I suppose this episode, which aired on 13 February 1974, could've been Americanized, but it feels so rooted in who the British characters are, Robin in particular, that it's hard to imagine. Before going into it, I'll note that this is at least the fourth episode title based on an old American song: "And Mother Makes Four" from the line in 1927's "My Blue Heaven" about "Just Molly and Me, and baby makes three," "Some Enchanted Evening" from South Pacific (1949), "Two Foot Two, Eyes of Blue" from the refrain "Five foot two, eyes of blue" in the 1925 song "Has Anybody Seen My Gal?", and this one with "Old Southampton" substituted for "Old Virginny" in the song from 1878.
Champagne: In a scene that does pop up on some episode of 3'sC, Mr. Roper is fixing the drain in the upstairs kitchen. He complains about all the demands on him. (Considering we mostly see him sitting around bickering with Mrs. Roper, I'm guessing there are harder working landlords in London.) When he's under the sink, Chrissy pours tea down the drain, while the pipe is still removed. The girls are very amused. Then he tries to clean himself up and the water runs out onto his foot.
The girls got champagne to celebrate Robin's exam results. When Robin comes home, he draws out the story and then calmly says he failed, due to nerves. For instance, he put curry powder in the egg custard. With the written exam, he got the date right.
Mr. Roper says, "I never passed an examination in my life, and look at me." Then he excuses himself out.
The girls say it's not the end of the world. Robin says that'll be when he tells his parents.
Orange: Downstairs, Mr. Roper blames free love for Robin failing his exams, since it saps the brain. (Considering that Robin seems to never get laid, you'd think he'd be top of his class.) After listening to George pontificate on the younger generation, Helen sarcastically says, "What they need is a good war to straighten them out." He keeps going though, revealing that "When I was his age, I'd been under a butcher for four years. [This is said without innuendo.] Four years, two quid a week, and all the offal I could eat." He was 25 before he saw an orange. She says at least Mr. Tripp tried. He gleefully says, "And failed!"
Extruded: Back in the flat, Robin says his dad wants him to come home and work in the family business, Tripp's Extruded Tubing, Southampton, Ltd. Jo says her father wanted her to be a Royal Marine, before she was born and turned out to be a girl.
The Laughing Landlord: Robin goes over to Larry's for advice. Larry says we've all been failures at some point. Look at Edward Heath, at one point wandering around without shoes. Of course he was eighteen months at the time.
Larry says Robin will be the boss's son, the trendy young executive with the flash car and dolly secretary sprawled across his blotter. Half the birds in Southampton want to marry the boss's son. "And if I concentrate on the other half," Robin muses.
A dour heavyset man comes by. Larry calls him "The Laughing Landlord." He calls Larry "Mr. Simmonds." (I think this is the first time we get Larry's last name. It took 3'sC several seasons to reveal their Larry's last name, and they took it from talent coordinator Bea Dallas.)
The landlord complains about everything from yogurt left on Larry's doorstep to a girl being over. The landlord lives upstairs and "Well, quite, frankly, I was on the verge of banging." The landlord is also allergic to fly spray. But he's not one to complain.
After the landlord leaves, Robin, who has a cigarette and a beer, says Mr. Roper is just as bad. He calls him a mingy little ferret. Larry says Robin has compensations, Chrissy and Jo. No wonder Robin failed his exams, he probably had shaky handwriting.
Replacement: The girls come back from shopping. Jo wonders if the dress she bought is too lowcut. Chrissy suggests she walk around with her arms folded.
Robin comes in and reads them a letter:
Dear Mum,
I blew it. I'm coming home to work with Dad.
Love,
Robin
The girls are shocked he's leaving. He says he'll hang around till they find a replacement. Then Larry walks through the doorway with candy and flowers. "Hello, Chrissy. Hello, Jo." He heard there might be a vacancy in the flat.
