Baldrick - Character

Character

The character of Baldrick has become popularly associated with the comedic catch phrase "I have a cunning plan". The "cunning plans" in question are dreamed up by Baldrick as a solution to a particular problem or crisis and are usually ridiculed scathingly by Blackadder for their implausibility, but Blackadder frequently resorts to using these plans when the situation becomes desperate.

Although Baldrick's main goal is mostly very hidden, with a clever eye it is seen that he makes several attempts throughout history to raise his social standing, similar to Blackadder although the latter had much more plans and success.

• In the first series, Baldrick (a servant in the castle and a dung gatherer at the time) managed to gain favor with Lord Edmund Plantagenet by claiming he witnessed the King giving Edmund a special greeting (sarcastically). Edmund, impressed with Baldrick "admiring" him, appointed him his squire in the Battle of Bosworth Field. Later, when Richard III was killed (by Edmund), Baldrick helped him cover it up and managed to remain in Edmund's service after he became a Prince. Throughout the first series, Baldrick always assists Edmund and keeps him in the illusion he is admired until the last episode where he sadly gets fired and due to having worked years to even get into the castle goes to very low jobs. After Edmund left, he cried (either for losing his status or for actual attachment to the Prince). Fortunately, Baldrick managed to do one last thing for the Prince and with Lord Percy Percy's assistance, killed the Black Seal (the six most evil men in England plus Blackadder's archenemy). Unfortunately, Percy accidentally also poisoned the royal family and Edmund. It is unknown what happened to him.
• In the second series, Baldrick's attempts to raise his social status bring much lower results due to his much smaller intelligence. His most visible attempt is in the first episode, where he tries to marry Lord Edmund Blackadder as his bridesmaid (after Kate eloped). Fortunately, Baldrick still has enough intelligence left to admire Blackadder and clearly has desire to please him. Unfortunately, Edmund despises him and even fires him once. This great obstacle was removed for a short period of time when Edmund was kidnapped by Prince Ludwig the Indestructible along with Lord Melchett, thus Baldrick was able to get into the royal court by becoming the Queen's personal pet. A few hours later he was murdered by Prince Ludwig along with Blackadder, Melchett, Queenie, Queenie's nanny and Lord Percy.
• In the third series, S.Baldrick has lost almost all intelligence and apparently has no desire to rise in social standing and claims in the first episode that his goal in life is the acquisition of turnips. Ironically, in the same episode, Baldrick is appointed to the House of Lords by Prince George and thus becomes upper class, one of the greatest achievements of the Baldrick family. He also haggles for a priceless turnip (£400,000). Baldrick's turnip is crushed by Blackadder later and presumably his titles were erased as in the following episodes, he's back in lower class.
• In the fourth series, Private S. Baldrick's intelligence has slightly risen again enough that he desires a rise in social status. He attempts to gain social status in the first episode by marrying General Melchett. This of course does not succeed. He is also more aware of the classes than previous Baldricks and is angry when Blackadder hits him several times (other Baldricks never complain).
• In the Millennium special, S.Baldrick constructs a fake time machine from Leonardo da Vinci's sketches, despite his inability to read (combating this with his experience of constructing Airfix models). Baldrick's intelligence has risen to the level of the second Baldrick again and accidentally makes a real time machine. After a time-travel adventure, Lord Blackadder find England an extension of France, William Shakespeare having designed the ballpoint pen and no knowledge of Robin Hood whatsoever. Edmund takes all the things he gained on his journey (besides Elizabeth I's crown) and after another adventure, gets the idea to alter the timeline to become King. Predictably, Baldrick becomes his Prime Minister, finally becoming what he desired (as did Edmund) and is the second Baldrick to rise to upper class (although after Blackadder's alterations there may be more).

The catchphrase "I have a cunning plan" made its first appearance in the pilot episode, but it is not regularly used until the third series; Blackadder had mentioned the phrase twice in the first series and Baldrick once. Baldrick had also claimed to have "a plan" in a "cunning" voice on one occasion in Blackadder II. In the final episode of the last series, Blackadder Goes Forth, Baldrick announces that he has a cunning plan to save the main characters from "going over the top", although it is never revealed what this plan might be (other than that it is "as cunning as a fox who's just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University"). Blackadder, perhaps realising he cannot postpone going into battle (and certain death) indefinitely, dismisses it, telling Baldrick "Whatever it was, I'm sure it was better than my plan to get out of here by pretending to be mad. I mean, who would have noticed another madman around here?"

A persistent feature among the Baldricks is their lack of sexual preference, which is often played upon for comic effect. Although Baldrick likes women, he sometimes ends up having encounters with other men, such as a sailor in "Money" (Blackadder II) in exchange for sixpence and Will Scarlet (Blackadder: Back & Forth). He also expresses interest in marrying male characters to increase his social status, such as Blackadder in "Bells", Prince George in "Amy and Amiability" (Blackadder the Third) and General Melchett in "Major Star" (Blackadder Goes Forth). Nonetheless, Baldrick also shows a degree of attraction to women, shown in his conversation with a prostitute in "Money", and in "Amy and Amiability", when he expresses disappointment upon receiving a perfunctory kiss from Blackadder (instead of the voluptuous Lady Sarah Cheapside). Each Baldrick, at various points over the four series, is also willing - and at times eager - to indulge in crossdressing.

The only trait that is actually shared by all Baldricks is complete lack of hygiene and always having filthy, shaggy clothing. All Baldricks also have a different hat in the series (the first one has a pointy hat, the second has a big flat hat, the third has a dirty sea Captain's hat and the fourth has a trench cap). Some Baldricks are also fascinated with turnips, although mainly the third one. The second Baldrick mainly cooked it for dinner and while also finding an amusingly shaped turnip funny while the fourth was in a "Turnip Workhouse". However, only the third Baldrick had no other goal in life but the acquisition of turnips. Baldrick proves more intelligent than Blackadder's other companions - such as Lord Percy Percy or George - although only slightly. He is, however, often accorded more cruelty and mistreatment than he deserves.