The episode in which Rodney dates an older woman. First broadcast 11 November 1982.
Rodney falls for Irene Mackay, a woman twice his age. Del is not happy about this — not just because of the age difference, but because Irene's married to a violent criminal who is doing time in Parkhurst and is about to be released.
Concerned for his brother's welfare, Del convinces Irene to ditch Rodney, but when Rodney realises Del has been interfering with his personal life again, he goes loopy. Soon afterwards, Tommy Mackay gets out of prison. He soon finds out his wife has been cheating on him with a Trotter, and goes looking for revenge.
Luckily for Rodney, Tommy finds Del first, and, pretending to be Rodney, Del takes the punishment for him. When a bruised and battered Del returns to the pub, he finds out that Rodney has moved on to someone new.
Tropes:
- Age-Gap Romance: Rodney, who's in his early 20s, dates a woman who's 40. He sees no problem with this, though Del is not convinced.Del:(coughing) 40! 40? You not being serious are ya?Rodney: What's wrong with going out with a woman of 40?Del: Nothing. Nothing at all, if you happen to be 50! Blimey, she's even too old for me!Grandad: Well I'd have to think twice!
- All There in the Manual: According to Del's 2015 autobiography He Who Dares, he did indeed win the fight against Tommy Mackay, and left him unconscious next to some bins, while Tommy's sidekick Leroy ran off.
- Cement Shoes, or maybe Constructive Body Disposal: Implied by Del to be the fate that will await Rodney when Tommy Mackay is released and finds out that he's dating Irene.
- Cut Himself Shaving: Del teaches Irene's violent husband a lesson, to leave the way open for Rodney. However, he doesn't want Rodney to know this, so comes up with a rather implausible excuse for his appearance, he having taken a few hits himself in the fight.Del: I fell into a door.Rodney: A door done all that damage?Del: Well it was one of those revolving doors.
- Domestic Abuse: The reason Irene left Tommy, who's up for release from Parkhurst where he was doing time for assault, GBH and attempted murder.
- Doomed New Clothes: Right before the fight, Del removes his fancy coat and drops it in a puddle. Angered that his new coat has been ruined, he fights Tommy — a much bigger man — and wins, though not without taking a beating himself.
- Foreshadowing: This isn't the last time Del will get into a fight in order to protect Rodney; in "Little Problems" (seven years after this episode), he'll take a beating from the Driscoll brothers.
- Mrs. Robinson: 22-year-old Rodney Trotter dates 40-year-old Irene Mackay, to the shock and horror of his family. It's made even worse by the fact that Irene's ex-husband Tommy is an extremely violent and abusive individual who makes Reg Trotter look like Father of the Year.
- Running Gag: The fact that unseen character Monkey Harris lives in a bungalow is brought up.
