History TearJerker / BlackAdder

* The image of Darling crying and begging on his knees when the driver comes in and casts one of ''the most ominous shadows ever'' to the sound of war drums in the background is probably the most sad-but-super-chilling moment in the whole series. The studio audience laughing when General Melchett says "Goodbye, Kevin Darling" ruined the mood of the scene a bit. The worst part of this was that Darling knew what it meant, but General Melchett sincerely believed that it was all a jolly jape and he was doing him a favour by sending him to the front, signing his death sentence thinking he wouldn't really want to miss the "fun". Darling begs and pleads, but can't make a dent on [[MilesGloriosus Melchett's fantasy world]].

* The image of Darling crying and begging on his knees when the driver comes in and casts one of ''the most ominous shadows ever'' to the sound of war drums in the background is probably the most sad-but-super-chilling moment in the whole series. The studio audience laughing when General Melchett says "Goodbye, Kevin Darling" ruined the mood of the scene a bit. The worst part of this was that Darling knew what it meant, but General Melchett sincerely believed that it was all a jolly jape and he was doing him a favour by sending him to the front, signing his death sentence thinking he wouldn't really want to miss the "fun". Darling begs and pleads, but can't make a dent on Melchett's fantasy world.

* George's slow realisation that he's the last of his old Tiddlywinks club still alive. The most horrifying part is that things like that ''actually happened'' - groups of young men (known as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pals_battalion "Pals Battalions"]]) would be encouraged to all join up together as friends; the idea of war was put to them as being like some sort of jolly, laddish escapade, like a friendly football game. Of course, once they got there, the reality was very different-- and since often they would consist of a major portion of the men from individual towns, villages, neighbourhoods, and communities, those would be left immediately devastated back in Britain if (or when) most or all of them suffered heavy casualties. It's also pretty much the first time we get to see George's almost relentless cheeriness begin to crack.

* George's slow realisation that he's the last of his old Tiddlywinks club still alive. The most horrifying part is that things like that ''actually happened'' - groups of young men (known as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pals_battalion "Pals Battalions"]]) would be encouraged to all join up together as friends; the idea of war was put to them as being like some sort of jolly, laddish escapade, like a friendly football game. Of course, once they got there, the reality was very different-- and since often they would consist of a major portion of the men from a village or club, those would be left devastated if (or when) most or all of them died. It's pretty much the first time we get to see George's almost relentless cheeriness begin to crack.

* George's slow realisation that he's the last of his old Tiddlywinks club still alive. The most horrifying part is that things like that ''actually happened'' - groups of young men would be encouraged to all join up together as friends; the idea of war was put to them as being like some sort of jolly, laddish escapade, like a friendly football game. Of course, once they got there, the reality was very different. It's pretty much the first time we get to see George's almost relentless cheeriness begin to crack.

* Though honestly it can't hold a candle to the end of ''Blackadder Goes Forth the ending of the original series was also quite bitter and poignant. Though intercut with silly jokes till the end, it shows Edmund dying alone after his family and the entire court are poisoned to death. Firstly not only is Edmund maimed and on the verge of death but he also hears his father for once calling him by name and showing him some care and paying his respects, the lack of this affection being actually one of the reasons for his choices. Then as he lays dying by his own stupidity a montage shows some family moments from past episodes and makes clear that it has all passed forever.

Though ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' is still regarded as one of the funniest sitcoms ever to air on British television, the final episode of ''Blackadder Goes Forth'', "Goodbyeee", has one of the most poignant and sad final sequences of any sitcom, ever.

* Though honestly it can't hold a candle to the end of Blackadder goes forth the ending of the original series was also quite bitter and poignant. Though intercut with silly jokes till the end, it shows Edmund dying alone after his family and the entire court are poisoned to death. Firstly not only is Edmund maimed and on the verge of death but he also hears his father for once calling him by name and showing him some care and paying his respects, the lack of this affection being actually one of the reasons for his choices. Then as he lays dying by his own stupidity a montage shows some family moments from past episodes and makes clear that it has all passed forever.

