The Suitcase

In an episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond" called "Baggage", Ray and Debra come home from a weekend trip and Ray leaves his suitcase sitting on the landing of the staircase.  His wife Debra refuses to bring it upstairs, thinking that it's her husband's job.  He refuses to move it, thinking that his wife will do so.  In the meantime, Ray's brother Robert asks if he can borrow the suitcase for his honeymoon and Ray explains that it has been sitting there for two weeks, and he will not be the one to move it.  Ray prepares for business trip and Debra expects him to finally move the suitcase, but he packs his clothes in a plastic bag instead.  Furious, she rips the bottom out of the bag and Ray's clothes fall out, but he states that he has a whole set of luggage in the drawer and removes another plastic bag.  Just before he leaves, he slips a rare type of cheese into the suitcase as a joke.  Later, Debra's stereotypical mother-in-law Marie comes over, smells the stench coming from the suitcase and asks Deborah what she's been cooking.  After searching, the two women find the cheese in the suitcase.  Deborah explains what's happening and Marie warns her about an argument that she and her husband Frank had when they first got married.  They received an ugly fork and spoon set as a wedding gift and to spite Marie, Frank nailed the fork to the kitchen wall; in response, Marie nailed up the spoon beside the fork.  The giant utensils remained there for 45 years.  "Don't let a suitcase full of cheese become your big fork and spoon!" warns Marie.  Finally, when Ray returns from the second trip, he and Debra discuss the suitcase that has been sitting on the landing for three weeks.  Who will be the one to remove the suitcase?  Finally, Debra concedes and heads towards the landing to pick up the suitcase; Ray, not to be outdone, tries to pick it up also, and a tussle ensues.  Robert walks in on the wrestling match.  In the end, I believe, both Ray and Debra carry up the suitcase together.

The writers on "Everybody Loves Raymond" have a knack for taking one item and making a show out of it.  The TV show could have been a play since it is so well written and acted.  I have watched every episode three or four times and I never get sick of them.  Everybody loves "Everybody Loves Raymond".



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