The episode with Grandad's funeral, and the introduction of Uncle Albert. First broadcast 28 February 1985.
Grandad has died. Del, Rodney, most of the supporting characters and several other members of the Trotter family attend the funeral; the latter group includes Grandad's younger brother, Albert, a former sailor who lives with cousins Stan and Jean in North London. Back at the wake in the flat, Rodney is angry that Del is drinking and laughing with his friends instead of mourning. It later transpires that Stan and Jean left without Albert, so Del lets him stay for the night.
Del drives Albert home the next morning, only to return with him after discovering that Stan and Jean have suddenly moved. Del decides to let Albert stay with them for a few days until he finds a place of his own, although Albert mentions that this is not the first time he has been abandoned by other relatives. Worried that he may never leave, Del tells him to go to the local Seaman's Mission. As Albert goes off to the kitchen to have a quick drink before leaving, Rodney scolds Del for his nasty attitude towards Albert and for his jolly behaviour during Grandad's wake. Del shouts back at Rodney, explaining that he does not know how to grieve, since he's always being forced to play the tough guy who's the life and soul of the party. Rodney understands and apologises.
Later, at the Nag's Head, Albert shows up again, claiming that the Seaman's Mission has been torn down. Del finally relents and decides to let Albert stay with him and Rodney. As they leave to get a curry, Mike gets hold of Albert and informs him that the Seaman's Mission just called saying they have a room available. Albert quickly tells Mike to be quiet.
Tropes:
- Bathos: In full play from the start. While there's still a lot of good natured laughs, the characters dealing with Grandad's death is treated with legitimate weight, with their usual comic awkwardness having a more tragic undertone.
- Call-Back: Del's mentioning that some members of the Trotter family fit the Thing That Would Not Leave trope (see below) brings to mind the time Reg came back. Perhaps understandably given what happened then, Reg's absence from his father's funeral goes unremarked.
- Comically Missing the Point: When Rodney tells Del that Albert found that the Seaman's Mission has been torn down and replaced with a marina, Del asks: "Can't he sleep in the back of that?" This is a reference to the Morris Marina, a small family car made by British Leyland in the 1970s.
- The "Fun" in "Funeral": Mostly averted — with Lennard Pearce's passing still fresh in the minds of many, the funeral scene was for the most part played straight. What laughs there are come from Del placing Grandad's trademark hat in the grave with the coffin ... only for it to transpire that it was actually the vicar's hat.Lady: I love a nice funeral.
- Hypocrite: Del refuses to let Albert stay in Grandad's old room because it's become a shrine to him. Actually, he's using it for storage.
- Jerkass: Stan and Jean treat Albert pretty badly and are anxious to leave the funeral. They dump Albert with the Trotters and are later revealed to have moved house within that short time, ensuring no tracks are left for them to bring Albert back.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Callous as the above was, the two are among many family members that Uncle Albert latched onto against their will (he originally just visited them to borrow a screwdriver). Del and Rodney have similar skeptism towards Albert's leeching behaviour (and continue to in later episodes) even if ultimately they don't have the heart to just dump him like the others have.
- Orphaned Punchline: We only hear the conclusion of Mike's jokenote .Mike: So the Chinese bird says to him: "Listen, I ain't cooking at this time of night!"
- Remember the New Guy?: Uncle Albert is introduced as Grandad's younger brother. While Grandad had previously mentioned an older brother called George, he'd never spoken of a younger brother called Albert. In a sense, this anomaly is retconned by Albert stating that they fell out years ago, hence why Grandad wouldn't have mentioned him.
- Sad Clown: Rodney is furious at Del for partying and laughing during Grandad's wake. As both Albert and Del himself make clear however, this is the only way Del knows how to cope.Albert: He’s releasing the pressure – laughter’s just his safety valve!
- Starts with Their Funeral: The episode opens with Grandad's funeral. This was a necessity, as Lennard Pearce had recently died, so it was much a farewell to the actor as the character. David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst found the scene difficult for this reason.
- The Thing That Would Not Leave: Del claims certain members of the Trotters' extended family fit this trope ("you offer them a cup of tea and they think you've adopted them!"). He's right, of course ... it turns out that Uncle Albert was this to a number of relatives prior to moving in with Del and Rodney. He moved in with Stan and Jean after visiting them to borrow a screwdriver, and they only managed to get rid of him by leaving him at the wake and then quickly moving house before he could get back. Another relative he stayed with emigrated while he was at the shops. He then became this to Del and Rodney, despite the former's best efforts. Eventually, though, his sense of familial duty prevails.Del: He's family, ain't he?
