Edmund attempts to organise a coup d'état for the throne of England.
This is a solid, silly and at times somber finish to series 1. I enjoyed the focus on ruthless ambition for power that drives people to kill and torture their competitors, along with the performances of all cast members.
The story makes a number of homages as Edmund organises his big move, with films like The Seven Samurai and The Adventures of Robin Hood being spoofed comically. It finishes in darkly humorous fashion so typical of all Blackadder series finales.
There are many humorous scenes throughout which are hit and miss in terms of funny. Some of the characters Edmund recruits have hilarious names and Rowan Atkinson delivers them in his unique style. The prison scenes are both absurd and irreverent thanks to the manic presence of Rik Mayall. How the ending unfolds is very funny, requiring an appreciation for black humour, but also feels quite tragic like all Blackadder finales.
As with all episodes of the first series the subject matter is pretty fascinating when you think of how blatantly ruthless and literally backstabbing the infighting between ruling classes must have been during the feudal ages.
All cast are excellent, particularly Rowan Atkinson who brings the first incarnation of his Blackadder character to a spectacularly bloody finish.
This is a solid, silly and at times somber finish to series 1. I enjoyed the focus on ruthless ambition for power that drives people to kill and torture their competitors, along with the performances of all cast members.
The story makes a number of homages as Edmund organises his big move, with films like The Seven Samurai and The Adventures of Robin Hood being spoofed comically. It finishes in darkly humorous fashion so typical of all Blackadder series finales.
There are many humorous scenes throughout which are hit and miss in terms of funny. Some of the characters Edmund recruits have hilarious names and Rowan Atkinson delivers them in his unique style. The prison scenes are both absurd and irreverent thanks to the manic presence of Rik Mayall. How the ending unfolds is very funny, requiring an appreciation for black humour, but also feels quite tragic like all Blackadder finales.
As with all episodes of the first series the subject matter is pretty fascinating when you think of how blatantly ruthless and literally backstabbing the infighting between ruling classes must have been during the feudal ages.
All cast are excellent, particularly Rowan Atkinson who brings the first incarnation of his Blackadder character to a spectacularly bloody finish.