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6[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Character sheet for the characters of]] ''Series/EverybodyLovesRaymond''.
7
8[[foldercontrol]]
9
10!Main Characters
11[[folder:Ray Barone]]
12!!Raymond "Ray" Barone
13->'''Played by:''' Creator/RayRomano
14[[quoteright:176:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ray_barone.jpg]]
15
16* AccentuateTheNegative: One early episode, "Recovering Pessimist", revolved around Ray's frequent lapses into pessimism, even after he wins a national writing award. Ray declares that the reason he's like this is because he learned from the masters...cough*Frank and Marie*cough.
17* AmbiguouslyBi: He and Robert discuss whether or not it's normal to check out other guys and to wonder if they might be gay. Later, he finds himself staring at a cute delivery guy, plants a very pointed kiss on Debra, and then heads to the kitchen to cool his brow with the milk carton.
18* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: How Robert sees him.
19* AttentionWhore: At least in [[TheUnfavorite Robert]]'s point of view:
20-->'''Robert:''' He is and always has been the center. The center of attention, the center of affection. He always gets the center chair in the kitchen, and this anger of which you speak, from the rest of these poor souls, stems from his unwillingness to share even the ''tiniest'' portion of the spotlight that shines without end... on him.\
21''[he proceeds to sit down, and Ray pokes him in the buttocks]''\
22'''Robert:''' D'OHHH! What are you doin'? What are you '''''DOING?!'''''\
23'''Ray:''' What are ''you'' doing? ''[sarcastically]'' Center chair. It's my kitchen. Get your own kitchen.\
24'''Robert:''' There you go, there you go, you see, because I only have a kitchenette and he ''loves'' it! Right, "Rub-it-in" Raymond? No house for me! No wife, no kids, no lawn, no ''NOTHIN'!''
25* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Eventually, as Debra and Ray got more adversarial, they would get moments of this.
26* BadLiar: Ray is frequently called out for his bad poker face.
27-->'''Robert:''' Are you saying that Amy talks too much?\
28'''Ray:''' ...No, Robert, I love Amy.\
29'''Robert:''' Wow, are ''you'' a liar.
30* BoyfriendBlockingDad: When he and the other adults learn that Ally has a crush in "Ally's F", he becomes completely against the idea.
31* BumblingDad: Though the kids there were initially much younger than in other examples.
32* ButtMonkey: Ray didn't start out this way, but by the middle and later seasons, he had become Debra's ButtMonkey. The rest of his life is pretty charmed, though.
33* CrazyJealousGuy: Ray becomes easily jealous when he believes that Debra may be interested in other men.
34* DeadpanSnarker: Tied into his status as the OnlySaneMan.
35* ExtremeDoormat: He's both a MommasBoy and a HenpeckedHusband. This often puts him in an awkward position during Debra and Marie's frequent spats since he hates being stuck in the middle of their fights and would rather be a fence sitter than firmly take a side in their arguments.
36* {{Flanderization}}: Ray was initially only unhelpful around the house and a sometimes-incompetent father, but in later seasons he becomes a doddering imbecile.
37* FormerTeenRebel: One early episode revolved around Marie's dismay in learning that the teenaged Ray held parties at their house while she and Frank were away, in which he drank and smoked. Another episode mentions Ray sneaking out of the house when he was a teenager to hang out at Bernie's house.
38* GoodParents: Though he's routinely (and pretty deservedly) called out for being a lazy, inattentive father, Ray is also shown to be very good at his job when he pays attention, such as when he gives Michael an amusing life lesson about school bullies.
39* HenpeckedHusband: Ray ''personifies'' this trope. Unlike most, however, he doesn't always roll over -- he sometimes [[{{DeadpanSnarker}} snarks]] back at Debra...but his occasional attempts at rebellion are usually quashed pretty quickly by an icy glare (or worse) from Debra.
40%%* JadedWashout
41* JerkassBall: Ray's snarkery, whininess and laziness can reach these levels at times.
42* LaboriousLaziness: The subterfuge Ray concocts to get out of hard work is usually harder or more uncomfortable than what he was supposed to do in the first place.
43* LargeHam:
44-->''The fly that was flying around... Angela killed it, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking it fell on the table, she put it in a napkin, and then]] '''''[[SuddenlyShouting SHE AAAAATE IT!!!!!]]'''''''
45%%* LazyBum
46* LazyHusband: His wife frequently berates him for his failings and general willingness to leave the housework to her.
47* LousyLoversAreLosers: Ray himself admits to being bad in bed and has to go to great lengths to convince his wife Debra to actually have sex.
48* {{Malaproper}}: He tends to mispronounce or misuse common words (once talking about Debra's "psychological undercoating") or to mangle common sayings and idioms ("Dirty laundry is coming home to roost!"). In one episode he's surprised when he actually comes up with a coherent (if strained) metaphor:
49--> '''Ray''': It's easy to use the glue when you don't have to kill the horse yourself.
50--> '''Debra''': What?
51--> '''Ray''': ''(beat, thinks it through)'' No, I'm staying with that. That makes sense.
52* ManChild: Enforced by Marie from the time he was very, very young. Every time he grows in independence, Marie drags him right back.
53* ObfuscatingStupidity: Ray is a lazy slob who routinely acts like an insensitive dolt, but he's also witty, well-educated, and capable of being very clever when he puts his mind to it.
54-->'''Ray:''' I may act stupid, but that's just to get your mother to not ask me to do stuff.
55* OnlySaneMan: Ray Barone was this, especially during the early seasons. He still performed this role later on, as despite being a whiny and neurotic ManChild, he was still more together than most of his immediate family. In Real Life: Half of the show's genesis was Ray Romano wryly observing the absurdities and wackiness of his family members (the other half was series creator and executive producer Phil Rosenthal doing the same with his own family).
