The King Of Queens: 12 Hidden Details About The Main Characters Everyone Missed

The King of Queens was a popular sitcom that centered around married couple Doug (Kevin James) and Carrie Heffernan (Leah Remini), but there were several hidden details about the characters that even avid watchers didn’t notice, such as what happened to Richie on King of Queens. Doug and Carrie live a quiet life until Carrie’s father Arthur (Jerry Stiller) moves into their home. When Arthur enters the picture, he wreaks havoc on everyone’s lives and clashes with Doug in hilarious ways. This causes a strain between the couple for the next nine years, as, Arthur continues to impede on what should be a blissful life for Doug and Carrie.

However, The King of Queens isn’t just another run-of-the-mill sitcom, as it’s full of quirks, oddities, and mysteries like what happened to Carrie’s sister on King of Queens. 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. But between plotholes and character nuances, there are some hilarious The King of Queens hidden details.

Doug Is A Reader

While Doug (one of Kevin James’ best TV roles) is often depicted as a goofy average Joe in King of Queens who loves BBQs, cars, and beer, a few of the sitcom’s hidden details hint that the character is deeper than he lets on. The show has subtle references to Doug’s collection of classic literature books. In season 5, episode 24 “Taste Buds,” Doug hides books in his toolbox at work. In season 7 episode 14 “Hi, School,” Doug impresses Carrie when she finds out about his vast knowledge of classic literature, and in season 7, episode 12 “Gym Neighbors,” he even expresses interest in joining a book club.

Carrie Hides Her Weird Obsession With Reality Shows

The biggest issue isn’t what happened with Carrie’s sister on King of Queens, rather, it’s with Carrie herself. Throughout The King of Queens, Carrie often vocalizes her disdain for reality shows. However, they’re secretly a guilty pleasure of Carrie’s, as one The King of Queens‘ hidden details hints that she’s actually addicted to them. In season 6, episode 24 “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.

Lou Ferrigno Has A Collection Of Hulk Memorabilia

Lou Ferrigno, who famously played the Hulk in the 1970s series, plays himself in King of Queens and is one of Doug and Carrie’s neighbors. 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 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 Is A Talented Musician

Not only does Doug come off as surprisingly cultural with his classic literature references, but otherhidden details, besides the what happened to Richie on King of Queens mystery, 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 Has A Strange Antique Collection

Arthur is Jerry Stiller’s best role and he’s easily the strangest character in The King of Queens. Arthur’s bizarre collection of antiques is proof positive. 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.” He’s also supposed to have another daughter, but what happened to Carrie’s sister on King of Queens remains a bizarre mystery.

Spence Is Allergic To Peanuts, But He Eats Peanut M&Ms

In season 4, episode 4, “Friender Bender,” Spence (Patton Oswalt) 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. Then 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 Uniform Is Too Tight In The King Of Queens

While what happened to Richie on King of Queens is a mystery to stir the imagination, Kevin James’ IPS uniform left nothing to the imagination at all. Apparently, 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!‘”

Continuity Errors In The Story Of How Doug And Carrie Met

Doug and Carrie meeting for the first time often changes. 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. However, introducing Richie at all was a mistake, as what happened to Richie on King of Queens ended up becoming a strange plot hole.

Spence Stood Completely Motionless For Three Minutes

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. Apparently, the whole thing was a prank. Oswalt claimed that all of 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, people did notice. Oswalt commented, “All the writers were stoners, they were always pulling weird pranks” (via Youtube).

Carrie’s Sister May Or May Not Exist In The King Of Queens

Sara Spooner (Lisa Rieffel), Carrie’s younger sister, appears in the first six episodes of season 1. She’s shown as an aspiring actress who doesn’t know how to handle responsibilities. Later on, though, the show refers to Carrie as an only child, begging the question, “What happened to Carrie’s sister on King of Queens?” In season 3, episode 2 “Roast Chicken”, Doug mentions Carrie’s sister, but this is the only other time she’s acknowledged. Doug doesn’t say her name, just that Carrie’s sister had an event, so he could get out of another one, and it’s one of the many things that make no sense about Carrie on King of Queens.

