The Black Adder & BlackAdder II

I had tried to watch this show previously but couldn't really get into it and never even finished the first episode. My mistake I'm told was to start with the first series. Begin with the second series, but did I listen? Of course not! It's hard for me to not begin a series at the beginning, much in the same way that I don't like to come into a film after it has already started.

So I decided to give Black Adder a second chance and I'm glad I did because I love it! It was funny, but very British which is why I may have not got it earlier. But if this was suppose to be the worst series I had to watch the next series. I was unfortunately greatly disappointed. The change from a dimwitted villain to a cunning still somewhat villainy was strange. I felt Blackadder II didn't have the end goal of wanting to be king to drive the show and had no idea how it would end. Whereas the drinking of the poisoned wine at the end of the Black Adder was predictable but it was still funny. He finally becomes King and then dies = comedy. I also think I like the dumbness of the Black Adder which Lord Blackadder lacked.

Most of the series I was preoccupied with finding the similarities between Miranda Richardson's Queen and the Queen from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. She was childlike and annoying but I guess that's where the comedy was coming from.

I do have to say Rowan Atkinson should keep the facial hair because it really works for him. In the Black Adder he looked horrible - which once again was for comedic effect, along with that voice,

but for Blackadder II his evilness was more developed. He was more cunning and was able to exude villainy through his sarcasm more so in the second series compared with the first. I realized about halfway through that he was kind of a cross between Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham, and the bad guy in Ever After...with maybe a little pirate thrown in. It's all in the earring.

I do have to say the finale episode of series 2 was the best. I loved Stephen Fry and the sheep jokes. There was more predictable humor. Lord Blackadder saying something and then it coming true. People who are stupid enough to get hit and kidnapped deserve it! Even though I know its coming it's still funny. It's the knowledge that I know what he's saying is going to happen but he doesn't that makes it funny. In way he's jinxed himself and the audience is a witness to it.
 
I suppose going ahead and watching the first series instead of starting with the second has tainted my view of the Black Adder and such a character change from the first to second series was hard to cope with. I like them both but the first was more funny.