When it comes to the cast of Everybody Loves Raymond, each member of this Italian-American family bring their distinct brand of humor and personality. In the case of Robert, these traits largely revolve around jealousy of his younger brother Ray along with a mopey cynicism. This is balanced with an air of cartoon-like silliness, which largely comes from his uptight nature and random quirks. As one might expect, such a peculiar, "black sheep" character comes with their share of oddities and curiosities.
With that said, let's take a look at 10 things about Robert that don't quite add up.
10 We Rarely See His Dog Shamsky
Early in the series, we see a few instances in which Robert is seen with his dog Shamsky - who's named after his favorite baseball player, Art Shamsky. Oddly enough, one of the few times the dog is seen is during an episode where Robert's living under the roof of another's home in the episode "Moving Out."
But beyond just a handful of times, Robert's dog is nowhere to be seen. Given that he's a pretty sizable bulldog, one would think he would at least be heard running or barking in the distance. But the absence of this dog - would who seemingly need tending to quite a bit - is scarcely even mentioned or explained.
9 His Odd Fear Of Authority Figures
Robert's tendency to be timid and uptight is somewhat odd considering his job as a police officer requires a degree of strength and assertiveness. It's particularly odd when viewers learn that he has hangups when it comes to waiters dressed in fancy attire, during the episode "In-Laws."
When Ray calls him out on the bizarre nature of this fear, as Robert "out-ranks" him as a cop, Robert responds "but how is he going to know?" At least it's an admirable attempt at an explanation, even if it doesn't make much sense...
8 How He Managed To Get Gored By A Bull
It's a bit odd that out of all of the potential injuries Robert might suffer as an NYPD officer, he manages to get gored in the rear end by a bull. First of all - this takes place in New York of all places?
Additionally, one would think such a prominent police force would have better protocol and equipment when it comes to locking down an illegal rodeo. At the very least, Robert shouldn't have ended up in the unlikely event of being chased through the streets alone by a rampaging bull. How exactly did such an absurd scenario unfold? Why was the bull not secured, and how was Robert not equipped or trained to deal with it?
7 The Story Behind His "Lucky Suit"
One humorous fan-favorite episode of Raymond is "Lucky Suit," which sees Robert flub an important job interview on account of his mother ruining his favored attire. Though one can't help but wonder just what the story behind this suit is.
What is it that seemingly gives it this ethereal power to grant good outcomes for Robert? What sort of favorable moments have occurred for Robert when wearing it? And how lucky can this suit be if the mere act of Marie ruining it throws Robert so far off his game?
6 His First Marriage To Joanne
It's no secret Robert's had some issues when it comes to his relationships with women. This dates all the way back to his first marriage to Joanne, a sample of which is seen in the classic "Robert's Divorce."
While the episode has plenty of hilarious moments, including a fist-pumping moment by Marie, the question must be posed - just what was Robert doing with Joanne in the first place? Based on what this flashback shows, these two couldn't be more incompatible. She treats Robert like garbage and seems to have nothing but disdain for him. How exactly did they meet and what did they see in each other?
5 His Sudden Change Of Feelings Over Stefania
Staying on the topic of Robert's love interests - it's quite jarring to see the man drastically shift from being madly in love to Stefania to suddenly annoyed by her.
Throughout their time dating during Robert's Italy trip, he seems to be on cloud 9 and loving everything about this apparent dream woman. Yet, all it takes is a visit from Stefania amidst the more mundane setting of his home to realize that he's not into her? Granted, Stefania does behave annoyingly this time around - but did she really offer no hints of this side of her in Italy? Suddenly she's an entirely new person?
4 His Resentment Towards His Brother Despite His Own Success
One of the biggest ongoing themes of Raymond is the rivalry between the Barone brothers and specifically Robert's envy of Ray. It would seem Raymond does have the upper hand somewhat in terms of success and prominence. And sure, perhaps he does receive a bit of favoritism at least from Frank and especially Marie.
Still, Robert is a Seargent - and eventual Lieutenant - in the NYPD, spends much of the series with the wholesome, warmhearted Amy, and has a loving family. Given these successes and a rather cozy homelife at least, it's odd that this grown man can't seem to get over his jealousy of Ray.
3 Sleeping With A Tennis Racket Under His Bed
Some of Robert's more amusing traits include his over-the-top paranoia, anal-retentiveness, and general quirkiness. In addition to performing acts like separating types of nuts into groups and screaming at pickles, he also apparently sleeps with a tennis racket under his bed.
The reason? It's a "ghost swatter." The obvious absurdities aside - one can't help but think how uncomfortable and annoying this must be when trying to sleep. It's also not the best tradeoff just to gain some superstitious "peace of mind" at night.
2 His Chin-Touching Habit When Eating
Robert's "coup de grâce" when it comes to weird quirks and habits has to be his touching food to his chin. This is one of the most prominent running gags on the show. In fairness, it is eventually explained later in the episode fittingly called "Crazy Chin." It's revealed that this action is something of a jealous response to Marie touching Ray's chin before feeding him with a spoon as a toddler.
Fair enough, but just how ingrained can a habit be that he still feels the itch to perform this ritual in his 40s? And just how could such a simple tick give Robert satisfaction in the first place?
1 His Infatuation With Debra
Robert seems to covet and envy many aspects of his brother's life - and this evidently includes his wife Debra. At least in instances when Robert is single, it makes a little bit of sense, especially given all of Robert's failed relationships.
Yet, even when he's with Amy, there have been cases when he obsesses over her and would seem to even know more about her than his own girlfriend and eventual wife. An example includes the episode "The Thought That Counts." In it, he helps Ray come up with a Christmas present for her and flips out when Ray takes credit for it - in front of Amy.
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