No Greater Love

"**No Greater Love**" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, *Only Fools and Horses*. It was the fourth episode of series 2, and was first screened on 11 November 1982.

## Synopsis

The Trotter Brothers arrive at a London street with camel hair overcoats, and plan to receive payments from Mrs. Singh. But when Rodney opens the door to her house, he meets another woman named Irene, who tells him that Mrs. Singh moved away three weeks earlier.

Rodney enters Irene's flat and is instantly smitten with her. Irene tells Rodney that she's aged 40, and married with a teenage son named Marcus. She also mentions her husband Tommy Mackay, who "is away working, but will be out in six months." He's actually doing time in Parkhurst prison for committing wounding with intent, GBH, and attempted murder.

One week later, back at Nelson Mandela House, Rodney tells Del Boy and Grandad about Irene, and how she moved away from her husband because he used to domestically abuse her a lot, and to make things worse, Tommy is getting released from prison, and Rodney wants to meet him in person. This makes Del worried for his younger brother's safety.

A few days later, at *The Nag's Head*, Rodney tells Del that he and Irene had broken up earlier in the day. Del consoles Rodney and tells him that there are plenty of other women to talk to. But then, Irene's son Marcus enters and tells Rodney that Del told Irene over a drink to break up with Rodney. Rodney is furious with Del and storms out in a huff.

Later that night, Del is confronted by Tommy Mackay himself and a thug, Leroy, in a dark alley, since Tommy thinks that Del is Rodney (and Del confirms it in order to protect Rodney), and prepares to give him a beating for dating his wife Irene. They let Del take his coat off, but they throw it into a puddle. Angered that his new coat has been ruined, Del is the one who starts the fight with Tommy. Despite sustaining a few injuries, Del manages to win the fight and limps back to the Nag's Head.

Back at the Nag's Head, Del shows Rodney his injuries, and lies that he fell down some stairs at Monkey Harris' house (even though he actually lives in a bungalow). Del also says that he made Tommy Mackay see the error of his ways, which means that the road is now cleared for Rodney and Irene to still be together. But Rodney says that he had a talk earlier with Irene that their relationship was never going to work anyway. Plus, Rodney met another girl, Zoe, from the roller-disco. Zoe arrives, she and Rodney leave, and Del is left alone in the pub, slightly irritated but still satisfied that he at least managed to protect his brother.

## Featured characters

* Del Boy
* Rodney
* Grandad
* Irene Mackay
* Marcus Mackay
* Julie (barmaid)
* Tommy Mackay
* Leroy
* Ahmed
* Zoe

## Other notes

### Episode concept

* The idea for the script was to demonstrate the brotherly love that Del and Rodney have for each other, even willing to take a beating for his brother. The concept of Del getting beat up in order to protect Rodney would occur again in "Little Problems" when Del, much to Rodney's ignorance, chooses to take a beating from The Driscoll Brothers after making a promise to him, having forgotten that the money he would use for his wedding gift was also the money which he owed to them.

### Production goofs

* The photo of Tommy McKay in Irene's flat is quite clearly not of the same man who appears at the end of the episode.

"Go West Young Man" ·
"Cash and Curry" ·
"The Second Time Around" ·
"A Slow Bus To Chingford" ·
"Ashes to Ashes" ·
"A Losing Streak" ·
"**No Greater Love**" ·
"The Yellow Peril" ·
"It Never Rains..." ·
"Healthy Competition" ·
"Friday the 14th" ·
"Yesterday Never Comes" ·
"May the Force Be with You" ·
"Wanted" ·
"Strained Relations ·
"Hole in One" ·
"It's Only Rock and Roll" ·
"Sleeping Dogs Lie" ·
"Watching the Girls Go By" ·
"The Miracle of Peckham" ·
"The Longest Night" ·
"Tea for Three" ·
"Video Nasty" ·
"Danger UXD" ·
"Chain Gang" ·
"The Unlucky Winner Is..." ·
"Sickness and Wealth" ·
"The Chance of a Lunchtime" ·
"Stage Fright" ·
"The Class of '62" ·
"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Uncle" ·
"Diamonds Are For Heather" (1982) ·
"Thicker than Water" (1983) ·
"Licensed to Drill" (1984) ·
"To Hull and Back" (1985) ·
"A Royal Flush" (1986) ·
"The Frog's Legacy" (1987) ·
"Dates" (1988) ·
"The Jolly Boys' Outing" (1989) ·
"Rodney Come Home" (1990) ·
"Miami Twice" (1991) ·
"Mother Nature's Son" (1992) ·
"Fatal Extraction" (1993) ·
"Heroes and Villains" (1996) ·
"Modern Men" (1996) ·
"Time On Our Hands" (1996) ·
"If They Could See Us Now" (2001) ·
"Strangers on the Shore" (2002) ·
"Sleepless in Peckham" (2003)
"Beckham in Peckham" (2014)