Friday the 14th

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Only Fools and Horses episode
"Friday the 14th"
Series	3
Writer	John Sullivan
Director	Ray Butt
Producer	Ray Butt
Duration	30 minutes
Airdate	24 November 1983
Audience	9.7 million

Friday the 14th is an episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses. It was the third episode of series 3, and was first screened on 24 November 1983.

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Rodney and Grandad are loafing around the flat one evening, when Del comes in armed with an array of fishing gear. He tells the two that he has just been out to a fish restaurant with Boycie, and they have happened upon one of their usual get-rich-quick schemes. Boycie had informed Del that he owned a holiday cottage in Tregower in Cornwall, near a large stream filled with salmon. Having talked things over with the owner of the fish restaurant, Del has concocted a plan whereby he, Grandad and Rodney will make use of Boycie's cottage and go fishing the following day. They will then bring back whatever they catch and the restaurant owner will pay them £10 for every fish caught. Del also states that they will have to bribe the local gamekeeper, but otherwise everything should work out. Rodney argues that such actions would be immoral and illegal, but when Del mock-threateningly says he will simply go with Grandad and they'll split the profits, Rodney announces he'll be coming along.

As the trio arrive in Tregower during a heavy thunderstorm, a policeman pulls them over and asks them if they are going fishing. Although originally the three try to avoid the idea that they are poaching, the officer reveals he had called them over to tell them some bad news. Due to the storm, electricity has been cut out in the area and a known axe-murderer has escaped from an institute for the criminally insane. He also reveals that ten years ago that very night, the murderer had killed a group of fishermen out on the river. The Trotters nervously thank the policeman, and drive onto the cottage.

Upon arrival at the cottage, Rodney announces he spotted someone viewing them from some nearby trees. Del is quick to dismiss his fears as simple paranoia, and they decide to make a cup of tea and play Monopoly. When the Monopoly game goes awry and Rodney childishly flips over the board, Del and Grandad berate him for his silliness. However, when he opens the curtains to look out the window, he sees a man on the other side of the window staring directly back at him. Calmly drawing the curtains back, Rodney announces to the others that he saw someone. When Del looks again, the man has disappeared and Del once again begins to joke at Rodney's fears. However, this is followed by a knock at the door...

After much suspicion, the uniformed man at the door is allowed in and informs the trio he is the chief of security at the mental institute from which the criminal has escaped, even going so far as to prove his identity by showing them his driving license and blood donor card. He tells them that the police have widened their search to three other counties, and that the axe murderer won't be on the run for long. Relieved, the three settle down and Del heads to the outside toilet. Whilst outside, he opens the door and inadvertently knocks out the man whom Rodney had seen at the window earlier. Upon turning around, he sees the man unconscious on the floor and calls the others for help.

The next scene reveals that Rodney and Grandad had gone to the police station with the man tied up in the back of their van. Rodney puts on a brave face and lies to the policemen, telling them he single-handedly defeated the axe-murderer and tied him up. However, upon further inspection, the police note that the man in the back of their car is not the axe-murderer, but the local gamekeeper (who was probably coming to pick up his money from the Trotters). When Rodney says his identity was confirmed by the chief of security, the policeman replies that the chief of security is in hospital; the escaped maniac knocked him out, and stole his uniform and identity cards. Which of course means...

Del is trapped in the cottage with the real axe-murderer. Unaware of the danger he is in, Del acts perfectly normal until he recieves a phone-call from Rodney, who tells him who the chief really is. Frightened, Del begins to see the manic side to the escaped lunatic - however, things turn in his favour when the madman wants to play an imaginary game of snooker, and tells Del he always hates winning. Upon hearing this, Del senses a way to make money and suggests that they play for £10 per frame.

[edit] Episode cast

Actor	Role
David Jason	Del Boy
Nicholas Lyndhurst	Rodney
Lennard Pearce	Grandad
Ray Mort	Policeman on road
Bill Ward	Gamekeeper
Christopher Malcolm	Madman
Michael Stainton	Police sergeant