Going Over the Top | Blackadder Goes Forth | BBC Comedy Greats

[@BBCComedyGreats]

I have a cunning plan, let's watch more Blackadder here : kzbin.info/aero/PLZwyeleffqk5r8Ze_qSF9nKi_9hfjH0qO

[@deesplaylists6941]

I'd rather see the entire episodes. 😏😏😏😏😏

[@jimbehr2291]

I have a cunning plan.....stop cutting off the end of the scenes.

[@RumblePirate]

Too good

[@deesplaylists6941]

@@RumblePirate im not gonna pay to see a 30 year old TV show that was free when it first aired as a kid. I don't think so.

[@deesplaylists6941]

@@jimbehr2291 it was uploaded years ago lol. By a flunky.

[@RamblinRick_]

I've read the script for this episode. The last two lines are stage directions. They read: They go over the top. They don't get very far.

[@Y1NIESTA]

you've made a sad ending sound funny

[@charlottebruce979]

And lots more didn't either.

[@nathanaelraynard2641]

That's pretty sad

[@amiqai]

@@Y1NIESTA how? it just nullifies any possibility of them surviving when the script itself has said that they don't get any far. It's saddening in the very least to say.

[@aidanblackett8930]

@@amiqai I think it's the delivery he finds comedic, I mean it is very much a Blackadder punch line of an ending. Edited for punctuation.

[@keeperofthecheese]

That line "I'm... scared sir" changes everything. Masterpiece.

[@commandermccluck]

That line is the moment you can feel all the humour vanish from the scene and be replaced by a steadily growing sense of dread, as both the audience and the characters realise there's no way out of this fate.

[@ericbrett3095]

Notice the laugh track stopped after that line with the exception of how are you feeling Darling.

[@aDifferentJT]

Yes, and then they make you think that they might get out of it when the guns stop and the cheers, and then he says 1914-1917 and you realise it’s not.

[@marxel4444]

That reminds me so much of World in conflict "Im scared sir.." "I know thomas, i know. but we are doing the right thing...people will remember us for it.." as a whole company lures an enemy into a killing ground just to hold them in place for a tactical nuke to wipe it all out.

[@Suchwerewolf]

First time I saw that it hit like a knife to the gut Still does

[@gezzarandom]

When Blackadder says, “Well I’m afraid it’ll have to wait.” Look at Darling’s reaction at that exact moment, you can just see his heart sink knowing this is it. Brilliantly acted by Tim McInnerny.

[@IanHardmanPhotography]

I've never noticed that until now. He listens, even if he looks like he is too concerned about going over the top, he's still listening and you see his last hope dashed away. Wow, that's truly something.

[@the_best_of_times]

I've been watching this episode since 1989 on TV, VHS, disc and now on demand and I never caught that 'ad lib? from McInnery. Pure class. Thanks for pointing it out.

[@johnmcnatty1710]

all the clowning around leading up to that one poignant moment , saying so much about the horrific waste of lives , “ going over the top” to charge at machine guns because “ one more good push should do it “

[@LD-bv1pm]

Never noticed that. The acting throughout this scene was top notch but that was brilliantly done.

[@evrbody]

You can imagine him saying to himself: "Goodbye, Doris".

[@raffae4303]

"Who would've noticed another mad man around here?" Really captures the reality of war

[@nikhilmakwana9522]

@New King no you dolt, he means the point of the effect war has on people. No matter what pesky reason politicians have for waging wars, it's the soldiers who go mad

[@nikhilmakwana9522]

Lol, how does the mention of the term politicians make it political? If I specifically mentioned the Korean or Vietnam war, then fine I would agree with you He literally said even after trying to behave mentally unstable, he wasn't discharged and he went on to say how it wouldn't be possible to distinguish him because everyone is going through enormous mental pain which makes them go mad. Comedy can be understood serious when done for the sake of sarcasm or satire. Not necessarily always, but art is open to interpretations

[@nikhilmakwana9522]

@New King New King New King did you fall and hit your head? Rather than being emotionally charged and trying to protect the idea of a soldier, try to read what the person is writing first. I told the horror of war makes a person mentally unstable. And if you think there is only one interpretation of art then there is no point of continuing this argument. Art can have varied interpretations, including the one by the artist, whether the joke has a deeper meaning depends on how the viewer sees it. And I don't know how easier to understand I have to make my ' politician ' point for you to get it PS : just because a person becomes a soldier, that doesn't mean they can't be mad

[@meow1990_2]

@New King A war unrelated to politics? You may as well mention a fried egg without a pan.

[@meow1990_2]

@New King It applies to ancient wars as well ;)

[@WillRock07]

"I'm scared sir" The moment you realised this ending was going to hit different.

[@HRHooChicken]

To see him all positive and merry through the series for him to then be serious for a second is really heartbreaking. It represents all those positive young lads that volunteered with their pals who thought they’d be home in a few months. They didn’t realise the horror of what they signed up for.

[@johnp7304]

No, it's when you realized it was fucking pointless my friend.

[@gurugurukuma]

and sad to hear that 1 of the female audiences laughed at this line.

[@kaushiksaha8416]

@@gurugurukuma The laughter actually comes from a machine, which has recorded laughter sounds stored in it. A technician presses a button at pre-detemined cues to get laughter.

[@gurugurukuma]

@@kaushiksaha8416 have you watched "Blackadder A Whole Rotten Saga"? There were live audiences while they are filming this.

[@R.J._Lewis]

Everytime I see this it strikes me how good a soldier Blackadder was in the end. He held everyone together, he accepted that he would have to perform his mission and do his duty, and he was the first man in the line to step forward when the company had to advance the one pace. He is the best example of real bravery I've seen on film: he knew it was stupid and pointless, he knew he might die, but he did the job he signed up for regardless, when the time came. Also, the joke Darling unintentionally makes about 1914-1917 is one of the darkest ones I've ever heard.

[@Kyriakos703]

not might. Would. They were the first heading over the wall. Just glorified moving targets. Their death was certain.

[@Alex-mj5dv]

That’s gallows humour for you!

[@null8036]

@@Kyriakos703 Their death was certain but they have done what they could, bullsht aside war is raging that time if no troops deployed then it's basically surrender. someone need to defend their land or attack other land for reasons.

[@Werrf1]

@@Kyriakos703 It wasn't. Overall casualties for the British forces in WWI were around 16%. Even on the infamous first day of the Somme, the casualty rate was around 25%, of which around 1/3rd were killed. Not trying to defend the stupidity or lessen the horror, just trying to keep things real.

[@southerncomfort7490]

@@Werrf1 Just to put that in perspective, the British, on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, had 21,000 men killed. That was just the first day. Certainly something to think about.

[@TheLordSheogorath]

When I realised George is actually saying he is the last one of his friends who enlisted that is alive, that just broke my heart. He was such a jolly, purehearted young man. Like many other who sadly lost their lives.

[@jeremytung1632]

It’s a miracle anybody survived.

[@DembaraLemoon]

Yea, you realize he is a patriotic idiot who insists on touting the line, but at the end is not totally ignorant and not able to fool himself.

[@GrayDogNowIDK]

That's the reality of war

[@abnormal3542]

He survived to become a doctor though

[@btf1287]

It was the finest european stock there ever was. The ones that survived to WW2 were broken, resentful and insane.

[@hoilst]

Darling gets the darkest line ever committed to television - "The Great War: 1914...to 1917!" That's absolutely brutal.

[@wppb50]

And the gap before the laugh hits there--it can take a second.

[@cosmiceyness]

man when i heard that, i just felt really sad

[@pumpkin91ful]

Sorry i don't get the meaning behind It, PS i'm not english,i'm italian.

[@alcherist4762]

@@pumpkin91ful its because the war went on for another 1-2 years, its like saying "we survived world war 2: 1939 to 1943"

[@randolphsavage9760]

@@alcherist4762 Also implies that many more will die after them before its finally over.

[@mrmarkgor6604]

WWI veterans described this scene as the most accurate of the series. Captain Darling's desire to see it through, go back to his old job, keep wicket for his local club and marry Doris, summed up what most veterans hoped for.

