[5] The second season of Everybody Loves Raymond was produced by HBO Independent Productions, creator Philip Rosenthal's company Where's Lunch, and David Letterman's Worldwide Pants.

"[8] In May 1998, Neal Justin of the Star Tribune called Everybody Loves Raymond the "best sitcom" of the 1997–98 season, reasoning that it "hit a great stride in [its] second [year] with likable but flawed characters, crisp dialogue and unpredictable twists.

"[9] Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times was ecstatic towards Heaton's perform in the season, and gave the finale four-out-of-four stars for being "a sweet, unpredictable and very funny flashback.

"[10] In a retrospective review, IGN writer Adam Tierney called it "one of the best seasons for one of the better shows of recent TV," although also noted that it "didn't mix things up much from year one.

[16] The New York Times reported critics being "surprised" the season garnered zero Primetime Emmy Award nominations,[17] a fact that CBS president Les Moonves called the ceremony's "biggest injustice.