56* ParentalFavoritism: Marie made no secret of the fact that Ray was her favorite child, much to Robert's chagrin. Frank on the other hand, appeared to treat the two equally.
57* ProtagonistTitle: He's the main character and his name is part of the series' title.
58* SoreLoser: In "The Author", Ray finds out he lost a book deal, while Robert was promoted at work. While they weren't really competing, Ray is usually the one who comes out on top, so he doesn't take Robert's news well; he barely congratulates Robert, slams his hand on the table, and leaves the room.
59%%* ThatCameOutWrong
60* TookALevelInDumbass: He was flanderized from being a witty, intelligent Every Man who wins national writing awards into becoming a bumbling buffoon over the course of the show.
61* UglyGuyHotWife: Ugly Guy to Debra's Hot Wife, with his big nose and flabby body. ''Some'' women find him average at-worst, in reality and on the show, and he even got an attractive woman hitting on him when she didn't realize he was married, but everyone in-universe usually paints this as another example of Ray's status as "Born Lucky". This is [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] later on, as a few characters comment on Ray looking better with age.
62-->'''Debra:''' I can't believe I just did thirty-six sit-ups for a man whose stomach looks like a deflated clown balloon!
63* UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist: The sheer fact that he's a whiny, lazy momma's boy who constantly lies to get out of sticky situations characterizes him as one.
64* WakingNonSequitur: A sparsely used RunningGag is Ray saying something nonsensical when he's forcefully awakened.
65* YoungestChildWins: He's favored by his mother over older brother Robert.
66[[/folder]]
67
68[[folder:Debra Barone]]
69->'''Played by:''' Creator/PatriciaHeaton
70[[quoteright:183:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/debra_barone.jpg]]
71
72* AllPeriodsArePMS: An entire episode concerning this has been cemented into the memory of the collective fan base.
73* AntiHero: In the later seasons, she becomes psychotic, demeaning and vicious.
74* AllWomenArePrudes: A shining example. Debra ''very'' rarely gets horny -- she frequently bans sex or rejects sexual advances from the desperate, horny Ray. Ray ''does'' admit to being bad in bed, and Debra ''used'' to be more open -- a few episodes show her rare "open" moments.
75* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Eventually, as Debra and Ray got more adversarial, they would get moments of this.
76* BitchInSheepsClothing: She becomes one in later seasons.
77* ButtMonkey: To Marie. Debra only ever "won" against Marie when she was actually ''proven wrong'', and the family covered for her.
78* CharacterizationMarchesOn: Early in the show, Debra is a big sports fan who used to work for the New York Rangers, which is implied to be one reason why she fell for Ray (though she'll still call him out for focusing on sports over his family). The writers mentioned this less and less over time, to the point where Debra became a typical sitcom wife who neither likes nor understands sports.
79* ControlFreak: Wanting Ray to be completely under her control, telling him when he's "allowed" to relax or spend time with his friends, beating him and emotionally tormenting him when she doesn't get her way.
80* DeadpanSnarker: She's very snarky, though not as much as Ray or his father.
81* DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale: When Ray annoys Debra (often deliberately), he'll get a smack for it. Cue audience laughter.
82* FamilyVersusCareer: She used to work as a public relations expert before having kids and becoming a housewife. In a few episodes she expresses regret about her decision, notably an early episode where she briefly tries going back to work.
83* {{Flanderization}}: Her shrillness and willingness to snap at Ray becomes more pronounced over time.
84* HairTriggerTemper: Often times towards Ray, especially in the later seasons.
85* HypocriticalHeartwarming: She's the only one allowed to treat Ray like crap, Peggy learned that the hard way.
86* {{Jerkass}}: Sometimes in the early seasons. More often in the later seasons.
87* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: In ''Sweet Charity'', Debra guilt-trips Ray into doing charity work at a hospital, though becomes jealous when Ray starts spending more time there than at home. Debra tricks Robert into performing ventriloquism at the hospital by complimenting his skills, in a effort to end Ray's popularity.
88* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: Ray was rarely able to one-up her outside of being lazy and snarky. Outside of Ray though, she's frequently humiliated or her plans blow up in her face, and she's ''never'' free of Marie's berating or her in-laws in general.
89* KnowNothingKnowItAll: She ''is'' intelligent and well-read, but she sometimes overestimates how much her knowledge applies to everyday situations. In particular, she frequently annoys Ray by trying to psychoanalyze his and his family's behavior (and is often furious when Ray, or another character tries the same with her).
90-->'''Debra:''' (trying to understand Robert's "crazy chin" habit) No, that's interesting, Frank... candy... and pickles.\
91'''Ray:''' ''[sarcastically]'' It's like watching Freud work!
92** Ray on one occasion admitted that he hates it when Debra thinks she knows stuff.
93* LaserGuidedKarma: Debra's plan in ''Sweet Charity'' (see above) backfires when she ends up singing in the same hospital Ray did charity work for and proves less than popular with the patients.
94%%* TheLancer
95* MoodSwinger: In general, with a prominent example in "The Walk to the Door", at a wedding:
96-->'''Ray:''' You win: I'm a bad person.\
97'''Debra:''' ''[angrily, to Ray]'' Oh, how do I ''win''? You know, you- ''[notices the bride and groom kissing at a nearby table; becomes happy]'' Ohoho, they're kissing. ''[back to angry]'' You know what would make me happy? If you recognized a regret before you did it!
98* NervousWreck: Like her husband, she can be pretty neurotic to the point that she's the hyper control freak.
99* OnlySaneMan: Views herself as this, and even got ignored by a visiting psychiatrist in the early seasons because Ray's family was ''so weird''. Though, as Ray points out -- the Barones are family by genetics. Debra ''chose'' to be with them. "You're ''messed up!''" Grouchy ''Frank'' of all people viewed himself and Debra as this, and was offended that Debra didn't enjoy his company.
