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I Love Lucy Season 1 Review

I Love Lucy is a classic television sitcom that aired on CBS from 1951 to 1957. It consisted of 180 half-hour episodes. It’s an important early sitcom that has stood the test of time and is enjoyable even today.

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“I can’t help it, eating is my hobby“

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First and foremost, I have to commend the acting on this show as it was truly terrific and not at all as dated or as stagy as you’d think it would be for such an early show. Lucile Ball was one undeniably talented, hugely charismatic lady and her performance in every single episode drives the show. She is by far the best thing about the series and she’s particularly adept at physical gags.

Desi Arnaz is also terrific in most episodes and the two are such an interesting, lovable married couple that also seems realistic. Lucy is the more fun of the duo, but Ricky is also quite amusing. Fred and Ethel are also enjoyable and their bickering can be quite entertaining to follow. I loved the friendship that these neighbors definitely share.

And that’s it. This show has just these four characters and it couldn’t be better for it. Other actors that appear in singular episodes for just one role are either mediocre or okay, but these four are the driving force for sure. The show’s apartment is also quite memorable and so is the opening.

The first season has thirty five episodes, of which the majority is either good or even great with only some being rather pedestrian. The Girls Want to Go to a Nightclub was a solid debut for the show with a premise that would be repeated and done better afterward, but it was a strong showing right from the start.

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Be a Pal is more memorable as Lucy’s desperate attempts to rekindle their romance were exceedingly silly and funny. The highlight is the Cuban performance at the end as it was lovely that the show quickly acknowledged Ricky’s nationality and in such an unbiased manner. It was such a groundbreaking show in that regard.

The Diet is by far the best episode of the season. I adored it. Lucy trying to lose weight led to some hilarious situational humor and Lucile Ball’s prowess at physical comedy was at its most apparent in this half-hour. The sequence beneath the table was just gloriously executed and I laughed out loud watching it. As for Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying to Murder Her, the title explains it all and it’s just not a particularly original or interesting episode.

The Quiz Show reminded me so pleasantly of ‘The Flintstones’ in its situational humor that I loved every second of it. The premise was superbly executed throughout and seeing it escalate to sillier moments was so much fun. The Audition is one of many episodes where Lucy tries to attend an audition that Ricky forbade her to attend. Personally, this is the most overused trope of the show so far and I honestly think that Ricky’s treatment of his wife in this issue has never been admirable.

The Séance is definitely silly, but also charming in its own right. Men Are Messy sees the two divide the apartment in half to very amusing results. The Fur Coat is fantastic! Fred’s role in all of this was hilarious and just seeing Ricky attempt desperately to get this coat off of his wife and fail every single time was incredibly funny.

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Lucy Is Jealous of Girl Singer’s title says it all. It’s a perfectly solid, though far from great episode centering on jealousy. Drafted is one of those episodes about overwrought confusion that was amusing, but too typical. The Adagio is again about Lucy wanting to dance and is rather forgettable in that regard. The Benefit is just the same.

The Amateur Hour is one of the rare episodes that focus on children and that brat surely made Lucy frustrated in an amusing manner. Lucy Plays Cupid sees Lucy fix her neighbors and it’s one of the rare episodes with actually strong supporting characters and actors. Lucy Fakes Illness is another great proof of how amazing Ball was at physical gags.

Lucy Writes a Play is somewhat better written, but still yet another episode that is too focused on Ricky’s profession. Breaking the Lease was awesome. This episode acknowledges that Fred and Ethel are actually landlords to the Ricardos and it was the first time that the two couples fought. It signifies how strong their friendship is.

The Ballet again sees Lucy wanting to dance, but at least her excruciatingly difficult lessons were quite fun in their gags. The Young Fans is so funny. Lucy and Ricky acting old in order to make their obsessive fans leave them alone was so wonderful and I liked seeing this couple persevere once again. New Neighbors is at its best when Lucy is sneaking around and I wish for more episodes with other neighbors.

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Fred and Ethel Fight quickly turned into the Ricardos fighting in a very silly fashion. The Moustache is so much fun. I love these episodes where Ricky is obsessed about his appearance as those are always so funny. The Gossip is a bit too dated in its storyline of the girls loving to gossip, but it’s still solid enough to watch.

Pioneer Women is fantastic. It is all about how insanely hard it was to live and cook without technology. The premise was superbly executed with so many great gags set in the kitchen. The Marriage License is a terrific situational comedy episode that benefits from a particular stellar turn from its guest performer. The Kleptomaniac is somewhat forgettable, though it ended on a strong note.

Cuban Pals is again all about Lucy’s jealousy and it mostly worked, though it was quite familiar. The Freezer is at its best when focusing on the girls’ plotting and making chaos. Lucy Does a TV Commercial is the blandest episode of the season while The Publicity Agent sees Ball excel at creating a made-up character from a made-up country. This shtick was so amusing to watch.

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Lucy Gets Ricky on the Radio utilizes its quiz show storyline to great, amusing results. Lucy’s Schedule is about the importance of punctuality and it is fun, but rather sexist overall. Ricky Things He’s Getting Bald is incredible. Putting his insecurities into her scheming hands led to that hilarious finale that was executed flawlessly. Ricky Asks for a Raise was another highlight that saw Lucile Ball play so many different characters to an absolute perfection.

Overall, I really enjoyed this first season of I Love Lucy. It has its weaker spots and some storylines are getting repetitive already, but those that work are fantastic and there are a lot of them. The acting is fantastic and the physical gags as well as situational humor steal the show in this season.

Worst Episodes: Drafted, Lucy Writes a Play and Lucy Does a TV Commercial.

Best Episodes: The Diet, The Quiz Show, The Fur Coat, Lucy Fakes Illness, Breaking the Lease, Pioneer Women, Ricky Thinks He’s Getting Bald and Ricky Asks for a Raise.