The Barones clash even more than usual in the sixth-season opener when they get a child’s-eye view of all the bickering that goes on in the family. The fireworks begin when the whole gang attends an open house at first-grader Michael’s school, during which the kids all read stories that they’ve written themselves. Most of the students tell tall tales that are obviously fictional. But then Michael gets up and reads the title to his story, “”The Angry Family.”” The shocked Barones fear the worst—and for good reason—as Michael begins the saga of a clan that is constantly arguing.

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. In the flashback, expectant parents Ray and Debra are caught by surprise when Debra goes into labor in the back seat of Robert’s patrol car, forcing him to be called into action. Meanwhile, Ray and Debra plot to keep a pushy Marie away from the delivery room until after the baby is born, not an easy feat.

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

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

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, as a parent, Ray finds it boring to be around his kids, Debra couldn’t agree more. She then suggests that Ray follow Robert’s example and to try to have more fun with his children. But, when her own parenting skills are called into question by Marie, Debra quickly changes her tune and rallies behind Ray, insisting that they are both very involved parents.

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 color they don’t like, Ray fires him. That’s when Marie reveals the truth behind Frank’s retirement.

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

Marie gathers Robert’s ex-girlfriends Amy and Stefania and his female police partner, Judy, together 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 in detail and compare notes on his quirky dating behavior, inability to commit to one woman and his flawed personality.

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. Debra is as taken with the new vacuum as Ray once she witnesses all of the wonderful things it can do. That is, until she learns why the saleswoman showed up at their door in the first place. 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. Of course, the results are disastrous

Robert gets a surprise visit from Stefania, the woman with whom he fell head over heels in love when the Barones vacationed in Italy. Robert’s excitement over having his beloved, and stunningly gorgeous, Stefania so close quickly gives way to annoyance when he is witness to a few of her idiosyncrasies. After spending some quality time with the Italian beauty, sans gelato and gondolas, Robert has to rethink his feelings for her. Meanwhile, Stefania’s father, who has accompanied her to America, has his own change of heart with respect to his feelings for Robert.

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

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

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.

Ray is mortified when he realizes that Marie used to read the personal journal he kept as a teenager. When Marie blurts out an embarrassing incident from Ray’s past, he can’t figure out how she could have possibly known that information. That is, until he discovers that she must have broken the secret code he used when writing in his journal. And in the process, his mother has learned about his most personal, and perverted, thoughts.

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

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 – give Debra a better gift than she is getting him – and soon he’ll be teeing off on a new course that he’s been dying to play. However, he doesn’t figure on the even more extravagant gift that Debra has purchased for him.

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.

Robert starts to date a 22-year old woman and Marie and Debra don’t think it’s right. They break up when he finds out that she’s really only 19 and she finds out that he’s really 43.

While celebrating Thanksgiving, Debra discovers that her seemingly contented parents are really not very happy with each other. When Ray accidentally overhears his in-laws going at it with each other, he relays the news to Debra… who has always believed her parents’ relationship to be a lot healthier than Frank and Marie’s. But, when things come to a head at the Thanksgiving table, it’s apparent that there really isn’t that much of a difference between the two older couples – much to Debra’s dismay.

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. Meanwhile, Debra demands that Ray give her an example of something he regrets, but incredibly he can’t come up with anything.

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, just as Robert receives the good news that he is being promoted to lieutenant. The Barone family doesn’t quite know how to react to this most bizarre of situations in which Ray has failed at something while Robert has succeeded. But worst of all, Ray doesn’t know how (or if) he’s ever going to get past this.

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 — to help the youngster get through the grieving process. What Ray at first thought was an utterly ridiculous way to mourn the passing of a family pet, ends up being one of the most emotional experiences of his life.

Robert finds himself in the most unlikely position of having to choose one of three women – girlfriend Amy, ex-wife Joanne or Italian bombshell Stefania – to share the future with him. Robert decides that “”honesty is the best policy”” when it comes to his relationship with Amy, so he foolishly tells her about his recent reunion with ex-wife Joanne. To make matters worse, when Amy runs to Debra for consolation, Debra mistakenly spills the beans about Robert’s recent tryst with Stefania. Suddenly, Robert is not in a position to decide which woman he wants. It’s a matter of which one, if any, is going to want him.

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.

When Marie surprises the family with the news that she’s treating them all to a two-week vacation in Rome, everybody loves the idea – except Raymond. It’s virtually impossible not to enjoy oneself in a country as beautiful as Italy; but, if anyone can manage it, Raymond can. 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, sights, smells and tastes of the city of love and try their best to ignore Ray. Meanwhile, Robert meets the girl of his dreams – she’s stunningly beautiful, unbelievably sexy and works in a gelato shop.

