Basil the Rat

I like the bit where the rat pops out of the biscuit tin

After a couple of somewhat disappointing episodes, Fawlty Towers finishes in style with the brilliant Basil The Rat, which offers up lots of crazy comedy and a cute furry critter to boot. After a health inspector declares that the hotel doesn't come up to standard, he give Basil twenty-four hours to address all of the problems. This means not just cleaning the kitchens, but also getting rid of Manuel's pet hamster, in reality, a brown rat.

Instead of taking the rat away, Manuel keeps it in the shed, but accidentally allows the animal to escape. A desperate Basil and his staff try to locate the rodent before the hotel inspector, back to check on the improvements, sees the animal and closes down the hotel.

Madcap humour abounds, much of it revolving around the preparation of veal which might just have rat poison on it, but the best moment is saved for the very end, when the rat pops up in a tin of biscuits, right before the inspector's very eyes. Classic stuff and a great way to end the series.

I always used to watch this with a degree of joy and sadness, joy because it remains one of the funniest things of all time, sad because it marks the end of an era, the doors of Fawlty Towers sadly close for a final time.

Personally I find it a joyful episode, it has major laughs packed in, lots of slick dialogue, and of course that crowning scene 'would you care for a rat or..... Just the biscuits please Polly.'

The guests are hilarious, including the snob who's gander is up, and the unshakable Mr Carnegie who's utterly speechless by what he's witnessed.

Would it have been as good if it had carried on, not sure, it certainly signed off at the top.

The end of a comedy institution 10/10

Without question the funniest chapter of the series, and in this case my favorite, too. So many subplots, so much going on in this time slot (making the episode appear somewhat longer and yet adding to the viewer's enjoyment) that one wants to just stand up and cheer at what's been achieved by Cleese and his most capable crew. The acting is outstanding, every cast member is fully engaged in this show. John Quarmby is particularly memorable as he rattles off one bed-and-breakfast violation after another (it comes to 17, I believe, depending on how you count), apparently without the benefit of cue cards. That's just the start; there are surprises from beginning to end. If you've been lukewarm to or even turned off by British humor in the past, see this one episode of Fawlty Towers. Chances are it'll make a convert out of you.

The Fawlty Towers staff have to work like mad when a health inspector (John Quarmby, "Restoration") comes up with a long laundry list of things that are wrong, especially with the kitchen. He warns them that they had better clean up the place before his follow-up visit the next day. To make matters worse, Manuel has a pet rat - also named Basil - that ends up on the loose in the hotel.

One can't help but feel some regret, knowing that this was the end of the line and wishing that Mr. Cleese & Ms. Booth could have kept the series going. But they and the talented cast & writers still come up with some absolutely priceless moments of silliness, especially as Basil tries to kill the *other* Basil with poisoned veal, the health inspector decides that that's what he wants for lunch when he returns, and the staff have to make sure that he doesn't get the tainted piece of meat.

'Basil the Rat' delivers plenty of hearty laughs, also giving Major Gowan and Terry more of an involvement in the plot (the Major actually goes & gets his gun and tries to shoot the *other* Basil, all while the inspector is on the premises!).

This is 34 minutes of blissful farce, ending the series on a high note (for the audience, anyway).

Nine out of 10.