MovieChat Forums > I Love Lucy (1951) Discussion > The Courtroom is such a mean-spirited ep...

The Courtroom is such a mean-spirited episode

posted 7 years ago by AndrewHNPX (42)
13 replies | jump to latest

It has a couple of funny bits, like Ethel attempting to seduce the judge (and Fred's reaction), but the way the four of them act in this one is just a low point. There were several episodes out of the 179 that featured the two couples feuding (which I never liked anyway, I think it's way funnier when it's Ricky and Fred against Ethel and Lucy), but they seem to be really nasty here in a way that feels more unpleasant than other episodes, like say The Diner. Anyone else agree?

[–] [email protected] (5854) 7 years ago

Oh yes I agree. The two couples were so mean to each other, nothing like the later friendship which they shared.

It was so silly that the TV that the Ricardos bought for the Mertzes would break the way it did. It didn't make any sense.
And then, Fred kicking in the Ricardo TV! The characters were too "over the top" and silly in this episode.

And all that lying in the courtroom, just so juvenile.

I don't think the writers had a handle on the characters at that point. They were writing them as cartoonish and childish.

[–] [email protected] (1732) 7 years ago

While I agree this is one of the top-ten worst episodes (I refuse to watch it even occasionally, and haven't seen it in
probably ten years), I don't agree that the writers didn't have a handle on the characters yet. By mid season-one,
they were finally under way. By the time of this stinker, they were shooting season two, and all of the episodes
surrounding it -before and after - are gems. Here, the writing, acting, and special effects are just off.

As for the couples feuding, I think the other episodes where they fight are among the funniest of the series ("Breaking
the Lease", "Never Do Business With Friends", "Oil Wells", "Little Ricky Learns to Play the Drums", "Ricky Sells the
Car", "Lucy Does the Tango", etc.).

[–] AndrewHNPX (42) 7 years ago

Oh yeah, Ricky Sells the Car is definitely in my top 10. But I think that one had a slightly different dynamic which I found more appealing. In that case, Ethel actually sided with the Ricardos after the whole business with the motorcycle. I must say though, that scene where Fred and Ethel are profoundly offended by Ricky forgetting to buy them tickets was hilarious.

[–] [email protected] (1732) 7 years ago

Yes, for my money, Fred and Ethel decked out in LEATHER outfits (!), getting ready to drive aaaaaallllllll the way
back to New York on that old motorcycle is their funniest scene together in the whole series. There are better
episodes, especially in Hollywood, but that scene....hilarious.

[–] [email protected] (5854) 7 years ago

gbennett- the Ricardo/Mertz feuds are some of the funniest episodes. Sometimes one couple was in the right, sometimes both were wrong.

"Never do Business with Friends"- Fred really pressured the Ricardos to sell him their old machine. He should have paid for it even though it broke. After all he said that he was "handy with tools" and could fix it. But both couples were wrong when they each decided that they owned the machine when they found out that the repairman would buy it.

In the diner episode, Lucy and Ricky were wrong in refusing to share the work. So Ricky "had the name", that didn't mean that the Ricardos should get half the profits just for standing by the front door and handing out the menu!

In "The Sublease", the Mertzes were being small and greedy. They were getting their rent money. So what if Ricky and Lucy made a profit? Many people sublet their apartments and make a profit.
Of course if Ricky had just not boasted about making extra money, Fred would probably have never found out.
That's one moment where I think I would've ended my friendship with the Mertzes. They were being so greedy, ruining it for their friends. You think they would have just been happy that the Ricardos found a tenant for the summer.
Fred did say that he would have "felt bad" about taking money for an empty apartment. But when it came down to the $$$, Fred's greedy nature surfaced.

The real estate agent had a nice solution and a compromise, but at that point I think I would've told the Mertzes to drop dead and moved out. LOL

[–] [email protected] (1732) 7 years ago

Wow. I agree with Fred and Ethel in "Never Do Business With Friends." While it's never made very clear how
long Fred and Ethel had the machine before it broke, it couldn't have been more than a day or two, as Fred
hadn't paid Ricky. And it wasn't like they owned it a month and it began to squeak or something. The thing
went berserk and actually couldn've caused damage to the kitchen, what with all that water squirting out.

Ricky and Lucy should've been ashamed to expect the Mertzes to pay for the machine, especially when there
was a longtime friendship involved.

I also think it was wrong for Lucy and Ricky to make money off of property they did not own. At the very
least, they should've offered to split the profit themselves, without the prompting from Mary Nash.

