- Date First Aired: 21/01/1993
Brittas is practicing a speech for a conference titled "Expansion In The Leisure Centre Market", which is due to have Sebastian Coe as a guest speaker. As this is going on, Laura is heading off for a job interview for a leisure centre in Teddington (a suburb in London). Brittas gives her some advice, then sends her on her way. Before she leaves, however, Laura reminds Brittas to turn up the heating in the pool for the baptism to refill the cups in the coffee machine.
Helen catches wind and is upset about it, trying to convince Brittas to cancel the interview. However, Brittas tells her that this is what has to happen - the fledgling must learn to fly after all.
Meanwhile, a man named Mr. Jackson is trying to get a coffee from the coffee machine but is unable to as there are no cups. He tries to get a refund, but Carole is insistent that he has witnesses to do so. She has also moved her children back into the drawers for the day, though she hasn't told Brittas this. Colin finally comes in, but he's acting strangely - he has an inane grin on his face and seems to be struggling to remember his name. Apparently, thanks to some issues with his rowing machine and having suffered a blow to his head from a kitchen cupboard, he has a concussion. Nevertheless, Brittas gets him to heat up the pool. Unfortunately, Brittas makes a sarcastic comment to Colin to attach one end of a piece of rope to a lightning conductor and the other to a trouser zip and jump off the roof, which Colin takes seriously.
Mr. Jackson, who still wants his money back, has his troubles continue when he gets a jet of coffee straight to his crotch. However, Carole makes him write out a claim form and gets Brittas. Brittas is insistent that Jackson's details match up with the security cam footage. As Brittas is going through it, he finds Colin carrying out his sarcastic demand, however, and runs off, asking Carole to give Mr. Jackson his money. Unfortunately, Brittas' attempt to stop this leads to an electric heater being dropped into the pool, electrocuting the baptist and cutting out the centre's power, also denying Mr. Jackson his much wanted coffee.
It's at this point that Brittas snaps, making Colin write out the safety manual ten times. It's at this point that Brittas finds that Carole has her children behind the drawers and fires her. This is so bad that the rest of the staff decide to quit as well. And that's before Mr. Jackson fires his gun in the air. Thankfully, it's at this point that Laura comes in. Thankfully, the Pentecostalists enjoyed the experience and have booked it again for next week. However, Brittas doesn't want Carole to leave, although he believes that as a leader, he can't go back on his word. However, Laura gets an idea and gets him to promote Carole from the receptionist to manageress of the crèche, which is just the same job but she gets to keep her children behind the desk.
Helen meets with Laura at her house, where Laura reveals that although she was offered the job, she's decided to not take it since she has a lovely house and garden. Brittas is confused, however, since to him, she's getting rid of the chance to manage a leisure centre in the heart of the capital.
Tropes featured in this episode:
- Alliterative Title: The name of the episode is "Laura’s Leaving".
- All There in the Manual: Whilst the episode leaves the ultimate fate of the conference which Brittas is practicing his speech for unclear, the tie-in book Gordon Brittas: Sharing the Dream reveals that it was cancelled.
- The Chains of Commanding: Brittas tells Laura that firing Carole is an example of one of the difficult decisions he has to do as Manager, since he liked her, but she broke the rules by bringing in her children to work.Mr. Brittas: What I'm saying is sometimes leadership involves hard decisions.Laura: I understand.Mr. Brittas: Managing a place like this is the finest job in the world, Laura, but let no one tell you it's easy.
- Comically Missing the Point: Brittas recounts the story of his hero Gordon, who once executed a child because he stole a saucer of water for his dying puppy, which was against his water rationing rules. Laura takes this to mean that he's going to shoot the children, although Brittas had been actually using it to build an analogy on not going back on his word.
- Concussions Get You High: A concussed Colin ends up wandering around the centre with one heck of a dopey grin and a poor memory span.
- Continuity Nod: Once again, Brittas fails to notice that someone has dressed up for an occasion.
- Declining Promotion: Laura (who is a deputy manager during this episode) is offered a job as manager of a leisure centre in London but turns it down at the end of the episode (partially due to realizing that she’s needed at Whitbury and partially due to her nice garden).
- Did You Get a New Haircut?: A completely oblivious variant. Brittas' tips for the interview to Laura include nice clothes and lipstick. Keep in mind that Laura has already done this as Brittas is giving her tips.
- The Door Slams You: Helen slams the Manager's door right into Brittas as he's practicing for his speech.
