The Psychiatrist
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| “The Psychiatrist” | |
|---|---|
| Fawlty Towers episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 2 |
| Written by | John Cleese & Connie Booth |
| Directed by | Bob Spiers |
| Production no. | 8 |
| Original airdate | 26 February 1979 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Communication Problems" | "Waldorf Salad" |
| List of Fawlty Towers episodes | |
"The Psychiatrist" is the second episode of the second series of BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers.
Contents |
[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:
- John Cleese as Basil Fawlty
- Prunella Scales as Sybil Fawlty
- Andrew Sachs as Manuel
- Connie Booth as Polly Sherman
- Ballard Berkeley as Major Gowen
- Brian Hall as Terry the Chef
- Gilly Flower as Miss Abitha Tibbs
- Renee Roberts as Miss Ursula Gatsby
With:
- Imogen Bickford-Smith as Girlfriend
- Aimée Delamain as Mrs. Johnson
- Elspet Gray as Dr. Abbott
- Basil Henson as Dr. Abbott
- Nicky Henson as Mr. Johnson
- Luan Peters as Raylene Miles
[edit] Plot
‘The Psychiatrist’ begins in the foyer of the hotel and the initial significant point is Mr Johnson, a sexually potent stud, swaggering in. As this happens, Sybil alters her mood and she addresses him in an aberrant manner. Sybil is clearly lusting after Johnson and begins to flirt with him. Basil is secretly jealous of Johnson’s forwardness and sex appeal, he deems it improper due to his traditional opinions. He begins to make observations regarding Johnson and claims to Sybil that Johnson resembles an orangutan. Basil also mocks Johnson’s medallions. Johnson mentions his mother will be joining him the next day.
The Abbots arrive unfortunately for Basil, while he is beating his chest in further mockery of Johnson. Upon hearing the word doctor, Basil instantaneously assumes that Dr Abbot is the only doctor because he is a man, when in fact, Dr Abbot is also a doctor which he ascertains after much hole digging and misunderstanding. Basil proceeds to brown nose the Abbots believing that they are of a superior class.
Soon after, an attractive Australian guest named Raelene arrives at the hotel, which creates a similar situation for Basil as Johnson created for Sybil. Basil handles his attractive character quite differently however. While Sybil openly flirted with Johnson, Basil tries to appear disinterested. This makes him nervous and he adversely begins to act as though he did fancy her via Freudian slips or luckless accidents. One such accident is when while repairing Raelene’s light, he reaches for the switch and instead accidentally tweaks her nipple. Sybil steps in and sees this, leading her to surmise Basil is softly groping her.
While the Abbots are dining, Basil inquires as to which branch of science they have achieved their doctoral degrees. Upon discovering Mr Abbot is a psychiatrist, Basil becomes paranoid that his behaviour is being observed and downs Abbot’s beverage. When asked, (referring to holidays) “How often do you manage it?”, Basil wrongly guesses they are discussing sex and dashes into the kitchens to warn his colleagues of the news. In the kitchens he begins to uncontrollably fidget due to his nerves until Sybil enlightens him explaining the Abbots were in fact discussing holidays with her just moments before. Basil returns to the dining room and abominably attempts to explain the situation resulting only in a sizable hole and freudian slips such as “I thought you were talking about sex ... I mean walks”.
Johnson has smuggled a girl into his room against hotel rules, and Basil is determined to catch him out because everybody else refuses to believe him. 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 who he thought were out on a walk. 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 probe Johnson's window, but instead finds himself facing the Abbotts, who stare back bemused. He tumbles from the ladder and Manuel unwisely 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 accosted Raelene and left large handprints on her top over her breasts.
When Basil visits Raelene's room to explain, she is replacing her shirt so he holes up in her wardrobe. Sybil comes to check on her and they realise Basil is in the wardrobe, 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 in a rare glimmer of manhood he shouts back at Sybil and orders her outside Johnsons room. He 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.
- This is the only episode where the viewers see the paperboy rearranging the letters on the "Fawlty Towers" sign in the opening shot.
