"Marie's Sculpture" is the fifth episode of the sixth season of the American sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond (1996–2005), written by Jennifer Crittenden and directed by Randy Suhr. Everybody Loves Raymond follows the life of Newsday sportswriter Ray Barone (Ray Romano) and his oddball family, which includes wife Debra (Patricia Heaton), parents Frank (Peter Boyle) and Marie (Doris Roberts), brother Robert (Brad Garrett), daughter Ally (Madylin Sweeten), and twin sons Michael (Sullivan Sweeten) and Geoffrey (Sawyer Sweeten).
In "Marie's Sculpture," Marie produces an abstract statue that (while not of her intentions) looks like a vagina, which makes most of the family uncomfortable. Lauri Johnson and Mary Gillis guest star as two Sisters who look at the statue for a church auction. Originally airing on CBS on October 22, 2001, "Marie's Sculpture" was the top-rated television program that night, scoring 21.21 million viewers aged 18 to 49. It has been considered by some television critics to be one of the best Raymond episodes and by TV Guide the 42nd Greatest Episode of All-Time. Crittenden received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for "Marie's Sculpture."
Plot
Marie Barone is taking a sculpting class, which her daughter-in-law Debra suggested to her. Marie brings an abstract sculpture she did in class to Debra's house and shows it to her, sons Raymond and Robert, and husband Frank. The family is initially impressed, until they later make a realization that it resembles a vagina, although this is unknown to Marie and Frank. Debra, Ray, and Robert get nervous from standing in front of the sculpture, which is worsened by Marie stating she made it as a "gift" for Ray to keep in the house. However, it catches Frank's attention to the point where he's staring at it, although he's not sure why.
Although Debra initially instructs to keep the statue in the house to not upset his mother, that changes the next day when she starts to "see it in [her] sleep." Ray starts his plan of removing the statue by covering it up with a garbage bag, but Marie walks in the house as he does this. Ray and Debra successfully convince Marie to remove the sculpture from the living room while pretending to love it; however, she does this via a church auction where two Sisters come to the house to view it. They observe it the same way as Debra, Ray, and Robert did when they first saw it, and refuse to take it. One of the Sisters, Ann, informs Marie about the vaginal likeness; Marie initially takes offense to the interpretation, but when she takes a closer look, she suspects she's a lesbian.
Following the failed auction, Marie is initially discontent over not being able to do what she planned, that being to make something abstract instead of a piece that resembles a real-life object; however, Ray cheers her up by complimenting the sculpture, commending how she was able to produce art that "shocked" people and got the family to discuss it, which is "what real artists do." Her sculpture is presented at an exhibit and receives a positive reception, although at the same exhibit, Frank's emotion towards the sculpt turns from appreciative to horrified after a janitor tells him the sculpture looks like a vagina.
Production
"Marie's Sculpture" is the only episode of Everybody Loves Raymond to be directed by Randy Suhr, who was usually a first assistant director on the series. It is also Jennifer Crittenden's ninth writing credit for the series, after "The Will," "Robert's Rodeo," "Alone Time," "Robert's Divorce," "Meant to Be," "What Good Are You?," "Ray's Journal," and "Let's Fix Robert." When the series ended production of new episodes in 2005, Marie actress Doris Roberts took home the statue and placed it in her living room.
Broadcast
"Marie's Sculpture" garnered 21.21 million viewers of the 18–49 demographic with a 7.8/18 rating; it was the top show of the night, scoring the fifth number-one episode for Everybody Loves Raymond's sixth season.