
Ray Barone is a successful sports writer and family man who deals with a brother and parents -- who happen to live across the street. Mom Marie loves to meddle in his life, while older brother Robert sometimes resents his success, and Dad Frank just makes comments and raids the fridge. Nevertheless, Ray manages to keep a bright outlook and a sense of humor, leaving the hard issues to his more-practical wife, Debra.

At Frank and Marie's anniversary party, Ray discovers that his parents split up for a year and only got back together after Ray fell off his bike and broke his arm; he can't help feeling guilty.

Debra convinces Ray to work from home after reading an article about people who prefer to be at the office than with their family, but things don't turn out as she had planned.

Debra discovers to her chagrin that she wishes her own mother would behave more like Marie.

Frank mistakenly passes out Ray's colorfully wrapped "chocolate coins."