First broadcast on Christmas Day, 1986, A Royal Flush was the fifth Christmas special of the classic series. Writer John Sullivan was inspired to write it in regard to how the working class were becoming closer to the nobility. It sees Rodney meeting and befriending Lady Victoria Marsham-Hales of Covington House, Berkshire, the daughter of the Duke of Maylebury, who is a second cousin of the Queen. Rodney soon has romantic designs on her. However, Del-Boy, ever the opportunist sees money signs at the prospect of his little brother dating nobility. Of course as usual the course of true love doesn't run smooth for Rodney as his big brother manages to put a spanner in the works. When Rodney is invited to a party at the Duke's country house, Del-Boy unexpectedly decides to crash it, along with Uncle Albert much to Rodney's consternation. And things go from bad to worse.
Regarded as the worst episode of the entire series by John Sullivan, David Jason and producer/director Ray, it was beset by production issues. Time constraints meant that the original intention to film it in front of a studio audience could not be accomplished. Meaning the episode when aired did not have a laugh track, although one was added for It's 2004 DVD release. It's more downbeat and mean-spirited tone meant that it didn't go down too well with audiences when it was first broadcast. That being said however, I personally don't regard the episode as being altogether as bad as many thought it to be. It's certainly superior to the two-part Christmas special Miami Twice which was positively awful, and while it does have its share of problems there's still much to redeem it.
To get the negatives out of the way, yes, Del-Boy's more obnoxious behavior in this outing does come as very much out of character for him. The scene where Rodney and Victoria attend an opera only for Del-Boy to show up with his old girlfriend June Snell (previously seen in Happy Returns), and disrupt everything is poorly judged. The fact that he is so disruptive, noisily eating snacks, talking during the performance and argues with other audience members really displays him as being so uncharacteristically unpleasant. Not even he could be so oblivious to how much of a five star plonker he is really being. It's undeniably cringe making, as is when he turns up uninvited at the party being thrown by Victoria's father. There are some amusing moment sprinkled about though. Like Rodney's ill at ease attempt to try a spot of clay pigeon shooting, with Del managing to outclass him in that respect. As are his attempts to ingratiate himself with the Duke which predictably fail, with his lordship seemingly left seemingly bemused by the cockney rascal.
It's woefully when it begins to reach It's final hurdle that things turn really nasty at the dinner scene. It's one of those ultimate car crash moments with everything coming swiftly to ahead. You really feel for Rodney who can only sit back and watch what he thought he might have had with Victoria slip away from him and It's genuinely heartbreaking. Most of all in the final scene where he unleashes his frustration on Del-Boy.
It has been argued that the reason for Del-Boy's destroying his chances with Victoria is that he harbored resentment towards him, due to making him give up the chance to be a partner with Jumbo Mills in Australia in Who Wants to be a Millionaire. I don't know if It's such a plausible theory, as it strikes me that the normally affable and good natured wheeler dealer would be so vindictive. Considering how selfless he proves to be later in the series. Taking a beating from the Driscoll Brothers so that he could give the £2000 he promised to Rodney on his wedding Day to Cassandra. A Royal Flush although not as bad as it's critics believe it to be, it doesn't do it any favors that it paints a less than favorable picture of the usually lovable cockney rogue. Del-Boy was never perfect but he he was never quite as self-centered and quite as self unaware as he was here. Perhaps I'm more generous than I should be toward it with It's shortcomings, but I just don't see it as being without any merit whatsoever.