100* ParentingTheHusband: Ray is messy, sarcastic and a lazy ManChild. Debra is patronizing, grouchy and a control freak. This is only natural.
101* ShipperOnDeck: For Robert/Amy.
102%%* SoreLoser
103* TookALevelInJerkass: In the first few seasons, Debra was pretty reasonable, generally didn't yell as much, and was quite playful with Ray. In later seasons...less so. Marie and Frank call this the natural progression of marriage.
104* {{Tsundere}}: Type A. Her default mode is Tsuntsun, as she tends to be overbearing, moody and cranky towards her husband.
105* UglyGuyHotWife: Hot Wife to Ray's Ugly Guy.
106* UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist: While Ray is pretty obnoxious and insufferable, Debra can be just as unpleasant herself due to how self-rightous, abrasive and brash she can be.
107[[/folder]]
108
109[[folder:Frank Barone]]
110->'''Played by:''' Creator/PeterBoyle
111[[quoteright:120:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/frank_barone.jpg]]
112
113* AbusiveParents: Frank's idea of parenting comes perilously close to this at times. In a {{Deconstruction}}, it's later revealed that the "tough love" angle was passed down through generations of heavy-handed Barone fathers, and that, in spite of verbally belittling his sons in virtually every episode, Frank could never bring himself to physically harm Robert or Ray for that exact reason.
114** At one point he summarizes his own father's interactions with him, [[WhenYouComingHomeDad after coming home from long hours working on the road]], as: "He'd have a drink, punish me for whatever I did and then hit the road again."
115** Conversely, whenever the subject of his mother comes up, Frank invariably describes her as having been a saint (Marie contests this, but that seems to be more about their mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship than her parenting).
116* AffectionateNickname: Marie calls him "Cicci" in their more amorous moments.
117* ArmchairMilitary: Frank and his buddies like to reenact Civil War battles.
118-->'''Frank:''' Reenactment. That's kinda like what me and my Civil War buddies do.\
119'''Marie:''' [[DeadpanSnarker What your Civil War buddies do is get drunk and pee outside!]]
120* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Frank and Marie are this to a tee. Despite turning arguing and insult-flinging into an Olympian sport, the two have a decades-long marriage and are ultimately, in Marie's own words, okay with each other.
121* BerserkButton: Frank frequently gripes and complains about trivial things, but this is mostly bluster and crankiness. However, if you insinuate that his marriage is bad (as Marie does in "Marie's Vision") or that he did a poor job as a father, he gets ''insanely'' angry, dropping the jokes and becoming genuinely furious.
122* BigEater:
123** Frank's appetite borders on the inhuman, and is the subject of many jokes. He's often more interested in whatever dessert is on the table than the family's latest arguments, and, in one incident, devoured a plate of pancakes that Ally had prepared, then headed home for lunch. It's no wonder he ended up with Marie, a SupremeChef.
124** "Tasteless Frank." When Frank adds salt to Marie's lasagna one night, she flies into a hysterical depression. Frank later tells Ray and Robert that he's completely lost his sense of taste because of a herbal medicine he's been using to maintain his libido. He's thus faced with the choice of either impotency but getting to enjoy Marie's cooking or sex without being able to taste food...and he ''chooses the food'' (though that turns out to be a surprisingly sweet moment, as Marie both thanks him for thinking so highly of their sex life that he was willing to take pills ''and'' happily declares that she'd much rather him keep his sense of taste, too).
125* BirdsOfAFeather: He and Marie are both argumentative, unpleasant people and it's implied this is one of the reasons their marriage works.
126* BrutalHonesty: Has no problem openly insulting his wife, family members, and strangers.
127* CatchPhrase: Famous for two expletives: "Holy crap!" and "Jeez alou!"
128* CoolOldGuy: Frank may be crass and rude, but he also takes very little guff from anyone, isn't afraid to do the right thing, and is notably one of the only people who is able to call people out on their nonsense, often making even his toughest critics admit that [[JerkassHasAPoint he has a point.]] He's also a fantastic grandfather to Ally and the twins, going all out on Halloween and spending time with them whenever he can.
129* DeadpanSnarker: Everyone in the family gets moments of this, but Frank is the absolute king of this trope.
130* {{Determinator}}: In "Ping Pong," he tells Ray that after coming back from Korea, he went through an endless series of menial jobs in an effort to support his young family. Though he lost all of them, he never gave up and eventually found a permanent position as a bookkeeper--and even then, he hated the work, but kept at it for ''decades'' to give Marie, Robert, and Ray a good home.
131* DidYouThinkICantFeel: A few episodes, such as "Frank the Mentor" and "Frank's Tribute," focus on the fact that he does have feelings even if he doesn't always admit it. It's [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructed]] when Marie points out that the reason people treat Frank badly is because he treats ''them'' badly--if he wants to have his own emotions validated, he needs to learn to do the same for others, which he reluctantly does over time.
132* EveryOneHasStandards: Frank may be a grouch, and somewhat of a hardass at times...but unlike his own dad, he will NEVER physically hurt or abuse his loved ones!
133* FreudianExcuse: In one episode Frank mentions having a physically abusive father, and tells Ray and Robert how much the experience scarred him. Between that and his MotiveRant about his early married life, it goes a long way towards explaining his overall demeanor.
134* GrumpyOldMan: He has a rude, grouchy disposition, and rarely shows his warmer side.
135* HiddenDepths: Frank may be boorish and "uncultured," but he worked as accountant/bookkeeper for decades and had a high position in his company, suggesting that he's GoodWithNumbers and skilled in financial matters.
136* HiddenHeartOfGold: He may have a gruff exterior, but he has a HiddenHeartOfGold (which he himself denies) and is definitely not a bad guy.
