Only Fools and Horses began as a worthy successor to Steptoe and Son and Porridge. It was fresh, sharp, witty and relevant. Sadly over time John Sullivan turned it into something completely different. The show most definitely "jumped the shark" on more than one occasion and practically turned into Sullivan's other comedy success Just Good Friends.
"May the Force Be With You" was Only Fools and Horses at it's absolute best. The third series represented a peak in the quality of the show and this episode is one of the best in that series. It's also the episode that introduced one of the best supporting characters, Roy Slater, played to perfection by the amazing Jim Broadbent. Slater only ever appeared in three episodes and yet is one of the most memorable figures in the history of the show.
The story is simple. Rodney drops Del Boy right in it by bringing back his old foe Slater to their flat without realising he's one of the most hated policeman in London. Slater recognises a microwave oven as stolen property and promptly arrests Del, Rodney and Grandad. At the police station he puts the pressure on Del to name the guy who stole it. Naturally Del refuses as this goes against everything he believes in. When Slater resorts to some seriously nasty tricks Del has to think fast.
The ending is one of the of the greatest endings to a sit com episode I've ever seen. Del's quick thinking leads to a lateral thinking stroke of genius.
"May the Force Be With You" was Only Fools and Horses at it's absolute best. The third series represented a peak in the quality of the show and this episode is one of the best in that series. It's also the episode that introduced one of the best supporting characters, Roy Slater, played to perfection by the amazing Jim Broadbent. Slater only ever appeared in three episodes and yet is one of the most memorable figures in the history of the show.
The story is simple. Rodney drops Del Boy right in it by bringing back his old foe Slater to their flat without realising he's one of the most hated policeman in London. Slater recognises a microwave oven as stolen property and promptly arrests Del, Rodney and Grandad. At the police station he puts the pressure on Del to name the guy who stole it. Naturally Del refuses as this goes against everything he believes in. When Slater resorts to some seriously nasty tricks Del has to think fast.
The ending is one of the of the greatest endings to a sit com episode I've ever seen. Del's quick thinking leads to a lateral thinking stroke of genius.