George Boyle
In the 'Building a Bar-B-Que' episode of the TV show I Love Lucy, Lucy loses her wedding ring while building a BBQ with Ethel to trick their husbands into taking over. To teach her a lesson about misplacing her ring, Ricky hides it, but his plan backfires when she believes she lost it in the cement of their newly built grill, which she takes apart brick by brick. At the end of the episode, the ring is found in a hamburger.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the episode | Building a Bar-B-Que |
| Name of the series | I Love Lucy |
| Year of release | 1957 |
| Number of times Lucy loses her wedding ring | Once |
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What You'll Learn
Ricky hides Lucy's wedding ring
In the "Building a Bar-B-Q" episode of the American television sitcom "I Love Lucy", Ricky hides Lucy's wedding ring to teach her a lesson about misplacing it all the time. Ricky, who is on vacation, is always in Lucy's way, bothering her while she's doing her job. To get him out of the house, Lucy and Ethel decide to trick Ricky and Fred into building a barbecue in the backyard. During the process, Lucy loses her wedding ring. To teach her a lesson, Ricky snatches it and makes her think it fell into one of the buckets of cement. In the middle of the night, Lucy and Ethel take the barbecue apart, brick by brick, to find the ring.
In the show, Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, portrayed by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, are a married couple. Lucy is a homemaker, while Ricky is a Cuban-American bandleader. Lucy often gets into trouble and is usually caught by Ricky. The couple has a son, Ricky Ricardo Jr., who was born during the show's second season and is portrayed by Richard Keith.
In one episode, Lucy wants to move to the country, but Ricky does not. When Lucy is out of the room, Ricky confesses to their landlords and friends, Fred and Ethel Mertz, that he bought a house in the country for their upcoming sixteenth wedding anniversary. Despite Lucy's initial excitement, she realizes she can't bear to leave Ethel and asks Ricky to get his deposit back. When the seller refuses to return the money, Lucy and Ethel devise a scheme to make themselves look undesirable to the sellers.
In another episode, the Ricardos and Mertzes fly to Havana, Cuba, where Lucy meets Ricky's large family for the first time. She is nervous about making a good impression and ends up ruining Uncle Alberto's hat, mispronouncing Spanish, making him spill punch on his jacket, and sitting on his cigars. Later, she steps on some cigars in a store and has to disguise herself as one of the cigar makers.
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Lucy loses her ring during a BBQ build
In the "I Love Lucy" episode "Building a Bar-B-Q", Lucy loses her wedding ring during the process of building a BBQ. In the episode, Ricky is on vacation from work and is always getting in Lucy's way. To get him out of the house, she and Ethel decide to start building a BBQ, hoping to trick Ricky and Fred into taking over.
Ricky hides Lucy's wedding ring to teach her a lesson about misplacing it all the time. However, his plan backfires when Lucy believes she lost it in the cement of their newly constructed outdoor grill, which she then takes apart brick by brick. To make matters worse, Ricky actually loses the ring, and it is found at the end of the episode in a hamburger.
The episode first aired in 1957 and is considered a classic, with witty dialogue and outrageous physical comedy. It is part of season 6, episode 24 of the series, which was renamed The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show for its original broadcast run after the initial six seasons. The episode has a rating of 8.7 out of 10 on IMDb.
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Lucy thinks her ring is in the cement
In the "Building a Bar-B-Que" episode of "I Love Lucy", Lucy loses her wedding ring. Ricky hides it to teach her a lesson about carelessness, as she misplaced it all the time. However, his plan backfires when Lucy believes that she lost it in the cement of their newly-built outdoor grill, which she proceeds to take apart brick by brick. Unfortunately, Ricky actually loses the ring for real, and it is found in a hamburger at the end of the episode.
This episode is from Season 6, Episode 24, and was aired in 1957. It is considered one of the funniest gags of all time, with lots of wet cement and bricks for the girls to deal with. The episode also showcases the witty dialogue and clever writing that the show was known for, even in its final season.
