Blackadder the Third: Duel and Duality (1987)
Season 1, Episode 6
9/10
Blackadder fights a duel
25 January 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Prince George boasts of the good time he had with a pair of young ladies; unaware that their uncle is the Duke of Wellington and he has sworn to kill anybody who takes advantage of his nieces. It isn't long before a letter arrives informing the prince that the duke has challenged him to a duel. Baldrick has a cunning plan; Blackadder can fight the duel for him… Blackadder is unimpressed with the idea but then he has a plan of his own… his homicidal Scottish cousin is in town so he can pretend to be Blackadder when he pretends to be the prince. If the plan is to work Wellington will have to think Blackadder is the prince and vice versa when he visits before the duel… he is surprised to find an intelligent prince being served by a dim-witted butler. Everything is going to plan until McBlackadder decides to return to his Aberdeen kipper business rather than fight; it looks as if Blackadder is doomed… especially when he learns the duel is to be fought with cannons!

Having watched the previous two series I'd expected the main cast to be killed off once again; everything that happened early in the episode suggested that would be the case; the actual ending was much better as it was such a surprise… that isn't to say nobody died. There were plenty of great gags; seeing Blackadder and the Duke thumping Prince George as he pretended to be the butler was priceless and the scene where Blackadder meets his Scottish cousin was rather fun; Rowan Atkinson was great in the dual roles. Stephen Fry makes a welcome guest appearance as the Iron Duke; a man who believes the key to victory is shouting loudly and bullying his underlings. Overall one of this season's best episodes and a good conclusion to the Regency era of Blackadder.
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