The BEST episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond season 5

Every episode of Everybody Loves Raymond season 5, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond season 5!

Everybody Loves Raymond revolves around Ray Barone, a successful sportswriter living on Long Island with his wife, Debra, 12-year-old daughter, Ally, and 8-year-old twin sons, Geoffrey and Michael. That's the good news. The bad news? Ray's meddling parents, Frank and Marie, live directly across the street and embrace the motto "Su casa es mi casa," infiltrating their son's home to an extent unparalleled in television history. Frank's favorite expression, "Holy Crap," is shouted at regular intervals, and Marie's "cooking advice" is less than appreciated by Debra. Brother Robert, a divorced policeman, is constantly moving in and out of his parents' house, and loves to drop over and resent Ray's successful career and happy family life. Ray and Debra just wish someone would knock once in a while. Finalizing it's 9th and final season, the cast and crew of "ELR" has had a very successful run, and it makes it even harder for them all to say good-bye.

Last Updated: 5/10/2025Network: CBSStatus: Ended
Frank Paints the House
star
8.25
309 votes

#1 - Frank Paints the House

Season 5 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/21/2001

When Ray and Debra find Frank painting their house, they find out that Marie put him up to the job due to his retirement. But when Frank paints it the colour they don't like, Ray fires him. That's when Marie reveals the truth behind Frank's retirement.

Directors: David L.
Writer: Scott Buck
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Italy (2)
star
8.22
297 votes

#2 - Italy (2)

Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/2/2000

Ray is complaining about the heat, Debra is getting tired of following Marie's strict schedule and of Ray's pessimistic attitude, Robert meets Stefánia's father, who is not thrilled with his daughter choice of man, and Frank is enjoying himself playing pétanque. After going on a long walk with his mother, Ray slowly starts to enjoy himself and appreciate where he is, no thanks to Marie.

Directors: Gary Halvorson
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Italy (1)
star
8.17
432 votes

#3 - Italy (1)

Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/2/2000

When Marie surprises the family with the news that she's treating them all to a two-week vacation to Italy, everybody loves the idea except Raymond. Not willing to let his sour mood spoil it for the rest of the family, Debra, Frank, Marie, Robert, and the kids go on their merry way and soak up the atmosphere, the sights, and tastes of the country.

Directors: Gary Halvorson
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Canister
star
8.15
362 votes

#4 - The Canister

Season 5 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/9/2001

Tempers flare when Marie accuses Debra of not returning a borrowed canister that holds sentimental value. Debra insists that she has already returned the canister, so she is horrified when she discovers that she still has the canister in her possession.

Directors: Gary Halvorson
Writer: David Regal
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Sneeze
star
8.07
432 votes

#5 - The Sneeze

Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/27/2000

Ray gets sneezed on at the airport and he fears he might have caught something so Debra tries to take care of him but Marie takes over.

Directors: Ken Levine
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Fairies
star
8.05
302 votes

#6 - Fairies

Season 5 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/19/2001

Ray is upset when he finds out that Debra signed up Michael and Geoffery to play fairies in a school play.

Directors: Gary Halvorson
Writer: Aaron Korsh
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Author
star
8.00
396 votes

#7 - The Author

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/30/2000

The competition for attention between Ray and Robert reaches an all-time high with the brothers ending up in a fight. Ray's dreams of authoring a sports book get squashed when the publishing company takes a pass on it. To make matters worse, Robert receives the good news that he is being promoted to lieutenant.

Directors: Andy Ackerman
Writer: Mike Royce
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Stefania Arrives
star
7.83
372 votes

#8 - Stefania Arrives

Season 5 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/26/2001

Robert gets a surprise visit from Stefánia, the woman with whom he fell head over heels in love when the Barones went on holiday in Italy. Robert's excitement over having his summer love Stefania so close quickly gives way to annoyance when he is witness to a few of her idiosyncrasies. Meanwhile, Stefania's father, who has accompanied her to America, has his own change of heart with respect to his feelings for Robert.

Directors: Gary Halvorson
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
What Good Are You?
star
7.82
400 votes

#9 - What Good Are You?

Season 5 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/8/2001

When Ray doesn't react to Debra's choking everyone makes fun of him so he tries to be more attentive in relative situations.

Directors: Ken Levine
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Ray's Journal
star
7.81
408 votes

#10 - Ray's Journal

Season 5 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/5/2001

When Marie blurts out an embarrassing incident from Ray's past, he can't figure out how she came by that information. He is mortified when he realizes that she used to read the personal diary he kept as a teenager.

Directors: Kenneth Shapiro
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Christmas Present
star
7.81
369 votes

#11 - Christmas Present

Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/11/2000

Ray buys Debra an elaborate Christmas gift in the hopes that she will be so impressed, she will let him go on a weekend golf trip with his buddies. Ray believes he has the whole scenario worked out. However, he doesn't figure on the even more extravagant gift that Debra has purchased for him.

