The satellite dish episode. First broadcast 30 December 1990.
Raquel is now sleeping with Del instead of in Rodney's bedroom. Rodney has been drinking heavily since he was thrown out of his flat by Cassandra, who has gone on holiday to Spain with her mother. A hungover Rodney asks Albert to phone in sick for him. Meanwhile, Boycie has had a new satellite dish installed.
In the Nag's Head, Del talks to Alan. After lamenting Rodney's drinking problem, Alan mentions that when he retires, he would like to leave his business to Rodney and Cassandra. Del then gets a phone call from Boycie's brother-in-law, Bronco.
The next day, Boycie tells Del that someone stole his satellite dish, and as it was reported seen on the estate, he asks Del to buy it back if offered it. Out on the balcony at the flat, Del shows Rodney a satellite dish that he got from Bronco and intends to sell to Boycie. Rodney says he wants to reconcile with Cassandra, and has booked the bridal suite of a hotel near the airport that he plans to take her to after she gets back from Spain. However, when he gets to Gatwick Airport, he finds out that Cassandra's plane has been rerouted and she has landed in Manchester.
Boycie later tells Del that his satellite dish was not in fact stolen, it was just taken away to be repaired — meaning the dish Del acquired was not Boycie's. Del phones Bronco, and finds out that his satellite dish was stolen from Gatwick Airport, causing travel chaos throughout Europe including Cassandra's diversion to Manchester. Del and Rodney head for the balcony, and as they do so, the dish switches on and a large aeroplane flies towards Nelson Mandela House. The episode ends with the Trotter Brothers holding each other shouting, "Switch it off!"
Tropes
- The Alcoholic: While Rodney hasn't crossed into this territory, Del and Alan are clearly concerned that he will if he carries on drinking like he is.
- Bedmate Reveal: Of a sort — Raquel's now sleeping with Del, but Albert doesn't know this and thinks she's in Rodney's old room (which is actually occupied by Rodney again). In order to save Raquel from potential embarrassment, Del updates Albert on the new situation when she's not around.Albert: No wonder you're looking so chirpy!
- Blatant Lies: Although Del's supposed to be eating healthily, he'd much rather have a fry-up for breakfast. He tucks into Albert's, only to try and hide this fact when Raquel enters as he knows she'd disapprove. He tries to convince her that he was eating a healthy breakfast, but the egg yolk on his chin gives the game away.
- Call-Back: When Boycie comments to Raquel that she looks different fully-clothed, he's referring to that time she did a striptease act in the Nag's Head in "Dates".
- Foreshadowing: Boycie comments that he doesn't want to leave his Mercedes parked in the estate for too long, as the locals would "have the wheels off a jumbo note if it flew too low". Come the end of the episode...
- Never My Fault: Bronco has this in spades.Bronco: I don’t understand my luck lately. If it can go wrong, it’s gone wrong! A roof I re-tiled has just collapsed. Last week I rewired a bloke’s flat, yesterday it caught fire! Oh, by the way, here’s my business card in case you ever want anything done.
- Oh, Crap!!: Del and Rodney give a fantastic and completely justified one when the satellite dish turns on and attracts an in-flight airplane towards Nelson Mandela House.Del & Rodney: SWITCH IT OOOOFFF!!
- Sensual Slavs: Implied by Albert reminiscing about the local girls he met when his ship was in dry dock in Murmansk During the War.Abert: I met quite a few Russian girls -– and I'm telling you, they was hot stuff!Rodney: Oh leave off, Albert!Del: He could have a point, Rodney. I mean, look at that love-bite on old Gorbachev’s head! [Del and Albert laugh. Rodney, who is hungover, tries to]
- Pop-Culture Pun Episode Title: The title is this to a 1970s British Game Show of the same name (it being a travel-themed version of Double Your Money).
- Shout-Out: Mike says the drunken Rodney, Mickey and Jevon were doing impressions of the "Ninja Turtles".
