The Jet-Propelled Mother-In-Law

The Jet-Propelled Mother-In-Law
Production Details
Written by	Jeremy Lloyd & David Croft
Director	David Croft
Transmission Details
Airdate	12 December 1987
Continuity
Previous	The Sausages in the Trousers
Next	Desperate Doings in the Dungeon

René is about to run away to Spain, but Michelle stops him. She tells him that the spy camera sent by London was accidentally dropped in monsieur Alfonse's vineyard, which the Germans have requisitioned. The villagers refuse to work for them, because if they do, they will be shot by the communist resistance. Therefore, they must call London to tell them there is a delay. However, Michelle becomes very disappointed when René informs her that the batteries for the radio are in lieutenant Gruber's trousers and the dynamite is in colonel Von Strohm's trousers. As she becomes rather upset with him, she denies knowing him when, at the next moment, two German soldiers barge in and arrest him, on the colonel's orders.

René is brought to the colonel's office, where he, Gruber and Helga await him, with all the sausages lined up on the table. It turns out they have discovered the submarine batteries and the dynamite concealed in some of the sausages and the demand an explanation from René. He gives a not entirely convincing one, but, as Gruber points out, general Von Klinkerhoffen will be very pleased to have the batteries back and they would not have got them back without René, which is why they let him go, on the condition he hide the original fallen madonna painting. Gruber sorts out the sausages (dynamite, batteries, original Van Gogh and Van Klomp paintings and forged Van Gogh and Van Klomp paintings). The Germans decide not to give the original Van Gogh to René, but to put it in one of the desk drawers instead. Then, René is given the rest of the paintings and the salami, to hide in the café.

In the dungeon, herr Flick (dressed as "Irma Von Kinkenrotten") is on the rack, when Von Smallhausen enters. He says he ordered it, so they could discuss herr Flick's escape.

At the café, Mimi finds Yvette crying because René has been arrested. Officer Crabtree enters and it turns out he already knows about the arrest and agrees they must rescue René. The next moment, Edith comes downstairs, disguised as a German soldier. Apparently, she will rescue René by storming into the colonel's office with a handgrenade and force him to release René. As she goes outside, captain Bertorelli shows up. Edith then tries to hide in the public outdoor toilet on the square, but the captain also goes in there, as nature calls. Fortunately, he does not recognise her. After he has left, René, who has been released, enters the toilet and he and Edith recognise each other. She tells him of her plan, which now will not have to be carried out. However, when they have left the public facility, she says she will keep the pin of the handgrenade as a souvenir. René, realising she has pulled it out, throws the handgrenade into the toilet, blowing it up.

Later, Yvette is hanging the sausages in the larder, when René comes in and they have a little cuddle. Edith walks in on them, but René explains that Yvette accidentally locked herself in and was struck with claustrophobia, which is why he is comforting her. Edith remembers that happening to her once, but René says they thought she was singing, when she was crying for help that time.

When they are out in the café, monsieur Alfonse enters, bringing flowers for Edith. Fanny and the airmen also enter the café, all dressed in black. It turns out Edith had to clean Fanny's bedroom and to get her and the airmen out of the way, she let them participate in a funeral. Therefore they, and Michelle, are in the café, when the Germans, headed by the general, enter. The general requisitions everyone for work in the vineyard, because nobody will work there voluntarily.

The next day, a big group of people are assembled in the town square and are to be lead by Gruber in his little tank to the vineyard to work there. However, the cannot get it started and they must push it there. As they are working in the vinyeard, monsieur LeClerc finds the spy camera and the next moment, Michelle turns up, disguised as a nurse, bringing Fanny there in a wheelchair. Michelle informs René, Edith and Yvette that she has brought some poisoned pills, which she gives to monsieur Alfonse. He is to put one in the general's wine, when he tests it. When the German officers arrive by car to taste the wine, the Frenchmen are all trodding the wine in the big barrels, but Mimi gets out of her barrel.

As the Germans come up to monsieur Alfonse, he pours the general a glass of wine and puts a pill in it. However, while he is doing this, the general opens another bottle and pours himself, the colonel and Helga a glass each. As he is about to toast, monsieur Alfonse is forced to have the poisoned glass he just poured. In order not to be poisoned, he tastes it, but spits it out. This leads the general to believe he does like the connaisseurs, who only taste the wine but do not consume it, but spit it out. In order not to seem barbaric, the Germans do the same. As monsieur Alfonse manages to pour a glass, put a pill in it and give it to the general, he follows this example and spits it out. Michelle tells the others that the plan is about to go wrong, but she also tells them of the reserve plan. In the wheelchair, which is parked just a few feet away from the Germans, they have placed some explosives, which Mimi sets to go off in a few moments. A bell will ring and then, Fanny will have five seconds to get out of the chair and take cover. As Mimi is done, she comes up to Michelle, telling her that she has set the time device and that she found a stick on the floor. It turns out to be the detonator, without which there will be no explosion - just a lot of fizzing.

As the general is tasting the wine, he notices Fanny and offers her to try it too. As she drinks a glass, he holds her ear trumpet and thus, she does not hear the alarm going off. Therefore, she does not get out of the wheelchair when it does and as the fizzing makes it roll away, she goes along with it.