- Electrified Bathtub: Brittas accidentally drops Colin's electric fire into the pool, electrocuting a group of Pentecostals.
- Failed a Spot Check: Brittas fails to notice that Colin has a concussion despite Colin's consequential inability to remember things and the bandage around his head, leaving it up to Tim to have to point out that maybe a hit to the head would scramble someone's head enough for them to consider jumping off using a piece of rope seriously.
- Foreshadowing: The special guest for the conference that Brittas is due to be at is Sebastian Coe. Although he doesn't appear in this episode, he does in "Not a Good Day...", and he ends up playing an important role there.
- Groin Attack: Mr. Jackson gets a jet of hot coffee straight to his groin.
- Harmless Electrocution: An electric fire is dropped into the pool during a baptism, although nobody is injured by this, just stunned.
- Honor Before Reason: In spite of her current circumstances and the fact that he genuinely doesn't want to do so, Brittas fires Carole, as to do otherwise would be going back on his word that if he saw her children again behind reception, she would be fired. He also brings up the real-world example of Charles George Gordon, who shot a child because he violated the water rationing rules and he couldn't go against his word when it came to those rules. Thankfully for Carole, Laura finds a loophole.
- Hypercompetent Sidekick: Within five minutes of returning to the centre, Laura calms down an enraged, gun-wielding Mr. Jackson and gets Carole rehired.
- Inelegant Blubbering: Helen, upon finding out that Laura is heading off for an interview and may leave the centre.
- Insane Troll Logic: Why can't Colin leave an electrical wire hanging on the wall? Because what if some elderly person came by looking for a lost grandchild, leant against the wall to catch his breath and had his pacemaker shut off by the magnetic field, killing him.
- I Was Just Joking: Brittas, becoming extremely annoyed by Colin's absent-minded behaviour, sarcastically tells him to attach one end of a piece of rope to a lightning conductor and the other to a trouser zip and jump off. It never occurs to Brittas that the concussed Colin may actually try to perform this action until he tries to.
- Just Fine Without You: Laura leaves to go for an interview for another job. While everyone (except Helen) believes they'll be fine without her, once she returns a pool full of baptists has been electrified and Mr. Jackson has gone on a rampage in reception with a gun over an issue with the coffee machine.
- Naked People Are Funny: Tim jokes about him and Brittas possibly catching their first streaker on camera. Brittas doesn't find it as amusing.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Brittas accidentally drops an electric fire into the pool when it was being used for a baptism.
- Non-Promotion: Brittas ends up firing Carole. However, he's convinced by Laura to not only rehire her, but to promote her to "manageress of the staff crèche". It's implied that the only difference between this job and the previous job Carole held (receptionist) is that she gets to keep her children behind the desk.
- One-Shot Character: Mr. Jackson.
- Properly Paranoid: Helen is the only person who's concerned that without Laura, everything will fall to pieces. Considering how by the time Laura gets back, everyone is striking and Carole has been fired, she does have a point.
- Rank Up: Carole goes from the receptionist to the manageress of the staff crèche (just the same job with a different title).
- Riddle for the Ages: Carole putting her children behind the desk is depicted as a reemerging issue, with Carole claiming that it's just for the day. However, what arrangements Carole made regarding her children prior to this episode is never elaborated on.
- Running Gag: Brittas getting disturbed as he tries to practice his speech for an upcoming conference on Monday.
- Status Quo Is God:
- Laura plans to leave, but reconsiders once she sees just how quickly things fall apart without her.
- Carole is also fired for continuing to keep her kids in the drawers of reception, although Laura manages to convince Brittas to let her stay.
- "Shut Up!" Gunshot: The now bickering staff are interrupted by Mr. Jackson shooting his gun into his air, still hoping for that coffee.
- Ultimate Job Security: Carole gets fired for keeping her kids in the drawers and cupboards of reception, but is rehired thanks to Laura.
- Vetinari Job Security: Laura heads off for a job interview. Despite everyone (except Helen) thinking that they will do fine without her, by the time she gets back a group of Pentecostals has been electrocuted, Mr. Jackson has gone on a rampage in the reception with a gun over an issue with the coffee machine, Brittas is trying to fire Carole, and the rest of the staff are about to strike against him.
- With a Foot on the Bus: Laura was looking for other work, until she saw how much she was needed at the centre.
- Writing Lines: Brittas makes Colin write out the health and safety manual ten times as punishment for accidentally electrocuting the baptists. Gavin complains that it's like being back at school.