Richie Silently Disappears From The King Of Queens

In the earlier seasons, Doug’s relationship with Richie is one of his longest-running friendships. Richie is actually the reason that Doug and Carrie get together in the first place (although there are times that prove Carrie deserved better than Doug.) However, after those first few seasons, Richie disappears entirely. This disappearance is never acknowledged on screen, leaving viewers to wonder “What happened to Richie onKing of Queens?’ The real reason it happened was that the actor left the show. Romano asked to be let out of his contract with the show after landing a role on another sitcom (via Looper).

Leah Remini Was Pregnant During The King Of Queens Season 6

During season 6 of King of Queens, Remini was pregnant. To explain her growing belly, the producers decided to have her character lose her job and then lounge around the house eating all day. This way, they didn’t really have to hide her stomach as much and could refer to her weight on-screen to make it more believable. Later in her term, she’s usually seen wearing baggy clothing. A weight gain storyline, loose clothing, and props in front of bellies are all commonly used to hide pregnancies in shows, as Friends, Modern Family, and HIMYM all had cast pregnancies and dealt with them in a similar fashion.

Spence’s Mom Was Recast In The King Of Queens

People may be too busy wondering what happened to Carrie’s sister on King of Queens to notice that the showhas one of the best representations of old age on TV. When the audience first meets Veronica, Spence’s mom, and Arthur’s on-and-off love interest, in season 1, she’s played by Grace Zabriskie. However, she was recast after that episode. The actress who replaced her and became synonymous with the character was Anne Meara, who was actually married to Stiller in real life until her death in 2015. The two are Ben Stiller’s parents, and it’s clear where the Tropic Thunder actor and director gets his comedy talent from.

Doug Was Born In Canada In The King Of Queens

Where Doug was born is a little detail that’s extremely easy to miss because it’s quickly mentioned in one episode in season 5 and never again. In season 5, episode 23, “Dog Shelter,” Doug and Carrie visit his parents at their home in Florida. When they get there, they find out quite a few shocking details about Doug’s childhood. It turns out that his parents lie to him to cover things up instead of dealing with confrontations or problems head-on. One of those secrets is the fact that Doug was actually born in Canada, and he went decades without taking advantage of his dual citizenship.

Carrie And Doug Had A Dog For A Few King Of Queens Episodes

While many are asking “what happened to Richie on King of Queens?”, they should be asking where Doug and Carrie’s dog went. Doug and Carrie adopt a dog named Stanley that had previously belonged to their obnoxious neighbors, the Sackskys. The Sackskys were going to abandon him, so the Heffernans took him in. Though Doug and Carrie weren’t totally happy with the decision, they felt that they had a moral obligation. However, Stanley only appears in a few episodes before he mysteriously vanishes. No one ever acknowledges the dog in The King of Queens again.

Jerry Stiller Almost Didn’t Play Arthur

Imagining someone else in the role of Arthur is almost unthinkable. However, while Stiller was executive producer David Bickel’s first choice for the part, it initially went to veteran actor Jack Carter (History of the World: Part I). It’s unknown why Stiller was originally unavailable to play Arthur, but the studio went ahead and began filming the pilot episode with Carter as Arthur. However, as soon as Stiller became available, Carter was recast and his scenes in the pilot were re-shot. In a 2006 interview with The Futon Critic, Bickel said, “And I’m thinking our lives would have really would have been so different—both of ours—by this one event.”

The Studio Decided Not To Give Doug And Carrie Children

Outside of wondering what happened to Richie on King of Queens, a lot of viewers had questions regarding why Doug and Carrie waited so long to have children. The couple doesn’t get pregnant until the series finale, and the topic of having children was occasionally a plot point on King of Queens. However, the reason the pair had no children had to do with the studio. In the same interview, David Bickel mentioned that studios opted not to give the characters children because they felt that a child would separate The King of Queens into two eras: pre-baby and post-baby. It would’ve reportedly hurt the syndication and diminished Arthur’s role.