In The Germans, why is Sybil in hospital?

In “The Germans,” Sybil is in hospital because of an ingrowing toenail.

Sybil’s brief hospital stay leaves Basil to manage Fawlty Towers while preparing for German guests, arranging a fire drill and dealing with a moose’s head. Although the ailment sounds minor, it provides the practical reason Sybil is absent and allows the episode’s disorder to spiral without her physically supervising the hotel.

The situation also supplies one of the episode’s recurring jokes. Basil shows little sympathy for Sybil’s condition and complains about her instructions, while Sybil continues telephoning from hospital to remind him about his responsibilities. Basil’s own mishaps eventually lead to a head injury and a bout of offensive, uncontrolled references to the war.

Viewers sometimes remember the episode chiefly for Basil’s concussion or the fire-drill chaos. Those events happen during the same story, but they are not why Sybil is hospitalised. “The Germans” is the sixth and final episode of the first series and is famous for the phrase “Don’t mention the war.”