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The Episode That BROKE Britain’s Heart | Americans React to Only Fools and Horses S4E2

Killermcknight

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This was the most emotional episode of Only Fools and Horses we've watched so far.

For years, Grandad was a huge part of the Trotter family. His dry humor, constant bickering with Del Boy and Rodney, and unforgettable moments helped make Only Fools and Horses one of Britain's most beloved sitcoms.

What makes this episode especially moving is that it wasn't just saying goodbye to a character. The episode was written following the real-life passing of the actor who portrayed Grandad.

R.I.P. Lennard Pearce ❤️
31 October 1915 – 15 December 1984

You can feel the genuine emotion throughout this episode as Del and Rodney try to navigate loss, grief, and change. At the same time, the introduction of Uncle Albert marks the beginning of a brand-new chapter for the Trotters.

It's devastating, funny, heartfelt, bittersweet, and a reminder of why this show has meant so much to generations of viewers.

We'd love to hear your memories of this episode and of Grandad's character in the comments.

What was your favorite Grandad moment?

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20 Comments

@Killermcknight Creator 3 months ago Pinned

Today felt less like watching a sitcom episode and more like saying goodbye to a loved one.
R.I.P. Lennard Pearce (1915–1984) ❤

Grandad gave us so many laughs, and this episode was a beautiful, emotional tribute to both the character and the actor behind him.

What is your favorite Grandad moment from Only Fools and Horses?

Full, uncut reactions & early access on Patreon:
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@scorpiongod101 3 months ago

A nice fact about this episode. The episode was filmed just after Leonard Pearce's funeral. so the tears and emotions were very real and very raw.

@jrb1802uk 3 months ago

Keep with Uncle Albert guys... you're gonna love him.

@johndurham1009 3 months ago

Oh he (Uncle Albert) was never a replacement Grandad, you will see as the series progresses. He was a character of his own.

@livyatanstudios 3 months ago

I grew up in southern England in the 90s. Buster Merryfield’s (Uncle Albert) grandkids lived nearby us. At Christmas he’d sit on the back of his son’s pickup dressed as Father Christmas and his son would drive around all the neighborhoods. All the kids would sit on his lap and tell him what we wanted for Christmas. Lovely man.

@chrisstones3488 3 months ago

Lennard Pearce who plays grandad said a beautiful thing to Nicolas Lyndhurst who plays Rodney, he said in year's from now when we are gone, we will be making people laugh.

@Geordie_Boy01 3 months ago

Nicholas Lyndhurst (Rodney) said in an interview that when VHS tapes were first coming out in the early 80s, Lennard Pearce (Grandad) asked him about them and if Nicholas had one and he said ''Do you know what, I'm going to live forever now aren't i?''

@SengirIndustries 3 months ago (edited)

Uncle Albert is not a replacement, he's a successor. He is very much his own character

@johndurham1009 3 months ago (edited)

They actually filmed this a week after Lennard Pierces funeral, so the raw emotion you see is genuine. The death of Lennard hit Nicholas Lyndhurst (Rodney) very hard as he had a close bond with him.

@chartermuff 3 months ago

Such a fitting tribute to Lennard Pearce

@malcolmrowe9003 3 months ago

I think having Delboy reject Uncle Albert initially was a very clever move. It is like the audience rejecting a replacement for Grandad. Delboy's rejection of Albert gets the audience on Albert's side.

@paul8651-q3f 3 months ago

Sullivan was a genius. His ability to bring humour into a sad situation was second to none. The hat gag was brilliant.

@redtez 3 months ago

This episode always hits harder when you remember that atleast 4 actors/characters mourning Grandad (Mike, Boycie, Trigger and Uncle Albert) are also no longer with us.

@KillingJoke96 3 months ago (edited)

Whats even more heartbreaking was they actually buried Lennard Pearce a week before this.

Nicholas Lyndhurst said we had only just buried him and now we found ourselves going through it again. So the emotions the actors are going through on screen are raw and very much real.

I think they said at the time it was one of the first times in British TV where the storyline reacted with a funeral to an actor's death.

@Chip_Chapman 3 months ago

Grandad’s final line (in the episode Thicker Than Water) was “Del Boy, I burnt your pizza”.

Just perfect.

@rikmoran3963 3 months ago

Great acting from the cast, knowing that they were grieving in real life.

@GazzJ82 3 months ago

The roller coaster of crying to laughter and back to crying again within seconds of each other is testament to John Sullivan's impeccable writing abilities.

@lindajepson1714 3 months ago

I remember when my Granny died, we still laughed through the tears every time someone said..'remember when she said..' or 'remember when this happened'. She was 97 when she passed, and in my family funerals were about seeing people you hadn't seen for years, and exchanging memories of your passed loved ones ❤ xxx

@James-ws6rx 3 months ago

Lennard Pearce, appeared in the first three series of the show, before his character's death was written into the series following his passing in December 1984. Whilst starring in a play that toured Germany for several weeks, he recounted how, "top members of the Nazi party" attended the premiere. Hitler was reportedly so impressed that he visited the actors backstage to express his appreciation. Pearce admitted to being so shocked at the time that he was unable to react, a moment he later deeply regretted.

@ColourUtopian-v3h 3 months ago

John Sullivan, the writer, had to quickly rewrite the storyline as Leonard suddenly died. The entire cast were at his funeral only a week before filming this episode