Del - An hour ago you were ‘The Shadow’ - a man of mystery. Now we know your name, your address and your mum’s shoe size!
The premise for this episode is based on a true story in which a blatant shoplifter was arrested, taken to the manager’s office as he knew that’s where the safe was, and managed to escape with the money. It’s a clever little story and this episode is one I for some reason keep returning to. It’s possibly because it is one of those that puts the Trotters in an extreme situation, so you get some of the best lines and moments out of it.
What I particularly like are the little details that pay off in a big way, such as Rodney’s attempt to give up smoking which gives us one of the biggest laughs of the episode when it comes back around at the end of the episode, followed up by a well deserved “You plonker!” from Del. It also gets followed up with a beautifully ignorant and ironic “Well why didn’t you ask me, there’s no need to steal!” from Lennox who is hoping to steal the £60,000 in the safe.
In a similar vein, Lennox’s watch is constantly wrong and we all work out why.
Lennox - Bloody watch! Me Mum only bought it for me the other month down the market!
The fact that Del’s watches are never right is an ongoing joke over a few episodes, (we even saw Abdul the diamond trader caught out with it in ‘To Hull and Back’ recently) but never has it been so integral to the plot. The chain reaction of Lennox arriving late due to Del’s watch and then Del and the rest all kept in the office for 14 hours as a result is both hilarious but entirely believable comedy.
The final little bit which shows why this episode is so great at the setup to pay off later jokes is Peterson’s wife. He is terrified of her and seems to be very appeasing of her on the phone. Him hearing that she’s making “Entrecôte Rioja” for dinner sets up a wonderful moment later in the episode.
(Phone rings)
Lennox - What’s that?!
Peterson - It’s the phone!
Lennox - I know that, I ain’t stupid! I mean, who is it?!
Peterson - it’s a little difficult to tell at this stage...!
Albert - You better let him answer it son, it might be his wife!
Rodney - Oh yeah... she’s got Entrecôte Rioja!
Lennox - Oh, I’m sorry to hear that...!
Lennox set up the heist saying that the secret of his success was all in the planning. Over the course of the episode it is revealed that the planning had some severe holes in it, most notable of these is Lennox’s realisation that he doesn’t have a getaway car. Lennox is then revealed to be someone known to Del, who is able to put his problems in perspective by drawing parallels to Rodney.
As the plan is revealed to have involved Lennox, Peterson and Tom the Head of Security (“Dickson of Kuala Lumpur is involved!”) Del then, as so often the case, manages to wangle an earner out of it - getting the millionth customer prize that we thought they were getting at the start of the episode - bringing us full circle. The episode ends with no harm done and Lennox also getting employed by the store in security. Peterson and Clarke’s problems aren’t resolved, but crime ultimately shouldn’t pay (too much!)
Tomorrow’s episode: Tea For Three
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