| "Fatal Extraction" | |
|---|---|
| Only Fools and Horses episode | |
| Episode no. | Episode 12 (Christmas Special) |
| Directed by | Tony Dow |
| Written by | John Sullivan |
| Original air date | 25 December 1993 |
| Running time | 85 minutes
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"Fatal Extraction" is the twelfth Christmas special episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses , first broadcast on 25 December 1993. In the episode, Raquel leaves Del so in response he asks out another woman. When he and Raquel are reconciled, Del becomes convinced that the woman is stalking him.
With Christmas approaching in Peckham during a spate of riots, Del Boy spends his nights drinking and gambling, straining his relationship with Raquel and nursing a painful tooth. Rodney and Cassandra decide to try for a baby, while Del pursues a money-making scheme with club owner Ronnie Nelson, hoping to secure a shipment of Russian Army camcorders to sell for the festive season.
After Rodney finds Del gambling at the 1-2-1 Club, he urges him to think about Raquel, but the brothers stay out all night and fail to meet Ronnie. The next day, Raquel leaves Del and moves in with Rodney and Cassandra, along with Damien, until Del apologises. Del is forced to visit the dentist, has the bad tooth removed, and arranges a date with an attractive receptionist, Beverly.
When the camcorders finally arrive, Rodney discovers they are impractical for the UK market. Del’s family persuade him to cancel his date, and he leaves an apologetic message on Beverly’s answering machine. Del then reconciles with Raquel over the phone, promising to stop gambling and focus on them as a family.
Del celebrates too hard, returns home drunk, and sparks a riot among the neighbours. He becomes convinced Beverly is stalking him after spotting her locally, and—fuelled by gossip—assumes she is connected to a psychiatric hospital. Del confronts her at the dentist, only to learn Beverly actually worked there as a receptionist, and that she believed Del had been the one following her. They agree to leave each other alone.
On Christmas night, the family begin to reconcile, but Raquel plugs in Del’s new answering machine—obtained from Beverly in exchange for Damien’s high chair—and hears Del’s message cancelling their date. The revelation sparks a furious argument, while outside carol singers perform "Silent Night" and Beverly watches the Trotters’ flat, smiling.
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Note: In the VHS/DVD versions, Carl Orff's "O Fortuna" is replaced by a similar-sounding piece of music.