8.5/102 votes#1 - The Cult
Season 7 Episode 1 - Aired 9/23/2002
Depressed that Marie and Debra can't seem to resolve their differences, Robert decides to join a support group that the family believes is a cult. After taking the feud between Marie and Debra very hard, Robert's cousin Gerard convinces him to attend a ""Pathway"" meeting – a group seeking the path to inner peace and unlocking one's potential. Although Robert is rejuvenated by his encounter with ""Pathway,"" the family is concerned it's a cult and they convince Ray to go to a meeting to see what Robert's gotten himself into.
Director: Kenneth Shapiro
Writer: Tucker Cawley
8.5/102 votes#2 - Baggage
Season 7 Episode 22 - Aired 5/5/2003
Ray and Debra wind up in a two-week standoff over a suitcase. When Robert asks Ray if he can borrow a suitcase sitting on the stairway landing for his honeymoon, Ray explains he and Debra have been locked in an ""unspoken"" battle of wills since a weekend trip over who is responsible for putting the suitcase away. Although Robert thinks Ray and Debra are insane, Frank and Marie can easily relate and offer their own words of wisdom – with Frank counseling Ray and Marie advising Debra on how to resolve their marital differences.
Director: N/A
Writer: Tucker Cawley
8.3/103 votes#3 - Enlightening Strikes
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 5/7/2015
When Felix substitute teaches a yoga class, his teaching style rubs everyone, including Emily, the wrong way. Also, Oscar and Dani get trapped on a subway car, adding to their frustration about living in the city, and Murph asks Teddy to be his agent when he’s approached to be the spokesperson for a Norwegian health supplement.
Director: Phill Lewis
Writer: Tucker Cawley
8.0/103 votes#4 - Good Girls
Season 2 Episode 19 - Aired 3/9/1998
Debra discovers that her mother-in-law, Marie, likes Robert's girlfriend, Amy, better than she likes her because Amy is a "good girl." When Robert accidentally lets it slip to Marie that Amy is a virgin, Marie is thrilled to pieces. Jealous of the attention Amy is receiving from Marie, Raymond minimizes Debra's premarital activities, leading his mother to believe that Debra was a "good girl" too. When the family discovers why Marie has this sudden "purity" fixation, Robert and Raymond are in for a big surprise.
Director: N/A
Writer: Tucker Cawley
8.0/101 votes#5 - Lucky Suit
Season 6 Episode 16 - Aired 2/4/2002
Robert is ecstatic when he is recommended for an FBI job. That is, until it becomes apparent that Marie's intrusive ways may be his undoing. This time, she may have gone too far and Robert may not be able to forgive and forget.
Director: Gary Halvorson
Writer: Tucker Cawley
8.0/101 votes#6 - Pat's Secret
Season 9 Episode 15 - Aired 5/9/2005
Robert discovers Pat smoking and she pleads for him not to tell. Later, when Amy smells smoke on Robert, she thinks Robert smokes. Frank, Marie, Peter, Hank and Amy all think Robert smokes. Robert gets yelled at, and Pat doesn't tell the truth or back him up. The next day, Robert tells Raymond and Debra about Pat, and the family comes over. There is a bitter argument and then Ray and/or Debra yells out that Pat smokes. She confesses and tells the truth. There is another argument and Peter confesses something, then Hank, then Ray, then Debra. It ends with Frank and Marie telling them that they are weird and that they shouldn't do the stuff they are doing.
Director: Gary Halvorson
Writer: Tucker Cawley
8.0/105 votes#7 - Pretty Man
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 4/4/2013
When Mindy decides to have a night out by herself in the city, she hits it off with a stunningly handsome man who turns out to be a prostitute.
Director: Rob Schrab
Writer: Tucker Cawley
7.7/103 votes#8 - Diamonds
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 2/7/1997
Ray finds out that the diamond on Debra's engagement ring is a fake, so he steals it from her to get it changed, only to find out after that she already had it changed. She had her grandma's $15,000 diamond put in.