[@wavavoom]

The youngest WW1 veteran would have been 89 years old when this episode first aired

[@danielthompson6207]

​@@wavavoomYes, and a good number of them would live to see it. If you watch interviews with elderly WW1 veterans, you'll notice that many were still sharp as tacks in their old age.

[@sidscrote7570]

"Bugger".

[@paulallen8109]

@@danielthompson6207 Cecil Lewis certainly was. Last living British ace of WWI. Flew in the RFC, trained Chinese pilots after the war and established an early airline, worked as a famous playwright, won an *Oscar* in 1938 for Best Writing, Screenplay, was one of the five people founding the BBC, then re-inlisted in WWII and flew missions in the Mediterranean (in his mid 40's), kept writing novels and scripts after the war, worked as a journalist at Daily Mail between 1956 and 1966. Retired to Corfu to keep writing books well into his 90's. His last published novel "So Long Ago, So Far Away" in 1996. He finally died in 1997 aged 98, two months short of his 99th birthday. In his last interviews he was an old man but still had the mindset of somebody in his 20's.

[@Jonesyb90]

@@paulallen8109 lied about his age to join the RFC as well, how far our country and society has fallen in just over 100 years.

[@monsider]

As soon as he said, "1917" ... my heart broke.

[@agenttheater5]

I genuinely thought that the war ended in 1917 for years - when I first heard it I thought they were so close, just a few more weeks or months.....somehow finding out they were still a whole year away from the end made this scene hurt even more

[@marilynmalone1381]

Too bad they weren't in Russia in october 1917 and could have stopped enduring the war

[@naamadossantossilva4736]

@@agenttheater5 It ended in December,so they had almost two years of war ahead of them

[@enlg3750]

@@marilynmalone1381 well I won't personally be too hostile to Bolsheviks but 1917 is far from the end of it in Russia...

[@thiagodeandrade7081]

Yes, but, although the Russian Army was been dismantly by them with peasant soldiers going home to seize the lands and all, a peace treaty with Germany had to wait until early 1918. By then there was the whole Civil War + foreign intervention + famine + White/Red terror things going on.

[@joemoe974]

It's extraordinary to listen to the audience initially very heartily laughing at all the clever banter going back and forth, but as the scene goes on you hear the laughter begin to diminish and become a bit nervous as they realize that all of these characters are saying their last words and last goodbyes to each other. It transitions from comedy to tragedy before the audience quite realizes it. An amazingly poignant ending to an extraordinary series.

[@nelsonclub7722]

Sad though that is - the laughter is canned - no live filming in front of an audience

[@joemoe974]

@@nelsonclub7722 I thought some episodes were done in studio but others were done with an audience? I also thought that some episodes were shown to audiences after they were recorded? Wow, well if that's true then the producers must have sensed it was an episode that would morph from comedy to tragedy and so they added the laughter in a way to reflect that. Interesting!

[@nelsonclub7722]

@@joemoe974 I've just checked - you are right - I apologise - your previous comment stands - emotional and poignant as you say

[@joemoe974]

@@nelsonclub7722 No problem, it's all good!

[@BBCComedyGreats]

It's even more impactful that we all know the big push is coming, from the very first moment in the series, and yet we're still willing for blackadder to find a way out.

[@Maclabhruinn]

First shown on TV in 1989 ... 33 years later, still one of the most poignant and powerful scenes on televison, ever.

[@marcellogenesi6390]

Sadly programs like this could not be made today, not enough diversity, and lack of quotas, in the cast.

[@jonathancooper4914]

There’s no way anything like this could be made now or in the foreseeable future.

[@rphb5870]

that properly needs to be explained, because I think just about any random youtube video have more debt then this.

[@tomshearman886]

@@rphb5870 how do you mean

[@rphb5870]

@@tomshearman886 I don't understand what is so impactful of that scene

[@jackwood4420]

The moment George says he's scared, that he's the last of his friends alive, is absolutely heartbreaking.

[@LordZontar]

"After all, I'm the last of the tiddly-winking leapfroggers from the golden summer of 1914. I don't want to die. Not... very keen on dying at all, sir."

[@donaldmccleary9015]

Hits you in the guts like a sucker punch

[@GravesRWFiA]

between that and Darling, finally he and blackadder are at peace, he's seen how mad it all is and blackadder shows compassion, he doesn't taunt him.

[@southerncomfort7490]

I remember looking at a book at University on the 'stacks' library shelves (ie behind the scenes). It was called the 'The Balliol Book War Memorial Book' published in 1924. This book has two volumes. The work had a page devoted to all of the Balliol students who had been killed in the Great War. There are 264 pages. In 1914 there were 381 members of this Oxford College. On one page you can find Herbert Asquith, son of the Prime Minister, who was killed on the Somme. One person who very nearly was in it was Harold MacMillan. He was very seriously injured at the Battle of Loos in 1915. If it had not been to persistent nagging by his mother over his medical attention, he would almost certainly have died. Lord Denning's eldest brother, "the best of us all", was also killed on the first day of the battle of the Somme, leading his troops into battle and a Second-Lieutenant. Twenty-One Thousand British troops died that day. It truly marked the sweeping away of the very best of a generation.

[@idcgaming518]

​​@@GravesRWFiA blackadder may be a coward, but he is not heartless. That has, throughout every era we see in the various series' runs, a consistent fact about him.

[@ragzaugustus]

"Marry Doris", that one line basically turned Darling into a sympathetic character, all that arrogance and so, just so he could get home and marry Doris.

[@blethigg9320]

I always assumed that Darlings hostility was because he knew that he had a very cushy job, and he felt emasculated compared to the men who were actually putting their lives in danger. There was a strong element of self-loathing to it, which is dropped once he realises that he's going to die with the rest of therm.

[@tikarimiekka8048]

@@blethigg9320 I think that's kind of the point of the "hate" relationship between the two captains. They loathe each other because they see their own faults reflected. Darling sees Blackadder as a coward who is always trying to elude his obligations, while deeply he knows that that's exactly what he would do himself. Blackadder sees Darling as a coward who stays safely at HQ, while deeply he knows that that's exactly what he wants for himself.

[@bakaweiner6956]

@@tikarimiekka8048 I can't fully watch the whole series, can you tell me why Darling fighting in the frontline with Blackadder? I asked because in the other videos, he's in the HQ...

[@chrissiddall8525]

@@bakaweiner6956 General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett VC, KCB, DSO (played by Stephen Fry) literally gives him a personalised order to join the others on the front line for the big attack.

[@bakaweiner6956]

@@chrissiddall8525 Ohh, so he was ordered to join the attack? Poor sod...

[@ray.shoesmith]

What hits home to me about this is the fact that despite spending the entire show trying to come up with ways to avoid becoming part of the slaughter, when their time came Blackadder, Darling, George and Baldrick went forth with no hesitation. A powerful salute to the men who really did hop the bags in the Great War.

[@gardenstate732]

without a wimper

[@gorillaguerillaDK]

You know, in most places of the frontline, if all the soldiers had spend the entire war, just staying put, exactly where they started out, the "only" difference it would have made, was a lot of saved lives…. In most of the attacks during WW1, it would have made better sense to stay put, and let the enemy come to you, rather than "going over" - but the way the Generals were thinking wouldn’t allow for that! Millions of soldiers slaughtered in a back and forth! Insane! And add to this how both the allied and the Germans would execute their own for "cowardice" when their nerves couldn’t take it anymore! There was very rarely anything heroic about their deaths, unless you wanna call cattle going into a slaughter house heroic! It was F sad, and luckily today, in most countries, Officers who think like these Generals did, rarely make it up the ranks! I’m F happy that I was born fifty years after WW1 ended, so I could get to serve my country knowing that this line of thinking were now frowned upon!

[@sammencia7945]

Killed all the European men with honor. Poppy shaming from women bs. British men didn't even have the right to vote. Total bollocks.

