When Oliver is not around....

[Frump]

I know the theme of the show is Oliver is like the only normal person living in a surreal world where everyone is weird. But have you noticed when Oliver is NOT around and other Green Acres characters interact with eachother, they act pretty normal. Like in a few episodes I remember Oliver was not there and Lisa and Eb were alone and interacting and they acted pretty normal and were just having a normal conversation, but when Oliver comes in they start acting NUTS again.

[PhoenixAcres]

I disagree actually. With few exceptions, the characters are who they are regardless of if Oliver is in the scene. His presence, and futile attempts to rationalize things, may simply highlight the absurdity of the situation. But I think when they are left by themselves, they are still able to operate on the same logic, albeit without straight man Oliver to react. In "The Agricultural Student", there are scenes in Mr. Kimball's office where a lot of the characters interact, with Oliver nowhere to be seen, and they act just as zany and weird. Also, anytime there's a visitor to the farm (especially the deputy sheriff/detective played by Bob Hastings), and Lisa answers the door for example, she is absolutely in character. These scenes were effective I think, but it was unusual for Oliver's absence to be so prominent.

It's also worth noting that all the characters were likely insane to some degree, but none of them were "stupid", with the sole exception of Mr. Kimball. Lisa and Eb came close, especially as the years progressed, but you have to wonder how much of that was play-acting to amuse/frustrate Oliver. Eb once said (in one of the later seasons), "I get so used to playing the court jester for Mr. Douglas, I almost forgot I have a serious side."

So yes, their behavior is probably influenced to some extent by Oliver's presence, but generally the characters on the show are very consistently written.

[PhoenixAcres]

Originally Posted by Alan Brady's Hair

I think Kimball's more absent-minded than stupid. The main thing he has to know on the show is that Oliver's a pretty hopeless farmer, and he obviously knows that. He's pretty good at slipping away from Ralph, too.

Yeah I guess you could say that. While he is slow, he does occasionally have flickers of competency of the situation. There are rare occasions where he recognizes that Oliver is insulting him, but moves on.

[Fontaine]

Weren't the roles reversed when the series first started? Oliver was the nutty one and Lisa was the sane one who hated the country life.

[PhoenixAcres]

Originally Posted by Fontaine

Weren't the roles reversed when the series first started? Oliver was the nutty one and Lisa was the sane one who hated the country life.

Yep. It's actually kind of disorienting when I'm watching the first five or so episodes because of that. Over the course of season 1, Lisa developed her more unusual worldview and Oliver became hopelessly stranded with a sane mindset in an insane world and developed his reputation as a hothead. Personally, I found the roles they eventually settled on much better than how it started.

[TheLittleFairy]

I forget the episode, but I remember a time Mr Kimbal and Eb were alone and were talking pretty normal to each other.

[stevea]

Originally Posted by Frump

I know the theme of the show is Oliver is like the only normal person living in a surreal world where everyone is weird. But have you noticed when Oliver is NOT around and other Green Acres characters interact with eachother, they act pretty normal. Like in a few episodes I remember Oliver was not there and Lisa and Eb were alone and interacting and they acted pretty normal and were just having a normal conversation, but when Oliver comes in they start acting NUTS again.

I'm not sure I'd even call him normal. I'd say a normal person who's a successful lawyer could want to become a farmer and adopt the rural life. But would a normal person buy a dump like that, especially one who's supposedly a smart lawyer? We know Haney can't normally put one over on him, yet he did with Green Acres. I suppose you could say his farming obsession was driving him.

Also, would a normal person make long orations about the American farmer? When he was doing that, Drucker (one who's fairly normal), Ziffel, Kiley, Lisa, etc. thought HE was nuts.

There's no doubt he was in a surreal world, but to me, he was part of it too, in his own way.

[TheLittleFairy]

I agree, and sometimes he could see the opening credits, once he remarked, "We get a credit for THAT?!" or something like that lol

I think he bought the Haney place with high hopes of fixing it up. But as we see 25 years later the Monroe brothers were STILL working on the bedroom, closet STILL wasn't enclosed lol

[PhoenixAcres]

Originally Posted by stevea

I'm not sure I'd even call him normal. I'd say a normal person who's a successful lawyer could want to become a farmer and adopt the rural life. But would a normal person buy a dump like that, especially one who's supposedly a smart lawyer? We know Haney can't normally put one over on him, yet he did with Green Acres. I suppose you could say his farming obsession was driving him.

Also, would a normal person make long orations about the American farmer? When he was doing that, Drucker (one who's fairly normal), Ziffel, Kiley, Lisa, etc. thought HE was nuts.

There's no doubt he was in a surreal world, but to me, he was part of it too, in his own way.

I agree with this assessment.

[PhoenixAcres]

Originally Posted by TheLittleFairy

I agree, and sometimes he could see the opening credits, once he remarked, "We get a credit for THAT?!" or something like that lol

There were only two times in the show's history where Oliver acknowledged the show's credits. First in the Arnold Gets Drafted episode (2.03) and then in "Never Start Talking unless your voice comes out" (2.22). In the latter it says "Carpentry by Alf and Ralph" and Oliver says they aren't supposed to get credit!!

Eventually it became a source of Oliver's frustration when they only showed up to other characters.

[TheLittleFairy]

The biggest thing that makes Oliver strange is him doing farm work in a business suit and tie lol And he apparantly never eats!! He always sits down at the table, takes one bite of Lisa's cooking and then jumps up to get to work!

I know many ppl have speculated that Oliver sneaks off to Pixlie once a day for at least one decent meal lol

[Chip J]

It, also, depends on whether or not the characters from Petticoat Junction appeared. Whenever they show up, it tends to be more normal. That said, Sam Drucker seemed to be the only other character than Oliver who seemed normal.

[TheLittleFairy]

Originally Posted by Chip J

It, also, depends on whether or not the characters from Petticoat Junction appeared. Whenever they show up, it tends to be more normal. That said, Sam Drucker seemed to be the only other character than Oliver who seemed normal.

To me Drucker was the go-between between the normal world and the Twilight Zone world lol, He sorta fit into both, but I noticed he sorta had to translate for Oliver and the other Hooterville residence.