Wallpaper (Everybody Loves Raymond)
Episode where Marie crashes a car into the house.
"Wallpaper" is the 118th episode of the sitcom *Everybody Loves Raymond*, which aired on CBS on October 9, 2000. In the episode, Ray and Debra recall their trip to Italy and head upstairs, but Frank and Marie crash their car into the house. Marie, who was driving, says she kept hitting the brakes, but they failed because Frank hadn’t fixed them. Debra is angry about the damage and demands Frank pay for repairs, but Ray doesn’t back her up. After the house is fixed, Ray notices the new wallpaper doesn’t match the old. When Frank and Marie return to see it, Debra, following Ray’s lead, tells Frank he must pay more to fix the mismatch. Frank refuses, and Ray vents his frustration, ordering his parents out. Debra stops them and asks Ray to explain his feelings calmly. Ray tells his parents he’s upset about their constant intrusions, overstaying, and wrecking his house, with the wallpaper being the final issue. Frank and Marie say he shouldn’t yell; Debra agrees but tells them to be more considerate, which they promise to do.
The episode is considered iconic, according to Screen Rant, for Marie’s car crash, and the premise of a car smashing through a wall naturally lends itself to funny dialogue. DVDTalk called it one of the season’s many fun episodes. Peter Boyle was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his work in "Wallpaper" and "Frank Paints the House." In a March 2005 CBS online viewer poll, "Wallpaper" ranked fourth among top *Raymond* episodes. As of October 2019, the episode held an 8.5 rating on IMDb, close to the tenth-highest spot alongside "Raybert" and "The Bird," though the first part of "Italy" had more votes. By December 2019, it became the highest-rated episode primarily focused on Frank.
- series
- Everybody Loves Raymond
- season
- 5
- episode_number
- 3
- air_date
- October 9, 2000
- network
- CBS
- director
- Not specified in article
- writer
- Not specified in article
Lore & Background
In the episode, Ray and Debra reminisce about their trip to Italy and decide to go upstairs. At that moment, Frank and Marie crash their car into the house. Marie, who drove, explains that she constantly put her foot on the brakes, but due to Frank's failure to get them repaired, the brakes did not work. Debra is upset about her house being ruined and insists Frank pays for the damage, but Ray is unsupportive. Later, the house is repaired, and Ray and Debra kiss in celebration, but Ray notices the new wallpaper does not exactly match the old paper. When Frank and Marie return to check the wallpaper, Debra, at Ray's instruction, tells Frank he will have to pay more to correct the paper. Frank refuses, and Ray releases his built-up frustrations toward his parents and orders them out. Debra stops them and asks Ray to tell his parents nicely why he is upset. Ray calmly tells them he is upset with them constantly barging in, overstaying their welcome, wrecking his house, and that the wallpaper was the last straw. Frank and Marie tell Ray he should not yell. Debra agrees but tells Frank and Marie they need to be more considerate of their son, which they agree to do.
Reader's Guide
According to Screen Rant, "Wallpaper" is an iconic episode of the series for Marie's car crash, and "a premise involving a car smashing through the wall of our lead characters almost writes itself in terms of funny banter." In a review of season five, DVDTalk highlighted "Wallpaper" as one of the season's many "fun episodes." For acting in "Wallpaper" and "Frank Paints the House," Boyle was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. "Wallpaper" was number four in a March 2005 online viewers poll run by CBS of top Raymond episodes. As of October 2019, the 8.5-rated "Wallpaper," "Raybert," and "The Bird" were close to being the tenth highest-rated Everybody Loves Raymond episode on IMDb, but the first part of "Italy" was beaten for having more votes. However, by December 2019, it was the highest-rated episode to be primarily about Frank.
Did You Know?
- The episode features Marie crashing a car into the house because Frank failed to repair the brakes.
- For acting in "Wallpaper" and "Frank Paints the House," Boyle was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
- In a March 2005 online viewers poll by CBS, "Wallpaper" was ranked number four among top Raymond episodes.
- By December 2019, "Wallpaper" was the highest-rated episode on IMDb to be primarily about Frank.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main plot of the 'Wallpaper' episode?
Frank and Marie accidentally drive their car straight into the Barone family home, and the episode follows the fallout over who pays for the damage and a later dispute about mismatched wallpaper.
Who was driving when the car crashed into the house?
Marie was behind the wheel, and she claimed she kept pressing the brakes but they didn't work because Frank never repaired them.
What is the wallpaper conflict in the episode about?
After the house is repaired, Ray points out that the new wallpaper doesn't match the existing one, and Debra sides with him to call Frank out on the poor job.
When did 'Wallpaper' air and what season is it from?
It is the third episode of season five, broadcast on CBS on October 9, 2000.
Why doesn't Ray defend Debra when she's upset about the car damage?
Ray refuses to back his wife's demand that Frank cover the repair costs, which frustrates Debra and sets up the tension that carries through the rest of the episode.
More in Everybody Loves Raymond episodes 1-18
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