Time on Our Hands was such a perfect way to end the story of Only Fools and Horses that it beggars belief it was ever brought back and even if those episodes had been any good, it still would've sullied the intricate continuity of what John Sullivan managed to make into a cleverly cyclical narrative. Long time fans of the series were quick to spot how a key plot point hinges on Del and Rodney having a receipt from a house clearance. The very first episode of the show, Big Brother, featured an argument in which Del chided Rodney for keeping receipts. These kind of details show how Time on Our Hands can only work if it is the climax it was designed to be. In a nice tip of the hat to some of the show's most famous running gags, the episode includes a fantastic "During the war" joke and one of the funniest jokes about Del's French phrases, all of which build to the climactic twist on one of Del's most famous catchphrases: "This time next year, we'll be billionaires." That is clearly the perfect closing line and, if we remove the context of what we know happened next and place ourselves back in 1996, it still is.
If the nostalgia-tinged vibe of Time on Our Hands ultimately results in a few of the old-style sexist jokes slipping through (the seven fat cows and seven skinny ones being the most obvious example), for the most part Time on Our Hands is a moving and uplifting end to the Trotters' story. Following the devastating ending of Modern Men, the first half of Time on Our Hands is largely consumed with the fallout from Cassandra's miscarriage and Del's attempts to get Rodney to confront his feelings rather than fall into a spiral of depression and alcohol abuse. The scenes in which Del rigs the lift in Nelson Mandela House to break down so that Rodney will have no choice but to talk to him is a great example of Del being devious but for the right reasons. Though there are exceptions (notably a couple of instances in which Del took a beating to help Rodney), often when Del is helping Rodney there is at least an inkling of an ulterior motive to his actions. Here, Del is thinking only of his brother and the resulting scenes turn the old comedy staple of characters stuck in a lift into a heart-wrenching moment of self-realisation. Nicholas Lyndhurst, so often existing in David Jason's shadow throughout the series, is excellent in his convincing emotional breakdown, managing to make the slightly overwritten monologue Sullivan gives him sound convincing and affecting.
Following a very funny dinner sequence with Raquel's parents which serves as a comedy cushion after the raw scenes in the lift, Time on Our Hands segues into the much publicised plot about the discovery of the rare antique watch which will make the Trotters into millionaires. Sullivan only leaves himself half an hour to tackle this huge storyline but he uses every second, without ever making it feel rushed. There are big laughs in the now famous auction scene, feelgood sentimental moments (effective in the case of Rodney buying Del the Rolls Royce. Slightly too cheesy in the case of the Trotters being applauded in the Nag's Head), and an excellent final scene at the now empty flat in which Del realises that the thrill of the chase is what he lived for more than the pot of gold he thought was his ultimate prize. The final line finds a way for Del to manufacture that old excitement in a way that suggests a multitude of possible continuations for the story, from thrilling adventures to complete disaster. The open ended question of what happens next is what makes it such a good way to bow out. Unfortunately, in a few years time Sullivan answered that question, and answered it badly.
Still, for five sweet years Only Fools and Horses stood as one of the most well-rounded complete sitcom narratives of all time and, despite the admittedly naff-as-hell sunset effects of the final scene, Time on Our Hands was the finale fans wanted and that the characters deserved. This was a sitcom landmark and it remains so, although it is sadly now one with a sour coda.
If the nostalgia-tinged vibe of Time on Our Hands ultimately results in a few of the old-style sexist jokes slipping through (the seven fat cows and seven skinny ones being the most obvious example), for the most part Time on Our Hands is a moving and uplifting end to the Trotters' story. Following the devastating ending of Modern Men, the first half of Time on Our Hands is largely consumed with the fallout from Cassandra's miscarriage and Del's attempts to get Rodney to confront his feelings rather than fall into a spiral of depression and alcohol abuse. The scenes in which Del rigs the lift in Nelson Mandela House to break down so that Rodney will have no choice but to talk to him is a great example of Del being devious but for the right reasons. Though there are exceptions (notably a couple of instances in which Del took a beating to help Rodney), often when Del is helping Rodney there is at least an inkling of an ulterior motive to his actions. Here, Del is thinking only of his brother and the resulting scenes turn the old comedy staple of characters stuck in a lift into a heart-wrenching moment of self-realisation. Nicholas Lyndhurst, so often existing in David Jason's shadow throughout the series, is excellent in his convincing emotional breakdown, managing to make the slightly overwritten monologue Sullivan gives him sound convincing and affecting.
Following a very funny dinner sequence with Raquel's parents which serves as a comedy cushion after the raw scenes in the lift, Time on Our Hands segues into the much publicised plot about the discovery of the rare antique watch which will make the Trotters into millionaires. Sullivan only leaves himself half an hour to tackle this huge storyline but he uses every second, without ever making it feel rushed. There are big laughs in the now famous auction scene, feelgood sentimental moments (effective in the case of Rodney buying Del the Rolls Royce. Slightly too cheesy in the case of the Trotters being applauded in the Nag's Head), and an excellent final scene at the now empty flat in which Del realises that the thrill of the chase is what he lived for more than the pot of gold he thought was his ultimate prize. The final line finds a way for Del to manufacture that old excitement in a way that suggests a multitude of possible continuations for the story, from thrilling adventures to complete disaster. The open ended question of what happens next is what makes it such a good way to bow out. Unfortunately, in a few years time Sullivan answered that question, and answered it badly.
Still, for five sweet years Only Fools and Horses stood as one of the most well-rounded complete sitcom narratives of all time and, despite the admittedly naff-as-hell sunset effects of the final scene, Time on Our Hands was the finale fans wanted and that the characters deserved. This was a sitcom landmark and it remains so, although it is sadly now one with a sour coda.