[–] [email protected] (5854) 7 years ago

Wow, I STILL think Fred and Ethel were wrong to go ballistic and accuse the Ricardos of trying to "unload a piece of junk" on them!

Is that how much they thought of the Ricardos? They would deliberately sell them a broken machine? When things cooled off, Fred could have tried to fix the washer. If Lucy and Ricky weren't accused of being thieves, I think they would've been more amenable to some sort of agreement.
Fred insisted that they sell him the machine instead of selling it to the dealer.

Clearly the Ricardos had no idea the machine would act in such a crazy way. It was just a silly sitcom thing. I have had at least three washers break and they never break like THAT! LOL They simply stop working or the water doesn't drain out and the spin cycle doesn't work and you are stuck with a big tub of wet clothes.
But bottom line, Fred insisted that they sell him the machine. He was "handy with tools" . if I was Ricky, I could understand if the Mertzes didn't want to pay for it. But for me, the sticking point would be the accusation that I was doing something dishonest.

And again with "The Sublease", I just think the Mertzes were being petty and spiteful. They WERE getting their rent money. At first Fred was happy to hear that the Ricardos were able to sublet. He said that he would've felt bad taking money for an empty apartment, that is until a few extra bucks entered the picture and he got dollar signs in his eyes. The Ricardos were living up to the terms of their lease. And they were only making a profit for two months.
The Mertzes refused to agree on any renter that the Ricardos picked, that would've meant that their "dear friends" would've had to pay rent for an empty apartment for two months.
The Mertzes were going to sublet it and make money. What great friends they were! yikes!

At the start of the episode Lucy wanted the Mertzes to be their guests in Maine where Ricky was performing. Another free vacation for them.

[–] [email protected] (5854) 7 years ago

I agree that it was the Mertzes property. But as I stated, Lucy and Ricky wanted them to be their guests in Maine. I think a vacation like that would have been worth the Ricardos making some money on their apartment.

And if Fred was so wise and clever about money he could have put something in the conditions of their lease concerning subletting. Tenants were allowed to sublet, but that was with the approval of the landlord. Okay, that makes sense.

But it was petty for the Mertzes not to agree to anyone just so the Ricardos wouldn't make any money. The Mertzes would STILL be getting their rent money.

If Fred was so worried about someone making money on one of his properties he could have put different conditions in the lease. Basically, if a tenant was going to be gone for a month or more, the landlord would be allowed to sublet and that way the tenant would not owe rent for that time period. And greedy Fred could've rented the apartment and made as much profit as he could.
I just see the Mertzes as being greedy and childish in that instance. Supposedly the Ricardos were their best friends. How did it help the Mertzes by being mean to their friends?

[–] [email protected] (1732) 7 years ago

First of all, they ALL acted childishly when the machine broke down, but Fred said, "What if some LITTLE
thing does go wrong..." I doubt he meant the next day or two, and the machine going BERSERK.

They should've all apologized, but I don't think Fred and Ethel should've paid a dime for that "lemon." I
sure wouldn't have.

You raise a very good point about Fred and Ethel being guests in Maine, although I still don't think
Ricky and Lucy should've assumed they could make such a huge profit (alone) on property they
did not own.

Certainly we would have to agree that in "Oil Wells" Lucy and Ricky were at fault, totally blaming Fred
and Ethel for thinking they were swindled. If all four were indeed victims, there was no reason for
Lucy to turn on Fred the way she did.

[–] [email protected] (5854) 7 years ago

Oh the washing machine episode was a study in four people acting childish! But I refer to the fact that Fred insisted on buying the machine in order to save money. If he bought it from the dealer, he'd have to pay more. If he (gasp!) bought a new one for Ethel, he'd have to pay a lot more.

Ricky stated, "Nunca hagas negocios con amigos ni con parientes". He was against doing business with friends or relatives. Fred took his chances on an old machine and got stuck.

They say, "You get what you pay for." LOL

Both couples flew off the handle. But if the Mertzes hadn't accused their good friends of being cheaters, I don't think the Ricardos would have been so angry. They weren't trying to swindle them. The Mertzes insisted on buying the machine. And OLD appliances don't come with guarantees!

Mrs. Trumbull's nephew had a buyer for the machine. Even though the Mertzes insisted that it belonged to the Ricardos, Ethel's immediate reaction was to say that it belonged to them. Not too honest.
Which was it? A "lemon" which they refused to pay for or they were the owners?
Lucy and Ricky didn't act much better. When they saw they could sell the washer, they agreed. In that case, I'd say they were a tiny bit in the right. The Mertzes refused to pay for the washer. So it still belong to them.

