"Blackadder II"
Chains (1986)

Director:

Mandie Fletcher

Writers:

Richard Curtis (written by) &
Ben Elton (written by)

TV Series:

"Blackadder II" (1986)

Original Air Date:

20 February 1986 (Season 1, Episode 6)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Blackadder and Melchett are kidnapped by a neurotic German spy just after the Queen announces she is sick of paying ransom to kidnappers.

Plot Keywords:

German | Torture | Iron Maiden | Bestiality | Funny Accent

Cast

Rowan Atkinson	...	Lord Edmund Blackadder
Tim McInnerny	...	Lord Percy Percy
Tony Robinson	...	Baldrick
Miranda Richardson	...	Queen Elizabeth I
Stephen Fry	...	Lord Melchett
Patsy Byrne	...	Nursie
Hugh Laurie	...	Prince Ludwig
Max Harvey	...	Torturer
Mark Arden	...	1st Guard
Lee Cornes	...	2nd Guard

Trivia:

In the German version of Blackadder II, Prince Ludwig the Indestructible is from Switzerland.

Quotes:

Blackadder: [to Ludwig's henchman] Yes, what is it?
[henchman hits Blackadder on the head]
Blackadder: [angry] I said, what is it, not hit me hard on the head with a...
[collapses]

Chains is a good close to a great series!

On the whole, Series 2 was better than Series 1, and elevated Blackadder's status from slightly dull to a must-see. Thank God for Ben Elton is all we can say. Series 2 may have ended, but Blackadder is far from over. It has reached a peak, and will stay at that peak forever, and become one of Britain's best comedies, and a highlight of the 80s. Anyway, let's start the review of the episode.

Chains spends no time lingering on details - Blackadder is kidnapped about 3 minutes into it, with Melchett. Blackadder's true colours are revealed in this episode - he is nasty to everyone, even if he is stuck with them, and never loses his cool. Hugh Laurie is great as Prince Ludwig - from here onwards, he will appear in every Blackadder episode. The episode once again reaches hilarious heights - Melchett's shameful past is revealed too subtly, though. We once again switch between Blackadder's situation and Queenie's situations, but while Blackadder's scenes have brains, Queenie's situations aren't brilliantly written and should have been left out. The episode is clearly resolved in the end - as it is with all Blackadder episodes - but there is a surprise ending - do not press stop on the credits sequence.

On the whole, Chains is a very funny episode, and a worthy close to what has now become a great comedy. Spiffing close to a spiffing series, which is soon to become even greater. 9/10