Ep 10. Jazz Records

In "Jazz Records," the tenth episode of the eighth season of Everybody Loves Raymond, Ray believes he's stumbled upon a surefire way to bond with his father. With Father's Day just around the corner, he decides to buy Frank a jazz record, since he remembers his father always listening to music when he was growing up.

However, when he presents the album to Frank, he's disappointed when it doesn't seem to strike the same nostalgic chord with his father. In fact, Frank seems more preoccupied with trying to take care of his dog, his new pride and joy.

Throughout the rest of the episode, Ray tries to connect with his father over the jazz album, even going so far as to invite a family friend who plays upright bass over for a jam session. But each time he tries to get Frank to listen to the record, Frank seems to have some new distraction he's more interested in.

Meanwhile, Robert and Amy's wedding is coming up, and the family is gathering to take a photo for the invitation. In typical fashion, Debra and Marie start arguing over what the family should wear in the photo. Debra thinks they should wear all black, while Marie insists they wear colorful, flowery shirts.

When the day comes to take the photo, tensions are high as each member of the family shows up in their own chosen outfit. Debra shows up in a black dress, Ray arrives in a collared shirt and jacket, Frank wears his fishing hat (complete with tackle box), and Marie shows up in a flamboyant Hawaiian shirt.

Just when it seems like the photo shoot is going to end in disaster, a gust of wind blows everyone's clothes around and they end up switching outfits. Marie ends up with Debra's black dress, Ray dons Frank's fishing hat, and so on. When the photographer snaps the photo, it's a hilarious mishmash of everyone wearing the wrong clothes.

Back at home, Ray is still trying to get Frank to appreciate the jazz record, but he's starting to get frustrated when nothing seems to work. Finally, when a thunderstorm knocks out the power to the entire neighborhood, Ray and Frank are forced to sit in the dark and listen to the album on Ray's portable record player.

As the storm rages outside, Ray finally gets his wish and Frank starts to open up about his past. He reveals that he used to listen to jazz all the time when he was in Korea during the war, and that it reminds him of a simpler time in his life. Ray is moved by the unexpected connection and the two of them bond over the music they're listening to.

In the end, Ray realizes that sometimes it takes a little bit of patience and perseverance to connect with the people you love. Frank may not have responded to the jazz record right away, but by the end of the episode, he's as invested in it as Ray is. It's a heartwarming reminder that family is worth putting in the effort to connect with, even if it means stepping outside of your comfort zone.