Rodney - I think the real opportunity lies right here! What happens when a country’s in a depression, eh? Money gets tight, don’t it! People can’t afford the inflated shop prices, so what do they do? They come to blokes like us, don’t they! I tell you, the harder up Britain gets, the richer we become eh?
There is an notion of finality to the episode. It’s the end of series 5, the last 30 minute long one, and the final episode featuring a more limited cast within a series - even though we have been getting Boycie, Trigger and Mike more frequently as the series have gone on - series 6 feels like it becomes fuller as the episodes are longer.
Del’s once in a lifetime move to Australia gives us all hope that he may go and make it, Del describes it as a chance to “fulfil my potential”. Del gets sucked into Jumbo’s sales pitch but immediately has his family ties to consider. When Jumbo agrees that they should come too (Rodney as an executive car cleaner), Del becomes fully swept away with the idea. So much so that by the time Rodney’s application falls through he then puts the family as secondary to his own success - for a brief moment at least.
It is Rodney’s quote above and a chat with Albert which seems to be the turning point, once again proving that families will “hold you back, drag you down, and break your bloody heart” as we heard so pertinently in ‘Strained Relations’. Del can’t go half way around the world chasing his dreams if Rodney’s not beside him.
We get a different perspective from Albert. Not only is he hostile about Australia, he’s resistant to leaving altogether.
Del - Australia, where the men are men eh?!
Albert - Yeah and so are the women!
Albert - I’ve spent three quarters of my life sailing round this world. Now, all I want is a place to sit down and stay there.
This episode also touches on themes around British and Australian rivalry and partnership. There are moments of real fret notably between Jumbo and Mike, but then there is real nostalgia between Jumbo and Del. We also get Del rubbishing and then immediately backtracking trying to sell Rod eh the opportunity in Britain and Trotters Independent Traders current situation (and a book of all his old birds).
Rodney - And this is my future? 24 computers that don’t compute, the only rug in the world with a sell by date and the script to 101 Dalmatians - thanks a lot!
The series ends with a heartfelt ending where the brothers acknowledge what they have done for each other, and Del’s sacrifice for Rodney. It goes unspoken but we know the feelings and love are there. They’re both in it together covering each other’s backs, and it sets up that they will continue to do so until they both make it big. Del’s sacrifices are set to continue, particularly as we head towards season 6.
As we close the book on series 5, it’s interesting to read the history of this episode. This was possibly going to be the last ever episode of Only Fools. David Jason was tired of the show and had wanted to focus on other projects, and so John Sullivan wrote the ending that the boys go off and become millionaires in Australia. As he then came around to the idea of more episodes in the future, the end was rewritten to the one which was broadcast. The show has an air of destiny about it, and when Del and Rodney make their fortune, there’s little story left to tell - but it seems that it became a matter of when and not if they would finally make it.
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