Cabbage Soup

S6 E19: The Spot Remover

Green Acres, 1965.

Ah, Green Acres, the fever dream of rural escapism where New York lawyers trade skyscrapers for hay bales, and the laws of physics yield to sitcom logic.

In “The Spot Remover,” chaos comes in the form of a glass jar sent from Lisa’s Uncle Boris, a man who apparently spent his spare time weaponizing soup. The jar contains what Lisa believes to be a miracle cleaning fluid, capable of annihilating even the most egregious stains, much to Oliver’s mild annoyance and Eb’s bemused indifference. That is until they realize that this miracle elixir also annihilates fabric, wood, and, presumably, hopes and dreams. The big reveal? It’s not a cleaning fluid at all—it’s cabbage soup. Because, of course, it is.

The episode, penned by Jay Sommers and Dick Chevillat, epitomizes their ability to transform absurdity into an art form. Sommers, the show’s creator, had a knack for blending the highbrow with the ridiculous, mining comedy gold from situations where city folk meet the surreal eccentricities of the countryside. He also co-wrote nearly every episode, proving that this was less of a “throw it at the wall” situation and more a fully curated gallery of the absurd. Chevillat, meanwhile, brought his own comedic expertise, honed on series like My Favorite Martian, to ensure that the gags landed with pinpoint precision, or at least flopped amusingly.

Production-wise, this was peak Green Acres, a show that relied heavily on physical comedy and deadpan delivery, underscored by that eternally chipper theme song. Eva Gabor, as Lisa, perfected her airy, oblivious charm, delivering lines like “I’ll just add more soup!” with a straight face that belied the utter nonsense unfolding around her. Eddie Albert, meanwhile, oscillated between exasperation and resignation, as though he had made his peace with the fact that his life would forever involve conversing with pigs and negotiating with hayseed neighbors who defy the space-time continuum.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this episode—and the series at large—is its complete lack of concern for plausibility. In the world of Green Acres, logic is a luxury, and Uncle Boris’s cabbage soup could just as easily have been an interdimensional portal. But that’s the charm of it. It doesn’t ask you to believe; it simply asks you to laugh.

Make it! Cabbage soup by Love and Lemons.