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Top Ten I Love Lucy Episodes

Throughout six seasons and across 180 episodes, I Love Lucy has mostly maintained a high level quality. Not all episodes were great, but those that were are still outstanding to watch to this day. These are the ten best episodes of the series spanning across all seasons along with some honorable mentions.

10. Job Switching

In this classic Season 2 episode, the men switch jobs with the women as all four are sick and tired of their current work. The guys trying and failing to keep the kitchen running was quite funny, but the highlight of this episode is Lucy and Ethel ending up working on a conveyor belt wrapping chocolate. That entire sequence was a great showcase of superb physical gags.

9. Lucy’s Italian Movie

Now, if it weren’t for that iconic vineyard sequence, this Season 5 episode would not get on this list. But I Love Lucy is a show that is particularly iconic in these special bits and pieces and this entire scene was hilarious. Seeing Lucy stomp on grapes while an Italian lady yells at her in Italian was hysterical. This was the most memorable part of their all-around great trip to Europe.

8. The Ricardos Visit Cuba

Unfortunately, the last season of the show only saw the family go to Havana in one episode, but what a glorious episode this was. The build-up toward the eventual acceptance of Lucy among Rick’s folk was phenomenal. The end was quite heartwarming while the shenanigans that Lucy gets herself in here was superbly executed and so entertaining.

7. Lucy Is Enceinte

This was the episode that changed the course of the show significantly by adding a baby into the bigger picture. Lucille Ball was famously pregnant herself while filming, so the fact that her character was mirrored that was awesome. The emotional crux of the story was the finale where Ricky finally receives the happy news. How he received it was very authentic and undeniably unforgettable.

6. Lucy Cries Wolf

Lucy Cries Wolf is a phenomenal episode from the fourth season. It was the one that finally taught Lucy a lesson and the results were remarkably funny. The dialogue was impeccable while Ball was reliably outstanding throughout this hugely entertaining episode that represents situational comedy in its highest form.

5. The Fur Coat

Ricky rents a mink coat for an act at the club, but Lucy thinks it is for her, and will not take it off. He arranges for Fred to pose as a burglar and “steal”, it, but when a real thief sneaks into the apartment during the night, Lucy manages to hang on to it. This is an inherently funny episode due to its crazy plot points that become more insane as the episode reaches its hilarious conclusion. It is a timeless situational comedy and one of the best Season 1 episodes for sure.

4. Ricky Loses His Temper

This is the episode that focused heavily on Ricky’s bad temper. Lucy wanting to make him jealous made for an entertaining storyline while his changing moods were so memorable. This is among his best episodes as I usually find him the least funny of the four, but here he was excellent and so charismatic.

3. Return Home from Europe

As the seasons went by, the show became more and more outlandish with its scenarios and this Season 5 episode exemplifies that sitcom craziness in its highest form. Lucy tries to smuggle some cheese on the plane back home from Europe and she does it by pretending that it’s a baby under the blanket. The resulting comedy was pitch-perfect as it showcased Lucille Ball’s extraordinary comedic timing.

2. The Diet

The Diet was a very early episode of the show that remained the very best episode until the final season that contains my number one pick. The Diet sees Lucy on a diet as the title would suggest. The highlight is the second half where she would stoop so low as to wait for food with the dog beneath the table. This episode exemplifies some of the best physical gags of the show and Lucille Ball was truly incredible here.

1. Lucy Gets a Paris Gown

The very best episode of I Love Lucy is Lucy Gets a Paris Gown. This is the one that so hilariously mocked female fashion trends and just how silly they can become. The final gag sees the boys making the girls wear ridiculous things and tricking them that they are real fashion. That entire sequence was absolutely hysterical and a great showcase of each and every character’s personality and the rift between the sexes that the show often focused on. It’s the rightful number one for me.

Honorable Mentions:

Lucy’s Last Birthday – This is initially a very sad, but eventually a wonderful birthday episode that goes through a rollercoaster of emotions. It’s so endearing.

Ricky’s European Booking – Ethel and Lucy started so many failed business throughout the show’s run, but this episode’s pursuit of theirs was bordering on grifting and it was hilarious.

Lucy Misses the Mertzes – When the Ricardos go to live in the county, they miss the Mertzes so much, but the family eventually accompanies them. This episode reached the height of their wonderful friendship.

Little Ricky Gets a Dog – It’s a shame that Fred the dog was introduced so late in the game as he was so lovable and this episode was a great treat for all dog lovers out there.

The Business Manager – Lucy pretending to be Ricky’s manager produced very amusing results in this superbly crafted episode.