[@modernmajorgeneral4669]

@@gorillaguerillaDK While it is true that the defending side in a battlefield like the ones found on the western front in WW1 would have an advantage, the generals in WW1 were sort of inbetween a rock and a hard spot. You see, it would be preferable for the generals to simply "wait out" a war, but political pressure and the fact that no one wants a war to go on for decades meant that the commanders had to find a way to break the stalemate. It doesn't help that, at the time Blackadder takes place and during most of the war, there wasn't really any way to flank the enemy.

[@arandompasserby7940]

Yeah, too bad World War 1 was a completely pointless d!ck-waving exercise by the waning Empires and Kingdoms of Europe. And the outcome was pretty abysmal anyway - nobody won and it just paved the way for a second, even larger conflict later on.

[@rhondaneuhaus1596]

This ending always, always makes me cry. War is such a waste.

[@bananacabana2817]

Rhonda Neuhaus idk man the Swiss usually made a shit ton of money off it

[@jim7115]

Madam, as someone that served in the BRITISH ARMY, I must say(text), just as at places such as isandlwa, rourke's drift, and other far of battlefields..... the BRITISH SOLDIER before, during, and after the GREAT WAR, HAS ALWAYS DONE HIS DUTY FOR KING AND COUNTRY. AMEN.

[@jim7115]

isandlwanna

[@jim7115]

JadonGamer WAR IS NECESSARY. WESTERN CULTURE HAS NOT, AND WILL NOT SURVIVE UNLESS WE ARE WILLING TO FIGHT AND, REGRETTABLY , DIE FOR OUR WAY OF LIFE..... IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THUS.

[@jim7115]

JadonGamer THANK GOD FOR THE PARAS. RETIRED COLOUR SGT/3 PARA

[@dennisjk76]

"Bugger" Last word in Cpt Darling's diary.

[@paullooney2522]

F the bankers,before that.

[@agenttheater5]

What else is there to say?

[@jackstrayfeald1007]

F

[@robashton8606]

Well, quite.

[@arima272]

@@agenttheater5 "i can't believe i sacrificed myself for this shitty country"

[@JasonAFlintham]

“Made a note in my diary on the way over here. Simply says…………..bugger.” Just one of so so many moments in this scene that’s initially played for laughs but then breaks your heart once you let it sink in.

[@fraserwebster8761]

My favourite part of this is Captain Darling. You go through the six episodes loving Blackadder and hating Darling, then with two minutes to go you realise they’re exactly the same. Both trying to avoid their almost certain fate, all that separates them is one chose scheming and one chose bootlicking, but both had the same aim. The slow escalation in his 3 unfulfilled wishes also rips your heart out. Back to his old job, back to his loved hobby, back to marrying the woman he loves. All ripped away for totally pointless reasons. What a show.

[@Srokaldinho]

The life that could have been...

[@matty6848]

I know it’s crazy isn’t it how quickly you find sympathy for him in this position. Real tear jerker.

[@commandermccluck]

Full credit too Tim Mcinnery on that. He took a few short lines and turned Darling's character completely on it's head, from an almost uncaring bootlicker to a defeated man, scared out of his wits, desperately hoping for one last way out.

[@LordZontar]

The most poignant aspect of the scene, aside from the "Marry Doris..." line is how Blackadder doesn't insult or mock or demean Darling but accords him his dignity as an officer and a man. In that moment they are friends. No more room for petty jealousies and antagonism.

[@alainmulaire9471]

very well said Fraser

[@Atomicrow]

When George admitted he's scared, you know there's no hope for any of them. Despite being such an optimistic idiot with a heart of gold, always seeing the light in every situation that he's put in, this time he can't beat around the bush. He knows deep down that when he goes over the top, he's not going back and that terrifies him.

[@flanplan5903]

I don’t really think George is an idiot as he is very much a naive young guy in his early 20’s with his whole life ahead of him, and initially (like many other people of his age) signed up for the war since he thought it would be glorious...only to realize it isn’t. I think the slip up here hints that maybe the overtly cheerful personality and idiocy was to hide the broken and insecure young man that he was inside, by hiding behind a wall of humor and cheerfulness to try and convey a sense of strength and to make people happy.

[@paladinoestetica]

I feel sorry for the real soldiers, it really was a life of boredom, sit in a trench for 3yrs only to die going over the top

[@Boltenstein1]

I used to see young soldiers training to go to Iraq or Afghanistan, full of the joys of life, looking forward to doing "some real soldiering" Sadly many did not come back, and others came back very much changed. Before the first Gulf war, we had a big group of us who would meet up most nights in the local pub, within 6 months of getting back, the group had split up. War is hell, and let no one tell you otherwise.

[@zacmumblethunder7466]

@@flanplan5903 Maybe trying to make himself happy by pretending to be.

[@mistressmozart]

some fantastic acting from Hugh Laurie in that scene. you really see it in his expression

[@5ampadsah4136]

The last bit where they transitioned from a scarred battlefield to an eerily quiet and pleasant poppy field, had an instant connection for me. I mean, the feeling is incomprehensible, but a place at a different time on another day could conjure such opposite emotions is amazing, masterfully captured by the creators of the show.

[@woodrobin]

"Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing, where have all the flowers gone, long time ago?"

[@lindapiette8009]

As an American I found this series to be one of the best. I love British tv. I found the ending to be absolutely brilliant. It’s sad because you know what the odds are to survival but they went anyway.

[@lindapiette8009]

I think it showed the futility of war. So many men lost their lives. wW1 was without a doubt the war that should have ended wars. The last scene broke my heart but also made you proud of the men who went over the top knowing their chances were not very good. Hats off to the producers for the brilliant ending.

[@xr6lad]

It also conveys that even for the most horrid battlefield, peace eventually comes and heals the scars and in some ways, people move on and often forget what tragedy occurred on that spot

[@xr6lad]

@@lindapiette8009 WW1 was actually a war that should never have happened. Full stop. It was egos. France or Britain were not threatened. Britain didn’t even have needed to have declared war. It was under no obligation to. It was egos. WW2 you can understand - AH was a mad man. But not WW1. It was as every ego with an axe to grind suddenly decided ‘here’s our chance’ and had no problems offering up their young people for sacrifice and even had to lie to the public to justify it.

[@Damar158]

I love how the audience goes quiet at Darling revealing he has someone back home he wanted to marry and now won't ever have the chance.

[@roxannemaund3285]

Best television ever.

[@jimbehr2291]

Doris.....bugger.

[@starwarsroo2448]

For just a short piece of dialogue, it's as sad as it is funny, well played really

[@LordZontar]

"Marry Doris..."

[@Cloud-wj2jb]

You know the audience is fake right-

[@JonnyHindu]

Most Hilarious Show ended in the most Saddest way.

[@pablopastor508]

@Asa Fisher you're in the third

[@jpj77263]

German here. Granson of a veteran who carried a bullet perislously close to his lung; It is the only way, with the most pognant final words, the most entertaining show about British history could have ended.

[@joemoe974]

Quite true.

[@vladdracul5072]

@@pablopastor508 As long as there are people like you around there will always be another war.

[@pablopastor508]

@@vladdracul5072 like the Palestinians

[@avidreader70]

I remember watching this with my mum and dad when it first aired. We laughed and laughed and then this scene came up and we literally cried. It was incredibly moving.

[@alpharius4434]

I had the exact experience... tough we weren't exactly crying, we just sat silently in shocked and sad silence...

[@xxxxxx-zy9lu]

@@alpharius4434 ditto

[@MarkAtkin]

Even though I now know what is coming, I still can't watch this without a tear welling up.

[@marcwolf60]

I did too.

[@eimkei1339]

@@alpharius4434 I get close to tears whenever I watch this final sequence. My grandfather was out of it by the time Blackadder et all went over the top, he had been taken prisoner and the lower part of a leg amputated. I learned little of his experiences and wish I had been bothered enough to find out. But by then the survivors of WW2 were coming home with an uncle (grandfather's son) also repatriated by the Germans, albeit he was not injured following being dropped and captured at Arnhem.