The episode begins with Ricky on vacation from work, getting in Lucy's way around the house. To get him out of the house, Lucy and Ethel decide to start building a BBQ, tricking Ricky and Fred into taking over. There are lots of bricks and cement all over the patio, and the men get to work. However, the fun begins when Ricky hides Lucy's ring, and she thinks it fell into the cement.
In the middle of the night, Lucy and Ethel take the BBQ apart, brick by brick, to find the ring. This sets off a chain of events, with Ricky losing the ring for real, only to be found in a hamburger at the end. The episode is a testament to the show's enduring charm and ability to combine sentimentality with outrageous humour.
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Ricky actually loses the ring
In the "I Love Lucy" episode "Building a Bar-B-Q", Ricky loses Lucy's wedding ring. Ricky is on vacation and constantly gets in Lucy's way as she tries to work. To get him out of the house, Lucy and Ethel trick Ricky and Fred into building a barbecue. Ricky, knowing that Lucy often misplaces her ring, snatches it from her and makes her think it fell into one of the buckets of cement. In the middle of the night, Lucy and Ethel take the barbecue apart, brick by brick, to find the ring.
While it is clear that Ricky takes the ring from Lucy, it is never revealed whether he actually loses it or simply hides it from her. The fact that Lucy and Ethel take the barbecue apart brick by brick suggests that they believe the ring may be lost in the cement. However, it is also possible that Ricky may have hidden the ring elsewhere as a practical joke to teach Lucy a lesson about her carelessness with her ring.
Regardless of Ricky's intentions, the situation causes a great deal of distress for Lucy, who is desperate to find her missing ring. The episode highlights the importance of the wedding ring as a symbol of love and commitment, as well as the comedic potential of a seemingly mundane situation. The loss of the ring creates a sense of chaos and disorder, with Lucy and Ethel frantically searching for the ring and the barbecue being taken apart and put back together again.
The episode also showcases the clever writing and acting that made "I Love Lucy" such a popular and enduring show. The writers, Madelyn Davis and Bob Carroll Jr., were known for their witty dialogue and fresh material, even in the show's final season. The cast, including Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, brought their characters to life with humour and charm, ensuring that the episode "Building a Bar-B-Q" remains a classic in television comedy.
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The ring is found in a hamburger
In the famous “I Love Lucy” episode "Building a Bar-B-Que", Lucy loses her wedding ring. In the episode, Ricky is on vacation and constantly getting in Lucy's way. To get him out of the house, she and Ethel trick him and Fred into building a BBQ. However, Ricky finds out about their scheme and, to teach Lucy a lesson about her carelessness with her ring, he hides it. Unfortunately, his plan backfires when she believes that she lost it in the cement of their newly constructed grill and takes it apart brick by brick. Making matters worse, Ricky then actually loses the ring. Luckily, all is well by the end of the episode as the ring is found in a hamburger.
This episode is not the only time a lost wedding ring has been featured in popular culture. In the book "A.K.A. Lucy: The Dynamic and Determined Life of Lucille Ball", the wedding ring of Lucille Ball is mentioned. Additionally, in the TV show "Kim's Convenience", Mrs. Kim has a habit of taking off her ring and forgetting about it, much to Mr. Kim's annoyance. In an episode, he hides it and tries to teach her a lesson by tricking her into thinking she lost it, only to then lose it himself.
The lost wedding ring is a common trope in popular culture, with rings being eaten by animals, dropped down drains, or sold at garage sales, requiring convoluted machinations for their safe return. In the show "Life Goes On", Libby takes off her ring while contemplating her troubled marriage, while in "Arthur", the wedding ring ends up in a pipe organ, and Arthur's aunt Lucy has to retrieve it.
The "Building a Bar-B-Que" episode of "I Love Lucy" stands out for its humour and sentimentality, with viewers particularly enjoying the witty dialogue and the performances of Ethel and William Frawley. The episode showcases the exceptional writing and acting that made the show a beloved classic, with its creative storylines and memorable characters continuing to entertain audiences even after its conclusion.
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Frequently asked questions
Once.
"Building a Bar-B-Que" or "Building a Bar-B-Q".
Season 6.
