Chains

Season 2, Episode 6, Aired

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9.4
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67 votes
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Blackadder and Lord Melchett are kidnapped by a German spy right after the Queen decides she will pay no more ransom to kidnappers.
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Fan Episode Reviews (4)

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  • Hilarious

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By eva1307, Nov 09, 2008
    It is definitely a worthy episode to end the series. Let's remind ourselves why Blackadder is so great: the irony and sarcasm of Edmund, the stupidity of Percy and Baldrick, the wonderful supporting cast. You can find all that in this episode.

    Rowan Atkinson shines with some pretty good lines, but for me Hugh Laurie's character prince Ludwig is the star. He sets the premise of the episode, kidnapping Blackadder and Melchett and, being a master of disguise, he encounters many acquaintances. Talking with a wonderful German accent, he is probably the funniest guest star in the series. A truly magnificent episode and one that will have you laughing out loud.moreless

  • Melchett and Edmund are both kidnapped by Germans, led by Ludwig. However through his great wit Edmund and Melchett escape and save Queenie from his plot...or do they?

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Bucephelus, Jul 31, 2007
    This has to rank as one of the best episodes in Blackadder history. Hugh Laurie returns as a guest(he had previously been a guest star in the episode "Beer") and plays the role of Ludwig. He is brillant, actually in anything he does he is brillant, and you can see the coup that will occur when he is cast as the Prince Regent in the next series.(It also makes a lot of sense as Ludwig and the Prince Regent are both German)

    Blackadder is at his wittiest. Lines like when Edmund says "Well I try madam...and then 10 minutes later when I've got my breathe back I try again." Also Ludwig's turns as a master of disguise surprise both Edmund and Melchett. The end after the credits, however leaves you wondering and perhaps explains why Elizabeth never had any children.

    Overall this is my personal favorite episode, but there are many other great ones as well.moreless

  • Ein, zwei, ein, zwei...jingle ze keys...open ze door. Ein, zwei, ein, zwei...

    9.6
    "Superb"
    By Hal1b3r, Dec 28, 2006
    Absolutely HILARIOUS episode. The charade scene between Edmund and the German guard is the funniest thing I have ever seen. What got me was the way the guard knew Edmund wasn't translating properly, even though he spoke no English and Edmund spoke no German! When Edmund said 'so if I admit I am in love' and the German guard said 'No' and then threw himself down on his back and lifted his feet over his head, to which Edmund corrected himself to 'head over heels in love'. My son found that hilarious!

    Also the ein, zwei scene, which culminated in Edmund and Melchett punching two guards in the groin and Edmund moaning that he 'always gets the hard one'!. And Prince Ludwig, master of disguise, admitting to Melchett that he had been disguised as the sheep that Melchett shared many happy...er...romps with! And then Edmund chiming in sarcastically about her majesty's 'playful sheep' when they manage to escape, and making baaing noises...

    Finally, Edmund running into the queen's chambers to be greeted rapturously by her majesty and queenie asking about Melchett, to which Edmund replied 'sadly...he escaped too!'

    The funniest thing I have ever seen and these scenes are only the tip of the iceberg! A true classic.moreless

  • Brilliant.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By sitcom_d0rk, Jan 06, 2006
    The charade scenes between Blackadder and the torturer were just...priceless. They were absolutely hilarious - one of the best moments of the season. And Melchett and the sheep? Brilliant.
    Just what should be in a sitcom - pure insanity and hilarious lines. And everyone dying at the end, of course...


    This episode is so good - watch it!!!
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • TRIVIA (5)

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    • End Credit Lyrics: Beware all ye who lust for fame, The path of life is most uncertain; Prince Ludwig thought he'd won the game, But now the Kraut's gone for a burton. Blackadder, Blackadder, He beat the Hun by luck. Blackadder, Blackadder, He's smarter than a duck. Lord Melchett, Lord Melchett, intelligent and deep. Lord Melchett, Lord Melchett, a shame about the sheep.

    • When Blackadder and Lord Melchett are being held in the jail there are two doors; one at the foot of the stairs and one at the top. When the guards enter to deliver a meal, the enter through the lower door and leave it open. But when Blackadder and Melchett escape, they take the unopened (and unlocked) top door. They knew the guards routine and could escape at anytime, why did they wait?

    • The "dago" goof is not a goof, really. Blackadder is full of anachronisms, it's a big part of the humour.

    • The derogatory term "dago" (as referring to Italians, Portuguese, and, here, Spaniards) is used by Blackadder - but the term did not come into existence until the 19th Century.

    • After the end credits have finished we see shots of the characters lying on the ground. We then see 'Elizabeth' standing on the platform holding the dagger. She's holding it so the blade points away from her, then it cuts to a closer shot and she's now holding the dagger so the blade points towards the floor. There wasn't enought time for her to move the dagger.

