Raquel - No no no Del, you didn’t think! You never think. You didn't look, you didn't listen, you didn’t notice any of the signs - you just go at it like a mad bull!
In a poll conducted by UK Gold - this episode was crowned the viewers' favourite. This is definitely one of the most fun episodes to watch, and I can imagine one of the best to shoot. It shows how full the cast has got, and given its 80 minute run-length, all of the characters get a moment to shine.
Coupled with all the fun and games of the beano to Margate however is the brothers' love interests which end up with mixed fortunes, despite Rodney emulating Del he manages to come off much worse again (both of them punching the other bloke in the face is similar to the time they both slapped women's bums in 'Yesterday Never Comes' - Del gets away with it, Rodney doesn't.)
There's a lot to digest in the episode, there's the trip to Margate, the overnight stay at the Villa Bella, Del and Raquel's reunion at the Mardi Gras club, and Rodney's marriage problems with Cassandra.
The coach trip down to Margate is a lot of fun and David Jason puts the episode's love by the viewing audience of people remembering their own similar trips and beach escapes. The music used in the episode also adds an extra layer into the episode, the montage of 'Everyone's Talking' by Harry Nilsson allows them to fill a lot of content of the fun they had on the beach, at stalls and on the rides. The driver Harry's scene also gives us a laugh initially but then it's even greater when at the end of the day he reveals he'd only had lemonade and thought he'd been overcome by fumes. The evacuation of the coach and it's eventual explosion is one of the best set piece pieces of comedy in the show's history.
Del and Raquel meet again as the group recognise her in the Mardi Gras club owned by an old rival of Mike. She's performing as a magician's assistant to The Great Raymondo - and to save money we discover that the two of them are living in the same flat. Del jumps to conclusions and assumes that Ray has Raquel trapped in the flat with her. Rodney pleads with Del to not jump the gun and take it "nice 'n' easy", which is flat out ignores, punching Ray out of the kitchen and throwing his suitcase out the window. We rarely see Del's ability to be tough - we have seen glimpses in the past such as in 'No Greater Love'. Del hadn't asked any questions, if he had then he would've realised that Ray was homosexual and therefore not a threat. Raquel is livid but also feels safe around Del and shows her appreciation.
Raquel - You were stupid and you were embarrassing! … Thank you.
Another great introduction into the mix is Cassandra's immediate superior Stephen - a proper yuppy sort combined with Del the wannabe leads to some great dialogue. His catchphrases are memorable and he's exactly the kind of guy that Del and Rodney would never hang around with. Rodney is clearly both jealous of Cassandra giving him attention and upset that she wants to be more like that. His anger and frustration over the situation, and him being upset over believing his suspicions were right when he finds Stephen in the flat leads him to lash out and not take his own advice to Del on board. Ultimately it lands him chucked out of the flat, a storyline carried on into next episode. Steven and Joanne are brilliantly played, as we have all met those people who don't see themselves for what they are.
Stephen - How do you mean - 'guys like me and Stephen'?
Del - Well, you know, yuppies!
Stephen - Derek... I am not a yuppy!
The extra length in the episode allows for more pay off jokes that were funny at the time but funnier when they come back around again. These include: Albert's war story in the Aegean where we discover he stopped Sid from escaping a POW camp, the Trotters remembering that Joanne was going to see her parents and then she shows up in Rodney's flat after he'd punched Steven, Del's dodgy car radio and the fumes leading to the bus exploding, and Albert recalling Mike got hit on the head by the suitcase Del chucked out the window.
The music budget has definitely increased on the show over time, David Jason states that with the show such a great success by this point the BBC was willing to pay out for more songs. There's hits by Gregory Isaacs, Tom Robinson Band, Roxy Music, Third World, Tears For Fears and Simply Red included in this episode alone, along with a Comic Relief cover of Help! by The Beatles. Finally, the end credits are different in this episode and were created specifically for the episode by Chas & Dave - could there be a better fit?!
Tomorrow's episode: Rodney Come Home
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