The Sublease, the Ricardos could sublet by the terms of their lease. Ricky asked Mary Nash to find a tenant. She said that she could get them more money. There was nothing illegal or underhanded going on there. Mrs. Nash was looking out for HER commission too (as she indicated later on).
People who sublet often pay more to rent someone else's home. After all, they are using someone else's furniture and appliances. Why shouldn't the Ricardos make a bit of money on the deal? It was all their stuff that Mr. Beacham would be using.
And it was for only a few months. It's not as though Fred was losing any money. His behavior just seemed petty to me.

[–] [email protected] (5854) 7 years ago

In "Oil Wells", Lucy and Ricky did have the same chance to buy that oil stock. They begged the Mertzes to split it with them even using guilt about their godson's education!

Yes. They were wrong to accuse the Mertzes of doing anything wrong. And then Lucy totally ruined the deal for both couples at the end!

[–] [email protected] (1732) 7 years ago

Wow! We both really have our hackles up here! But we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Certainly, you admit that if Fred bought the machine from a dealer, and had not yet given
the check to them, and it broke down (more like exploded!) 24 hours later, he would NOT
have paid the dealer. Again, neither would I!! But you DO raise a good point in that
the Mertzes (Ethel especially) turn very vengeful immediately. But look at her KITCHEN. And
she actually had clothes hitting her in the face (lol! That last shirt the machine spits out, hits
her square in the eyes). Here's how it could've unfolded:

FRED: I'm glad we found out in time.
ETHEL: I'LL say...
LUCY: Yeah....found out in time for WHAT?
ETHEL: Well, you don't think we're BUYING this hunk of junk (understandable response).
LUCY: Oh, for heaven's sake, honey, of course not.
RICKY: Nah, Fred....Tell you what, you have a try at it with your tools, and if you can't
fix it, I'll pay to see if it can be repaired. And if it can, THEN you can pay me the $35.

Remember, there is a friendship involved, and Lucy and Ricky seem very unconcerned about
the damage and broken down hunk of junk they've saddled the Mertzes with. Of course, if
the dialogue did go my way, we wouldn't have the classic episode we do. It's just a TV
show.

As for "The Sublease", Lucy and Ricky could sublet ONLY with the approval of Fred and Ethel.
It doesn't say anywhere in the script that they can make a profit (especially such a huge
one). So, I get entirely why Ethel and Fred feel taken advantage of. But, yes, you are
correct that Lucy and Ricky were going to treat the Mertzes to a trip to Maine, and we must
look at that.

At least we agree on "Oil Wells." Lucy and Ricky are horrible, and I don't even think it's
resolved very well. All Lucy says the next day is, "...And listen, Ethel, if this works, you
and I won't have any reason to be mad at each other." Well, Lucy HAD NO RIGHT WHATSOEVER.

[–] [email protected] (5854) 7 years ago

Well excuse me, my hackles aren't that high up! LOL

Yes, you bring up a good point about Fred buying the machine from the dealer. it would have been a business transaction pure and simple. The dealer would not have wanted to lose a customer or have him badmouth him to other people. SO I DO agree that the dealer would have probably taken the machine back (or else fixed it for free).
I think Ricky's concern was that there was a friendship involved and that's why he didn't want to sell the machine to the Mertzes. With a friendship , people lose all their logic. Fred and Ethel just expected the transaction to be null and void since the Ricardos were their friends.

If the dialogue went the way you wrote, it would have been a short episode indeed! haha It would have been more mature of both parties, but then we'd miss the comedy.
And the Ricardos weren't really trying to unload a broken down machine. They were going to sell it to the dealer. He wanted to buy it. Even if it broke, he could have probably used it for spare parts.

As for "The Sublease", (boy can I beat a dead horse or what? lol) Mary Nash said that she had been subletting apartments in the Mertz building for a long time.
Remember that she says she is thinking about her commission. So I think she gets her 10% based on what she can rent an apartment for. I assume she tries to get as high a price as people are willing to pay. Since she has done it before, it seems obvious that the Mertzes were okay with subletting apartments and never asked her what she was able to get in rent.
If Fred was all that concerned, he would have had a deal in place with her long ago.
The Ricardos were their best friends. I doubt that other tenants bragged to the Mertzes that they were making a profit when they sublet.

It just happened that Ricky opened his big mouth and said that he would be making money on the deal! If he hadn't said anything, the Mertzes would have been none the wiser.

I don't mind the disagreeing! It's fun to find someone who is willing to nitpick each episode apart. So few people "love Lucy" as much as we do.

[–] [email protected] (5854) 7 years ago

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