Belief: Chrissy helps Robin pack in his bedroom. He warns her to watch out for Larry, who's a randy little bugger. Chrissy says, "Oh, well, we won't notice the difference then." Robin says he didn't push it when she said no. She says and now it's too late. He says they have a couple hours before his train leaves.
He asks if she'll miss him. She says the bathroom won't be the same without his wet underpants dripping over the sink. Then she admits she'll miss him quite a bit.
He says that there was a time when he thought they might've got it together. She says she always said no. "And you always believed me."
Robin: Are you sort of trying to say you didn't mean it?
Chrissy: Of course I meant it.
Robin: Oh.
Chrissy: There you go again, believing me.
Robin is understandably confused.
Slidy thing: In the kitchen, Jo is sorting out the kitchen implements. She sees "one slidy thing that you put in the pan." "Spatula," Robin says. He thinks there's no point in taking all this, since he'll probably never cook again.
Chrissy: Oh, but you must! It's the thing you do best.
Robin: No, it isn't, but you wouldn't know about that.
Chrissy: (amused) Why? What else do you do?
Robin: I believe people.
He lifts Jo onto the table, holding her. He's going to start saying his goodbyes. She says she's sitting on his thermometer. The way their heads touch as they laugh, and the way his hand lingers before he lets go of her, I get a sense of Richard & Sally peeking through the characters. Chrissy says, "Tries to the last, I'll give him that."
He says they've been good mates and living with them has been like living with a couple blokes. They're a bit offended. But they are really going to miss him. Chrissy starts to cry and leaves the room, then Jo does. He says he's going down to say goodbye to the Ropers.
A man about the house: Mr. Roper tells his wife that he couldn't have just stepped into his father's business. She says, "No, well, there's not a lot of money to be made out of forging clothing coupons these days, is there?" She's in a rather mod outfit of red and white, including white boots. (Again, Helen never gets to wear anything like this.)
When Robin shows up, George says Robin is going to sponge off his dad. Mildred is much more polite
Mildred: I must say it, Mr. Tripp. It's been a pleasure having a man about the house.
George: I think you mean another man, My Love.
She has a "no comment" facial expression.
George: I'm sorry I called you a long-haired layabout.
Robin: I didn't know you had.
George: But only in fun.
Robin: Well, I'm sorry I called you a mingy little ferret.
George: Eh?
Robin: You know, only in fun.
And Father makes four: Chrissy says she and Robin have had some good times together. Chrissy takes it suggestively, and Jo says something I don't quite catch about Chrissy not flinging it about but talking about it a lot. Chrissy says she's no more obsessed about fellows than Jo is. Jo says, "Exactly. You should be ashamed of yourself."
Chrissy answers the doorbell. It's an older man looking for Flat 2. He's got what I assume is a Southampton accent and is played by an actor whose fame merits him "And Guest Star Leslie Sands" in the credits. He did loads of telly from the '50s to the '90s, often in starring roles, although it looks like the only thing I might've seen him in is the Black Adder episode "The Archbishop," where he plays Lord Graveney. He was 52 at the time of this episode, where he plays Robin's father.
"Chrissy and Jo, eh? Well, Robin gave the impression that it was Chris and Joe, Joe with an E." He seems to take it mostly in stride, but "wait till I tell his mother. No, on second thought." When Jo says it's been very innocent, he accepts it, but "you know what mothers are." (Well, Chrissy's mum was fine with it.) He says that in one letter Robin said "he spilt your perfume. I've been wondering what sort of fellow you were."
Robin enters the room, a bit surprised to see his father there. Chrissy excuses herself and Jo, saying they need a quick shave before Rugby practice.
It turns out that Robin's dad doesn't want him to come home. He says Robin has no brains, taking after Mrs. Tripp. Besides, you have to love the work. Robin asks, "How can anyone love an extruded tube?"
