Sharon: I expect Dorien would say they were searching for material security on account that nobody loves 'em.
Tracey: Well o' course nobody loves 'em - they're 'orrible!
— Sharon Theodopolopodous and Tracey Stubbs discussing Tracey's Obnoxious In-Laws, Les and Olive.
- Date First Aired: 21/09/1991
Darryl's parents, Les and Olive Stubbs, get into touch for the first time since his trial. Despite always hating them, Tracey invites them round for dinner. Dorien insists on coming round for the evening and helping with the cooking - although it later turns out she did this as she was expecting a boyfriend to call her on their number. A few days later Les and Olive write a letter to Darryl saying that Tracey's house is depraved and he suggests they move there from their prefab in Poplar. Tracey and Sharon are horrified by this. When Darryl's parents and Tracey all visit him in prison, an argument soon occurs and he finds out what his parents are really like.
Tropes In This Episode:
- The Alcoholic: Les and Olive drink far too much on their own, but when Sharon gets involved the three become unbearable.
- Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: When visiting Darryl, Olive loudly says hello to him, makes a big fuss out of giving him a hug and then gets into a fight with Tracey.
- Apology Gift: Dorien gives Tracey flowers to make up for her giving Eddie her phone number.
- Ate the Spoon: Sharon adds so much garlic to the dinner she and Dorien are preparing that Dorien comments it has probably taken the enamel off the saucepan.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: After enjoying themselves when invited over for dinner at Dalentrace, the next day Les and Olive write a letter to Darryl about how horrible Tracey, Sharon and Dorien are.
- Comically Missing the Point: Dorien claims she isn't a snob because she gets along with anyone - no matter which golf club they belong to.
- Conspicuous Trenchcoat: Tracey wears one when pretending to be Sharon so she can eavesdrop on Les, Olive and Darryl.
- Deadpan Snarker: Sharon at Dorien's expense.Dorien: You aren't going out Friday night are you?Sharon: Well we thought if the chip pan catches light and the house burns down, might pop out for a minute or two.
- Dirty Old Man: Tracey chews out Les and calls him a dirty old git.
- End-of-Episode Silliness: Sharon gives Dorien's home phone number to a group of Watford supporters and she has to rush home before Marcus answers.Sharon: They've got a very unusual proposition for ya.Dorien: You fat common Cockney tart!
- Estranged Soap Family: Les and Olive haven't spoken to Darryl or Tracey since Darryl's arrest.
- Formal Full Array of Cutlery: Tracey sets out three forks per person for when Les and Olive visit, but wonders why anyone would need three forks. Sharon believes that they're spares if you happen to drop one.
- Gasshole: Garlic turns Les into one, which is a problem as Sharon put too much garlic into her cooking.
- Hate Sink: Les and Olive are annoying, rude and lack any redeeming qualities.
- Henpecked Husband: Les wearily agrees with whatever Olive says.
- It's All About Me:
- Tracey gets upset with Darryl when he asks her to miss the next visit so his parents can see him.
- When Tracey and Sharon decline Dorien's idea of a girl's night in, Dorien decides to invite herself to their dinner claiming they'll need her.
- Jerkass: Olive. While Les is still annoying, Olive repeatedly badmouths Tracey and then tries to get Darryl to force her to kick out Sharon and let them move in with her.
- Lethal Chef: Sharon doesn't know the difference between a bulb and a clove of garlic which causes her to make everyone's dinner taste incredibly garlicky.
- Mistaken for Cheating: When Darryl asks Tracey to miss the next visit, her first thought is that he's got another woman on the side.
- Musical Chores: Sharon sings "Gypsy Woman" while cooking dinner.
- Noodle Incident:
- Les and Olive have a history of stealing Tracey's saucepans.
- Les, Olive and Sharon all got so drunk at Tracey and Darryl's wedding reception that they caused a disturbance and got the whole wedding party banned from the venue.
- Obnoxious In-Laws:
- Les and Olive spend the whole episode giving Tracey more reasons to hate them.
- Sharon calls Sunday dinner at Chris' house a real Greek tragedy.
- Dorien claims to love any in-laws that aren't her own (though she soon changes her mind after meeting Les and Olive).
- One-Shot Character: Olive Stubbs.
- Pretending to Be One's Own Relative: Tracey pretends to be her sister Sharon so she can get into the prison and eavesdrop on Les, Olive and Darryl.
- Running Gag: Olive repeatedly using a word to express her opinion on something (e.g. gorgeous), and then telling Les to say it as well, to which he wearily tells her he will.
- Sarcasm-Blind: Olive has no idea Sharon is joking when she tells her about the diffuser they built in the house to get rid of the garlic smell.
- Shout-Out: Darryl playing with his mashed potato is a nod to an iconic scene in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
- Speak in Unison: Tracey and Darryl both yell "No!" at Chris when he asks if he gets a cigar.
- Sticky Fingers: Les and Olive have a history of stealing crockery from Tracey.
- Take That!: Watford supporters are depicted as common and vulgar people.
- Title Theme Drop: An instrumental version of the theme plays over an establishing shot of the prison.
- Ungrateful Bastard: Dorien's soup took two hours to make, but everyone just decides to joke about how it tastes.
