For nine critically acclaimed and highly watched seasons, Everybody Loves Raymond was one of the most successful and most beloved sitcoms on television. Chronicling the lives of the larger than life Barone family, and including talented actors like Ray Romano, Brad Garrett, Doris Roberts, and Peter Boyle in its truly stacked cast, the series has stood the test of time as one of the best sitcoms of all time.
But even the best of sitcoms can't be expected to wrap up every single storyline it starts. That's the very nature of sitcoms, which are far more episodic than hour long dramas are, even if they do have a handful of storylines that continue throughout. Here, we've recapped ten of the storylines and questions the series left hanging, even after nine long seasons.
Peter and Peggy's relationship
Ray and Robert have a fraught relationship for the entire run of the series, despite moments of occasional brotherly love along the way. So it's all too fitting that they find themselves confronted with a shocking reality when their nemeses wind up falling for each other.
Ray's nemesis, the pushy troop leader Peggy, and Robert's nemesis, his brother-in-law Peter, wind up having a lot in common to everyone's clear shock and disbelief, including various nerdy pursuits. They wind up becoming romantically and intimately involved very quickly after meeting, but the series never returns to their relationship after that fact. What happens to these two in the long run?
Raymond's career trajectory
For the entire series' run, barring some key flashback episodes, Ray Barone is a sportswriter for the newspaper New York Newsday. At one point in the series, however, Raymond tries to apply for the position of editor at the paper, but he is ultimately rejected, despite applying twice for the position when it opened.
By the time the series ends, Ray is still working as a columnist for the newspaper. But what does the future hold for Ray, especially as the world moves toward an increasingly digital news landscape? Ray at least has the benefit of working from home, which could translate well toward writing in the digital world.
Nemo's (or Marco's)
In the early years of Everybody Loves Raymond, the pizzeria Nemo's was a main fixture. Regularly frequented by the Barone family, and also used as a hangout for Ray and his friends Gianni, Andy, and Bernie. Nemo was also a recurring character, and the guys all played for his basketball team, too.
In a later season, the restaurant was bought out by the wealthy but intimidating Marco Fogagnolo, the father of Robert's ex-girlfriend, Stefania. Over time, the Barones and friends spent less time at the restaurant, but it still occasionally featured in episodes when Ray would go to pick up food for dinner. But what ever happened to the restaurant formerly known as Nemo's? Does Marco still own it? Or did he intimidate all of Nemo's former clients away?
Warren and Lois's relationship
One of the great ironies in the series came in the form of the fact that, despite the many clear problems in Frank and Marie Barone's marriage, they weren't the married couple who wound up divorcing. In fact, it was Debra's parents, the elite Warren and Lois Whalen, who wound up divorcing, much to Debra's disappointment and surprise.
Later in the series, however, Debra was given hope of her parents reuniting after Raymond unfortunately witnessed the two of them sleeping together on one occasion when the Whalens were staying at the Barone family home. However, they made it clear that they were just having fun, and not actually reuniting. But what happened after the series ended?
Robert's career trajectory
For the entire series, Robert Barone is a dedicated member of the NYPD. He undergoes plenty of ups and downs, including shocking injuries on the job, an eventual promotion, and a brief consideration of switching career paths to the FBI. But toward the end of the series, Robert considers a radically different career path: a security system salesman.
In the end, Robert decides to stick with working on the force, much to his mother, Marie's, incredible disappointment and hurt, as she had hoped he would retire soon. So what does Robert wind up doing for the rest of his working days? Does he continue working in active duty, or take a desk job?
What happened to Shamsky?
As the often ignored and slighted older brother, Robert Barone is always looking for love in almost always the wrong places. But one of the few sources of true love he finds is in the form of his adorable dog, Shamsky, who the Barones take in after Raymond is followed home by the chubby little bulldog.
Right away, Robert falls in love with him, after having had a dog named Shamsky just like him when he was a child, named after his idol, Mets player Art Shamsky. For a few seasons, Shamsky #2 is a key figure in Robert's life. But all of a sudden, he disappears without explanation. Where did he go?
What happened to Russell MacDougall?
Amy MacDougall was a key player in the series almost from the very beginning, and eventually, she would go on to join the Barone family when she and Robert finally got married after years and years of back and forth, on again and off again dating. Early in the series, the world of the MacDougall family was expanded with the introduction of Amy's geeky, comic book store owning brother, Russell.
Russell was portrayed by Paul Reubens, better known to audiences as the man behind Pee Wee Herman. But after his single appearance in the episode "Hackidu," Russell disappeared without a trace, replaced with Chris Elliott's Peter, who also owned a comic book store and was even more quirky. Does Russell still exist somewhere? Or was he just simply replaced in some behind the scenes casting changes?
What will happen to the Barones' living arrangements?
What makes Everybody Loves Raymond work, besides the strength of the series' cast, is the close quarters in which the larger than life and riotously ethnic Barone family live. With Ray and Debra across the street from Frank and Marie, and Robert and Amy now living in the same house as Frank and Marie, the series ends with more Barones in less square mileage than ever before.
But what will the future look like for these living situations? Will Robert and Amy ever move out? Will Marie really move in with Ray and Debra if Frank dies first, as discussed in the episode "Golf for It"? And will any of Ray and Debra's kids ever be able to move out when they're old enough?
Amy and Robert's family future
It's an uncomfortable storyline, when Robert and Amy realize they're getting preferential treatment from Marie just because she wants them to hurry up and have children already. But after that awkward episode, the subject of children and family never comes up between the newly married couple again.
So we can't help but wonder: are these two destined for family? As long as they're living under Marie's roof, it's practically unthinkable to imagine they would ever be able to avoid this subject. But Robert and Amy were both much older when they got married than Ray and Debra were, which would undoubtedly affect their thoughts on the matter - and their timetable, too.
Debra and Marie's relationship
One of the key relationships in the series is also arguably the most contentious for the show's entire duration. The relationship between mother-in-law Marie Barone and daughter-in-law Debra Barone is frosty from start to finish, as the two women are almost constantly at war when it comes to all things Raymond, childrearing, cooking, cleaning, and more.
How much longer could this kind of toxic environment last? The series finale shows a brief moment of connection between the two women, following Raymond's surgery. But is that really enough to thaw the ice between them for good? We're not so sure.