137* IWasQuiteALooker: Marie claims she fell for Frank's "boyish good looks".
138* JerkassHasAPoint: Whether you love him or hate him, you can't deny during he makes some good points in some of his rants. In "The Angry Family" Frank openly lays out the reason why Marie criticizes Debra; Marie still can't get over the fact that Debra married her son. In a later episode, all of the married couples of the series reveal that they have passive-aggressive ways of dealing with things that frustrate them about each other; Frank then comments that he simply ''tells'' Marie that she's annoying him, with Marie doing the same, and it's outright stated that this method is the healthiest of the lot.
139* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: This was the case in many episodes where Frank would start out by acting boorish, but then do something genuinely sweet and heartwarming at the end.
140* MotiveRant: In "Ping Pong" he tells Ray about his difficulties upon leaving the Army, cycling between menial jobs that he hated before finding steady work as a bookkeeper, all while trying to support Marie and the kids.
141-->"That is life! And you have to be tough."
142* OnlySaneMan: He views himself and Debra as the "normal ones" in the family, and is offended that she doesn't see it the same way.
143* PapaWolf: Though he bitches about them incessantly, Frank is shown to be hugely protective of his family under the surface. In one instance, he goes against his perverted Lodge buddies to protect Debra, and in the Finale he's obviously distressed when the doctors can't wake Ray up after his surgery. Later in the same episode, he lets Ray himself have it for accusing Debra of not caring about him.
144-->'''Frank:''' HEY! I was there and I saw your wife fall apart! [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness I never saw her look like that and]] I'll tell you, I never want to see her look like that again!
145* PoorCommunicationKills: Completely [[AvertedTrope averted]] when it comes to his and Marie's relationship--they probably have the healthiest communication style in the whole show. One particularly poignant moment comes when he and Marie are sitting at the breakfast table and, without saying a word, perfectly react to each other's needs. In another episode, he and Marie comment that their BrutalHonesty toward each other helps them from falling into passive-aggression and resentment.
146* RacistGrandpa: Towards the Japanese, the Koreans, the Chinese, gay and lesbian people...oh, the list goes on.
147* RealMenHateAffection: Though some episodes indicate it's largely an act.
148* RealMenLoveJesus: In contrast to his hypermasculine boorishness, several episodes show Frank to be a devout Catholic.
149* RetiredBadass: A U.S. Army veteran who served in Korea. Frank just loves to remind people of this.
150* ScrewPolitenessImASenior: He's an unapologetic ass who constantly belittles everyone in the family, and treats his wife analogous to a slave.
151* SeriesContinuityError: In early episodes, Frank mentions having been a realtor before retirement (in a FlashbackEpisode he's even shown to have sold Ray and Debra their house). In later episodes exploring his backstory, he worked as a bookkeeper for an accounting agency.
152* ShellShockedVeteran: A mild example. While Frank certainly didn't suffer from PTSD, he ''did'' struggle with reintegrating into society after his service in Korea. In "Ping Pong," he remarks that "you can't put 'good with a bayonet'" on an application, and further reveals that he went through many low-paying, thankless jobs that he kept losing before finally finding stable work as an accountant.
153* SlapSlapKiss: The Frank-Marie relationship was this to a tee. They don't just bicker, but sling personal insults and openly wish death or divorce on each other. It is heavily hinted in most episodes that they ''enjoy'' carrying on like this, have a robust love life, and really are deeply in love with each other.
154* ToughLove: This is his default parenting style: he teases, belittles, and is a downright jerk at times, but he does it in the name of getting people ready for the harshness of the outside world ("That is life, and you ''have'' to be tough!"). In one episode of the final season, a middle-aged man arrives at the Barone house and tells everyone that he's there to thank Frank for being such an amazing mentor and inspiration to him. At the end of the episode, it's revealed that Frank gave him the same tough love treatment, and he credits it for all of his success.
155* WarIsHell: Often, when the characters would complain about something in their lives, Frank would retort "You think that's bad? Try being in Korea during the war! We didn't have [Insert Modern Convenience Here], we had to tough it out!"
156[[/folder]]
157
158[[folder:Marie Barone]]
159->'''Played by:''' Creator/DorisRoberts
160[[quoteright:192:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/marie_barone.jpg]]
161
162* AllWomenArePrudes: Two of the show's funniest moments were in episodes where Marie, of all people, subverts this trope. In "Good Girls" we learn that teenaged Marie wasn't such a "good girl" and in the another episode where we learn that Frank and Marie have more sex than Ray and Debra.
163* ApronMatron: The one most young tropers will be most familiar with.
164* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Frank and Marie were this to a tee.
165* BerserkButton: Don't call Marie a bitch.
166* BirdsOfAFeather: She and Frank are both argumentive, unpleasant people and it's implied this is one of the reasons ther marriage works.
167* BitchInSheepsClothing: Marie acts sweet and loving, but is very condescending and hypocritical. Not to mention her obsessive control over the lives of Frank, Ray and Robert in the name of keeping up her vision of a perfect, happy family, even if they actually aren't.
168* ControlFreak: Marie has been pulling this on the whole family for decades, using guilt to get everyone to go along with her wishes.
169* CoolOldLady: To her grandchildren. She dresses up on Halloween, spoils them with her cooking and sweets, and helps them with their homework. The episode "Hackidu" also reveals that she's completely memorized the lore of the titular trading card game (an {{Expy}} of Pokemon) just to be able to bond with them. It's promptly lampshaded when, after rattling off in-depth information about one particular card and getting astounded stares from Ray and Debra, she nonchalantly remarks "I'm Grandma. I have this and candy."
170* FemaleMisogynist: Thanks to old fashioned values, Marie harshly judges women who are sexually active, or aren't good at domestic tasks. This is the cause of her preferable treatment towards Amy, whom she sees as "purer" than Debra.
