"Going to America" is the series finale of the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted. It is the eighth episode of the third series, and the 25th episode overall. Dermot Morgan, who played the show's title character, died the day after filming was completed.
Synopsis
After Ted prevents a depressed Father Kevin from jumping to his death at the "It's Great Being a Priest" conference, an American priest, Father Buzz Cagney, asks him if he will come to a parish in Los Angeles. Ted cannot wait and excitedly tells Jack, Dougal and Mrs. Doyle, who incorrectly think they will be able to come with him. Ted does not have the heart to tell them otherwise and brings them to the airport, leaving them there while he gets on the plane. However, Ted has second thoughts when Buzz mentions the gang culture around Ted's new parish in Los Angeles and its violent state. Realising he is in serious trouble, Ted abandons going on his trip and rejoins Jack, Dougal and Mrs Doyle. It transpires that the three of them never wanted to go to the States anyway, with the possible exception of Jack, who yells 'Feck!' when he learns of what has gone wrong, though the promise of a drink cheers him up. The group leaves the airport and heads for home, and Ted resigns himself to the fact he is probably never going to escape Craggy Island. The scene then transits to the montage of all the events in the series and ends with Ted and Dougal wishing each others a good night sleep.
Alternate ending
The episode was always intended to be the last Father Ted; in the original script, the last scene was to be set at the "It's Still Great Being a Priest" conference with Father Kevin once again on the window ledge and once again Ted arriving on the ledge, except this time it is not to stop him from jumping but to join him, because he was depressed that the intended trip to America fell through and he would have to stay on Craggy Island forever. This ending was abandoned in favour of a montage of clips from all three series of the show. This was for a two fold reason; the writers thought their ending would not work, and by virtue, Dermot's death occurring pushed them into dropping the ending, due to the idea now seeming especially tacky. The episode was filmed on 27 February 1998. Dermot Morgan died from a heart attack the following day, at age 45.
Production
This episode does not normally contain a credits sequence at the end, as it is replaced by the clips montage. The episode's guest cast is listed alongside the lead actors in the opening credits. While filming the scene in which Ted dances to "Theme from Shaft," Tommy Tiernan continually flubbed his lines. As a result, Dermot Morgan was required to perform the dance repeatedly, despite pains in his heart. In a 2009 interview, Tiernan speculated that this contributed to Morgan's fatal heart attack the following day.
Montage clips
A clip is shown from each episode, in reverse order of airdate.
The final shot is an exterior view of the parochial house at dusk. Ted and Dougal say goodnight to each other and the light in their bedroom is switched off.
Trivia
Father Kevin is cured of his depression by listening to a cover of Issac Hayes' "Theme from Shaft" by Eddie & the Soul Band, before falling back into depression by the song "Exit Music " by Radiohead.
Brian Eno makes a brief cameo appearance in the episode as Father Brian Eno. Linehan has claimed that the idea came as "we used to see him around Kilburn wearing a fez."
When Ted discusses a fictional Harrison Ford film with Dougal, the details mentioned are identical to those of Firestorm, a fictional film previously described by characters in the American sitcom Seinfeld.
