The miscarriage episode. First broadcast 27 December 1996.
The Trotters go for a night out at the Nag's Head to celebrate Cassandra being pregnant. Del manages to convince Mike to accept a fiver for a trayful of drinks and sell him a hairdryer (which is actually an electric paint stripper) by doing the "I can make you turn your hands over without touching you" trick. Mickey points out that Rodney will need a proper job before the baby is born. Realising that he's serious, Raquel later pressures Del into giving Rodney a more important job at Trotters Independent Traders.
Rodney sees a job advert in the paper for a position at a successful company. He calls the number, but does not realize that he has called Del's new mobile phone which is in the next room (along with Del himself). Realising what's happening, Del puts on a Welsh accent and strings Rodney along before entering the lounge and revealing the joke. Rodney then realises that Del had put the ad in the paper to hire someone so that Rodney would have time to look for a real job. Understanding about his younger brother's worried pride, Del promotes Rodney to Sales Director.
Meanwhile, Del's trying to avoid Dr. Singh, who's looking for Del because of the faulty paint he sold him. Del tells Rodney that he is getting a vasectomy, much to his younger brother's disgust — but later changes his mind after a dream in which Dr. Singh starts to operate on him. Next day, Del encounters Dr. Singh and notices that he is riding a motorscooter without a helmet due to his turban. When Rodney points out that this is a genuine legal exemption under British law, Del has an idea. Using an old horseriding helmet decorated with Raquel's scarf, he invents the Trotter Crash Turban. No-one think it'll catch on.
Albert receives a phone call for Rodney from Cassandra's bank informing them that Cassandra suffered a miscarriage. Del and Rodney quickly drive to the hospital and ask which room Cassandra is in. Elsewhere in the hospital, a drunken man is harassing staff and patients.
As Del and Rodney arrive at Cassandra's room in theatre gowns, Del tells Rodney that he has to be patient and supportive as well as talk about the future, not the past or present. To Rodney's surprise, Del begins to cry uncontrollably when they enter the room and see Cassandra. Rodney tries his best to calm his wife and tell her that things just happen. After Del leaves, Cassandra then says that she's sorry she lost the baby, but Rodney tells her that they will get through this. Cassandra smiles sweetly and hugs her husband.
Back in the waiting room, the drunk man is still hassling the staff. As Del enters the waiting area to compose himself, he is offended by the drunken man's rudeness, and silences him by punching him in the face. Now feeling better, Del leaves.
Tropes:
- All There in the Manual: According to his hospital report as seen in the 2016 book The Peckham Archives, Mike kept the electric paint stripper in case he ever wanted to redecorate his bathroom.
- Artistic Licence – Law: Averted; in Britain, turban-wearing Sikhs are genuinely exempt from the law about wearing crash helmets while riding motorcycles as this would conflict with the demands of their faith.
- The Calls Are Coming from Inside the House / Short-Distance Phone Call: Rodney calls an ad in the local paper to apply for another job, not realising that the ad has been placed by Del who is taking the call in the other room. Although Rodney is unaware of this, Del is fully aware of who he is talking to and milks the situation to optimal comic effect.
- Catapult Nightmare: Del has one of these involving Doctor Singh performing his vasectomy.
- Catchphrase Interruptus: When Del finally gets fed up with Uncle Albert's war stories. note Albert: During the...Del Boy: Will you shut up?! Can't you see that Rodney and I are in the middle of an important business meeting?! We don't want to hear stories about U-Boats and giant squids!
- Continuity Nod: In the 1982 Christmas special "Diamonds Are For Heather", Del's favourite song was revealed to be "Old Shep". Here, the hold music on Del's new phone is an instrumental version of "Old Shep".
- Manly Tears: Combined with Inelegant Blubbering from Del Boy while he and Rodney try to console Cassandra.
- Mood Whiplash: The tone of the episode switches from comedic (the phone call, Del's turban helmet idea) to serious when Cassandra is rushed to hospital after suffering a miscarriage.
- Running Gag: Early on, Del sells Mike a hairdryer which is actually an electric paint stripper. Towards the end of the episode, Mike turns up in hospital after burning himself while using it.
- Talk to the Fist: Del finally gets fed up of the drunken, obnoxious man making a nuisance of himself in the hospital waiting area and slugs the guy hard.