Director: Michael Lembeck
Writer: Tucker Cawley
7.7/103 votes#9 - Fascinatin' Debra
Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 3/17/1997
A popular radio psychologist comes to the house to interview Debra for a book on the American family. But the doctor finds that the rest of the eccentric Barones are more captivating, leaving "normal" Debra feeling left out because she's not "quirky or funny or interesting."
Director: Jeff Meyer
Writer: Tucker Cawley
7.5/102 votes#10 - The Plan
Season 7 Episode 18 - Aired 3/10/2003
Yet another bump appears on the rocky road to Robert and Amy's wedding, which was nearly blocked by her disapproving parents. When the bride-to-be (Monica Horan) puts her betrothed (Brad Garrett) in charge of writing the wedding invitation, he seeks input from Ray and Frank. While they can't believe Robert let himself get roped into such a chore, they nevertheless come up with a plan: If Robert makes a mess of the job, it will convince Amy that she should take care of all the wedding plans herself. So the groom drafts an appalling mock invite---complete with the wrong date and names---and waits for Amy's reply...which is worse than he ever expected.
Director: Jerry Zaks
Writer: Tucker Cawley
7.3/1032 votes#11 - The Banquet
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 5/7/2009
During a banquet honoring her mother's public service, Leslie tries to convince a local zoning official to support her proposed park project. Meanwhile, Mark and Tom try to meet some ladies.
Director: Beth McCarthy-Miller
Writer: Tucker Cawley
7.3/103 votes#12 - Look Don't Touch
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/11/1996
Nemo's niece, Angelina, takes employment at Nemo's as a waitress at Nemo's. When Angelina catches Ray's eye, he has a lot of explaining to do to his wife, Debra especially when Angelina calls him at home. Ray accidentally leaves his wallet at Nemo's, and Angelina calls him at home to let him know she found it. But, because he feels guilty about his innocent attraction, Ray denies ever knowing her. When the situation is blown out of proportion by the Barone family, Debra decides to visit Nemo's to see what all the fuss is about.
Director: Jeff Meyer
Writer: Tucker Cawley
7.3/103 votes#13 - Ray's on TV
Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 9/22/1997
Ray is devastated when he discovers his family lied to him about his television debut on a sports chat show. When he gets a second chance to appear on the show, his family decides it's time they gave him some pointers on how to correct his awkwardness with certain words. While Ray tries his best to remember his family's advice, his guest appearance turns out to be even more disastrous than the debut.
Director: Michael Lessac
Writer: Tucker Cawley
7.3/106 votes#14 - The Blind Leading the Blind Date
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 3/12/2015
Dani wishes she had a boyfriend for her high-school reunion so Oscar, Felix and Ted work on finding her a man.
Director: Phill Lewis
Writer: Tucker Cawley
7.0/102 votes#15 - Moving Out
Season 3 Episode 7 - Aired 11/2/1998
Feeling pathetic because he lives with his parents, Robert finally musters up the courage to move out on his own. Encouraged by Ray, and much to his parents’ horror, Robert packs up his bags, takes his dog and moves into a garage apartment. But the move affects the family more than they anticipated. They feel the absence of their relationship “buffer.” As Debra describes it, “He’s like.the lead apron at the dentist.” Meanwhile, Robert enjoys his newfound freedom, until Raymond comes to visit and points out that the older couple with whom he is living are really carbon copies of their own parents — from whom he was trying to get away.
Director: Will Mackenzie
Writer: Tucker Cawley
7.0/103 votes#16 - Ping Pong
Season 3 Episode 13 - Aired 1/11/1999
When Ray finds out that his father let him win a game of ping pong when he was twelve he challenges him to a game. When Ray loses he tells Frank that he let him win. Frank then tells Ray the truth. He didn't let him win, he really did win.
Director: Will Mackenzie
Writer: Tucker Cawley
7.0/101 votes#17 - Robert's Divorce
Season 4 Episode 24 - Aired 5/22/2000
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.