* Though honestly it can't hold a candle to the end of Blackadder goes forth the ending of the original series was also quite bitter and poignant. Though intercut with silly jokes till the end, it shows Edmund dying alone after his family and the entire court are poisoned to death. Firstly not only is Edmund maimed and on the verge of death but he also hears his father for once calling him by name and showing him some care and paying his respects, the lack of this affection being actually one of the reasons for his choices. Then as he lays dying by his own stupidity a montage shows some family moments from past episodes and makes clear that it has all passed fovever.

* The image of Darling crying and begging on his knees when the driver comes in and casts one of ''the most ominous shadows ever'' to the sound of war drums in the background is probably the most sad-but-super-chilling moment in the whole series. They threw in that bit of laughtrack after General Melchett says "Goodbye, Kevin Darling." Ruined the mood of the scene a bit. The worst part of this was that Darling knew what it meant, but General Melchett sincerely believed that it was all a jolly jape and he was doing him a favour by sending him to the front, signing his death sentence thinking he wouldn't really want to miss the "fun". Darling begs and pleads, but can't make a dent on Melchett's fantasy world.

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* Though honestly it can't hold a candle to the end of Blackadder goes forth the ending of the original series was also quite bitter and poignant. Though intercut with silly jokes till the end, it shows Edmund dying alone after his family and the entire court are poisoned to death. Firstly not only is Edmund maimed and on the verge of death but he also hears his father for once calling him by name and showing him some care and paying his respects, the lack of this affection being actually one of the reasons for his choices villainy. Then as he lays dying by his own stupidity a montage shows some family moments from past episodes and makes clear it that it has all passed fovever.

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* When Darling said he'd never get to marry Doris.

From ''Goodbyeee'':

* These 3 lines.
-->'''George:''' No really, this is brave! Splendid! Noble! ...Sir?
-->'''Blackadder:''' Yes, lieutenant?
-->'''George:''' I'm... scared, sir.
** This was especially hard-core considering George's flamboyantly upbeat attitude and eagerness for battle for the whole show and he's the first person to admit, in a sincere non-joking way (unlike how Blackadder had been doing the whole time), that he didn't want to die. ''And he's smiling while he says it.''
* When Darling said he'd never get to marry Dorris.
*

** Especially poignant considering the fact that poppies are the traditional flower to remember WWI. After the fighting, especially at Flanders' Field, the earth was so stirred up by the men fighting and charging across it that poppy seeds, which had been laying dormant, bloomed all over it. This always gets to me as the final symbol, especially how something so horrible can produce something so beautiful ... which still isn't worth the price we paid for it. That a ''comedy'' show can make this point in a couple of fade-out frames is nothing short of amazing.

---> '''George''': We've had some good times, some damnably good laughs, eh?
---> '''Baldrick''': I thought it was going to be such fun
---> '''Darling''': But, eh, I don't want to go...
---> '''Blackadder''': Good Luck, everyone.

* These 3 words.

* This quote:
-->'''Blackadder:''' Good Luck, Everyone. *Blows whistle to signal going over the top*
-->''(The four chaps try to advance, downbeat piano music, slow-motion, fog, smoke, gunfire and explosions abound, then a a sunny poppy field, [[ThePoppy In Flanders Fields]]''

