Del - This time next year, we could be billionaires!
This episode is peak Only Fools & Horses - it's the 5th most watched programme in British TV history (outside of news and sporting events) and the 15th most watched thing on TV in total. And in terms of living up to the hype - it certainly delivers on it.
John Sullivan has this knack of picking up on little details from previous episodes and making them part of another plot. We've seen how the other two in this trilogy feed into this one, with Cassandra's pregnancy and miscarriage being one of the most prominent threads spanning all 3, but this episode gives us references that span all the way back to episode 1, series 1 'Big Brother' as well as a handful of other moments referred to.
The episode kicks off with dealing with the fallout of the miscarriage - with a particular focus on Rodney who it seems has returned to his days of going out drinking a lot, which we saw whenever his and Cassandra's relationship was on the rocks. Del recognises this trait in Rodney that "as soon as he gets it off his chest he’ll be fine". Del manages to stop the lift and get Rodney to open up and come to terms with what happened. We've seen Rodney run away from his problems in the past - Del is smart enough to pick his moment.
Rodney - You git! You stopped it!
Del - It was the only way I could get you talking... You can’t run away in a broken lift!
Following on from their getting in touch in 'Heroes And Villains' we get to meet Raquel's parents - James and Audrey. So much preparation has gone into the dinner, that its failure has to lie with Uncle Albert. The mix up between the gravy and the coffee is so wonderfully clumsy, it's the kind of thing that Grandad would've done and is reminiscent of his cooking mishaps. Del is in his element hosting, and goes over the top to try and impress as always.
It's James who spots the Harrison Lesser Watch in the garage the next day. It's also here where we get the main throwback to 'Big Brother' in Rodney keeping records to keep tabs on Del. Once he realises that he needs proof of ownership and Rodney is able to produce it, Del claims that it was his idea all along.
Del - I’ve always said 'always keep the receipts'!
As we move on to the Sotheby's scene which is often the most famous scene in the episode and show's history of the two brothers fainting.
In the earlier clip, we have Boycie continuing to gloat that he has a couple of cheap Skodas. The moment that Rodney goes to buy the Rolls Royce is the moment that Rodney shows how serious and mature he has become. In the pub when they celebrate, there's a distinct moment of Del and Boycie shaking hands. Boycie has mostly enjoyed his one-upmanship over Del and is therefore reluctant to celebrate the Trotters' success - giving Del become more successful is something that he never thought he would see.
After the celebrations we get a montage of what their lives become, with Our House as the backing track. It's a perfectly picked song - it's both relaxing symbolising the slowdown of their lives, with the lyrics also fitting great to their situation and the transition to the revisit of Nelson Mandela House.
There's so much history in the flat that it takes Del right back to the people that have made it so memorable: his mum, his dad and of course Grandad. Rodney turns up to have the second heart to heart in the episode - this time resolving Del's issues around letting go of his lifestyle and work. The final deal clip below gives us a wonderful line of "we could double our money on this!" The combination of this and the perfect timing of Albert's entrance makes this scene very memorable.
The end of the episode gives us what the show is all about - the two brothers debating how to go about making money with their elderly relative who's seen-it-all in toe. John Sullivan wanted the characters to turn into cartoons so that they couldn't be brought back. He mentions the sadness on the set when they finished shooting amongst the crew when they had finished and how it felt a shame that they weren't carrying on. Although it always feels like that the end should be with them becoming millionaires, Del's dialogue here of not wanting to stop as he has been going feels like it's coming direct from John Sullivan who doesn't want to stop writing.
Tomorrow's episode - If They Could See Us Now...!
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