[@UdanaWijesuriya]

Brilliant personality reversal. All throughout the season, we got to know them in a certain way. George was always enthusiastic about the war and yet he said "I'm scared, sir". Darling was always a 'robot' devoid of emotions and yet he had loved someone. Baldrick always came up with stupid ideas yet he was about to say the most cunning and brilliant one ever. Blackadder, always with great plans and yet he had nothing more to say.

[@alastair9446]

Blackadder was brave willing to do his duty instead of finding a plan to get out of it.

[@lewisallan9963]

@@alastair9446 I agree, I have no doubt blackadder knew what baldricks plan would be but was now at peace with giving his life for his country.

[@howdoiputthecheeseintheove8437]

@@lewisallan9963 I'd say more because he swallowed that 800 plus years of ego, pride and selfishness and accepted the harsh reality, saw everyone not as either stupid of prat like but actual humans with emotions and lives and so joined them as commander in doing what melchett could never do, fighting with his men and dying with honour

[@Field_Marshal_Emu]

When George says, "Sir, I'm scared", hits really hard. You understand the horror they're about to face, trapped in a situation not of their making, with absolutely no way out.

[@neutronicalrblx2638]

Blackadder was always sarcastic yet he genuinely meant good luck

[@Ammeeeeeeer]

"Sir...I'm scared sir..." that line, the delivery, I...words escape me.

[@evattmab]

George, the enthusiastic lieutenant breaking.... he tears my heart apart.

[@ObamacareMishra]

he imbodies the phrase "ignorance is bliss"

[@russellcampbell9198]

Yes.

[@scsutton1]

Beautifully delivered by Hugh Laurie as well.

[@isaaclawrence1586]

My favourite part of this is actually Blackadder's reaction to Baldrick's announcement of his 'cunning plan'. Throughout the series he's always been pissed off and cynical about Baldrick's continuous stupidity, but here he's almost saying 'Go on then Baldrick. For old times sake.'

[@Szentatyaisten]

exactly, he shoots his silly ideas down in a hilarious and brutal way, but in their last moment, he is just gentle. I remember watching this the first time and still not believing what is about to happen, not until the piano starts playing. Hit me like a ton of bricks.

[@andrewleah1983]

I guarantee you that this idea is the best one ever (which is part of the joke/drama).

[@nelsonchereta816]

"How are you feeling, Darling?" Through the season Darling was just treated as a joke. But here in the final scene you're reminded that he was just an ordinary man trying his damnedest to survive in a situation where death surrounded him. Also love that Blackadder's final line is, "Good luck everyone." He did everything he could think of to save his own life. And when all his efforts failed, he went over the top with his men.

[@xhagast]

He was a dead man anyway, why not die like a man, since die he must? Many reasons but he might still make it.

[@fairsaa7975]

@@xhagast They all died chief, that was what made it the end.

[@Saucy-ws6jc]

@@fairsaa7975 There was a stand alone episode called Blackadder Back And Forth which has an opening scene set on New Years Eve 1999 with a number of the characters here. This means they either had sex with women during the war and died in this scene or they survived and had children after the war. Their children had children which would be the characters in back and forth.

@@Saucy-ws6jc my Great-Great-Grandfather died on the 2nd day of the Somme, Kings Liverpool Rifles. His son, my Great-Grandfather, was conceived weeks before before he enlisted, and was born weeks before he died. It's more than likely the same thing with Blackadder.

[@apropercuppa8612]

@ My Mum's Great-Uncle was in 'B' Coy, 19 Bn, King's Liverpool Rifles. He was wounded near Ypres before dying of his wounds some time later. Buried in Lijssenthoek Cemetery. Funnily enough, the Liverpools merged with the Manchester Regiment to make the King's Own Regiment - the Manchester Regiment, my Dad's relative was a Lt-Col in, who took part in the ceremony with handing over the Regiment.

[@DSAEAyushSK]

"Who would've noticed another madman here?" That really hit me.

[@Thecommander248]

It's why the militaries of all the countries all revolted and refused to continue to fight. They hung men by the thousands, but couldn't force them all to go over the top.

[@starwarsroo2448]

I never even noticed that line, sad, been watching this simce I was a kid when it first showed in UK, POIGNANT

[@jay_vng]

I think this is the most poignant line of all the scene, honestly. No wonder they added no laughs after it.

[@Jebu911]

It hits worse if you watch the whole episode where he is literally playing a madman at start. But its still a great ending even tho its sad.

[@w925gaming6]

@@Thecommander248 actually for what i know only 360 something people were shot by the British for cowardice it would obviously be different for other nations but yeah.

[@aec9174]

The first time I watched this episode, I didn't see this coming. I wasn't expecting this to actually be THE end. It still brings me to tears, even now, many years later.

[@schizoidboy]

George is the beloved twit throughout this series, totally oblivious to what is going on around him. When he says he's scared and he's the last of the guys he enlisted with in 1914 really puts the hook into me. This is where the mood changes and it does it brilliantly. It just makes the whole ending heartbreaking, yet they still go through with it and even Blackadder doesn't shirk at the end. "Good luck everyone."

[@liamodwyer3017]

The whole thing pure genius. Moving beyond belief.

[@christinellewellyn1447]

Yes that's the moment I feel so hard to watch, I wish he had stayed innocent to it all So well scripted a master piece.

[@edbezant1105]

A fine detail I didn't pick up on for years was Baldrick pointing out the splinter and his plan. During WW1, men would often deliberately injure their hands on splinters on the ladders, so they'd be unable to handle their rifle and then be unable to fight. The tragic irony of this is that throughout the series Baldrick's cunning plans are ridiculed for being awful, but in this case his plan would have saved them all.

[@brainflash1]

They wouldn't have gone through with it though. By that point, not even Blackadder was selfish enough to take the easy way out and let the rest die in No-Man's-Land. Remember it wouldn't have just been his company that went over the top. Besides, High command would've seen through their ruse immediately and had them all shot.

[@sidecarbod1441]

You might have a point with regards to the splinter but I always thought that the splinter thing was to show how Baldrick really had no idea what was going to happen to him, he was worried about getting a splinter but he was about to face the enemies machine guns.

[@-Markus-]

Hey, your right! Baldricks sees the splinter and then tells adder he has a cunning and subtle plan! Definitely a nod to the historic scenario you pointed out! Thanks for sharing, ive always found that line odd as it had no context to the scene as I didnt know about it :)

[@agenttheater5]

@@brainflash1 Melchett might have been fooled - and if they all just stab their hand with the splinter, pull its out and pass it on they might be able to save them all....

[@tompurcell1499]

Wow! I had no idea. It did seem to me that the splinter comment immediately followed by what would have been Baldrick's best (and only decent) cunning plan, was somewhat incongruous. It makes sense now, unlike the wholesale slaughter of millions of people. I've often said that the protagonists in WW1 were pointing their guns in the wrong direction. They should have done what the Russians did: wipe out the parasitic scum that made up the European (so-called) aristocracy.

[@andrewbull3537]

The laughter turned to tears in the blink of an eye ....R.I.P. all those men who died during the 2 wars .

[@Ashwin-zg7rt]

Such an emotional and mature ending. Loved the series

[@insertclevername4123]

I've read that they had some discussions about another series of the show, but I'm glad they never went through with it--for me, this is the best finale of any comedy, ever, so anything they did afterward would have been a letdown.

[@Kelly14UK]

Glad they never showed the details of them dying. Poppy ending was poignant enough.

[@laurenbastin8849]

Kelly14UK yeah they initially shot the scene with everyone dying in slow motion, but they realised it was so silly and messed with the tone of the finale and so they cut it

[@tgmartin]

Really makes you look at Darling in a whole new light. Most antagonists actions tend to be motivated by the prospect of gaining substantial wealth or power, whereas you realise right at the end that Darling wasn't especially after either of these things. He just wants to be able to play cricket and marry the woman he loves. So heartbreaking.