When Marie surprises the family with the news that she’s treating them all to a two-week vacation in Rome, everybody loves the idea – except Raymond. It’s virtually impossible not to enjoy oneself in a country as beautiful as Italy; but, if anyone can manage it, Raymond can. 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, sights, smells and tastes of the city of love and try their best to ignore Ray. Meanwhile, Robert meets the girl of his dreams – she’s stunningly beautiful, unbelievably sexy and works in a gelato shop.

While out for a family dinner, the Barones spot Robert’s ex-wife, which prompts them to reminisce about the demise of his marriage. The family tells Amy the truth about Robert’s failed marriage to Joanne, whom Frank not-so-affectionately refers to as “”a nutcracker.”” The surprise sighting also brings back some personally harrowing memories for Robert – although, when Joanne suggests the ex-spouses get together, Robert seems intrigued.

After losing his nerve on the job during his first day back from medical leave, Robert quits the police force. No one realized how much of an effect the “”bull incident”” had on Robert’s mental state – and his ability to confront fear and the unexpected. Now, back on the job only one day, he finds himself too scared to handle a minor altercation so, rather than face his fears, he decides to change his career to something “”safer and more solitary”” – telemarketing. However, he rejoins the force after confronting the bull that gored him.

Ray’s attempts to alleviate Debra’s PMS moodiness only make her more irritable. When Ray witnesses Debra’s hypersensitive mood and generally annoyed reaction to everything he says and does, he checks the calendar and realizes it’s going to be a long couple of days ahead. In his desire to get a “”quick fix”” for Debra’s womanly problems – thus making his life a heck of a lot easier – he turns a bad situation worse by suggesting that a simple pill will help with his wife’s insufferable mood swings.

Still recuperating from his recent run-in with a bull, a cantankerous Robert is driving everyone crazy with his mean-spirited and nasty behavior. When Robert is told by his doctor that he will need two more weeks of convalescing at his parents’ home before he can return to living on his own, everyone figures that’s the reason for his foul attitude. But Debra gets to the heart of the matter when, playing amateur psychiatrist, she uncovers the real reason behind Robert’s cruel conduct.

Ray finds it hard to understand why Debra needs her “”alone time.”” When Debra realizes that all her time is spent with the kids, Ray and his family, she implores Ray to take the kids out more often so that she can have more time to herself. Of course, this makes Marie think that something must be wrong in their marriage, despite Ray’s assurances. However, when Ray spies on Debra to see what she actually does with her “”alone time,”” he is not so sure all is okay.

Ray and Debra’s plan of getting Frank and Marie their own friends backfires when instead of going to their house they bring their friends to Ray and Debra’s.

Debra throws the Barone family into turmoil when she finally creates a dish that everyone likes. Ray can’t believe it when he samples Debra’s braciole. Even though her past attempts at cooking seemed to have ruined his taste buds, it’s simply delicious. But, when Marie gets wind of Debra’s cooking prowess, and sees the effect that the braciole has on Ray, Robert and Frank, it’s war!

Ray screws up a “”Hackidu”” trade for his daughter, Ally, by giving away a “”Scramisaur”” card that ends up being worth a lot of money. Ray thinks he’s being the perfect father by taking an interest in Ally’s “”Hackidu”” hobby and advising her on a card swap. But when he inadvertently gives away her favorite card, he has to pay for his mistake – he just didn’t realize how much.

Ray and Debra renew their wedding vows after they find out that Ray accidentally taped over their wedding with the 1991 Super Bowl.

Ray feels tremendous guilt when he cancels plans with Robert, who then gets hurt in the line of duty, when he should have been hanging out with his brother. At first, it’s all laughs and snide remarks from Ray when he finds out the cause of Robert’s job-related injury. Ray’s bedside manner definitely leaves a lot to be desired. But, after some prodding from Debra, Ray decides to show Robert just how much he really cares for him…not an easy task for a Barone.

Everyone gets on Ray’s case because he’s doesn’t go to Sunday Mass. When Ray starts feeling guilty about the good example Frank is setting by attending church, he commits to becoming a regular parishioner. After all, if Frank can do it, so can he. But, when Ray shows up at the church, he quickly realizes what it is that draws Frank to this house of worship week after week – and it isn’t the sermon.

Ray and Debra have differing points of view on how best to handle the situation when they learn that Ally has been bullying another child on the school bus. Ray thinks Ally’s pushiness and “”don’t take any crap from anyone”” attitude comes from Debra. Meanwhile, Debra thinks if she doesn’t instill that independence in Ally, she’ll end up being a wuss – just like her dad. But, when push comes to shove and they confront Ally about how to better her behavior, they find themselves questioning their own parenting abilities.

When Amy raises the notion that Robert’s reluctance to commit to Amy may be a result of his being gay, Ray doesn’t believe it. But, after further thought – and closer observation of Robert’s keen sense of style and panache for interior design – Ray is not so sure anymore.

Ray decides to get his parents a family portrait for Christmas and they love the idea, until Debra’s parents show up to be in it too.