171* {{Foil}}: To Debra.
172* FreudianExcuse: As mentioned under FridgeBrilliance, it's revealed that she was relatively demure and hands-off in her children's adult lives...until Robert got married to Joanne, an absolutely horrible woman who treated him like dirt. When Joanne called Marie a bitch, the Barone matriarch went absolutely ''nuts'', screamed that she was done sitting by and not helping her children, and ended her rant by saying "Time to ''take out the trash''", shoving the ex out the door. It's arguable, then, that much of her meddling is motivated by the fear that she was too distant from Ray and Robert, and is now trying to make up for it. This would also explain why she keeps insisting that Debra is a "bad match" for Ray--she saw what happened when she didn't speak up in Robert's first marriage, and overcompensates as a result.
173* IWasQuiteALooker: Mentioned in an episode where she discovers that, among other books, Frank is about to throw away her high school yearbook, in which there are several pictures where Marie looks beautiful.
174* {{Jerkass}}: Her treatment/criticisms of Robert and Debra can be really nasty at times, whether she realises it or not.
175* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: She often shows that underneath the smothering, she truly loves her family and just wants what she thinks is best for them.
176* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: On other occasions, she is shown to play up this persona to guilt people into doing what she wants. In ''Thank You Notes'' Marie tries to force Amy to write thank you notes she didn't want to write yet, which Marie initially said she wanted her to do because she said it was polite to let the wedding guests know they got the gifts. It's later revealed that she did that to make herself feel superior to everyone else, and to get a grasp on Amy.
177* JewishMother: Not actually Jewish, but partially based on producer Phil Rosenthal's real-life JewishMother, and fits most of the stereotypical trope traits.
178* KarmaHoudini: The few episodes that have her being called out on her behavior never stick, as inevitably everyone, including Debra, forgives her and lets her back into their life.
179* MamaBear: Marie has many moments of this trope. The flashback episode to when Robert and his first wife got a divorce.
180* ManipulativeBitch: Marie is very good at controlling the family. They're all aware of it, but they try not to think about it. Can be best summed up by a line uttered by Marie during a time the family is about to connect the dots and realize she's to blame for something:
181-->'''Marie:''' Let's all eat this food I made, and remember that this was nobody's fault.
182* MyBelovedSmother: ''Especially'' to Ray, but also to Robert. Her treatment of the two when they were kids has affected both of them into adulthood.
183* {{Narcissist}}: She believes herself as a positive example of what every wife, mother and woman should be.
184* NeverMessWithGranny: You do NOT want Marie angry with you. She won't retaliate with violence, but she ''will'' find other ways to settle the score...
185* ObfuscatingStupidity: There are more than a few episodes which heavily imply that Marie is not as clueless as she appears. In "Lucky Suit," for example, her "accidentally" destroying Robert's lucky suit, and then faxing the FBI an apology letter, was confirmed to be a deliberate attempt at sabotage out of concern for Robert's safety.
186* ObnoxiousInLaws: To both Ray and Debra.
187* ParentalFavoritism: Marie made no secret of the fact that Ray was her favorite child, much to Robert's chagrin. Frank on the other hand, appeared to treat his sons equally. Though she's not above playing with Ray's head as well. In one episode where Ray is angsting because he thinks Debra is more attracted to Robert, Marie's response is basically "Well, of course. Robbie's always been the handsome one."
188* {{Pride}}: She takes special pride in her Italian background. She's also extremely proud of her skills in the kitchen, going so far as to treat her recipes like an inheritance that she planned to leave to Debra. It's such a major part of her personality that when she thinks she's lost her in touch in "Tasteless Frank," she becomes hysterically depressed, eating nothing but doughnuts and not bothering to change out of her pajamas.
189* ScrewPolitenessImASenior: At best, Marie's criticisms can be seen as her being innocently insensitive. At worst, she can be downright smug.
190* ShipperOnDeck: For Robert/Amy.
191* SlapSlapKiss: The Frank-Marie relationship was this to a tee. They don't just bicker, but sling personal insults and openly wish death or divorce on each other. It is heavily hinted in most episodes that they ''enjoy'' carrying on like this, have a robust love life, and really are deeply in love with each other.
192* SupremeChef: Marie is an exceptional cook.
193* WellIntentionedExtremist: See JerkWithAHeartOfGold and DependingOnTheWriter above -- she truly does love her family, and the mean and invasive things she does are just her way of trying to make people happy without realizing she's being mean and invasive.
194[[/folder]]
195
196[[folder:Robert Barone]]
197->'''Played by:''' Creator/BradGarrett
198[[quoteright:183:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/robert_barone.jpg]]
199
200* AmbiguouslyBi: At one point, he and Ray discuss whether or not it's normal to check out other guys and to wonder if they might be gay. He implies he's glanced at attractive fellow gymgoers, admits he's not always sure, and never considers that this might be a possibility.
201* AffectionateNickname: Marie would often call Robert “Robbie”.
202* {{Angrish}}: Occasionally, Robert will get angry at something and mutter gibberish as he walks away.
203* BaritoneOfStrength: Befitting his large, intimidating stature, Robert's voice is easily the deepest on the show, and he's also a hardened police officer of 20+ years.
204* BasementDweller: Was one in the early seasons. He didn't actually live in the basement, but he fit many of the trope traits.
205* BetaCouple: With Amy. They were an off-and-on couple throughout most of the series, breaking up and then getting back together repeatedly.
206* BewareTheSillyOnes: Robert may be quirky, morose, and neurotic as a general rule, but he's also 6'8", a police officer, and ''very'' protective of his family.
207* BigBrotherBully: His status at {{The Unfavorite}} often results in him picking on Ray, but...
208* BigBrotherInstinct: ...he's also protective of him, on occasion.
