Blackadder (TV Series) The Black Seal (1983) User Reviews

Strong finish to the first series

[snoozejonc · 8/10 · 23 January 2021]

Edmund attempts to organise a coup d'état for the throne of England.

This is a solid, silly and at times somber finish to series 1. I enjoyed the focus on ruthless ambition for power that drives people to kill and torture their competitors, along with the performances of all cast members.

The story makes a number of homages as Edmund organises his big move, with films like The Seven Samurai and The Adventures of Robin Hood being spoofed comically. It finishes in darkly humorous fashion so typical of all Blackadder series finales.

There are many humorous scenes throughout which are hit and miss in terms of funny. Some of the characters Edmund recruits have hilarious names and Rowan Atkinson delivers them in his unique style. The prison scenes are both absurd and irreverent thanks to the manic presence of Rik Mayall. How the ending unfolds is very funny, requiring an appreciation for black humour, but also feels quite tragic like all Blackadder finales.

As with all episodes of the first series the subject matter is pretty fascinating when you think of how blatantly ruthless and literally backstabbing the infighting between ruling classes must have been during the feudal ages.

All cast are excellent, particularly Rowan Atkinson who brings the first incarnation of his Blackadder character to a spectacularly bloody finish.

The end of a dynasty?

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 6 January 2015]

When Edmund is stripped of the title of 'Duke of Edinburgh' he decides he has had enough; he leaves the castle and his friends behind as he sets about forming 'The Black Seal'. This will be a grouping of the most evil men in the land. Having recruited six truly wicked men he tells them to await his signal and sets off home. On the way he meets an old enemy; the most evil man in the world who holds a grudge against Edmund and intends to make him suffer before he dies!

This was a fine conclusion to the series even though most of the regular characters only play a small role. Rowan Atkinson dominates as Edmund as he sets off to recruit a group of previously unseen villains. These are delightfully over-the-top characters who are indeed evil. Talking of over-the-top the late Rik Mayall puts in a fun performance as Edmund's cellmate Mad Gerald. The ending is memorably final… with the wince inducing 'torture chair' being particularly unforgettable. We also see a degree of cunning in our protagonist that will become a trademark of his namesake in later series. Overall I found this to be a great conclusion to an underrated series.

A bit of a downer, actually.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 31 May 2010]

I remember when I first watched this episode years ago and feeling let down. After all, the ending is one of the most depressing in comedy history.

After years of mistreatment by his family, his father once again disgraces him. However, this time, Edmund has had enough. He decides to gather together six of the deadliest and most evil men in the kingdom and with them take the crown for himself. Unfortunately, as you'd expect with anything Edmund thinks up, the whole plan falls apart and he is completely screwed in the end.

I won't say a lot about the ending--but it's very bloody and totally unlike any show I've seen before or since--so at least it's highly original. And, I also enjoyed seeing the six men and seeing their back stories--it was all very clever. It's just so darn . Depressing AND funny...now that's something you don't see every day!

Best episode of Series 1!

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

"The Black Seal shall rule England!"

This was the last, and best, Blackadder Series 1 episode. The first historic series bowed out with this great episode, which had it all - humour, plot, new characters and adventure. None of the other episodes are as good as The Black Seal, which finally brings out the intelligence and cunning of Edmund, the uselessness of Percy (which results in one tragic consequence at the end - I shall say no more), and the dirty dung gatherer that Baldrick is. This episode has taken all of the weaknesses from past episodes and perfected them, letting the first great series end with an unforgettable experience.

As Edmund leaves the castle, he embarks on a mission to find the Six Most Evil Men in the land, who are all introduced in humorous scenarios. We don't really get to know anyone except Edmund, but you can't get everything in 30 minutes, and it is, after all - a comedy. This episode is the funniest of the whole series, and even betters a lot of episodes in other series too. However, Rowan Atkinson's being kicked off the position of Richard Curtis's Blackadder writing partner and replaced by Ben Elton has resulted in funnier series on the whole, and has made Blackadder a real success in later series. However, Rowan gives us one last good episode, to bid us farewell with. Nevertheless, his presence in the show is extremely important - without him, Blackadder would be nowhere near as good.

With epic settings, original scenarios and some great one-liners, The Black Seal ends the first series of a great tradition, and makes the first series better in every way. People say the first series was a sham, but that is utter rubbish, and the claim it is rubbish is further proved wrong by this - the last episode of the series.