[@nickwarne4406]

My great grandfather fought at Ypres and Paschendale, and by some miracle, he made it through. His batallion consisted of 300 men at the beginning of WW1, but by the wars end, he was one of eight remaining. His best friend (who lied about his age (14)) was killed by a direct hit from a mortar whilst mounted on his horse. Nothing was found of him or the horse. He told my mum that he lived on nuts, chocolate, raisins, and Camp coffee that was sent from home. His wife was informed that he was missing in action in 1917, presumed dead, and didn't know he was alive until he got back to England a year later. He made a butter knife out of squashed bullet casings and various other disgarded metal whilst in the trenches that my mum still has today. I can not begin to imagine what horrors he must have witnessed and the immense toll it took on his life. We owe them so much, and I was proud to have known him for 9 years before he passed away. It was such a sad moment in history, and unfortunately, it was the beginnings of something far, far worse.

[@jonesjacqueline588]

My great uncle fought in pachendale unfortunately he was killed,his brother was killed on the second day of the battle of the Somme, although I did not know them,I'm so feircely proud of them, and all the men who fought and died beside them to give us our freedom, I really can't imagine the fear that they all must have felt but did their duty.

[@SlideIX]

Still one of the greatest moments in British television. More emotion and drama in those final moments than most tv programs today can muster in an entire season

[@Durosity]

james IX Honestly every time I see this scene I cry. The fact that so many actually faced this moment is just so utterly overwhelming.

[@DocTommy1972]

One of the greatest moments in television

[@fasthracing]

Agreed

[@murphyspattaya]

gold 😌

[@electriclightlynnetrex6346]

Totally agree. Today all we get is a never ending river of garbage

[@pugswillfly3211]

In ‘Blackadder: The whole rotten saga’ They talked about this scene, And when they recorded it, the directors wanted another take, but rowan, Tim, Hugh, And Tony said to the directors that it was physically frightening for them and that they would not do it again, So even in a controlled environment, A studio, it still frightens people to the core.

[@Red_Beard2798]

Didn't they also have to do the scene on a stage/set that was far too short for a walk across No Man's Land and that's why it goes into slow motion with the Blackadder theme playing over their deaths and fades into a field of poppies. And they also couldn't do the scene because of that? It was exhausting and tiresome to get the right shot in such a small space so they had to compromise?

[@pugswillfly3211]

YeahNahHowYaGoin Both factors, the production struggles and the reality of losing their characters.

[@somerandomguy3418]

@@Red_Beard2798 During an interview Richard Curtis talked about how the part where they go over the top was supposed to be longer but the cast didn't know in advance about the effects. What we see is pretty much all they captured as the actors broke role almost immediately and demanded to know what the hell was going on, refusing to do another take. That left the producers with a problem; how does it end? With nothing else as a plan, they looked through the BBC stock photos of WW1, found the one of the poppies across Flanders and faded to that in the edit. They had no other options available. The rest is TV history.

[@timmorodgers4271]

The scene is so short as during filming they were meant to fall to the ground, as if they had been shot or injured. The set was made of cut and painted foam and when they hit the ground they bounced around in an almost comical manner. As a result they could only use the first few seconds. Those few seconds were all that were needed, the result is one of the most moving pieces of British comedy.

[@zacmumblethunder7466]

@@timmorodgers4271 One of the most moving pieces of TV in general.

[@JLongbow]

It's no exaggeration to say that this broke my heart as a kid when I saw it. For the first time, I saw that the good guy doesn't always win. George saying he was scared...it hit hard. Darling and Blackadder shoulder to shoulder at the end. And Blackadder, even after all his attempts to avoid this, doesn't hesitate in the slightest, nor show any fear for what he knows is coming. It makes me tear up even now.

[@Howlrunner82]

He tried to avoid it the whole series...and in the end he did his duty without any hesitation

[@Matvo]

The trick is to bind the soldiers into groups. This way nobody can break the oath, because everyone of the comrads would see the treason and shoot.

[@fotakatos]

You make it sound like he had some epiphany and suddenly changed his ways or recognised some higher value in running straight into machine gun fire. He did not. He gave up but he did so with dignity.

[@snarkymatt585]

As much as he wanted out of the war and schemed ways to achieve that Blackadder was a British officer and behaved accordingly when his time ran out. Blackadder goes fourth was a good place to end the Blackadder series as WW1 saw a fair proportion of the young male British aristocracy wiped out. The death and casualty rate among the British aristocracy that provided the bulk of the officers was in proportion far greater than those of the general population providing enlisted and conscripted men. Captain Blackadder I dare say was the last of his line.

[@_Galexo]

@@snarkymatt585 Ah maybe he was the last of his name but I seem to recall a fellow how resembels him quite stunningly. Atkinson was his name I believe

[@snarkymatt585]

@@_Galexo yes that Atkinson chap does strike a remarkable resemblance to the Blackadders, maybe he has a bastard connection to the family somewhere lol. It does seem I was mistaken with the Blackadder line ending with Captain Blackadder in France, I forgot about this chap... kzbin.info/www/bejne/pH6mnI2Bhrprg6M

[@richiefennah4699]

“1914 to 1917” the moment Every viewers heart dropped.

[@ojrmk1]

"Hahahaha...ah. Oh....no."

[@sagecoder8767]

Yeah

[@Helismoke]

I'm a Combat Vet 74 years old. Of all the multitude of Series and their final episodes, this is the most poignant and emotional. I cry every time I see this. In my case I won't have reunions on Flanders Field or Normandy, but will see my buddies on " Fiddler's Green". God Bless them all.

[@cantona1968ify]

Quite simply the most gut wrenching and heartbreaking scene ever recorded in a comedy episode, quite possibly ever written for television. 'who would have noticed another madman around here'- WOW, what a line, devastating in it's brutal honest description of war and those empowered to make judgements.

[@robertballasty395]

Well, this is probably in top two. There's also the scene in MASH where they all learn of Henry's death. That might be the yardstick for comedy. Previous to MASH, if an actor got sick or died or had an opportunity (that the producers would let them leave for) - the role got recast with no mention or the character got written out with little explanation and someone brought in to play a similar character. Just keep the formula of the show going. Later, perhaps it was partly the individual impact of some actors on roles? That they couldn't simply be recast or 'cloned'. The shows would at least acknowledge the character was gone and the dynamic was changing a bit. 'Good Times' and 'Archie Bunker's Place' come to mind. The best comedies had their jokes but had the clear understanding that some topics couldn't be wiped away with jokes. Humor was the buffer to keep the grim horror of war at bay, but war/consequences couldn't be completely ignored.

[@alexcope8142]

War is the answer according to US Marines

[@thepoet9253]

Top three. The scene where Will's father leaves him in Fresh Prince of Bel Air also comes up here.

[@wildlife_tourism_Australia]

For me also the final scene of Life of Brian, after all the laughs along the way, showing the mass grave and thinking yes, it wasn't just one man they did this to: hundreds went through this horrifying and barbaric form of execution.

[@erickamakeeaina1649]

600th like

[@zacmumblethunder7466]

I vividly remember the first time this was broadcast. Somehow even as I was watching it I couldn't believe they'd be brave enough end the series like this. Entirely appropriate, and probably the most extraordinary and affecting moment in comedy.

[@cosmiceyness]

probably one of the most moving show endings ive ever seen

[@trojanhorse5363]

All the death and Haig safely tucked up in scotland never to visit any of the fronts, the bravest of men slaughtered for nothing

[@JH-ck1nr]

The most moving moment in television history. I admit it moves me to tears every time in the final scene. What a tragic waste of life and brave men's futures. RIP.

[@donniecatalano]

I doesn't matter how many times I see this, my throat always gets tight

[@RM-ti8nf]

Yes, it's absolutely criminal.

[@docholiday6244]

"Good luck, everyone". For how many men and women, children even, were these the last words they've ever heard? Let us never become enemies again! Let such a thing never be repeated again! Greetings from Dresden, Germany!

[@constantinosschinas4503]

war means nothing, we are all one. greetings from greece.

[@ivanlazarevic78]

it is in humain nature driven be greed of wealthy one to want more so I dont think it will be ever a end of war.It will be that way until the cost of fighting the war isnt to coustly for theese reach man,as war is usually paid with the lives of ordinary working man and that is cheap for ruling class.