209* TheBigGuy: Being the tallest character in a main cast
210* BlondeBrunetteRedhead: His three loves: Redheaded Joanne (his bitchy ex-wife), Amy, (his blonde on again, off again girlfriend), and Stefania, (his Italian love interest with the curly brown hair).
211* BunnyEarsLawyer: Despite his eccentricities he's surprisingly good at his job, becoming a lieutenant and scoring a job interview with the FBI. Ray sees him foil a robbery in "Ride Along" and is genuinely impressed.
212* ButtMonkey: One of the show's most prominent running gags was Robert's continual status as the family's resident ButtMonkey. Marie only treated Debra more poorly.
213* CharacterDevelopment: During the first season, it seemed like the writers were writing the character as being borderline autistic and so quirky and neurotic that it was genuinely amazing that he was able to function at all, especially as a policeman. By the later seasons, though, Robbie became much more confident and outgoing and finally [[spoiler: married Amy]]. The eighth season even had an episode where Robbie is made to confront his "crazy chin" habit.
214* TheChewToy: At some points, his misery becomes the central point to his character.
215* CoolUncle: Pretty much any time he interacts with Ally and/or the Twins.
216* DeathGlare: He gives one so scary, it provides the image for the show's NightmareFuel page.
217* TheEeyore: Robert comes across as this sometimes, even down to the vocal intonation.
218* FriendToAllChildren: He gets along better with the kids than he does with the adults. To the point where Ally and the Twins imitate his food chin touch.
219* GreenEyedMonster: He's openly jealous and bitter towards Ray for his success and how their mother gives him more attention. He even admits to occasionally asking God to ruin Ray's day out of simple spite.
220* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Robert has his {{Jerkass}} moments and often gets so crazily jealous of Ray that he actually rejoices when Ray faces setbacks. However, he is a caring uncle and still deeply cares for little brother deep down.
221* LargeHam: Perhaps even more so than his brother. Just look at some of his quotes above.
222* LikeParentLikeSpouse: His first wife Joanne embodied all of Marie's worst traits: selfish and critical, all said with SugaryMalice.
223* ManChild: Mainly because not only does Marie enforce on him, but Robert spent a number of seasons living at home with her and Frank and sponging off them as well. Also, DependingOnTheWriter, Robert's level of maturity is either above or below Ray's.
224* NotSoDifferentRemark: Robert comes to realize the similarities between himself and Amy's brother Peter when the family talks about Peter's problems including him being a BasementDweller. In the end, Robert helps Peter find his own place.
225* PsychologicalProjection: Robert is the king of this, he sees his brother pretty much everyday but he barely knows him because all he sees is the version of Ray created by his insecurities who relishes in his perfect life and will do anything to keep him in his shadow.
226* TheUnfavorite: Hence his frequent antagonism towards Ray.
227* VerbalTic: His angry muttering, which more often than not causes laughter from the studio audience.
228[[/folder]]
229
230[[folder:Amy [=McDougall=]]]
231->'''Played by:''' Monica Horan
232[[quoteright:120:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/amy_barone.jpg]]
233
234* AscendedExtra: Started out as an occasional guest star, gradually became involved in some of the Robert-centric plots, and finally married Robert in the later seasons and became a Barone.
235* BetaCouple: With Robert. They were an off-and-on couple throughout most of the series, breaking up and then getting back together repeatedly.
236* BewareTheNiceOnes: In spite of Amy's unfailing kindness, several episodes show her to be tough and defensive when seriously pushed, such as when Raymond calls her an annoying chatterbox behind her back. Notably, Marie ''rarely'' wins against Amy.
237* BreakTheCutie: In the later seasons it appears that the Barones were going to give Amy this treatment after she [[spoiler: married Robert]]. Despite several bouts of anger and stress, "Sister-In Law" being one such example, [[SubvertedTrope she still manages to be]] TheCutie [[SubvertedTrope by the end of the series.]]
238* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In her first few appearances, Amy's more low key and even sarcastic than she'd become. Her more outgoing, cheerful personality developed gradually. She also initially has a marked New York accent which disappears after it's established that Amy and her family are from Pennsylvania.
239* {{Cloudcuckooland}}: This is how Amy initially views the Barone household(s) when she first joins them. And conversely, this is how ''the Barones'' view the ''[=McDougall=]'' household when they come to visit.
240* TheCutie: So very much.
241* FriendToAllChildren: After Amy marries into the family, one episode reveals that Ally goes to Amy to talk because she knows that Amy wouldn't be judgmental.
242* HairOfGoldHeartofGold: Her patience and sweetness are remarkable in comparison to the rest of the cast.
243* IncorruptiblePurePureness: In a pleasant surprise, she managed to be this trope ''without'' being a Mary Sue.
244* TheIngenue: The most pure, innocent character as seen above.
245* NiceGirl: Amy's defining trait, and what sets her apart from the clown car that is the rest of the Barone family.
246* NotSoDifferentRemark: Debra brings it up.
247-->'''Debra:''' I keep forgetting how much of a freakshow this family is until someone new comes along and looks at us like that.\
248''[Amy giving her most epic WTF look yet]''\
249'''Debra:''' That used to be me! Now I'm one of them!
250* OnlySaneMan: It's true that she is a bit naive, but for the most part she is one of the few "normal" members of the family.
251* SecondLove: For Robert, though given how toxic his first marriage was, she was very much the real love of his life.
252* SixthRanger: She officially joined the family in the later seasons.
253[[/folder]]
254
255
256[[folder:Ally Barone, Geoffrey Barone and Michael Barone]]
257->'''Played by:''' Madylin Sweeten, Sullivan and Sawyer Sweeten
258
259* AlwaysIdenticalTwins: Geoffrey and Michael.
