The Psychiatrist

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Fawlty Towers episode
“The Psychiatrist”
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 2
Writer(s)	John Cleese & Connie Booth
Director	Bob Spiers
Production no.	8
Original airdate	26 February 1979
Episode chronology
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"Communication Problems"	"Waldorf Salad"
List of Fawlty Towers episodes

"The Psychiatrist" is the second episode of the second series of BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers.

1 Synopsis
2 Cast
3 Plot
4 Trivia

[edit] Synopsis

Sybil flirts with a young male guest named Mr. Johnson (who Basil believes resembles an orangutan). Meanwhile two doctors arrive at the hotel, and Basil becomes concerned when he realises one is a psychiatrist. He becomes obsessed with finding a woman that Johnson has sneaked into his room, but instead stumbles into several compromising situations with an innocent young Australian woman who is a guest. His maniacal behaviour infuriates his wife and alarms the psychiatrist.

[edit] Cast

Episode Credited cast:

With:

Imogen Bickford-Smith as Girlfriend
Aimée Delamain as Mrs. Johnson
Elspet Gray as Mrs. Abbott
Basil Henson as Dr. Abbott
Nicky Henson as Mr. Johnson
Luan Peters as Raylene Miles

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Whilst flirting with attractive young Mr. Johnson, Sybil finds herself once again at loggerheads with her husband. Basil is secretly jealous because of Johnson's forwardness and sexual appeal, he claims to Sybil viciously that he resembles an orangutan. He makes snide comments about him, including mocking his jewellery and charms behind his back: "Sybil, that man would wear a dog turd round his neck if he was told it was sacred". Johnson mentions his mother will be joining him the next day.

Two doctors (a husband and wife) arrive in the midst of Basil mocking Johnson with an ape-like beating of his chest (a la Tarzan). Upon realising that the Abbotts are doctors, Basil starts crawling to his guests, believing they are of superior social class to other guests such as Johnson. However when he learns Mr Abbott is a psychiatrist, he becomes paranoid that his behaviour is being observed.

When an attractive Australian guest, Raelene, arrives at the hotel, Basil escorts her to her room. While fixing a light he reaches for the switch and instead accidentally tweaks her nipple. Sybil walks in and sees this, leading her to believe Basil is interested in the guest.

Basil continues to be uncomfortable with the presence of the psychiatrist, and complains that they (psychiatrists) think that everything is about sex. During a conversation with the Abbotts during dinner he is distracted, and believes they are questioning him about his sex life, when actually they are asking how often he and Sybil can manage to have a holiday from the hotel. He becomes defensive and embarrassed. When Sybil enlightens him to his mistake he rushes to explain this to the Abbotts, claiming he thought they were talking about "sex ... I mean walks", not holidays.

Johnson has smuggled a girl into his room against hotel rules, and Basil is determined to catch him out. After failing to see the girl while delivering a bottle of champagne to Johnson, he goes into the room next to Johnson's to listen, but is disturbed by the Abbotts (it is their room). He weakly pretends to be checking the walls. He then sneaks into the room on the other side, frightening a sleeping Raelene. He uses the same excuse for his presence.

Basil then enlists Manuel to assist with a ladder outside the hotel so he can look inside Johnson's window, but instead finds himself looking at the Abbotts, who stare back bemused. He falls off the ladder and Manuel fetches Sybil, explaining that "the girl" has made Basil "crazy". Sybil assumes he is referring to Raelene and slaps Basil, locking him out of their room for the night.

In the morning Basil explains to Sybil that he was looking in the window because he wanted to catch the extra guest in Johnson's room. She doesn't believe him and he is determined to prove the woman was there. Basil hides in a broom closet to catch them out, soiling his hand on some cleaning product. He jumps on someone he thinks is the woman, only to discover he has attacked Raelene and left large handprints on her top over her breasts.

When Basil goes to Raelene's room to apologise, she is getting changed so he hides in her wardrobe. Sybil comes to check on her and they realise Basil is in the cupboard, whereupon she lectures him on how Raelene could not possibly be interested in his attentions. He wants to prove to her that his interest has been in the extra guest, and challenges Johnson. Johnson agrees that there is another person in his room: "Mrs Johnson", his mother. Basil mocks this disbelievingly, until Johnson's elderly mother appears and he greets her. When everyone has left he falls to the floor and rolls around clutching his head and moaning. The Abbotts encounter him but Mr Abbott sighs, "I'm on holiday" and they ignore him.

[edit] Trivia

This episode resurrects similar themes and attitudes from the episode "The Wedding Party". It similarly deals with Basil's distaste for sexual activity, and it is hinted that he and Sybil are no longer in an intimate relationship.
"The Psychiatrist" is the only episode of Fawlty Towers where two of the major co-stars share the same surnames (Nicky Henson and Basil Henson).
Nicky Henson was once married to Una Stubbs who later played a role in the episode: "The Anniversary".
The boom mike is visible at about 8:55 into the episode, when Sybil says "sledge hammer wit".
When Sybil slams her bedroom door, the walls are clearly seen wobbling.