As One Door Closes Only Fools And Horses

As One Door Closes... Or Does It? A Slightly Controversial Take on Only Fools and Horses

Let's talk Only Fools and Horses. Iconic, right? Del Boy, Rodney, and the Reliant Regal. We all know it. We all (supposedly) love it.

But... here's a confession. An unpopular opinion, perhaps. Are the later series as brilliant as everyone remembers? I’m not entirely sure.

The Golden Years (And When They Started to Fade?)

Those early episodes? Pure comedic gold. The schemes! The dodgy deals! The sheer, unadulterated chaos. Classic!

Remember the chandelier episode? Or when they tried to sell "Peckham Spring" water? Comedy perfection. No argument there.

But then... things changed. Did the writing get a little... predictable? I think so. Just a little.

Becoming a Bit... Sentimental?

The show started leaning heavily on the sentimental. More about family and less about get-rich-quick schemes. Which is fine, but...

Was it still as funny? Debatable. The laughs felt a little… forced at times. More like a gentle chuckle than a proper belly laugh.

And the characters? Did they become a bit too… nice? Del Boy, a bit less of a rogue? Rodney, a bit less of a plonker? Possibly.

The Ending (Or Endings, Plural)

Let's not even get started on the multiple "final" episodes. They did it so many times. It felt like they were milking it.

"Time On Our Hands" is considered the definitive ending. It was watched by millions. Did it live up to the hype?

Did it feel earned? Or just another, slightly-less-funny, slightly-more-sentimental episode? You decide.

Here's My Point...

I’m not saying the later series were bad. Just... not as good. They lost some of that original spark. The sharpness, the edge.

The focus shifted. The jokes became broader. The schemes less believable. The charm wore off a bit for me.

Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe I was just getting older. Either way, I felt a sense of disappointment. And i believe that it is an unpopular opinion.

Don't Hate Me!

Look, I still appreciate Only Fools and Horses. It's a British institution. Del Boy is a legend.

But let's be honest. Some episodes are better than others. And the earlier ones are often much better.

So, next time you're settling in for a Only Fools and Horses marathon, maybe stick to the classics. The ones that made us fall in love with the Trotters in the first place. You might just thank me for it. Or not. But either way, lovely jubbly!