Strained Relations

"Strained Relations" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the second episode of series 4, and was first screened on 28 February 1985.

Synopsis

It is a day full of sorrow for Del Boy and Rodney, as their Grandad has died. 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, Rodney is extremely upset to find that Del is cheering himself up by telling his mates lots of jokes. Del and Rodney also meet Grandad's younger brother, their Uncle Albert, who also tells Del that he and other brother George flipped a coin to decide who would become Del's godfather.

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. Though Del initially decides to allow Albert to stay in the flat with them for a few days, Albert mentions that this is not the first time he has been abandoned: the first relative he stayed with emigrated behind his back while he was shopping, and the second set fire to the house six months later. Worried that Albert may drive him and Rodney to a similar fate, Del refuses to shelter Albert and orders him to go to a Seaman's mission. As Albert goes off to the kitchen to have a quick cup of tea, Rodney berates Del for treating Albert like this and not caring when Grandad died, but Del snaps back at Rodney, explaining that he doesn't know how to grieve, due to having become a figure of great (but false) admiration, something he resents greatly. Rodney finally understands and apologises.

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 begins. 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.

Mistakes and Errors

• When Del is seen staring into Grandad's bedroom, Mike Fisher, the landlord of the Nags Head comes over to speak to him, and as Del turns, the shadow of the camera can be seen for a second in the doorway of the bedroom.

Episode cast

First appearances

• Uncle Albert

Production

This episode, along with "Happy Returns", was added in at the last minute, due to Lennard Pearce's death, so the series wouldn't begin with a funeral. This left the producers with eight episodes instead of the standard six episodes in the series. "From Prussia with Love" was moved to the fifth series leaving seven episodes in the fourth series.^[1]

References

External links

• "Strained Relations" at BBC Online
• Full Episode Script