Ep 7. The Servants

In season 1, episode 7 of The Beverly Hillbillies, titled "The Servants," the Clampett family finds themselves in need of household help for the first time since moving to Beverly Hills. Granny, who normally handles all of the cooking and cleaning, has become overwhelmed with the new luxurious lifestyle and is in desperate need of assistance.

Jed decides to hire a butler, a concept that is completely foreign to the Clampetts. Upon meeting prospective candidates, the family discovers that butlers come with a hefty salary, something Jed is not willing to pay. Instead, he decides to hire two young men as general servants, Jethro and Elly May.

Jethro and Elly May quickly learn that the duties of a servant include more than just cooking and cleaning. They are expected to cater to the every whim of the family, including running errands and chauffeuring them around town. Jethro, who has been hoping to impress Elly May, is eager to please and takes on every task with enthusiasm. Elly May, on the other hand, finds the servant lifestyle to be suffocating and longs to return to the simpler days of the Ozarks.

As the episode progresses, the tension between the family members and the servants rises. The Clampetts are used to doing things for themselves and are not accustomed to having their every need catered to. Meanwhile, Jethro and Elly May struggle to keep up with the high demands of their new roles.

In an effort to smooth things over with the servants, Jed invites them to dinner with the family. The dinner is a disaster from start to finish, with Jethro spilling food on the wealthy and snobby Mr. Drysdale and Elly May accidentally breaking a precious vase. The servants are ultimately fired, and the family returns to their old ways of doing things for themselves.

Overall, "The Servants" offers a humorous commentary on the clash between social classes and the difficulties of adapting to a new lifestyle. The episode highlights the inherent differences between the Clampetts and the wealthy residents of Beverly Hills, while also showing the value of hard work and self-reliance.