[@stormtrooperelite1453]

well then next time don't invade Poland! nah just kidding it's a Faulty Towers joke

[@stephenle-surf9893]

Well said friend, like blackadder says at the end, who would notice another madman, sadly it seems not the British or American electorate

[@DC_10]

Not to worry, friends. In the future war will be fought by robots, drones, and AI. Once one side out of the robots will surrender first. Zero human casualties.

[@Sam-yx9ry]

When I was just becoming a teenager, my father let me watch his copy of Blackadder Goes Forth. I laughed and howled at the comedy I was mature enough to understand at that point in my life, and absolutely loved the show. About ten seconds after watching this scene of the final episode, I walked out of my bedroom - glassy eyed - to get a glass of water. My dad saw me and asked, “Hey mate, are you okay?” I looked at him for a second or two, and then burst into tears as he hugged me. I was just thirteen, and had seen Gallipoli and studied WWI and WWII in school, and knew it was horrific, but none of that learning hit me as hard as this scene did. It haunts me to this day. I’m 24 in a month, and am still glassy eyed watching this. What a hauntingly beautiful end to a brilliantly funny show, it really sticks with you, and does so much in driving home the message of how awful war is, and how idiotic WWI was in particular. Well done Cast & Crew.

[@darthhatchet775]

I hope this comment finds you well and in good health.👍

[@SpeccyMan]

There is no shame in feeling the emotion associated with that terrible war. Cry every day for all the brave young men who were led by fools to certain death in that terrible war. Then read the poems of Wilfred Owen, who was tragically killed in action just one week before the armistice.

[@coolsolder]

Not only ww1, most wars with muskets and guns were a waste with man walking in rows or running headlong into machineguns. Even in ww2 the Soviet Union used this tactic. This is insane as anyone with sense would automatically lie down if shot at yet all these folks were told bs and they ate it up, probably like today.

[@gl3nnium]

Thanks for sharing. Yes this episode affected me too. Years later as a grown-up I got a job working on a cruise ship and as fate would have it, every so often the ship would take a route up the Dardanelles on its way from the Mediterranean to Istanbul. Every damn time I'd just stare at Gallipoli as it eased by. None of my co-workers said a word to me during those moments - they all knew better. Sometimes a passenger from the U.S. or somewhere else would even approach me as ask what was wrong. I'd simply tell them "Im from New Zealand and every year my country mourns the thousands of us that died in this place". This would understandably confuse some of them, afterall, how on earth could that place be the scene of so many deaths for a country like NZ. How indeed.

[@a_world_made_of_cardboard]

Amen

[@victoriamurphy6579]

This is so powerful and moving,,you’ve laughed all the way through the series and then in a split second your heart just breaks “I’m scared sir” you know that this is it and they’re going over the top,,such a powerful end and a fitting tribute to the real heroes and lives lost in the 1st world war

[@SirCraigius]

Interesting fact. The moment where they go over the top wasn't originally in slow motion. It was shot at normal speed, where they stumble through the smoke and pyrotechnics for about 15 feet, then slowly pretend to keel over and die. It looked terrible. The show producers looked at the tape and realized it wasn't going to be good enough to show on air, so they called for another take. At this point Rowan Atkinson got on the phone to them and basically said. "Yeah, listen guys. We've all had a talk. That was bloody scary and dangerous and were not doing another take". And hung up. The end result was they decided to show the scene in slow motion. Which ended up looking way better and was far more dramatic.

[@gezzarandom]

Plus the editors slowed the sound down which made it sound spooky, and the freeze frame switch to the poppy field with birdsong was genius. The editors really earned their money that day.

[@lewisallan9963]

I read that the actors refused to re shoot because they thought it looked better

[@busTedOaS]

I mean, of course it was shot at normal speed. That's how cameras work.

[@LordVader1094]

@@busTedOaS I think he means it wasn't shot FOR slow motion, with a higher frame rate.

[@buzzytrombone4353]

Another reason being that the studio audience were like "What the fuck is this? This isn't funny at all" and with that reaction, Richard Boden and John Lloyd felt that reaction was what would be the general consensus to the episode if they didn't do something about it.

[@paulgrove1407]

I remember watching this episode as a student. Waiting for the punchline, for Blackadder to find a way out. Then realizing as they go over that is was all over. It was actually a telling life lesson. Some things are inevitable - there is no avoiding it.

[@reddishtykes]

I too watched it as a student, with my mates Simon and John. At the culmination we could not look at each other because each of us was fighting back tears.

[@56bturn]

Also that a lot of people died for what was, for them, a fucking pointless war. Maybe there was some grand geopolitical benefit, but I doubt they ever saw it. If there was any.

[@davidtomlinson6138]

Powerful stuff , they all didn't stand a chance ! Big wigs miles away, making plans, ordering men to their certain. death ! 🤔😔SHIT ! WAR STINKS , NO WINNERS REALLY , fighting to keep people free ultimately !

[@thadtuiol1717]

@@davidtomlinson6138 Well please tell that to all the big wigs in the capitals around the world, because we are currently heading towards WW3 at a rate of knots

[@kenserhoofje]

Found this comment here. Our English teacher showed it to us in-class over 15 years ago. Back then I felt.. queasy; as a teenager I couldn't quite grasp what it was that made this scene so tragic. Looking back, being an English teacher myself in The Netherlands, I fully realise how a scene such as this honours the senselessness of such warfare. "Dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori", my arse! (pardon my French)

[@Telcontar86]

One of, if not _the_ most, drastic and effective tonal shifts in any comedy ever made. Even the studio audience went quiet. 10/10 writing

[@joemoe974]

I always start to cry when Blackadder and Baldric do their very last "I have a cunning plan" just before they charge. It's like they're choosing their final moments of life to do the very thing that kept them sane sitting in their bunker all that time. It shows at the last moment how close they had become.

[@wrenclark4907]

I’m crying For a *comedy* show this truly captures the horror and reality of war better than most dramas. Perhaps it’s the sudden change in moods, as the audience slowly realise that this is not a joke. It’s about the only thing in the show that isn’t a joke. And you realise that all the fun and hilarity from previous episodes would always inevitably end in this. You realise just how real these people could be. George is just a young naive oxford student, like so many other soldiers, and (although he’s a prick) darling has a girlfriend who he will never see again. It’s absolutely heartbreaking

[@johnvilliers5579]

Standing in Blazer, medal and beret, I played this to Scottish High School students for assemblies in the run up to Remembrance Sunday. When the lights came up on the S5&S6 students, (16-18 years old) the whole room, including the teachers, were in tears.

[@dclark142002]

...marry Doris... Sure, he is the villain foil for Blackadder...but you get reminded that he is part of a family, has people that he loves and who love him...and he's going to die because the General is insane.

[@brainflash1]

Calling Darling the villain is a bit unfair. Sure he hated Blackadder, but he wasn't a "bad" guy. He deserved to live just as much as everyone else.

[@naughtydog201]

dclark142002 He and Blackadder are far similar than they'd ever care to admit. Each with their own scheme of trying to avoid being on the front line. Darling by being Melchett's bitch and Blackadder being a schemer. But they were both terrified and in the end, they both knew they were done for. A truly amazing series

[@Thecommander248]

They say you hate people who are like you because they subconsciously remind you of all of your faults.

[@Widdekuu91]

@@Thecommander248 Not always, sometimes. Sometimes you hate people that are acting the opposite of you and therefore, you don't understand them. I often have collisions (a.k.a. problems, fights) with people that seem to gleefully enjoy pain in other people. People that laugh and smile and enjoy seeing other people upset. I honestly burst into tears, even if the most horrible enemies or awful people stub their toe. So I don't understand why on earth they'd enjoy seeing others cry so much and it makes me upset and that's why we fight.

[@Thecommander248]

@@Widdekuu91 that is also true.

[@alfabob]

After all these years, still one of the bravest, cleverest, and humble ending to a comedy series. Despite all the comic, clever banter, simply reinforces how absolutely wasteful the First World War was.

[@DieFlabbergast]

As opposed to all the other wars, which were all thoroughly productive, eh?

