Strained Relations
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| Only Fools and Horses episode | |
| "Strained Relations" | |
| Series | 4 |
|---|---|
| Writer | John Sullivan |
| Director | Susan Belbin |
| Producer | Ray Butt |
| Duration | 30 minutes |
| Airdate | 28 February 1985 |
| Audience | 14.9 million |
Strained Relations is an episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses. It was the second episode of series 4, and was first screened on 28 February 1985.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
It is a day full of sorrow for Del Boy and Rodney, as their Grandad had passed away. They have attended Grandad's funeral, along with Mike, Boycie, Trigger, and the North London branch of the Trotter family.
Back at the wake in Nelson Mandela House, Del is cheering himself up by telling his mates lots of jokes. He and Rodney also meet Grandad's younger brother, their Uncle Albert, who also tells Del that he is his godfather, after spinning a coin with other brother George and winning.
Later that night, everybody had gone home, and it's just Del and Rodney alone in the flat, until they find Albert in the bathroom. He tells his nephews that their cousins, Stan and Jean, went home to North London and left Albert behind. Del decides to let Albert stay for the night, but doesn't allow him to sleep in Grandad's bedroom, since it's now a shrine to him and a storage area.
The next morning, Albert follows Del back to the flat to tell him and Rodney that Stan and Jean moved again because they have a mobile home. Del decides that Albert should go to the Seaman's Mission. As Albert goes off to the kitchen to have a cup of tea, Rodney berates Del for not caring when Grandad died, but Del Boy explains that he was only hiding his own sadness from Rodney, explaining how he didn't know how to grieve, "I ain't even started yet brov. An' you wanna know why? Because I don't know how to." Del reveals how he resents being this figure, and the false admiration that he feels he has received all his life,"Bloody fans! I've finished with 'em! What do they do to you, eh? They hold you back, drag you down, and then they break yer bloody heart!", which really makes Rodney truly understand what Del's going through.
Later, at the Nag's Head, Albert shows up again claiming that the Seaman's Mission has been torn down. Del finally gives in, decides to let Albert stay with him and Rodney, and a new era for the Trotters has begun. As they leave to get a curry, Mike quickly gets a hold of Albert and informs him that the Seaman's Mission just called saying they have a room available. He's quickly told to be quiet by Albert.
[edit] Episode cast
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[edit] First appearances
[edit] Production
"Strained Relations" was added at the last minute, due to Lennard Pearce's death. The new first episode called "Happy Returns" was added during his hospital illness, therefore leaving the producers with eight episodes instead of the standard six episodes in the series. "From Prussia With Love" was moved to the fifth season leaving seven episodes in the fourth season.[1]
[edit] Errors
- There is an error in the scene back at the flat after Grandad's funeral, Del is sadly staring through a doorway. He is called by Mike and the camera angle changes to be facing across the living room and you can clearly see the shadow of the camera used for the preceding scene in the doorway.
- In "Homesick", Grandad told Del that he wanted to be cremated, but he is buried in this episode.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Happy Returns |
Only Fools and Horses 28 February 1985 |
Succeeded by Hole In One |
