Ep 17. Oil Wells

Lucy is notorious for her wild schemes and her love for adventure which, more often than not, lands her and her friends in tight spots. In season 3, episode 17 of I Love Lucy, titled “Oil Wells”, Lucy is up to her old tricks again and we get to witness the hilarious ordeal that follows.

The episode starts with Lucy and Ricky discussing their financial situation and worrying about how they will pay their bills in the coming months. They consider many different options for making some extra money, but nothing seems to inspire Lucy's interest. However, when an oilman calls Ricky for a business meeting in their apartment, Lucy sees this as her chance to make some quick money. She jumps at the opportunity to invest in some oil wells in Texas along with Ethel and Fred.

Initially, Lucy is skeptical about the oilman's promise of great returns, so she suggests that they purchase only one share to start with. But when the oilman shows them samples of crude oil that he declares will make them all wealthy beyond their wildest dreams, they decide to invest in more shares. Lucy even makes a show of sweeping their money into her apron and carrying it off, indicating how confident she is about this new investment.

Lucy, being Lucy, decides that she can't just sit back and wait for the cash to come in, and she gets the idea that they should all go out to Texas, to the oil field, to see if they can strike it rich on their own. Ethel and Fred are hesitant at first, but as usual, Lucy persuades them with her charming enthusiasm.

The trio sets off on their adventure and upon arriving, Lucy and Ethel are amazed by the huge oil derricks and the vast landscape visible from their window at night. Lucy's excitement is infectious, and the group heads to bed dreaming of everything they will buy with their newfound wealth.

The next day, they visit the oil fields and find themselves in over their heads. They try their hand at digging for oil, but without any luck. Lucy takes charge and decides to hire a crew to drill for oil themselves. But, as often happens when Lucy is in charge, things don’t go to plan. They make a series of mistakes, such as selecting the wrong drilling location and drilling a hole that is too shallow.

After hours of digging and drilling, their attempts to hit oil are fruitless, and it looks like their dream of becoming rich through oil drilling will remain just that - a dream. The trio then decides to call it a day and head back to their hotel. However, just as they are about to leave, they hear a commotion from the hole they had been drilling. To their surprise, oil has finally been struck!

As they stand there watching the liquid gold gush out of the ground, the group can hardly contain their excitement. They realize that they have finally struck it rich and that they will make enough money to last a lifetime. Little do they know, the final twist in the story is yet to come.

Overall, I Love Lucy’s season 3 episode 17, “Oil Wells,” is a fun-filled comedy, which showcases Lucy's seemingly never-ending ambition and her zest for life. The viewer gets to watch the hilarious situations the group faces as they try and strike it rich in Texas, and we see their determination to make their dream a reality. This episode is a classic example of the kind of hijinks that Lucy and her friends always get up to, and it will leave the audience laughing and wanting more.