The apartment’s owners and landlords are Fred and Ethel Mertz former vaudeville performers. In addition to being Lucy and Ricky’s neighbors and landlords they happen to be their best friends. Although portrayed to be much older than Lucy and Ricky; Vivian Vance (Ethel Mertz) was in reality only two years older than Lucille Ball. Fred was much older than all the characters by many years. 
Each show began the same with Lucy and Ricky having some squabble or misunderstanding and Lucy always getting in some sort comedic trouble. Lucy seemed to always be looking for her own chance of stardom only to have those dreams quashed by Ricky or something else. In the second season Lucille Ball in real life gave birth to her first child Lucie Désirée Arnaz. On the “I Love Lucy” show Lucy and Ricky had a son to coincide with Lucille Ball’s real life pregnancy. During that time in television pregnancy was very taboo and the word “pregnancy” could not be used instead they used the word “expecting.” Lucille Ball was the first woman openly portrayed as pregnant on television. 
Lucy seemed to be in some sort of trouble every week, it usually was connected her quest for stardom; or a least to please Ricky in some way. Lucy was not above using costumes or fibbing to get her way. In one episode “Ricky Asks for a Raise” Lucy pressures Ricky to ask his boss at the nightclub for a raise. He and Lucy practice asking Mr. Littlefield (Gale Gordon) for a raise. Ricky is reluctant to ask but Lucy keeps pressuring him. Littlefield and his wife come over for dinner, and Lucy sees Ricky’s chance to ask for the raise. After many false starts and much comedic stumbling, Lucy lies to Mr. Littlefield about other offers Ricky has supposedly had from other nightclubs. Littlefield tells him he cannot give him a raise and to take one of other the jobs. Suddenly, Ricky finds himself unemployed and Lucy takes matters into her own hands. 
Lucy feeling guilty later the next day cooks up a plan to get Ricky’s job back at the nightclub with the help of Fred and Ethel. Lucy decides that if she and Ethel make 75 reservations (disguising their voices) that the club will be booked and when no one shows up to see the new act, Littlefield will offer Ricky his job back. Fred tells them they should take the plan a step further; and dress in various costumes and show up at the club, and once they are told Ricky Ricardo is not the featured act of the night to leave. Fred happens to know a quick-change-artist and borrows a chest of costumes. Lucy, Fred and Ethel change in the alley outside the club and enter the club. Each time they enter as a different group of people. 