* Almost in ''General Hospital''.
--> '''Nurse Brown''': ''I thought there was something in between us. I thought you loved me.''
--> '''Blackadder''': ''Nah.''
* ''{{Blackadder}} Goes Forth'': After years of fighting an utterly pointless war and almost getting out of it, Blackadder, Baldrick, Lieutenant George, Captain Darling and hundreds of other men go over the top of the trenches, set to an incredibly poignant version of the theme music. They don't visibly ''die'', but just fade away to be replaced by a modern day shot of a poppy field overdubbed with birdsong.
* Especially poignant considering the fact that poppies are the traditional flower to remember WWI. After the fighting, especially at Flanders' Field, the earth was so stirred up by the men fighting and charging across it that poppy seeds, which had been laying dormant, bloomed all over it. This always gets to me as the final symbol, especially how something so horrible can produce something so beautiful ... which still isn't worth the price we paid for it. That a ''comedy'' show can make this point in a couple of fade-out frames is nothing short of amazing.
* What particularly makes the ending tragic is its sharp contrast to the finales of the first and second season, in which [[KillEmAll the entire cast is killed off]], and their deaths are played for laughs.
* When Blackadder said 'good luck, everyone' in that... ''emotional'' manner. Not only he did restrain himself from making some jokes when the others told him that they were scared- he did actually say ''Good luck, everyone''. Black-bloody-adder, for God sake, he was concerned about somebody else! Extra-poignant is the fact that ''those were his last words.''
* When Darling is sent to the front. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMc4Cl7nzAk See it to understand.]]

* When Darling said he'd never get to marry Dorris. Although because it was being viewed with a younger brother, no weeping happened...
* 'Made a note in my diary on the way here. Simply says: "Bugger".'
* Darling's fate was perhaps one of the hardest because, even though he wasn't a very sympathetic character through most of the series, he was ''so close'' to making it through the war, and had no idea what was going to happen to him, unlike the others whose lives mainly revolved around trying to get out of 'going over the top'.

* When [[YankTheDogsChain the guns fall silent and they think they are going to be ok.]]
--->'''Captain Darling:''' We lived through it. The Great War. 1914 to [[ForegoneConclusion 1917]].

:: This was especially hard-core considering George's flamboyantly upbeat attitude and eagerness for battle for the whole show and he's the first person to admit, in a sincere non-joking way (unlike how Blackadder had been doing the whole time), that he didn't want to die. ''And he's smiling while he says it.''
* The first time that Lt George has ever sounded unsure of himself.
-->'''George:''' I mean, I'm the last of the tiddlywinking leap-froggers from the golden summer of 1914!... I don't want to die!... not overly keen on dying at all.

* The Audio version of this scene, lacking the slow fade to the poppies, instead has a few lines from the episode. One each, actually.

* Baldrick's rant innocently asking why they can't all just stop fighting and go home, and what would be wrong about that.
---> '''Baldrick''': Why can't we just stop, sir? Why can't we just say "no more killing, let's all go home"? Why would it be stupid just to pack it in, sir? Why?

--->'''Captain Darling:''' We lived through it. The Great War. 1914 to 1917.

->'''Blackadder:''' Good Luck, Everyone. *Blows whistle to signal going over the top*
->''(The four chaps try to advance, downbeat piano music, slow-motion, fog, smoke, gunfire and explosions abound, then a a sunny poppy field, [[ThePoppy In Flanders Fields]]''

-->'''Blackadder''': Good Luck, Everyone. *Blows whistle to signal going over the top*
-->''(The four chaps try to advance, downbeat piano music, slow-motion, fog, smoke, gunfire and explosions abound, then a a sunny poppy field, [[ThePoppy In Flanders Fields]]''
** And in that same episode, Baldrick's desperate, almost furious, rant about why can't they just stop fighting and go home. It's heartbreaking, especially when the usually gung-ho George has nothing he can really say in response as to why it wouldn't work.
** Almost in ''General Hospital''.

Almost in ''General Hospital''.

** And in that same episode, Baldrick's desperate, almost furious, rant about why can't they just stop fighting and go home. It's heartbreaking, especially when the usual gung-ho George has nothing he can really say in response as to why it wouldn't work.

-->''(downbeat piano music, slow-motion, fog, smoke, gunfire and explosions, then a a sunny poppy field, [[ThePoppy In Flanders Field]]''