Homesick (Only Fools and Horses)

"Homesick"
Only Fools and Horses episode
Episode no.	Series 3 Episode 1
Directed by	Ray Butt
Written by	John Sullivan
Produced by	Ray Butt
Original air date	10 November 1983 (9.4 million viewers)
Running time	30:13 (DVD) / 29:24 (iTunes)

Homesick is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the first episode of series 3, and was first broadcast on 10 November 1983. In the episode Rodney is appointed chairman of the local Tenants Association, and Del expects him to use his influence to secure a move to a council bungalow.

Synopsis

As Del Boy prepares himself to go out with a waitress from a pizzeria, Rodney plans to go to the local Tenants Association meeting to report things needing sorting such as the Nelson Mandela House's lifts, which have broken down.

Rodney arrives at the meeting to find that the only other person attending is Trigger. While waiting for the meeting to start, Rodney finally asks Trigger why he keeps calling him Dave. Trigger explains that he thought it was his name, but Rodney assures his name isn't, nor has it ever been, Dave. Trigger states he'll have to start calling him Rodney, only to start using Dave again straight away. Baz, the chairman, mentions that the meeting can't start without the vice-chairman present, which could be a while since he died a fortnight ago, and that he wanted to use the meeting to elect a new vice-chairman. Trigger votes Rodney to fill the position. The meeting starts with Baz tendering his resignation and promoting Rodney to the position of chairman in an instant. Rodney is shocked, and Baz and Trigger leave to get a pint. Sat up on the stage, Rodney begins to realise the power he has with the position.

Later, at the market, as Del flogs oranges, Rodney shows up and tells him all about the meeting as well as Margaret Mackenzie, one of the well-known higher-ups of the Tenants Association. Grandad also shows up, even though his legs are hurting. Rodney offers Grandad a lift home, but he plans to walk off the pain.

The Trotter brothers return home to find Grandad collapsed on the floor and phone for Dr. Becker. The results show that Grandad, now confined to his bed, was suffering from exhaustion due to climbing twelve flights of stairs. To solve this problem, the Trotters will have to move into a bungalow with approval from the Tenants Association chairman. Rodney comes out of the kitchen and admits that he is the chairman.

Rodney is initially reluctant to exercise his influence in fear of appearing to exploit his position so soon for self-interest. That night, Grandad gives Rodney a dented silver cigarette case and tells him and Del that it was carried by his (Grandad's) grandfather in the Boer War, and explains he carried it in his breast pocket, which prevented him from being shot in the heart by a rifle-wielding Zulu. Unfortunately it didn't save his life, instead causing the bullet to ricochet up his nose and blow his brains out. Rodney then decides to phone for a bungalow.

The next day, Rodney introduces Miss Mackenzie to Del, and they talk about the world of dancing and Nijinsky. Despite Del continually making a plonker of himself and failing to realise that Nijinsky had in fact died in 1950 (after claiming he had bought tickets for one of his shows, and also thinking Nijinsky was a woman), Miss Mackenzie agrees to let them have a new bungalow. Once Miss Mackenzie signs the document, all is set for the Trotters. They can move into their new bungalow in a week, and she even agrees to go out for a drink with Del after they've moved.

As Miss Mackenzie exits, Grandad enters the lounge, now back on his feet and dancing. Rodney learns that it was all planned by Del and Grandad all along to move into a bungalow in Herrington Road. Though initially angry that Del fooled Miss Mackenzie and Dr. Becker (as well as sabotaging the lifts to make them break down), Rodney relents when Grandad mentions that they'll have no stairs to worry about, with Rodney agreeing for Grandad's sake that they needed a new home.

Suddenly, Miss Mackenzie returns to ask Del if he wants to go for the drink there and then, only to find Grandad fit and active again. Infuriated, she forces Rodney to resign as chairman and then tells the Trotters that they will no longer be moving into their bungalow. Despite all that has happened, Del still asks her if the offer of a drink is still open.

Episode cast

Trivia

• This was the only episode in which Rodney would attempt to explain to Trigger that his real name is in fact Rodney and not Dave, as Trigger thinks. However, he fails and thereafter simply accepts that Trigger thinks Dave is his name.

External links

• "Homesick" at BBC Online