Only Fools and Horses

Healthy Competition

Season 3, Episode 2, Aired 11/17/83

Episode Summary

Rodney breaks up the Trotter partnership to go it alone - with Mickey Pearce! Does Mickey's trip to the Costas mean that the duo are opening a Spanish branch already?

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Cast & Crew

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David Jason

Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter
Nicholas Lyndhurst

Rodney Trotter
Lennard Pearce

Grandad

Fan Episode Reviews (1)

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Is Rodney quitting Trotters Independent Traders for good?

9.9

"Superb"

By Roy_Stantz, Apr 14, 2008 Report Abuse

Good day folks, I'm Roy Stantz, and today's review is on Only Fools and Horses episode "Healthy Competition".

In a London shopping centre, Del Boy is flogging battery-driven toy yap-yap dogs, when Rodney fails to spot a policeman closing in, causing Del to make a run for it, and get chased by a pack of stray dogs down an alleyway until Rodney shows up in the van.

Back at Nelson Mandela House, Del is enraged with Rodney for not warning him about the policeman. That's because Rodney has had enough and has decided to quit working for Trotters Independent Traders and start a new partnership with Mickey Pearce.

The next day, at an auction house, Rodney and Mickey are warned by Del not to go for Lot 37. They do bid, and end up with a bunch of broken lawnmower engines, while Del Boy, who was selling the engines after drunkenly bought them off Alfie Flowers, ends up with a set of glass goblets.

A week later, Rodney returns to the flat to tell Del and Grandad that Mickey has gone on holiday to Benidorm with the company finances, leaving Rodney with nothing. Del Boy comes up with a scheme to get Rodney back into Trotters Independent Traders with his pride intact and thinking that he has been successful. What Del does is pay another trader named Towser to buy the lawnmower engines from Rodney for 200, even though they're only worth about 20, and to make up a story about a contact in the Parks Department who wants as many engines as he can get. Towser then asks what he should do with the engines, and Del tells him to give them back to Alfie.

Later, at the Nag's Head, Rodney proudly tells Del that he sold the lawnmower engines to Towser, only to buy another set from Alfie Flowers, leaving Del flabbergasted by his younger brother's naive move.

A fine episode, with the classic John Sullivan trait of a complex and clever plot to enhance the humour (which is that hilarious, and Del Boy's reaction at the final resolution is priceless, owing much to David Jason's skill at portraying it). It's about Rodney breaking free, and trying to grow up. Much of this is funny to watch in a way, as he bluffs his way into making out his tin-pot venture with Mickey Pearce is every bit as grown up as Del's business. In the end, Rodney loses all his money and returns to the T.I.T.Co fold.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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Notes
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Quotes
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- Rodney: I am twenty-four years old, I have two GSEs, thirteen years of schooling and three terms at an adult education centre behind me, right? And with all that, what have I become? I am a lookout. Del: No, Rodney, you're wrong. You're not just a lookout, you're a bad lookout. Edit
- Mickey Pearce: What are these things? Del: Those? They are lawnmower engines. Rodney: Lawnmower engines? Del: Listen, they're not ordinary lawnmower engines. Rodney: (interested) No? Del: No, they're broken lawnmower engines. Edit
- Del: Well, I've gotta admire yer bottle Rodders - I must admit. You've been in the business five minutes and already you've opened up a Spanish branch. You've cornered the World market on broken lawnmower engines - what's your partner doing now, is he buying second-hand pedalos? Rodney: No, no, no, nothing like that, no, we're - we're going into the self-catering holiday trade. Del: Cor, what on 200 nicker? Rodney: Yeah well, we're starting in a small way. Grandad: What you got, a Wendy House? Edit
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