Season two opens with the show's comedy sharper and the family conflicts more hilariously specific.
Marie and Debra find new territory to fight over, because in the Barone universe, peace is temporary.
Ray tries to stay neutral in a family argument and fails spectacularly, as neutrality always does in this family.
Robert's career as a police officer provides comedy that contrasts his professional authority with his family insecurity.
Frank and Marie's bickering reaches an art form, with Peter Boyle and Doris Roberts in perfect harmony.
Debra tries to make Ray more responsible, and the battle over adulting is as old as marriage itself.
Ray's laziness reaches legendary proportions in an episode that Ray Romano plays with perfect comic timing.
Marie brings a casserole and an opinion, because she never arrives with just one or the other.
Robert confronts his feelings about being the less-favored son, and Brad Garrett finds comedy in real pain.
Ray and Debra's marriage gets a stress test that every married couple in America recognized.
Frank watches something on TV that sparks a family debate nobody wanted but everyone joins.
A holiday brings the Barones together, which means food, fighting, and Frank falling asleep in his chair.
Debra and Ray disagree about parenting in an episode that hits home for anyone raising kids.
Marie crosses a line with Debra that even Ray can't pretend didn't happen.
Robert gets a personal storyline that proves he's the show's most complex and sympathetic character.
Ray's sportswriting provides the backdrop for comedy about work-life balance — heavy on the life, light on the balance.
Frank and Ray have a father-son moment that Peter Boyle delivers with surprising tenderness.
The show delivers one of its strongest episodes, proving that family comedy is universal.
Marie manipulates a situation with the skill of a woman who's been managing this family for decades.
Debra gets the last word in a family debate, and the victory is as sweet as it is rare.
The second season wraps with the Barone family as dysfunctional and lovable as ever.
Season two closes with the show having found its audience and its voice — loud, Italian, and wonderful.
The season finale delivers a story that proves why this show became one of TV's biggest hits.
Another year of Barone family chaos comes to a close with the promise of nine more courses to come.
Season two ends with Ray still caught in the middle, Debra still fighting, and Marie still crossing the street.