More than 15 years after it ended, there are still questions about Richie’s disappearance, what happened to Carrie’s sister, and was Leah Remini pregnant during The King of Queens, and luckily, the answers may be revealed by the many hidden details in the show. The King of Queens centers around married couple Doug (Kevin James) and Carrie Heffernan (Remini) who live a quiet life until Carrie’s father Arthur (Jerry Stiller) moves into their home, who clashes with Doug in hilarious ways and impedes on what should be a blissful life for Doug and Carrie.
A sitcom spinoff of Everbody Loves Raymond, The King of Queens developed its own legacy with a show full of quirks, oddities, and mysteries. It would be easy to dismiss Doug and Carrie as sitcom tropes, with him as the lazy husband and her as the nagging wife, but they have layers and complexities, as do the characters around them. Meanwhile, other details in The King of Queens flat-out don’t make sense, whether they’re a dropped storyline or a conflicting backstory. However, between plotholes and character nuances, there are many intriguing The King of Queens hidden details.
Sitcoms in the same era as King of Queens were common for having the husband characters fitting into a certain type. They were often slobbish, lazy, and not too bright compared to their wives and Doug seemed to fit in nicely with this collection. The recent Doug King of Queens memes are a reminder that while he’s depicted as a goofy average Joe in King of Queens who loves BBQs, cars, and beer, he’s also deeper than first appears. The show has subtle references to Doug’s collection of classic literature books.
In season 5, episode 24’s “Taste Buds,” Doug hides books in his toolbox at work. In season 7 episode 14, “Hi, School,” Doug impresses Carrie with his vast knowledge of classic literature, and in season 7, episode 12, “Gym Neighbors,” he even expresses interest in joining a book club.
Throughout The King of Queens, Carrie often vocalizes her disdain for reality shows. This was in keeping with her blunt and outspoken attitude. She had a very blue-collar outlook on life and it seemed as though she would simply be annoyed with the rich and spoiled personalities that stereotypically inhabit reality shows. However, they’re secretly a guilty pleasure of Carrie’s, as one King of Queens hidden detail hints that she’s addicted to them.
In season 6, episode 24’s “Awful Bigamy,” Carrie gleefully mentions that her and Doug’s bigamy scandal would make a great reality series. In season 1, episode 8, “Educating Doug,” Carrie quietly becomes obsessed with The Bachelor, and in season 4, episode 2, “Sight Gag,” she’s all about a reality show called Patricia’s Ultimate Style. It is a funny little detail that suggests, like many people, Carrie could criticize reality shows but get wrapped up in them as well.
Lou Ferrigno, who famously played the Hulk in the 1970s series, plays himself in the King of Queens cast and is one of Doug and Carrie’s neighbors. He is a hilarious addition to the show, playing the gentle giant role while also being able to poke fun at his own image. It’s no secret that the sitcom plays on Ferrigno’s previous role and makes a pun about it any chance it gets. However, the show took it a step further when it hinted that Ferrigno has a collection of Hulk memorabilia.
Throughout The King of Queens, there are very subtle hints to Ferrigno’s collection, such as in season 2, episode 10, “Roamin’ Holiday” when Lou gives Doug a signed Hulk action figure, and in “Hi, School” when Lou reveals his favorite possession, which is a Hulk lunchbox.
Doug does a lot to cement himself in the role of the typically lazy husband as he loves to lounge around and watch television. However, there are plenty of hints that he has more going on under the surface. Not only does Doug come off as surprisingly cultural with his classic literature references, but other hidden details hint at the character being a talented musician.
Several episodes see Doug masterfully playing the guitar, such as in season 8, episode 9, “G’Night, Stalker” when he plays a version of The Beatles’ “Blackbird.” Doug also played a song that he wrote for Carrie in season 4, episode 11, “Depo Man,” and in season 8, episode 19, “Emotional Rollercoaster,” Doug combines his love of playing the guitar with his other love, as he wrote a song about his love of food.
Arthur provided the funniest moments on The King of Queens, thanks largely to the hilarious performance from Jerry Stiller. Though the show was relatively grounded, the writers seemed to embrace a certain absurdity when writing some of his eccentricities. His bizarre collection of antiques is just one example of his strange antics even though it was kept as a barely acknowledged secret for much of the series.
Arthur’s collection of antiques is hinted at, such as a stash of antique doorknobs in “Taste Buds,” and his odd-shaped rocks in season 2, episode 21 “Big Dougie.” However, Arthur has somehow managed to maintain the quality of these antiques, which is especially difficult with vintage postcards, which he proudly shows off in season 3, episode 17, “Inner Tube.” It is a strangely precise hobby to be undertaken by a man who is known for his sudden fits of frustration.
Though he was known for his work as a standup comedian at this point in his career, Patton Oswalt found a breakout television role in The King of Queens as Doug’s nerdy friend Spence. In season 4, episode 4, “Friender Bender,” Spence is babysitting Deacon (Victor Williams) and Kelly’s (Merrin Dungey) kids. When Kirby finds out Spence is allergic to peanuts, he teases him for it as Spence tries to explain his allergy. However, earlier in the show, Spence’s allergy is non-existent.
In season 1, episode 4, “Richie’s Song,” Spence eats expired peanut M&Ms that he finds in Doug’s car. When Spence asks Doug if they’re peanut M&Ms, Doug says yes, and then Spence just eats them anyway. Either Spence is lying about his allergy, or he likes peanut M&Ms so much that he’s willing to face the consequences.
Doug’s blue-collar job was a central part of The King of Queens and helped add to Doug and Carrie’s lifestyle which differed from a lot of other married sitcom couples. It was an unglamorous job but one that fit Doug nicely. However, the required wardrobe was a nuisance. Kevin James hated wearing the IPS uniform because it was too snug (via TV Guide). Sometimes he’d ask the producers if he could just not be wearing the uniform at all, even when he’s shown at work.
The actor explained, “The shorts were tight and they’d cut into my hips, I’d feel like writing scenes around it, like, ‘Oh, I don’t need a uniform.’ They’d be like, ‘But you’re at work!’ And I’d be like, ‘Whatever. I show up without it!‘” While it is not the most confining costume compared to the kind of things that appear in superhero shows or period pieces, it does make it interesting to watch those scenes in the series knowing James’ discomfort.
Despite the fact that they have plenty of arguments and go through various struggles in their relationship, the romance between Doug and Carrie is at the heart of the show. They make for a charming couple and it makes sense that the audience would like to know more about their romance. However, the show kept changing the origins of how these two met and began their relationship.
In some episodes, they talk about how they knew each other in middle school. In season 1, episode 9, “Road Rayge”, “their song” comes on TV and Carrie talks about them dancing to it as children. However, in season 2, episode 17, “Meet By-Product”, a flashback shows Carrie meeting Doug at a bar where he’s working as a bouncer. Richie (Larry Romano) brings Carrie on a double date, which doesn’t work out, and Doug has to convince Carrie to give him a second chance.
King of Queens is not always given the credit it deserves as a great sitcom. It is easy to dismiss it as one of many similar domestic sitcoms of that particular era but it did feature some clever writing and even some off-the-wall moments that fans might not have even noticed. In an appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Patton Oswalt mentioned that in season 8, episode 19, “Emotional Rollercoaster,” Spence stands completely motionless for about three entire minutes.
The scene is Doug’s 40th birthday party and the whole thing was a prank. Oswalt claimed that all the writers on the show were big cannabis consumers and thought it would be weird to include this to see if anyone noticed. It turns out that people did notice. Oswalt commented, “All the writers were stoners, they were always pulling weird pranks” (via Youtube).