- Debra's mother comes for a visit. But she isn't very helpful.
- Debra's mother Lois (Katherine Helmond) comes to visit. Debra is very excited and cannot wait to spend time with her. Debra says that a mother can be someone that you enjoy spending time with. Debra has asked Lois to stay with them at their home, instead of staying at a hotel.
Lois seems very detached. Debra wants Ray to make her feel comfortable by calling her Lois or mom. Ray never says Lois's name and would address by saying "hey, you there". Ray says that he cannot call her by her name, as she is a mother, and she outranks him. Ray won't call her mom as he knows that this would offend Marie.
Lois is not comfortable using someone else's towels in the house. She goes for an afternoon nap instead of playing with the grand-kids. When the family goes to the park, she just sits on a bench and solves a crossword puzzle. Lois is not keen to help Debra cooking dinner. Debra is livid with Ray. She feels Lois is not participating in anything as Ray hasn't said 2 words to her ever since she arrived.
When Debra wants Lois to help with the twins, she doesn't know what to do. Ray is not very helpful at making polite conversation with Lois. He makes some awkward comments about the quality of water in the house. Soon, Ray admits that he is out of conversation starters. At Dinner, Marie and Frank come over. Debra is livid as she had told Marie not to come as she wanted to share a private dinner with her own mother. Frank wants to have the cake that Marie has baked and his infuriates Debra as she wants to finish dinner with her mother first. Meanwhile Warren calls for Lois, and still Ray cannot call Lois by name and pokes her while giving the phone to her. Lois tells Warren that Debra is very stressed out and that she wants to go and stay in a hotel.
Marie is really helpful with the kids and knows what to do before Debra can even say it to her.
Meanwhile Lois wants to visit the museum the next day, maybe alone since the kids won't be allowed into the museum. Debra was hoping to go shopping with Lois, as she is planning new drapes for her bedroom and wants Lois's opinion on it. Debra is angry since Lois is not taking any interest in the family. Lois hasn't even asked one question about his job and is not at all interested in what is going on with the kids. Lois says that she does not know what Debra wants from her. When Marie is very helpful during dinner, Debra blurts out that she wants her mother to be more like Marie. This delights Marie and shocks Lois.
Ray tries his best to be nice to Lois. Marie talks to Debra and tells her that she can't talk to her mother like that and also implies that Lois is not maternal like they are. She also says that whatever Debra learned about being a mother came from Marie and not Lois. Debra apologizes to Lois who tells Debra that she is an incredible mom.
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