"Blackadder II"
Head (1986)

Director:

Mandie Fletcher

Writers:

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

TV Series:

"Blackadder II" (1986)

Original Air Date:

16 January 1986 (Season 1, Episode 2)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Edmund is "awarded" the post of Lord High Executioner, a position which frequently results in the loss of one's own head.

Plot Keywords:

Skin Disease | Executioner | Deception | Pardon | Mistaken Identity

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
Holly De Jong	...	Lady Farrow
Bill Wallis	...	Gaoler Ploppy
Linda Polan	...	Mrs. Ploppy
Patrick Duncan	...	Earl Farrow

Trivia:

The first two episodes were originally meant to air the other way round. This would explain why Percy's beard reappears after he has shaved it for the second episode.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Nursie refers to Elizabeth's sister Mary (Mary I of England) having her head chopped off - in fact it was her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, whom Elizabeth had executed. Mary I died of natural causes, with Elizabeth succeeding her.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Blackadder: Right Baldrick, let's try again shall we? This is called adding. If I have two beans, and then I add two more beans, what do I have?
Baldrick: Some beans.
Blackadder: Yes... and no. Let's try again shall we? I have two beans, then I add two more beans. What does that make?
Baldrick: A very small casserole.
Blackadder: Baldrick, the ape creatures of the Indus have mastered this. Now try again. One, two, three, four. So how many are there?
Baldrick: Three.
Blackadder: What?
Baldrick: ...and that one.
Blackadder: Three and that one. So if I add that one to the three what will I have?
[...]

"Head" perhaps the best Series 2 episode.

"No-one's ever going to believe we've just cut it off, it's gone GREEN!"

"Head" is perhaps the best episode of Series 2 of Blackadder. It is funny, clever, and finally depicts Baldrick as being just a stupid moron, which is why everyone likes him. The Queen, Nursie and Lord Melchett don't have such a strong role in this episode as others, the episode revolving around Blackadder himself, but this actually makes it better. Blackadder and Percy steal the show, but it is Baldrick who gets them into trouble. The episode seems more authentic than the first one - lots of heads were cut off in Tudor times, and yes, the Lord High Executioners were killed. This episode beats "Bells" hands down for being funny, clever, and disastrous for the terrible trio all in one episode - it is surprising how the second happens to be possibly the best of the series. There are no special appearances in this, but as I said a few lines up - this actually makes it better.

If you are a fan of Blackadder, then "Head" certainly won't disappoint! A cracking watch! 10/10