Director: Wil Shriner
Writer: Tucker Cawley
7.0/101 votes#18 - Older Women
Season 6 Episode 9 - Aired 11/19/2001
It's the first Thanksgiving since Debra's parents have been divorced and Debra is thrilled that both her parents have agreed to have dinner with the Barones. However, she soon learns that Warren is bringing a date. Everyone is horrified except Debra's mother, who thinks it's just great.
Director: Gary Halvorson
Writer: Tucker Cawley
7.0/101 votes#19 - Season's Greetings
Season 6 Episode 12 - Aired 12/17/2001
When Marie receives a letter from a relative detailing how wonderful her life is and how well her kids are doing, it drives Marie insane with jealousy. She enlists Debra's help in writing a Barone ""family update,"" but despite efforts to make everyone sound successful, the letter makes them all feel inadequate about what they have done – or not done.
Director: Jerry Zaks
Writer: Tucker Cawley
7.0/101 votes#20 - The Bigger Person (2)
Season 6 Episode 23 - Aired 5/13/2002
The feud continues when Ray realizes that he can use the feud to get Debra to do almost anything for him, dragging Frank into doing it with Marie. Things are going as planned, but Robert is sickened by their carelessness. The pressure gets to Robert and he tells both Debra and Marie that Ray and Frank are ""exploiting the situation"" in order to bring them back together. But, all it creates is more mayhem. To Be Continued...
Director: N/A
Writer: Tucker Cawley
7.0/101 votes#21 - The Thought That Counts
Season 7 Episode 11 - Aired 12/9/2002
Robert gives Ray a great idea on what to get Debra for Christmas, but he isn't very happy when Ray takes all the credit for it.
Director: N/A
Writer: Tucker Cawley
7.0/101 votes#22 - Liars
Season 8 Episode 7 - Aired 11/10/2003
Ray and Debra get caught up in telling lies in order to cover up previous falsehoods after Ray fibs to Marie about why he missed a scheduled time with her. When the lies snowball into an out of control degree, Marie picks up the scent and traces everything back to the initial fib. Marie seems to have won – until Frank reveals a damaging lie of her own.
Director: Kenneth Shapiro
Writer: Tucker Cawley
7.0/101 votes#23 - The Bird
Season 8 Episode 9 - Aired 11/24/2003
Robert and Amy convince their families to spend Thanksgiving together. When the Barones arrive at the Pennsylvania home of Amy's parents, they find that their differing family traditions encourage lots of lively conversation. If only the MacDougals owned a television set! Things start to come together when the families separate into Pilgrims and Indians for the annual MacDougal Thanksgiving Family Pageant. All is well until a bird flies into the house and Pat McDougal decides to ""put it out of it's misery.""
Director: Kenneth Shapiro
Writer: Tucker Cawley
7.0/101 votes#24 - Security
Season 8 Episode 16 - Aired 2/23/2004
After Robert takes a second job selling home security systems, he reveals he's been asked to join the security firm full-time and is mulling over retiring from the police force early. While Marie is overjoyed, Amy questions if this is really what Robert wants or if he's only retiring early to make his mother happy. The disagreement about his future leads to a tense birthday party for Robert.
Director: N/A
Writer: Tucker Cawley
7.0/101 votes#25 - Golf For It
Season 8 Episode 23 - Aired 5/24/2004
Robert and Ray end up with the mother of all guilt trips when they decide not to help Marie with a home project so they can land a prime spot on the golf course. Their overnight wait in the car for a tee time becomes a brawl over their respective roles in their parents' future.
Director: Gary Halvorson
Writer: Tucker Cawley
Popular searches:
The Best Episodes Written By Tucker Cawley
Every TV Episode Written by Tucker Cawley Ranked from Best to Worst by Thousands of Voters
Tucker Cawley Ratings Summary
"The Cult" is the best rated episode written by Tucker Cawley. It scored 8.5/10 based on 2 votes. It was directed by Kenneth Shapiro. It aired on 9/23/2002 and is rated 0.0 points higher than their second-best episode, "Baggage".