Going to America

"Going to America" is the final episode aired of Father Ted. It is the 8th episode of the third series of the Channel 4 sitcom and the 25th episode overall.

Synopsis

After Ted prevents a depressed Father Kevin (Tommy Tiernan) from jumping to his death at 'It's Great Being a Priest' conference, an American priest, Father Buzz Cagney (Jeff Harding) asks him if he'll come to a parish in Los Angeles. Ted can’t wait and excitedly tells Jack, Dougal and Mrs. Doyle, who incorrectly think they will be able to come with him. Ted doesn't have the heart to tell them otherwise and brings them to the airport leaving them there while he gets on the plane. However, Ted has second thoughts when Father Cagney mentions the gang culture around Ted's new Parish in LA and the decrepitness of his new parish. Realising he's in too deep, Ted abandons going to America and rejoins Jack, Dougal and Mrs Doyle. It transpires that the three of them never wanted to go to America anyway (with the possible exception of Jack, who yells 'Feck!' when he learns of what's gone wrong, though the promise of a drink cheers him up). The group leaves the airport and heads for home, and Ted seems to accept the fact he is probably never going to escape Craggy Island.

Ending

The episode was always intended to be the last Father Ted — indeed, in the original script the last scene was to be set at the 'It's Still Great Being a Priest' with Father Kevin once again on the window ledge and once again Ted arrives on the ledge, except this time it's not to stop him from jumping but to join him, because he was depressed that the intended trip to America fell through and he would have to stay on Craggy Island forever. This ending was abandoned in favour of a montage of clips from all three series of the show, because Dermot Morgan died the day after filming on the series was concluded. In addition, the writers didn't think that their original ending was very funny.

Montage clips

A clip is shown from each episode, in reverse order of airdate.

• Mrs Doyle fainting (“Night of the Nearly Dead”)
• Ted kicking Bishop Brennan up the arse (“Kicking Bishop Brennan up the Arse”)
• Ted shouting at the soccer team (“Escape from Victory”)
• A crow stealing Jack's glasses (“The Mainland”)
• Dougal driving the milkfloat (“Speed 3”)
• Chris on a boat, watched by Ted and Dougal (“Chirpy Burpy Cheap Sheep”)
• Ted inadvertently resembling Hitler (“Are You Right There, Father Ted?”)
• Mrs Doyle falling off the windowsill (“A Christmassy Ted”)
• "It's me. In the nip. And a dog." (“Flight into Terror”)
• Mrs Doyle showing "GO ON" flashcards to Fr Stack (“New Jack City”)
• Ted injured by a cross (“Cigarettes and Alcohol and Rollerblading”)
• Imelda winning the Lovely Girls competition (“Rock-a-Hula Ted”)
• Tom "taking care" of a toy rabbit (“The Plague”)
• Part of the music video (“Song for Europe”)
• "Picnic Area" sign hitting Ted (“The Old Grey Whistle Theft”)
• Mrs Doyle bathes Dougal (“Tentacles of Doom”)
• The Dancing Priest (“Think Fast, Father Ted”)
• Ted, Jack and Dougal in the wrong caravan (“Hell”)
• The Monkey Priest throwing books around (“Grant unto Him Eternal Rest”)
• Ted being shocked by Polly's tale (“And God Created Woman”)
• The Third Age of Elvis (“Competition Time”)
• "Down With This Sort Of Thing" and "Careful Now" (“The Passion of St Tibulus”)
• Fr Stone on the toilet, Ted in the bath (“Entertaining Father Stone”)
• Ted on the 'Crane of Death' (“Good Luck, Father Ted”)

The final shot is an exterior view of the parochial house. Ted and Dougal say goodnight to each other.

Production notes

• This episode does not contain a credits sequence at the end, as it is replaced by the clips montage. The episode's guest cast is listed alongside Morgan, O'Hanlon, Kelly and McLynn in the opening credits.

Trivia

• Father Kevin is cured of his depression by listening to "Theme from Shaft" by Isaac Hayes, before falling back into depression by the song "Exit Music (For a Film)" by Radiohead.
• Brian Eno appears in the episode as Father Brian Eno.
• This episode references Seinfeld, when Ted is describing a fictional movie with Harrison Ford in it to Dougal. His description matches that of the movie Firestorm in Seinfeld.

External links

• "Going to America" at the IMDB