[@jillreyerma7592]

@@DieFlabbergast That's not what they said. I mean, The First World War was... Very big. Consequently, it was exceedingly wasteful. Much more than most others, because it was massive. It is called a "World War" so yeah, it was way, way more wasteful than most.

[@olinkirkland]

@@DieFlabbergast Almost certainly when compared to all other wars, the first world war was a waste.

[@dalebird1482]

@@DieFlabbergast while world war 2 had more total deaths world wide than any other conflict in history, I think WW1 really takes the prize for being a complete and total nightmare of a meatgrinder. The callousness with which peoples lives were thrown away by the higher ups in either side of the conflict is sickening. All to gain a scant 6ft of ground in some cases.

[@nineignorantcocks605]

@@DieFlabbergast It was supposed to be "The War to End All Wars", and was spectacularly wasteful. The flower of Europe's youth was left in Flanders. In Northern English towns especially, entire streets could lose all their young men in an single shell burst due to enlisting in Pals battalions. Between July and December 1916, there were over 1.6 million casualties on the Western Front, for all combatants. Let that sink in for a moment.

[@MarkWilliams-hj6hn]

This has never lost its power. A wonderful piece of TV. Well acted, well scripted and some genius editing to make it what it became. The slowing down the film, the slowing of the piano music, then the fades to darkness then the poppy field. t's probably my favourite ending to a sitcom. Never fails to make me tear up.

[@TheNorthie]

That one line “Sir, I’m scared sir” just hits too hard. How many other men like him who were patriotic and ready to fight suddenly felt like this? This is hands down one of the best endings for any show.

[@ElBandito]

2:40 That look of hope of Captain Darling at the mention of a plan, and the despair he shows when Blackadder said the plan will have to wait... heartbreaking.

[@kylemacvicar1345]

It's been 34 years and I still cry every time I watch this episode.

[@122ALVARO11]

One of the most emotional scenes ever on a tv show. I ve seen the whole series countless times and when it comes to this 5 minutes it allways makes me shed a tear.

[@timmo491]

The fade to the poppy field is unnervingly respectful and sensitive.

[@MrDaiseymay]

BUT CUT SHORT, THE IDIOTS, I MISSED THE BIRDS SINGING, THE FINAL POIGNANCY.

[@nicholasjones7312]

This film clip cut it short and barely showed the poppies, the most poignant part!

[@draigygoch]

it kills me

[@timbrom]

I served for nearly a year in a German Navy ship (I'm British) and they adored this series (as well as Fawlty Towers.) We finished watching this in the Wardroom one night. Sat in silence for a minute or so and then all shook hands. No words. Few beers afterwards though.

[@merryrose6788]

The Christmas Truce in 1914 was started by the Germans. When the truce ended, the German soldiers flatly refused to fire on their "friends." The generals had to move these German troops to new areas, or punish them in some way. I happened to be in France for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, in a B and B. Only because I was American, I got my dinner free that night. The B and B hostess poured champagne for me and the German couple at the next table, and we all toasted, to the end of the war I guess. That's when I realized how much of WW1 and WW2 are still affecting Europeans. Americans, though we certainly lost lots of our soldiers, don't see all the war memorials or the thousands of cemeteries filled with men who were dragged into these conflicts.

[@centurionzen1005]

My favorite part of this scene is that Blackadder is pretending that darling is willingly there to give him a bit of dignity. That's the sign of a professional right there.

[@Red_Beard2798]

Well... it is Blackadder we're talking about. As much as he likely sympathises with Darling's situation, it's still Darling, well worth getting one last knock in before the off

[@mikegloady]

I'd never put that together. And now I'm in bits again.

[@paddystrongjaw9995]

Their ancestors were best friends too

[@montyboon4127]

George saying "Im scared" is one of the most powerful deliveries of a line in a sitcom ever

[@qwot1]

Exactly. The way he starts excited over the prospect of being heroes together, and celebrating their noble cause, and how George slowly winds down as he begins to recognize what is truly about to happen (stripped of all the propaganda) and he can't fool himself anymore, until all he's left with is, "I'm scared, Sir."

[@acerx203]

This ending always makes me tear up. The worse part, we haven't learned anything from then.

[@garthornspike3648]

The people who should learn from the useless destruction of war are the power hungry lowlifes who start wars in the first place because they don't care who suffers.

[@bradleybrown8399]

I don't know. We attack with drones now.

[@Disinformation_Hoax]

Not a goddamn thing. You are absolutely right.

[@Imlaor25]

It’s going on in Eastern Ukraine right now

[@glendunbar]

I'd argue this is the best episode of British comedy ever written. Goes from completely ridiculous at the beginning to batshit crazy, to horrendously poignant in the space of 26 minutes.

[@jimgough8603]

I honestly think it happened by accident, but nothing, NOTHING hits you like that last scene.

[@mattsgrungy]

The drop in his voice when he says "Marry Doris" just breaks my damn heart.

[@rickyzuc]

I’ve seen this so many times and it still gets my emotions. It’s actually a masterpiece. Comedy, the human condition and to remember those who went through that. I can’t think of another show like Blackadder.

[@roguishpaladin]

This is one of the saddest moments in a comedy that I can think of, and I believe that without Captain Darling it wouldn't have worked nearly as well. Tim McInnerny deserves way more credit than he's received for this episode - over the course of a few lines, he humanizes Captain Darling and turns him from the character we hate most in Blackadder Goes Forth (yes, I think even moreso than General Melchett) into a person we feel significant empathy for, all without us noticing that we've done it. He may have had bigger roles on-screen, but this is possibly his best acting work ever.

[@Finnthedude]

For me it's not the over the top ending that hits hardest, it's Lt. George saying "I'm scared, Sir" and Baldrick saying "I'm scared too" that gets me every time.

[@broadsworddannyboy5057]

Nothing cowardly in saying you are scared😢😢😢

[@davidedwards8365]

By some distance, the greatest end to any television show. Perfectly delivered, paced and uncompromising. A work of utter genius

[@cornishphilosopher]

The line "How are you feeling Darling?" is the last funny bit of the show, after that all the humour is sucked out by the horror of what is about to happen And that's a good thing

[@janhammekenbuch142]

It's actually the point where Blackadder says something to Darling that wasn't a pun or ridicule, but an actual question, to try and give a little comfort in their last minutes together. In my humble opinion. And so well delivered. You can hear him asking the question seriously, and not just to goad him into a verbal trap.

[@commandermccluck]

It's these last few minutes that you realise Darling is far more than just a running gag because of his name. He's a human just like the rest of them, and just as terrified of what's coming as they are.

[@Tourist1967]

I think it's when they greet each other by rank: "Captain Darling." "Captain Blackadder......." First sign of mutual respect and that they're both soldiers, in it together.

[@boobyqueen]

I don’t know… that machine gun line was pretty funny

[@rnw2739]

Sorry but it isn't. Hugh Laurie's "Rather, sir. Wouldn't wanna face a machine gun without this!" is one of the funniest lines from the whole series.

[@tommydooley6565]

Such a respectful and honest way to wrap up the best ever comedy series.

[@juleshathaway3894]

I have watched the series and this ending dozens of times and it has the exact same effect on me. I remember when it was first shown I was stunned into tears watching the end. There has NEVER been such a poignant and moving end to a tv series as this one. To my great great great grandfather Harry Holmes who is still on patrol on The Somme and to all those who gave…. LEST WE FORGET

[@yj9032]

“Who would’ve noticed another madman here” drives straight home doesn’t it.

[@SpeccyMan]

The real irony is all the actual madmen were comfortable, way back behind the lines.

[@havel21]

Also me a German get tears in the eyes when i watch this again and again. The brother of my grandfather born 1898 was fighting there in ww1 and i had the honour to talk with him about this in the 70 s. He said after all this years he still see the fallen soldiers in his nightmares. Few days ago i found a picture of my grandfather as soldier ( born 1903) dated 30 of May 1944 with his camerades. On the backside was written: 30 of may 1944 Normandy awating the enemy. So sad.

[@williamb4652]

It all sucked.

[@Igor-my6ml]

I don't feel sad for you Germans, specialy Nazi ones.

