Blackadder (TV Series) The Archbishop (1983) User Reviews

It's sacri-licious!

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 31 May 2010]

The episode begins with a dying nobleman being pestered by King Richard IV and the Archbishop to leave them his property upon death. With a threat of eternal damnation, the man decides to give it to the church--and that really, really ticks off the incredibly violent King.

Following this death, something is happening to the Archbishops--they keep dying by 'accident'. Because becoming Archbishop is so dangerous, Edmund is hoping that his brother, Harry, will be appointed the next Archbishop of Canterbury. But, when the King appoints Edmund instead, he worries that he is the next to die--but the King, as usual, couldn't seem to care less. How will Black Adder manage to escape a very early demise this time? Tune in and see.

There is a lot to like in this show. One of my favorite moments is when the new Archbishop tries to convince a dying nobleman NOT to leave his possessions to the church but trying to convince the guy that Hell is a cool place! All the fun and debauchery and evil is played up to the hilt and he manages to get the man to reject the church in favor of everlasting evil! I also loved the business Baldrick and Edmund develop in order to sell fake relics to unsuspecting pilgrims.

All in all, a nice episode with a nasty little variation on the death of Thomas a Becket after a curse uttered by Henry II in the 12th century. It's very sacrilegious, but considering how worldly the papacy was back in the 15th century and the widespread practice of selling fake relics, it all seemed rather appropriate...and clever.

Edmund becomes Archbishop of Canterbury

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 11 December 2014]

After the Archbishop of Canterbury persuades a dying man to leave his lands to the church rather than the crown he has a horrid 'accident' involving a knight with a spiked helmet. He is the third archbishop to meet a tragic end after upsetting the king so Edmund is rather happy when he learns the king is to make Harry the next archbishop. His information was wrong though; the king appoints Edmund to the job and he is understandably terrified. Surprisingly though he actually manages to impress the king… leading to the king stating that he is pleased he will never have to say 'Who will rid me of this turbulent priest' as two drunken knights arrive just in time to hear the end of his speech… they set off to Canterbury and once again things don't look good for Edmund.

This is the funniest episode so far in my opinion. The situation is inherently funny and there are plenty of delightfully inappropriate moments… Edmund explaining to a dying man that Hell isn't so bad while Baldrick and Percy batter a bishop with a crucifix and bible; Edmund and Baldrick discussing how they can make a quick buck from their position in the church and Edmund's shocking codpiece being among the most memorable. The characters are developing impressively; Edmund may still be a sycophant but we can see a degree of cunning as he schemes to survive in the church.

Best of the Worst series.

[zacpetch · 9/10 · 2 December 2014]

Two episodes earlier we got an incredibly weak start. The previous episode was leagues ahead of it, but still nothing great. Now we finally get to the level the Blackadder should be at, and though series one will never be as good as this again, we've now set the bar for the show to aim for.

The plot is about the king continuously bumping off archbishops and is a continuation of Edmund's (Rowan Atkinson) desire to become the king after his father Richard (Brian Blessed) in hoping that the next archbishop will be his brother, Harry (Robert East). Edmund gets the role instead, presented to him whilst wearing an unusually large codpiece.

This finally sees Baldrick (Tony Robinson) come together as a proper character, although the idiot we all love is still in the future, as this is where Robinson manages to figure out how to do the part justice. The scene is the first truly laugh-out-loud moment in the whole Blackadder saga as he presents relics to Edmund and Percy (Tim McInnerny). The realisation Percy has that his Jesus-finger is fake (they normally come in sets of ten) is his first moment as a believable comic character.

The conflict between king and church is the driving force of the story. Land is power and the king and archbishops have been trying to get landowners to give them more. Edmund has his only bonding interaction with his father (Father! My Son! My Son! Father!) after he convinces someone that he should give land to the king and go to hell where he can fornicate all day long for all eternity. It's a great portrayal of the corruption of medieval priests and something Blackadder will revisit in a different manner for series two's "Money" which lets the idea take more of a back seat whilst being the driving force of the episode. While it doesn't match this episode overall that episode will still do a better job with the subject.

