Blackadder Goes Forth (TV Series) Corporal Punishment (1989) User Reviews

Painfully funny.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 27 December 2020]

Blackadder is a bit combat shy, so it comes as no surprise when he does all he can to avoid combat, including eating a carrier pigeon.

Outrageously funny, this episode is hilarious from start to finish, the writing is magical, it's packed with one liners, bizarre scenarios, and of course some tremendous performances.

Is this the best of Stephen Fry? I think so, he is so good, so gruff and loud. Baldrick continues to offer woeful cunning plans, the escape sack was side splitting.

The firing Squad are hilarious, they're so ridiculously over the top and bonkers, but so funny, the lineup scene is hilarious.

Brilliant, 10/10.

Corporal Punishment - a complete classic of an episode.

[general-melchett · 10/10 · 7 November 2006]

Corporal Punishment is easily the best of all the first three Blackadder Series 4 episodes - it has an endlessly quotable script and a funny yet serious theme - generals were prepared to kill men for things as stupid and minor as shooting pigeons. Baldrick's stupidity was at it's most life-threatening in this episode, as shown by his rubbishy escape kit and the line "We didn't receive any messages, and Captain Blackadder definitely did not shoot this delicious plump-breasted pigeon," - right in front of General Melchett, who was enquiring into the matter. The scene in court was hugely funny, and showed that Baldrick and George were always stupid, and would never change. Yes, it is very predictable, and Blackadder himself could have done with a more humane side (a scene in which he broke down completely would have been a very cunning plan), but we can forgive Ben Elton and Richard Curtis that - after all, the character of Blackadder has been displayed these past 20 episodes to not be known to break down and to stay calm and cool in even life-threatening situations. Not even the pigeon-shooting scene was badly done, but we don't watch Blackadder for its brilliant, epic special effects (which it clearly doesn't have) - we watch it for its sharp, dry, witty sense of humour, interesting mix of history and comedy, and the stupidest comedy characters ever (i.e Baldrick). And on the second aspect, Corporal Punishment engages.

Another great episode and addition to the Blackadder series, Corporal Punishment is a huge success, and like the firing squad leader said to Blackadder, "we aim to please". Well, you have done with this episode. Bravo! 10/10

For me this is the greatest episode of Blackadder

[snoozejonc · 10/10 · 8 February 2021]

After trial by a court martial Blackadder is sentenced to death by firing squad.

This is my favourite episode of Blackadder and for me it is one of the best thirty minutes of BBC comedy of all time.

The plot, like much of Blackadder Goes Forth, is reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's 'Paths of Glory', which is a deeply serious movie, however it takes the same theme and makes it humorous. How? With the concept of General Melchett's beloved pet pigeon driving the plot and putting some of the funniest characters of all time at the centre of it.

Curtis and Elton wrote a situation that creates some of the funniest 'gallows humour' I've ever heard. Every sarcastic punchline from Blackadder lands like an artillery shell and the supporting characters are as oblivious as ever whilst caught up in their own hilarious ineptitude.

Rowan Atkinson has fantastic material to work with and his performance is very worthy of it. He delivers every word with incredible comic timing and perfect facial expressions. Tony Robinson's Baldrick is crucial to the comedy and gives one of his best performances. Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry and Tim McInnerny are also important, not just setting up Atkinson for punchlines, but with great individual moments that linger in the memory.

Some of my favourite scenes involve the firing squad. Not only is this a brilliant concept, but Stephen Frost and co, have one of the most memorable group cameos of the entire Blackadder series.

I have watched it numerous times since it was first aired on television and on every viewing it feels like comedy gold.

A huge improvement over the first episode.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 7 June 2010]

Captain Blackadder is, as usual, trying to avoid being killed. His latest plan is pretty simple--pretend that the phone lines are down so he does not have to order his men over the top. Headquarters then responds by sending telegrams. When these are ignored, they send carrier pigeons--which Blackadder and his men eat! When this is discovered by General Melchett (who adores his pet pigeons), Blackadder is arrested and awaits court martial! Unfortunately for him, George agrees to represent him--meaning he is totally screwed. During the trial, I had a laugh as Melchett was far, far more upset at the loss of his pigeons than Blackadder disobeying orders. I also had a laugh because George turned out to be even stupider and less helpful than I'd expected!! There's a lot more to the episode than this and unlike the first show of this series, most of it is quite funny. A very good second episode--too bad there weren't more like this in "Blackadder Goes Forth". And, considering it's only the second episode, it's safe to assume this one will NOT end in the death of our cowardly anti-hero.

Grumbledook is reborn as the Flanders Pigeon Murderer.

[zacpetch · 10/10 · 2 December 2014]

The finale of series four "Goodbyeee" is rightly remembered as the final series' best episode. In an extremely close second comes this masterpiece about pigeons.

Cpt Blackadder is disobeying orders from Cpt Darling and this provides several wonderful moments - everything on the phone, Cat Pain Black Udder, there's a terrible lion up his end and an advantage to an enema at once - which all culminates in the arrival of Speckled Jim. Edmund remarks "Who's going to miss a pigeon?" and shoots the poor creature before learning that his action is a court marshal offence and that the bird was also General Melchett's oldest and dearest friend.

This leads to him being put on trial with Melchett as the judge and George on the defence (calling Baldrick and Darling as witnesses) so you need not be a genius to know Blackadder is in trouble. Sure enough he is almost immediately sentenced to death by firing squad.

Everything that follows is pure joy to witness, from Baldrick's escape kit (wooden ducks, small trumpets and a robin hood costume) to George's letter about his family (can't deny it's a riveting read) and Edmund's meeting of his soon-to-be executioners (Heres looking at you, from all the boys in the firing squad). None of the storytelling is going to win any awards but, as with all Blackadder IV, none of it is about the story. Instead it's simply the efforts at survival by a man who doesn't want to get killed.

The plot isn't especially original for the first 25 odd minutes - It's just a scaled-down re-contextualised version of series one's "Witchsmeller Pursuivant" - but it's different enough that it doesn't feel like we're retreading too much old ground. This is a significantly better episode than that, which is an achievement because that was great.

This not home to a single weak moment, every character has something do to every time we see them and we also get to see a different side some of them as George and Baldrick realise they've condemned Edmund to death and as Melchett must process the death of his pigeon.

To conclude, this is probably the funniest of the fourth series and is a classic in every sense of the word. Watch it now!

Bird

[bevo-13678 · 10/10 · 2 April 2020]

I like the bit with the painted wooden duck and Robin hood costume