  • QUOTES (11)

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    • Queen: And me, did you miss me, Edmund? Edmund: Madame, life without you is like a broken pencil. Queen: Explain. Edmund: Pointless.

    • Percy: Welcome Edmund. Did you…miss me? Edmund: I certainly did. Many was a time, Percy, I say to myself, 'I wish Percy was here'… (Percy gets sentimental) Edmund: …being tortured instead of me.

    • (After reading Queen's answer) Prince Ludwig: But if you gentlemen were to turn me away to, let us say, gain access to your Queen, I might just be able to commute your deaths to a life sentence. Edmund: Are you suggesting we betray her? Prince Ludwig: Oh yes. Edmund: Alright. Melchett: Blackadder, what are you saying? What of loyalty, honor, self-respect? Edmund: What of them? Melchett: Nothing. Prince Ludwig: So you will both, play ball? Melchett & Edmund: Yup.

    • Blackadder: (Explaining how he knew to kill Ludwig and not Nursie) You see, Prince Ludwig was a master of disguise. Where as Nursie is a sad, insane old woman with an udder fixation.

    • Elizabeth: Lord Percy? Percy: Yes? Elizabeth: It's up to you. Either you can shut up or you can have your head cut off. Percy: (thinks for a long while) I'll shut up.

    • Blackadder: What on Earth was I drinking last night? My head feels like there's a Frenchman living in it.

    • Lord Melchett: Alas, shall I never see England more? Her rolling fields, her swooping swallows… Blackadder: And her playful sheep.

    • Queen Elizabeth: Unfortunately, apart from my nose getting a little prettier, nothing much has changed around here. Your animal still isn't housetrained. Your friend's still unemployed. And Nursie's one stick short of a bundle. Nursie (Prince Ludwig): Moo.

    • (While playing charades with the non-English speaking Spanish torturer to work out what his torture will be.) Edmund: So let's recap. If I admit that I'm in love … sorry, head over heels in love with Satan and all his little wizards, then you will remove my testicles with a blunt instrument resembling some kind of gardening tool and roast them over a large fire. Whereas if I don't admit that I'm head in love with Satan and all his little wizards, you will hold me upside down in a vat of warm marmalade … AND remove my testicles with a blunt instrument resembling some sort of gardening … Oh I see. Well, in that case, I love Satan.

    • Melchett: What say you, Blackadder, I sing a song to keep our spirits up? Blackadder: That all depends wether you want the slop bucket over your head or not. Melchett: Well perhaps some pleasant word game? Blackadder: Yes, allright. Make a sentence out of the following words: Face, sodding, your, shut.

    • Prince Ludwig: Lord Melchett, we meet again. Melchett: No I don't think we've had the pleasure. Prince Ludwig: You do not recognize me then? Melchett: No. Ludwing: Let me refresh your memory. Do you remember when you were in Cornwall at the monastery, there was an old shepherd with whom you used to talk? Melchett: Good Lord. Dimkins? Prince Ludwig: Yes. I was one of his sheep. Melchett: Sheep? Not? Ludwing: Yes. Melchett: Flossy? Prince Ludwig: Yes. Melchett: But didn't we? Prince Ludwig: Yes, Lord Melchett. Baaaaaaa.

  • NOTES (3)

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    • According to the script, this episode explains how the Germans entered England.

    • Last appearence of Tim Mcinnerny as Lord Percy Percy. Mcinnerny returns for a guest appearence as Lord Topper in series 3 before returning to the cast for series 4.

    • Last regular appearences of Miranda Richardson as Queen Elizabeth the first. She will return in a guest role as Amy Hardwood in series 3 and Nurse Mary in Series 4. She reprises her role as Queenie in Blackadder, the Christmas Carol and Back and Forth. Last regular appearence of Stephen Fry as Lord Melchett. He guests as the Duke of Wellington in Series 3 before returning to the cast as General Melchett in Series 4. He repises his role as Lord Melchett in The Christmas Carol and Back and Forth. He also appears as King Charles in the Cavalier Years. Last regular appearence of Patsey Byrne as Nursie. She reprises this role again in The Christmas Carol and Back and Forth.

  • ALLUSIONS (2)

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    • Melchett: As private parts to the gods are we: they play with us for their sport! This is a spoof of the famous quote from Shakespeare's play "King Lear" as follows: 'As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods,- They kill us for their sport.'

    • Prince Ludwig: Choose your next witticism carefully, Herr Blackadder - it may be your last. It's a reference to the 1964 film "Goldfinger" in which Auric Goldfinger tells James Bond the same thing as he is about to be cut in half by the laser.

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