Homesick

Homesick is an episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses. It was the first episode of series 3, and was first screened on 10 November 1983.

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 and report lot of things that need to be sorted, as well as Nelson Mandela House's lifts.

At the meeting, the only ones who have shown up are Rodney, Trigger, and the chairman Baz, who mentions that the vice-chairman died a fortnight ago, and that he wanted to elect a new vice-chairman, and Trigger votes Rodney to fill the position. The meeting starts, and Baz then resigns and promotes Rodney to chairman in an instant.

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. He had been shopping, and 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 was exhausted from climbing twelve flights of stairs because of the broken lifts. To solve this problem, the Trotters will have to move into a bungalow with approval from the chairman. Rodney comes out of the kitchen and admits that he is the chairman.

That night, Grandad gives Rodney a silver cigarette case and tells him and Del that it was carried by Grandad's grandfather in the Boer War, and prevented him from being shot in the head by a rifle-wielding Zulu. Unfortunately it didn't save his life, instead it only caused him to die a slightly different death by making the bullet deflect up into his head. 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 has in fact been dead for nearly half a century, 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's time, 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 lovely bungalow in Herrington Road with a nice garden, a garage, and no stairs.

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 not only will they no longer be moving into a bungalow, she intends to see to it that the council will never grant them a new home away from Nelson Mandela House. Despite all that has happened, Del still asks her if the offer of a drink is still open.

Episode cast

Actor
David Jason	Del Boy
Nicholas Lyndhurst	Rodney
Lennard Pearce	Grandad
Roger Lloyd Pack	Trigger
Ron Pember	Baz
Gilly Flower	First old lady
Renee Roberts	Second old lady
John Bryans	Dr Becker
Sandra Payne	Miss Mackenzie
Miles Rinadli	Small boy

Story arc

It is revealed that the Trotters first moved into Nelson Mandela House in 1962.

Trivia

• This was the only episode in which Rodney would openly discuss with Trigger that his name was Rodney and not in fact Dave as Trigger had hitherto referred to him (the first occasion on "Big Brother" two years earlier). Trigger used the name Rodney when voting him onto the committee but from thereonafter, reverted to speaking of Dave, even in the final episode "Sleepless in Peckham".
• Gilly Flower and Renee Roberts appeared as two old ladies in the episode. They had done so previously as the slightly dotty permanent guests Miss Tibbs and Miss Gatsby in Fawlty Towers.

External links

• "Homesick" at bbc.co.uk