A great episode that makes the first series just as great as the others! 10/10

Curtis and Atkinson save the best till last.

[BA_Harrison · 1 January 2010]

Writers Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson end series one of The Black Adder on a high with The Black Seal, which features the greatest Adder one-liners to be cooked up by the duo, and introduces six of their most outrageous characters, who team up with Prince Edmund to try and seize the throne of England: there's villainous Sir Wilfred Death (John Hallam); treacherous Three Fingered Pete; evil Guy of Glastonbury (Patrick Malahide); lecherous Friar Bellows (Paul Brooke); Sean, The Irish Bastard (no description necessary); and diminutive killer Jack Large (played by Big Mick, who is anything but), the bull-buggering beast killer of no fixed abode.

As if that wasn't enough, The Young Ones' Rik Mayall turns up in an uncredited and hilarious role as Mad Gerald, a wild haired crazy man who has been locked up in prison for 20 years (with only Mr. Rat and Mr. Key for company), and Patrick Allen, the series' narrator, makes an appearance as The Hawk, Edmund's lifelong arch enemy, who also wants to be king.

The Black Seal also sets the precedent that the last episode of each series sees Atkinson's character die, often along with the rest of the cast (although Series 3 provides an unusual twist on this idea): in this case, Edmund gets his from a nasty piece of torture equipment equipped with a rotating device called a 'codling grinder'. Ouch!

Ironic

[bevo-13678 · 10/10 · 2 April 2020]

I like the bit how Jack large is actually very small. Ha ha interesting

A Big Step Backwards That Almost Killed The Show.

[zacpetch · 3/10 · 2 December 2014]

Airing after the wonderful "Witchsmeller Pursuivant", "The Black Seal" just reeks of wasted potential. The plot sees Edmund lose his title as a duke and decide that enough is enough as he sets off to form a seal of the seven most evil men in the kingdom with whom to launch a coup: Himself, Sir Wilfred Death, Three-Fingered Pete, Guy De Glastonbury, Sean The Irish Bastard, Friar Bellows and Jack Large. The story seems like a good one but it's poorly implemented.

We never really get to know much about any of these six men and it's a shame because some of them could be rather interesting to see more of although some are fairly one dimensional. They could have been cut down during the script-editing to just Wilfred, Sean and Bellows putting more time towards letting us know just who these people are. Instead they all get recruited in under a minute. This sequence has no meat to it, but it could.

Edmund also acquires a new companion (having effectively fired Baldrick and Percy) in the form off a retired Morris Dancer, retreading a joke from "Born To Be King". It's this old man who provides no purpose until he questions whether anyone could stop Edmund's plot and he is told about Philip Of Burgundy. Shock Horror, Philip is the morris dancer in disguise! The Hawk, as he's known, proceeds to lock up our antihero and go it alone to capture the royals and claim the throne that's not rightfully his.

The highlight of the episode is Edmund's cell-mate Mad Gerald (credited as himself, but it's actually none other than Rik 'Lord Flashheart' Mayall) who doesn't do much more than laugh but is still very funny. He's been in the cell alone for 20 years with just a dead rat and a key to the cell-door for company. Edmund uses the latter to escape, contact the seal and get to the castle. He and the wasted potential that is the black seal arrive to stop The Hawk and it all goes downhill from there.

The seal are poisoned by Percy after switching allegiance to The Hawk and trapping Edmund in a chair of tortures such as the Codling Grinder which injures him. He's somehow not dead and wakes up with all the royals and courtiers around him. His dad even gets his name right! This could be a touching moment but it's promptly ruined and then they all drink the wine and die because Percy accidentally tainted the whole supply.

Edmund's finally become king, although for only thirty seconds. This will be referenced at the end of "Head" but is anti-climatic here as he drinks the wine anyway and dies too. Then Percy and Baldrick arrive shouting "DON'T DRINK THE WINE!" but they're too late.

The regular characters here - aside from Edmund - have nothing much to do between the first and last minute. The new ones are either very one dimensional or have wasted potential due to the overcrowded one-off-cast. A potentially emotionally uplifting ending as a father finally acknowledges his son is wasted also going for the not-especially-funny recurring joke about Edmund's name.

What a waste this was. Could have been the best of series one if this was done right. It wasn't and is instead the second-worst. Shame.