Amy, Robert and Ray are in the kitchen having a brief conversation, and Robert is surprisingly cool to Amy as she makes her departure. After Amy is gone, Robert turns to Ray and tells him that he has deliberately snubbed Amy because he is planning a secret wedding proposal. Ray immediately wants to start spreading the news, but Robert grabs him by the sweater front and implores him to say nothing to anyone. Robert has decided that he wants to propose to Amy in the old-fashioned way by going to Amy's parents first and asking their permission. Robert drives to Pennsylvania where he finds Amy's parents working on a crossword puzzle of Jesus. After a halting introduction, he finally summons the nerve to ask for Amy's hand in marriage. Hank and Pat, ably played by Fred Willard and Georgia Engel, turn him down. Robert cannot believe what he is hearing. Reinforcing Amy's parents, the little group is joined by Peter (Chris Elliott) Amy's brother. The news that Peter has for Hank and Pat cements their resistance to Robert. Robert returns to Ray and Debra's home where he finds everyone, including Frank and Marie, watching television. Marie senses that Robert is depressed and Robert admits that he wants to propose to Amy, but that he has visited her parents and they have turned him down. Debra convinces Robert that he should propose to Amy anyway. In order to gain credibility and support, Robert persuades Ray to go back with him to visit Amy's parents again, but this confrontation is even more disastrous than the first one. As usual, everything that Raymond says is twisted around so that it works against Robert and his noble cause. The second visit ends when Peter reveals that Robert was the man who deflowered Amy. In spite of the two rejections from the parents, Robert decides to go ahead with his proposal to Amy. The wedding proposal is imaginative and Robert uses his friends in the police force to set up the scenario. Amy and Debra are leaving a theater when suddenly three police cars screech to a halt beside them. A uniformed officer steps up to them, asks Amy to identify herself, then proceeds to read her rights, only the rights have been modified to fit the occasion. A look of extreme despair and horror is on Amy's face as she is confronted by the strange policemen, and this look does not go away when Robert finally makes his appearance in full dress uniform. Robert gets down on his knees and makes a formal proposal of marriage to Amy. Amy finally gets it, and much hugging and celebration ensue, complete with Marie getting out of one of the squad cars to join in the group hug. Finally, back at Ray's house, everybody is in a happy mood until Amy turns to Robert and makes a request of him. She asked that he go to her parents and ask for her hand in marriage in the old-fashioned way. Robert reluctantly reports that he has already done that, and her parents turned him down. Amy considers this, but then she decides that she really wants to get married, and she really wants to get married to Robert, and she is certain that they can overcome the objections of her parents. She turns to Robert and says, "I know what we can do. We'll get my brother Peter to help."
4 Reviews
One of the all-time great TV proposals!
kgft25 May 2021
Robert finally proposes to Amy and you don't need to know any more than that. If you have not seen this episode and you want to watch it play out, do NOT read the other reviews before watching it! The invitation and wedding episodes are terrific too.
How to deal with parents of your future fiancé.
alanbourbeau247 September 2021
I know it was very hard for Robert to ask Amy's parents for permission to marry her. But I wish they could've been more open minded to the idea of them getting married. I think their problem was that they were being close minded. If I met my girlfriend's parents and they didn't like the idea of me and her getting married, I would do whatever it takes to change their minds.
Robert wants to propose and asks Amy's parents first
PudgyPandaMan29 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This episode is from Season 7 of "Everybody Loves Raymond" and originally aired in February 2003. Robert and Amy had just recently gotten back together and he decides he is ready to propose. But first, he decides he wants to be a proper suitor and ask Amy's parents for her hand in marriage. So he drives to Pennsylvania and shows up on their doorstep.
This is the first episode that Fred Willard and Georgia Engel appear as Amy's parents, Hank and Pat. They are portrayed as religious fanatics and we first learn this because they are working on a Jesus crossword puzzle. As Robert finally gets the nerve to ask for Amy's hand, he is shocked when Hank just says a short "No". Robert attempts to talk it over with them, but to no avail. He goes to Ray's house and tells them what happened. He eventually enlists Ray's help to return on another trip to try to change Amy's parents mind. But this is unsuccessful as well.
Robert proposes to Amy anyway. He sets up an elaborate plan to propose by enlisting his buddies in the police force to scare Amy half to death by acting like they are arresting her on the street as she is shopping with Debra. Amy's reaction is priceless - she is at first scared to death, then she slowly starts to realize what's really happening. The show closes with her riding off with Robert in the patrol car saying she wants Robert to ask her parents for her hand in marriage.
I didn't care for this episode or any that Amy's parents appear in. I don't like how Christian people are ridiculed and represented as being fanatics and backward. I do think Gergia Engel is a great choice for Amy's mom as they resemble each other a lot. Her soft, little girl voice is also very amusing and can be used to great effect. I just wished that they hadn't portrayed them as ridiculous Christian fanatics. They still could have cast them as backward, old-fashioned or just plain stupid - without it having to be a result of their Christianity.
This is the first episode that Fred Willard and Georgia Engel appear as Amy's parents, Hank and Pat. They are portrayed as religious fanatics and we first learn this because they are working on a Jesus crossword puzzle. As Robert finally gets the nerve to ask for Amy's hand, he is shocked when Hank just says a short "No". Robert attempts to talk it over with them, but to no avail. He goes to Ray's house and tells them what happened. He eventually enlists Ray's help to return on another trip to try to change Amy's parents mind. But this is unsuccessful as well.
Robert proposes to Amy anyway. He sets up an elaborate plan to propose by enlisting his buddies in the police force to scare Amy half to death by acting like they are arresting her on the street as she is shopping with Debra. Amy's reaction is priceless - she is at first scared to death, then she slowly starts to realize what's really happening. The show closes with her riding off with Robert in the patrol car saying she wants Robert to ask her parents for her hand in marriage.
I didn't care for this episode or any that Amy's parents appear in. I don't like how Christian people are ridiculed and represented as being fanatics and backward. I do think Gergia Engel is a great choice for Amy's mom as they resemble each other a lot. Her soft, little girl voice is also very amusing and can be used to great effect. I just wished that they hadn't portrayed them as ridiculous Christian fanatics. They still could have cast them as backward, old-fashioned or just plain stupid - without it having to be a result of their Christianity.
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