Directors: Gary Halvorson
Watch Now:Amazon
Let's Fix Robert
star
7.79
374 votes

#12 - Let's Fix Robert

Season 5 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/30/2001

Marie gathers Robert's ex-girlfriends Amy and Stefánia and his police partner Judy, so they can dissect his character in an effort to help her better understand why her eldest son can't commit to a relationship. Unfortunately, Robert unexpectedly drops in and is forced by his mother to listen to his character being assassinated by the women as they discuss his relationship hang-ups.

Directors: Gary Halvorson
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Pet Cemetery
star
7.78
377 votes

#13 - Pet Cemetery

Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/23/2000

Ray inadvertently commits petslaughter on Ally's hamster while Debra and the kids are away for the weekend. When Ray breaks the difficult news to Ally about Pumpernickel's untimely demise, Debra insists that they give the beloved pet a proper burial, complete with eulogies, but Ray thinks that it's ridicules to morn a pet.

Directors: Ken Levine
Watch Now:Apple TV
The Wallpaper
star
7.78
464 votes

#14 - The Wallpaper

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/9/2000

Ray finally tells Frank and Marie how he feels about their constant intrusiveness after Marie accidentally drives the car through the front of his house.

Directors: Gary Halvorson
Watch Now:Apple TV
Fighting In-Laws
star
7.77
422 votes

#15 - Fighting In-Laws

Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/20/2000

While celebrating Thanksgiving, Ray discovers that Debra's seemingly contented parents are really not happy with each other. When things come to a head at the Thanksgiving table, it's apparent that there really isn't that much of a difference between Ray's parents and Debra's parents.

Directors: Michael Zinberg
Watch Now:Apple TV
Humm Vac
star
7.74
353 votes

#16 - Humm Vac

Season 5 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/19/2001

Ray purchases a new state-of-the-art vacuum cleaner from an attractive door to door saleswoman and it ignites a housekeeping war between Marie and Debra. Determined to prove to Marie that she's is just as good at "keeping house," Debra attempts to use the new vacuum to find some dirt, any dirt, in Marie's home.

Directors: Gary Halvorson
Watch Now:Apple TV
Ally's Birth
star
7.71
253 votes

#17 - Ally's Birth

Season 5 - Episode 25 - Aired 5/21/2001

As Ray escorts Ally to a father-daughter dance, he realizes how grown up and independent his daughter has become. As a result, he begins to recall the day, nine years ago, when the Barone clan welcomed her into the family, but not without incident.

Directors: Jerry Zaks
Watch Now:Apple TV
Meant to Be
star
7.70
483 votes

#18 - Meant to Be

Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/16/2000

Robert finds himself in the most unlikely position of having to choose between his girlfriend Amy, ex-wife Joanne, or Italian summer love, Stefánia. Robert decides that honesty is the best policy when it comes to his relationship with Amy, so he tells her about his recent reunion with ex-wife Joanne, which does not go over well with Amy. To make matters worse, when Amy runs to Debra for consolation, Debra mistakenly spills the beans about Robert's recent fling with Stefánia.

Directors: Michael Zinberg
Say Uncle
star
7.68
368 votes

#19 - Say Uncle

Season 5 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/7/2001

When Ray realizes that his kids would rather spend time with their Uncle Robert than with him, he decides to do something about the situation. When Robert makes the observation that Ray finds it boring to be around his kids, Debra couldn't agree more and suggests that Ray follow Robert's example.

Directors: Kenneth Shapiro
Writer: Aaron Shure
Watch Now:Apple TV
The Walk to the Door
star
7.65
421 votes

#20 - The Walk to the Door

Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/6/2000

Ray is mortified when he meets a girl whom he dated 25 years earlier and believes he treated with disrespect. Meeting Elizabeth again, Ray, wracked with guilt because he feels he didn't behave properly on their high school date, is determined to apologize. However, when he finds out the real reason Elizabeth went out with him that night long ago, he regrets ever bringing up the past.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Watch Now:Apple TV
Separation
star
7.58
338 votes

#21 - Separation

Season 5 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/14/2001

Debra gets upset when she finds out that her parents have separated.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Watch Now:Apple TV
Silent Partners
star
7.52
377 votes

#22 - Silent Partners

Season 5 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/12/2001

Ray and Debra discover that they have nothing to talk about except the kids.

Directors: Gary Halvorson
Watch Now:Apple TV
Young Girl
star
7.46
443 votes

#23 - Young Girl

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/13/2000

Robert starts to date a 22 year old woman and Marie and Debra don't think it's right. Things take a turn when he finds out that she's really 19 and she finds out that he's really 43.

Directors: Michael Zinberg
Watch Now:Apple TV
Super Bowl
star
7.44
409 votes

#24 - Super Bowl

Season 5 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/29/2001

Ray gets to go to the Super Bowl and cover it for his newspaper. He brings Gianni but feels bad about not having brought Debra when he sees that all the other reporters brought their wives so he has her flown in and to prove that he wants to spend time with her he rips up the tickets to the Super Bowl.

Watch Now:Apple TV
Net Worth
star
7.14
333 votes

#25 - Net Worth

Season 5 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/23/2001

Debra becomes angry when Ray contributes $1,000 to his friends' harebrained scheme to open a go-cart business, without first consulting her.

Directors: David L.
Watch Now:Apple TV