But this isn't using that conflict as the focal point, merely using it to set up the premise of the episode and instead tells us a story about a man who tries to get his father to notice him for once. As usual it all goes wrong as the events parody the death of Thomas Backett by Henry II. Two knights go to kill Edmund, Percy and Baldrick and our trio of clerics are forced to hide in a nunnery. They end up dressed as nuns having a sword fight with their would-be assassins also dressed as nuns only to get caught in the act by two actual nuns who seem to have access to a unicorn (?!) as in implied by the post-credits sequence.

They decide to punish Edmund (apparently) by forcing him to step down from being archbishop. The episode then ends with Edmund leaving the nunnery in a smoke-filled corridor towards an angelic light and then telling Baldrick and Percy that the smoke is real. He's got revenge by setting the nunnery on fire. As you do.

Poor ending, but otherwise tremendous episode. It's bizarre to think that the first series could pull off such an ambitious episode as this when it struggled to do one about the death of Richard III. The series has come a long way since then. 9/10

If you don't enjoy this one, I hope something slightly unpleasant happens to you, like an onion falling on your head.

[BA_Harrison · 24 December 2009]

The Archbishop of Canterbury is a dangerous office to hold when a bloodthirsty King is in competition with the church for land and riches. When the latest Archbishop meets with a terrible accident (impaled on a two foot long spike on a Turkish helmet), Edmund is appointed to the post and understandably fears for his life.

Although it's blatantly obvious that it is Edmund who will be made the next Archbishop, the moment when the announcement is made by the king (Brian Blessed) is still bloody funny thanks to the fact that Edmund is sporting an outrageously daft outfit that includes his enormous 'Black Russian' codpiece. And this is just one of the many hilarious scenes in what proves to be a consistently very funny episode: a pathetic, grovelling Edmund tries to worm his way out of his new job; the slimy prince concocts a cunning money making scheme selling fake religious artifacts, pardons and curses; Brian Blessed tucks into a roast horse leg for lunch; and the appearance of two drunken knights fresh from the crusades results in some brilliant moments of pure farce involving nuns.

Strong episode well written and performed

[snoozejonc · 8/10 · 19 January 2021]

Edmund gets caught up in the struggle between the church and crown for the inheritance of British land.

I enjoyed this episode for themes of greed and corruption portrayed, along with the hilarious position Edmund is put in by his father.

The plot is excellent, serving as a great way to put Edmund in difficult situations that he has to try to worm his way out of in comical ways.

Most of the humour is strong but it does taken certain amount of appreciation for the historical context and the darkness of the subject matter. Not all the delivery is perfect, but I still enjoyed all jokes.

Performances are excellent with Rowan Atkinson on top form along with Brian Blessed. Tim McInnerny and Tony Robinson also have great moments, particularly the scene involving religious relics.

Despite a dull start, "The Archbishop" delivers the laughs!

[general-melchett · 8/10 · 31 August 2006]

"Baldrick's been looking at ways on how we can make a bit of money on this job!"

The Archbishop's first 5-6 minutes are not particularly funny. The opening scene is not at all funny, Blackadder's receiving of the news and the plans for the ceremony aren't that funny, but from the "Black Russian" codpiece scene onwards, things do get funnier, and more gripping. However, the scenes of dying bishops aren't that funny, and could have been done better.

But it was the final ten or fifteen minutes that made this episode great. Baldrick's intelligence that only lasted this series was put at its best here, the two knights also did good jobs in their roles, and the final battle scene between Baldrick, Percy, Blackadder and the two knights was good as well. This series may have been the oldest, but it is definitely the one with the best effects and most epic scenes, which only serve to make it better. On the whole, "The Archbishop" delivers the laughs.

This episode gets an 8, once again losing out on a 9, which could have been earned if the dying bishop scenes were both scrapped (especially the first one). A long way have Atkinson and Curtis come since The Foretelling.

A good Blackadder!

Cracker

[bevo-13678 · 10/10 · 2 April 2020]

I like the bit where a simple misunderstanding set the scene for an hilarious turn of events

FORGOTTEN THE HOMOPHOBIC JOKES VERY TORN

[lopezpatricia-06139 · 1/10 · 14 April 2019]

I'd totally forgotten about how homophobic the jokes are from time to time but more so in this episode. It makes me very torn between love and hate with Ben Elton and Curtis. But not impressed with the Sodomy jokes a bit too much even for 1983