[@havel21]

@@Igor-my6ml it was my Personal experience with my grandfather Nothing else. I feel sadness for all soldiers which died in senseless wars. No different about natinality.

[@Igor-my6ml]

@@havel21 I understand, I'm just saying that I can't feel sorry for German soldiers because they came to our lands and we killed them, in my opinion they deserve that. I feel sorry for all other soldiers from other countries tho.

[@nooneyouknowhere6148]

My grandfather born in 1897 died the day before i was born due to german mustard gas attack. He outlived all in his unit, but spent the last 5 years of his life with only 1/2 of one lung.

[@ARR1058]

This gives me goosebumps every single time. Every line from the moment darling walks into the trench to the moment they go over the top is poignant. And the ending is an absolute masterpiece. I have seen many war movies but none come close to capturing the horror and madness in the simplest of ways possible then these last few minutes of a comedy series

[@geeman.8081]

Perfect acting too. The men in 1917 would have also laughed and joked. A lesser tv show would removed the comedy, forgetting the most important part of humanity.

[@carabus0354]

World War 1, 28 Jul 1914 - 11 Nov 1918 They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.

[@plymouth5714]

@ Carabus 03: In actual fact it was 28 Jul 1914 - 28 June 1919! When I was a boy I used to travel with my Dad who was the transport manager for Tupperware, delivering in the Devon and Cornwall area. I noticed many of the village War Memorials stated 1914-1919 whereas the vast majority back home in Devon said 1914-1918. I always thought that Cornwall was so wild back in those days that it took until 1919 for the news to reach the small villages! It wasn't until many years later I realized that the 11th November 1918 was only the date of the Armistice when the fighting stopped - the actual war didn't officially end until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June the following year! Until then, the Allies were still officially at war with Germany.

[@steveyates6844]

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler and Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; !

[@josemiguelfuentes6243]

Lest we forget

[@girlgirl4548]

@@josemiguelfuentes6243 The politicians already have deliberately forgotten and betrayed what those brave men and women fought for, that is to keep safe our homeland. Every year, one sees them going through the charade of laying wreaths at the Cenotaph, a memorial to people much braver and more principled than any politician will ever be.

[@andrewmorton7482]

Genuinely the most perfectly crafted ending to a series I have ever seen and it calls tears to my eyes every time

[@ananthunt]

This is a masterpiece. It's one of the greatest TV Shows I have ever watched. You realise the profound depth and sadness at the end of all that laughter and sarcasm, in this scene.

[@VideoPaladin]

It really is a testament that they can make something both incredibly funny yet depressing sad at the same time.

[@Michael-ou4lq]

A very sobering end to a great series , I can not think how scared I’d be and how lucky we are today, God bless them all

[@sailor_guy9841]

Really,I am Indian and once this came in Comedy Central back in 2012 or 2013 I saw this and I laughed when Blackadder made jokes and felt silent at this scene this is really a Underated comedy show in the World,(P.S I am Catholic so God bless them all)

[@Schuck.]

I wonder if they realized at the time, what a masterpiece they made, I'm not afraid to admit i can't watch this without getting a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye.... Three cheers...................

[@jamiemurray4129]

My husband, an army veteran, said as we watched this episode years ago, "What Valor, what waste." Then he stepped out onto the patio and wiped away tears.

[@michaelstamper5875]

"When you go home, Tell them of us and say, For your tomorrows, We gave our today." In memoriam et cum gratiarum.

[@MrDaiseymay]

YES--VERY POIGNANT

[@herbert42069]

Cum

[@melissamarsh2219]

Always watch this on Remembrance Day. Best way to remembering think. With laughter and tears

[@yoyomodiji]

In a humourous way, this last scene depicted the cruelty of war and its impact on humans, God bless the brave soldiers of every side who fought for the motherland with zeal and enthusiasm despite knowing that the great war was just a fraud and lead by idiots on all sides, and the way lt George said "I am scared" was totally,heartbreaking , saying goodbye to people you know for long time and knowing that in the next moment you will die is extremely hard to consider, no doubt troops were brave , whom doesnt lost sanity and sense in this cataclysmic madness named the "great war".....

[@robs2203]

It was not the Great War, it was the Most Stupid War, and should be remembered as such...

[@doomincarnate]

@@robs2203 shut up

[@fabianwylie8707]

BALWANT RAI KE KUTTE how very eloquently put . Good show

[@robs2203]

@@doomincarnate is it the expression of your personal wisdom?

[@jamesmatthew3681]

It's also a war divided among the relatives and grandchildren of Queen Victoria. Between King George V (UK) vs Kaiser Wilhelm II (Germany). Needless to say, the Queen's desperate hopes for her relatives to reconcile have failed sadly.

[@JOBdOut]

As a child this was the first show that ever gave me the realization that there isnt always a happy ending. Really set the stage for life.

[@MrAntonissifnos]

"Sir, I am scared sir" the synopsis of an epic series. A masterpiece which must be taught at schools.

[@dave-io]

We were taught using it. Both in history, and by the finest religious education teacher I ever had who, despite being collar-wearing clergy, refused to teach any religion's dogma and focused entirely on the greater philosophical questions of good and evil, love and hate.

[@KalleKivimaa]

I still can't watch this without tears in my eyes. Funny how two of the most touching moments in TV are from comedies - final scenes of Blackadder and M*A*S*H.

[@Toranaboy634]

I have seen a great deal of television over the last fifty-five years. I consider this to be as great as anything ever broadcast, and doubly remarkable for its being comedy. Truly great writing and marvellous performances.

[@rfjohnson3042]

I weep every time I watch this scene, and yet return to it again and again.

[@TheJgMeyer]

The "Marry Doris"-moment always hits me. So much emotion packed into just two words. And the dipslay of this soldier, of this man, of his dreams. It is so little that he hopes for. And yet, it is denied. This is one of the masterpieces of TV. Everything that you have to know about the quality of British TV-making is that this programme, hilarious as it was sometimes, nevertheless was so moving that is was aired as part of an otherwise wholly serious BBC2 Armistice Day programme without anyone batting an eyelid. Outstanding!

[@phils866]

One of the most moving and poignant transitions in cinematic history, imo. Right up there with the best from the Speilbergs, Lucas's, Copolas. etc. Gets me, every time.

[@wingcommanderwalton3820]

PHILIP STEWART . Totally agree, I still remember watching the original with tears streaming down my face.

[@martinsmith1538]

Same here. Cried through that. Still touches me to this day

[@starwarsroo2448]

Laugh literally up until the last minute and then boom, big gulp at the bottom of my throat

[@Red_Beard2798]

It gets even better when you know that everything that was in their final frame was all they had to work with; yes the stage really was that small and they realised they could only take a few steps before being off stage and in the audience; so they came up with a cunning plan to counter this little problem, and the slow motion, slow Blackadder theme and fade to the poppies is what they came up with. It may not've looked its best live but it is without a doubt a spectacularly executed piece television

[@dougarnold9337]

Always makes me tear up when I watch this. The futility of war has never been so brilliantly shown. The final shot when the drums of war stop and replaced by birds chirping shows that our actions will be forgotten while the earth will move on as if we never existed...

[@patriciasanderson2171]

This scene gets me every time. I go from laughing to tearing up in seconds. So well written.

[@insertclevername4123]

The first time I watched this, I went from laughing to crying at "Marry Doris..." I still do every time I see this scene.

[@andrewsuryali8540]

I actually laughed at that point. The thing is, the somber mood of the episode was manufactured by the production team (which is not to say it's a bad thing). If you'd seen the entire series up to that point you wouldn't have suspected the ending at all. I was fully suspecting a different ending when Baldrick came up with his last cunning plan. Then the ending happened and it all made sense...

[@petelowson5481]

My grandad survived going over the top and open trench fighting in the First World War. Every time I watch this reminds me of him and how lucky he was to come home. My mum once told me a story when I was a little boy of about his wartime exploits and how my grandad was somewhere and a man to his left and a man to his right were both shot. I guess it was when he “went over the top”. Never really thought about it until I watched this of what he lived through ❤️