The only job Robin might be able to do is in the staff canteen. Robin wants to make classical French cuisine. His father says it'd be more like bangers and mash, or there'd be a strike. With insight and generosity, although expressed with another insult, he says, "What you'd really like is another year studying this cooking nonsense, right?" He'll pay for it, but this time Robin has to pass the "bloody" exams.
Robin wonders if his mother will be disappointed. "Nay, nay, I'll get her a goldfish."
The girls come back in and hear the good news.
Jo: Does that mean you're going to stay?
Robin: Yes, I believe I am. (leaning over so that only Chrissy can hear) And that's all I'm going to believe in future.
Chrissy: Oh, me and my big mouth.
Robin's father wants to go to Soho before he catches the train. According to wikipedia, "Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry." Hmm.
The girls are happy that Robin's staying. Chrissy says she never fancied that Larry moving in. Robin suddenly realises he'll have to tell Larry.
Mr. Gideon: Larry's landlord, who we learn in this scene is named Mr. Gideon, is noting the changes to the flat. Larry was supposed to leave the premises as he found them.
Larry: Aw, be reasonable. Where am I gonna find 50 cockroaches at this time of year?
Mr. Gideon: I have never understood your sense of humour, Mr. Simmonds.
He asks where the half roll of toilet paper is. "Where do you think it is?" Mr. Gideon means the replacement roll.
Larry is ecstatic to be leaving (or so he says, Doug Fisher always seems mopy to me) and he starts telling Mr. Gideon off. Robin comes by and tries to stop him, but it's too late.
More burnt toast: For the final scene, we see Robin in bed, topless. Chrissy comes in with tea. Jo brings toast, "I burnt it myself." The girls are celebrating him staying. Robin says, "Aw, isn't that nice of you? Isn't that nice of them?" From out of the covers, Larry wakes up, his head at the foot of the bed. He's wearing an undershirt. The situation comes across as more funny than suggestive, despite all the gay jokes on the show.
It turns out that Larry is staying till Robin finds him a new flat. He grabs the toast. And the second series ends.
Commentary: The only time I can remember Jack failing an exam is when a rival classmate switches dishes with him in the graduating exam. He's always top of the class. Robin is closer to a long-haired layabout. (His hair is shaggy but not remarkably long for his place and time.) It's hard to believe that Jack would give up cooking, even if he flunked out, and indeed Robin pictures making French cuisine at the staff canteen.
I love all we get on people's backgrounds in this episode: Robin of course, but also Jo, George, and Larry. None of that would've translated to their American counterparts because it belongs uniquely to them. This episode also covers an aspect of George and Robin's relationship that is different than that for Stanley and Jack. There's a real generation gap between George and Robin, a bit like Archie Bunker and his son-in-law Mike, although less political. ("Mingy," by the way, means "stingy.") Robin clashes less with his bluff but understanding father.
Jack's father does show up on 3'sC, but it's late in the run and the circumstances are very different. As played by Dick Shawn, he's totally unlike the elder Mr. Tripp.
The Robin-Chrissy-sexual-tension (which I might as well start abbreviating if it's going to keep cropping up) becomes deeper and more complex on this episode. She's teasing him in the senses of both titillating and mocking. With him leaving, she can claim that she was lying, but it feels like she was neither lying nor telling the truth. As always, she's tempted but not quite enough. This is why we have RCST rather than RCSR (release). As for Robin, I get the feeling that, despite the joke about killing time before his train, he wants more than just a one-time thing with her.
Another thing that's unresolved at the end of the second series is Larry's living situation. I'm not clear why the girls were going along with it if they didn't want Larry to move in, but maybe after their experience trying to find a roommate at the beginning of the show, they figure Larry is better than some of the people out there, like Gabrielle. I haven't yet watched any of series three, but the synopsis at http://www.mjnewton.demon.co.uk/tv/manabout.htm reads, "Larry is staying in the flat and driving everybody crazy. They have to find somewhere for him to live. But where?"
One further carry over into the future, John Carlin (Mr. Gideon) will return as "Barman" in six episodes.
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