260** The trope is [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructed]] in "Left Back," a later episode. The twins' preschool teacher tells Ray and Debra that Michael isn't doing as well in Geoffrey in class and suggests that he repeat the grade while Geoffrey advances. Though they're assured that it's perfectly normal, Ray and Debra worry about this trope and end up stuck on a MortonsFork: they don't want to split the twins up so they can maintain their bond, but realize that advancing Michael to a more difficult grade or keeping Geoffrey in an easier one is a bad idea, too.
261* CharacterizationMarchesOn: The closest thing Ally gets to an unique character trait is that she matures into a more independent and responsible teenager over the course of the series. ​
262* CoolBigSis: Ally is shown to be this to her younger brothers in a few episodes.
263* SatelliteCharacter: As the show's original intro explained, unlike most other sitcoms at the time, the show is not about the kids. Ally and the twins are secondary characters with no real defined personalities or traits of their own aside from being Ray and Debra's occasionally troublesome children. Their main purpose in the series is [[SmallRoleBigImpact to provide situations for the adults in their family to react to without taking a prominent position in the plot themselves]].
264[[/folder]]
265
266!Minor Characters
267[[folder:Judy]]
268->'''Played by:''' Creator/SherriShepherd
269
270* SassyBlackWoman: she doesn't hold back in her comments and criticism and takes no crap from ''anybody''. Not even Frank and Marie.
271[[/folder]]
272
273[[folder:Peggy Ardolino]]
274->'''Played by:''' Creator/AmyAquino
275
276* CatchPhrase: In each of her episodes after the first: "Hello, Ally's Dad."
277** PhraseCatcher: Likewise, Ray's response: "Hello...''Peggy.''"
278* EstablishingCharacterMoment
279-->'''Peggy:''' Now girls, when you're out selling cookies, and someone comes along, what do you say?\
280'''Frontier Girl:''' "Would you like to buy some cookies?"\
281'''Peggy:''' ''[bluntly]'' No. You say, "How ''many'' cookies would you like to buy?"
282* FreudianExcuse: In "Sleepover at Peggy's" she mentions having a rocky marriage with a husband who was neglectful, condescending and verbally abusive. Eventually, Peggy got fed up with him and divorced him. She outright says that her personality developed in reaction to the experience.
283* HiddenDepths: In addition to the revelation of her verbally-abusive marriage, Peggy is later shown to be a sci-fi buff and a fan of Franchise/StarWars. Peter falls in love immediately.
284* {{Jerkass}}: Towards Ray especially.
285* LastMinuteHookup: With [[spoiler: Peter, Amy's brother]] during one of the last few episodes of the series.
286* ANaziByAnyOtherName: How Raymond sees her.
287* PairTheSpares: As noted above, with [[spoiler: Peter]].
288* SitcomArchnemesis: To Ray. {{Lampshaded}} by other characters who find it ridiculous:
289-->'''Robert:''' Oooh, you have an ''arch-enemy''. What are you, a super-hero now?
290* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Not technically true, but she was ''usually'' called "Peggy Hitler", "The Cookie Nazi" or "Cookie Hitler Lady", especially by Ray.
291-->'''Ray:''' ''[continuing the Nazi comparison]'' [[{{PuttingOnTheReich}} Similar uniform]] too!
292* SmugSnake: When Ray objects to Peggy forcing all the kids' parents to buy $200+ dollar dresses to Molly's birthday party, Peggy sneers at him that Ally will stick out like her father's nose. There are other examples of Peggy being this trope.
293[[/folder]]
294
295[[folder:Henry "Hank" [=McDougall=]]]
296->'''Played by:''' Creator/FredWillard
297
298* BitchInSheepsClothing: An interesting contrast to the rest of the cast. While outwardly polite towards everyone, he constantly criticizes the Barones on everything from their admittedly uncouth behavior to their Catholicism. For example, in "The Bachelor Party," Frank's more annoyed by Hank's passive-aggressive comments than Peter's blatantly obnoxious behavior.
299* GoshDarnItToHeck: Never swears once in the entire run of the show.
300* HolierThanThou: Condescending preachiness is one of Hank's defining personality traits.
301* MeaningfulName: He's the polar opposite of Frank...and note the names: Hank vs. Frank.
302* NotSoAboveItAll: He likes to blow up fireworks, much to the surprise of both his family and the Barones. He also mentions getting drunk at a Christmas party, prompting Frank to comment, "Damn, Hank, I'm starting to like you!"
303* PetTheDog: He does eventually warm up to Robert once he sees how much he loves Amy. In one episode where Robert considers retiring from the police force, Hank encourages him not to because he respects Robert's work.
304* PreacherMan: Not officially a preacher, but as a devout evangelical Presbyterian, he certainly acts and speaks like one.
305[[/folder]]
306
307[[folder:Patricia "Pat" [=McDougall=]]]
308->'''Played by:''' Creator/GeorgiaEngel
309
310* BewareTheNiceOnes: Used to hilarious effect.
311* CoolOldLady: Somewhat surprisingly, but very entertaining in every instance when it occurs.
312** Ray even calls her cool at Rob and Amy's wedding, after she says to Marie what the rest of the family has been wanting to say for years.
313* TheCutie: Not only is she this trope, but she apparently raised Amy to also personify the trope.
314* NiceGirl: Quite unlike most of the main cast, what you see is what you get with Pat: a genuinely sweet old lady.
315* ThePollyanna: Though not quite as much as we're initially led to believe...
316* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Pat delivers a very soft spoken, yet scathing one to Marie concerning the latter's narcissistic behavior during Robert and Amy's Wedding Ceremony. She also gives one to her own husband,
317* StepfordSmiler: A few episodes imply this, especially the smoking episode and this exchange with her husband in "Security":
318-->'''Hank:''' We'll discuss this later.\
319'''Pat:''' Okay. ''[{{beat}}]'' But we won't.
