones. They settle on a tapestry that depicts the Holy Family - but the version they have their eyes on costs $1,800. With the help of Robert, who exploits the store’s liberal return policy, they manage to put the dollars together, and the tapestry is theirs.

Christmas comes, and it’s presents time. Frank and Marie open the gift and are blown away. They can’t believe the value of the tapestry. Ray and Debra are overjoyed by their reaction. Everything seems on track and the two couples seems happier than ever. However, when they’re alone, Marie bursts into tears. Frank is quick to point out that they’re tears of joy, and he’s probably right, but Ray and Debra become worried and start thinking about the worst.

The next day, Debra goes over to Marie’s house to return a Tupperware container and finds her crying, again. This time, however, there’s no doubt that they’re tears of pain. It’s revealed that the tapestry was so expensive and so gorgeous that it’s made Marie feel inadequate, and less in the eyes of their sons.

Debra is heartbroken hearing that and decides that they need to do something. She buys a new gift that they can give to Frank and Marie, something that will make them feel appreciated and, of course, won't make them feel inferior. Ray is worried about spending more money on a new gift, but Debra reassures him that the gift itself isn't as important as the sentiment behind it.

Later on, Debra and Ray visit Frank and Marie to deliver the "correct" gift. They give them a pair of new Tupperware containers to replace the one that Debra borrowed and inadvertently broke earlier, and as it turns out, Marie loves them. The conversation about the expensive tapestry begins again, only this time, Frank subtly suggests that it wasn’t a greatest idea in the world.

As they’re about to leave, Robert drops by to give Marie a gift. However, he has no idea what he gave her; he's been driving with the present in his car for months and forgot what it was. Quite incredibly, it turns out to be a beautiful, small antique tapestry that fits perfectly over Marie and Frank’s sofa. They love it, and the cost is never mentioned. Everyone seems to be happy with their new gifts.

In this episode, we see a familiar holiday trope of gift-giving, along with its potential consequences. It's about more than just gift-giving, centered around the idea that people perceive value based on the cost of the gift, and that perceived value affects how they see themselves and what they think about the gift-giver. While humorous, it's also quite poignant, because it touches on a theme that is familiar to everyone: the power of emotional reactions over material ones.