I Love Lucy Wiki
Advertisement
"I Love Lucy" episode
"Pregnant Women Are Unpredictable"
Season 2, Episode #11
#46 in Series
Series: I Love Lucy
Network: CBS-TV
Air date: December 15, 1952
Written by: Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh & Jess Oppenheimer
Guest stars: Bennett Green
Directed by: William Asher
Production code: 2x11 / 046
Episode guide
IMDb logo IMDB Pregnant Women Are Unpredictable
Episode chronology
← Previous Next →
"Lucy Is Enceinte" "Lucy's Show Biz Swan Song"

Pregnant Women Are Unpredictable was the 46th overall episode of I Love Lucy, which first aired Dececmber 15, 1952 on CBS-TV, also the 11th episode of Season 2 of the series. The episode was co-written by Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh and Jess Oppenheimer and directed by William Asher.


"Pregnant Women Are Unpredictable"
Also see:
Full Credits Transcripts More Images

Synopsis[]

With the baby coming, Ricky decides that Lucy should stay in bed while he does the chores.

Storyline[]

Fred tells Ricky that moms-to-be are "the most unpredictable creatures on Earth," and Ricky is starting to believe it. Lucy is so changeable and moody lately, and he doesn't know what to do to make her happy. Whether it's changing her mind a million times about what to name their coming child to thinking that Ricky loves the baby much more than her, Lucy has been hard to get along with lately. Ricky's good-intentioned offer to make Lucy breakfast in bed one morning only leaves Lucy annoyed with Ricky calling her out of bed twenty times to help him find his way around the kitchen. But Ricky doesn't realize what he did wrong, and he only sees Lucy's reaction as yet another sign of unpredictability.

When Ricky brings home lots of gifts, Lucy can't wait to open the presents. She is crestfallen when she finds out that all of the presents are baby supplies. She begins to think that Ricky doesn't care about her. "It's just the baby he loves!" she cries to Ethel. Always the good friend, Ethel tries to reason with Lucy, but she won't hear it. So, instead, Ethel tells Ricky what's going on, and that he should take pains to make Lucy feel appreciated and cared for by taking her out to dinner and dancing. So, Ricky and Lucy go out for a night on the town with Fred and Ethel. Ricky sings "Cheek to Cheek" to Lucy. Everything seems to be going great. They even kiss! But when Lucy sits down after dancing, she begins to cry. Now, she's unhappy that Ricky hasn't talked about the baby all night!

Did You Know?[]

Trivia[]

  • The title of this episode is very contradictory. The word "pregnant" wasn't allowed to be used in any of the show's dialogue, but "pregnant" is used in the title. What reason was there to put "pregnant" and not "expectant" in the episode title? Especially since Fred actually says the line "expectant women are unpredictable" in one scene!
  • The names Gregg and Joanne were used as two possible name choices Lucy was considering because those are the names of producer/head writer Jess Oppenheimer's kids.
  • The name choices of Robert and Madelyn were chosen to honor writers Bob Carroll and Madelyn Pugh.
  • Other name choices Lucy considers in this episode are Scott or Pamela, Phillip or Cynthia, John or Mary, Romeo or Juliet, and Pierpont or Sharon.
  • Lucy's favorite breakfast is waffles.
  • Good thing Lucy practiced giving a baby doll a bath before having the real baby. She lets the doll's head fall in the water and drown. She has to squeeze the water and suds out of the doll.

Soundtracks[]

Soundtrack Credits
  • Cheek to Cheek (uncredited) - Written by Irving Berlin
  • Theme From I Love Lucy (Instrumental) - Written by Eliot Daniel, performed by Wilbur Hatch and the Desi Arnaz Orchestra

Scene excerpts[]

Quotes

  • Lucy: But I went over those names [Scott and Pamela] today, and they just don't go with Ricardo.
  • Ricky: Alright, then. Let's change Ricardo. That'll be easier!
  • Lucy: I want the names to be unique and euphonious.
  • Ricky: Okay, "Unique" if it's a boy and "Euphonious" if it's a girl.
  • Lucy: For your information, those are not names. They're WORDS!
  • Ricky: Well, they're the prettiest ones you've mentioned yet!
  • Lucy: How 'bout "Phillip" for a boy...
  • Ricky: And "Morris" if it's a girl?
  • Ricky: What happened to "John" and "Mary"?
  • Lucy: Well, I got to thinking last night, "Mary" is alright [for a name], but every Tom, Dick, and Harry's named "John."

  • Ethel: (about the badly burnt waffles Fred and Ricky made) How could they serve you a thing like that?!
  • Lucy: Oh, they said this one turned out better than the others.
  • Ethel: Oh, no!
  • Lucy: Yeah, they explained to me that the charcoal would be good for the baby's teeth!
  • Lucy: After the baby's born, I'll just be forgotten.
  • Ethel: Oh, that's not true.
  • Lucy: It is SO true! I'll be just like a salmon. I'll swim upstream, spawn, and never be heard of again!
  • Ethel: Why don't you take another couple along? You know, just to make it a real happy foursome?
  • Ricky: (sarcastically) Anyone special you have in mind?

Cast (in Credits Order)[]

Main Cast[]

Guest starring[]

More external links[]

Advertisement