320[[/folder]]
321
322[[folder:Peter [=McDougall=]]]
323->'''Played by:''' Creator/PaulReubens (first episode) and Creator/ChrisElliott (remainder)
324
325* BasementDweller: Both literally and figuratively.
326* BigBrotherInstinct: His main reason for disliking Robert.
327* BitchInSheepsClothing: Peter made it no secret that he hates Robert. [[spoiler: So when Robert and Amy were engaged, he made every effort into sabotaging the wedding. Obviously he doesn't succeed]].
328* CloudCuckooLander: His love for comics and science fiction, his friendship with his cats, and generally loopy and eccentric behavior.
329* GeekPhysiques: He's short and weedy, with shaggy hair and a scruffy beard.
330* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Peter spends most of the series being a complete ass, ''especially'' to Robert, but it's made clear that this attitude stems from his love and protectiveness for Amy. Once he buries the hatchet with his brother-in-law, he becomes a lot more likable.
331* KindheartedCatLover: A variation, where he spends most of the series being an insufferable jackass who still treats his cat like a queen. After a bit of character development and calling a truce with Robert, he becomes a more straightforward, if still very oddball, example of this.
332* LastMinuteHookup: [[spoiler: With Peggy.]]
333* ManChild: A nerdy, petulant dweeb who still lives with his parents past 40 years old.
334* PairTheSpares: With [[spoiler:Peggy]], as noted above and to Ray's overwhelming despair.
335* TheUnfavorite: Peter and Robert finally make peace with each other when they realize that they have this in common with the way their parents treat them.
336-->'''Robert:''' It's like I was the 'test kid,' Like, 'Oh! Well now we know not to drop Raymond!'\
337'''Peter:''' In my house it was 'Peter, Amy's playing the piano! Put away your cape and eat your dinner!'
338[[/folder]]
339
340[[folder:Warren Whelan]]
341->'''Played by:''' Robert Culp
342
343* AlliterativeName: '''W'''arre'''n''' '''W'''hela'''n'''.
344* InformedAttribute: The characters kept describing Warren as being a heavy drinker, but we never really saw that onscreen.
345* ObnoxiousInLaws: Downplayed. He and Lois occasionally get on the Barones' nerves, but their relationship is relatively amicable, especially compared to the Barones and [=McDougalls=].
346* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Turns up in one episode to have a heart-to-heart talk with Debra about [[spoiler: his impending divorce from Lois]].
347* UpperClassTwit: Not a twit in the sense of being unintelligent, but he and Lois are oblivious to how arrogant and out-of-touch they often seem to others.
348[[/folder]]
349
350[[folder:Lois Whelan]]
351->'''Played by:''' Creator/KatherineHelmond
352
353* CloudCuckoolander: Interested in abstract art and eccentric cultural practices; she's not the most grounded person.
354* OddFriendship: With Marie, of all people, with the two bonding over their mutual frustrations with their husbands.
355* StepfordSmiler: Especially in later episodes, when it's revealed that [[spoiler:her and Warren's marriage is dissolving]].
356%%* UpperClassTwit
357[[/folder]]
358
359[[folder:Cousin Gerard]]
360->'''Played by:''' Fred Stoller
361
362* AccentuateTheNegative: More than even Raymond, because he's basically him without the sports journalism success (or success of any other kind for that matter).
363-->'''Raymond:''' Why do you gotta be so negative all the time?\
364'''Gerard:''' ''[nasally]'' Because I'm not very happy...
365* AnnoyingLaugh: Has one of these which is almost just as distinct as his voice.
366* CasanovaWannabe: He joined a cult because he wanted to pick up chicks.
367* ChurchOfHappyology: In one episode, he's a member of a weird self-help group to which he was able to recruit Robert, worn off from an argument between Marie and Debra. It's actually a cult who wants to recruit Raymond to achieve fame.
368* TheFriendNobodyLikes: He's clearly ''very'' low on the totem pole inside the Barone family, whether on regard or concern.
369* NerdyNasalness: Has a very distinct nasal voice.
370* StrawLoser: He clearly looks like a run-down-in-life Raymond. {{Lampshaded}} in one episode, where Raymond notes he looks just like Gerard from profile, as well as sounding like and apparently being just as annoying as the latter. This is what Raymond is most horrified about on him - he's basically ThisLoserIsYou (almost a ReplacementFlatCharacter) for Raymond.
371[[/folder]]
372
373[[folder:Gianni]]
374->'''Played by:''' Jon Manfrellotti
375
376* CasanovaWannabe: He pretends to be irresistible to women, but we don't see any evidence of this.
377* ManChild: Debra considers him this. His obsession with sports and chasing women makes a strong case.
378* ThoseTwoGuys: Andy and Gianni often showed up together when Ray hung out with either of them.
379[[/folder]]
380
381[[folder:Andy]]
382->'''Played by:''' Andy Kindler
383
384* ThoseTwoGuys: Andy and Gianni often showed up together when Ray hung out with either of them. He initially had this with Kevin Daniels, before Kevin's actor left to star in ''Series/TheKingOfQueens''
385[[/folder]]
386
387[[folder:Bernie Gruenfelder]]
388->'''Played by:''' Tom [=McGowan=]
389
390%%* FatAndProud
391%%* SickeninglySweethearts: With Linda.
392* UglyGuyHotWife: Ugly guy (homely overweight) to Linda's hot wife (thin gorgeous).
393[[/folder]]
394
395[[folder:Linda Gruenfelder]]
396->'''Played by:''' Creator/MaggieWheeler
397
398%%* SickeninglySweethearts: With Bernie.
399* UglyGuyHotWife: Hot wife (thin gorgeous) to Bernie's ugly guy (homely overweight).
400[[/folder]]

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