Darling (Blackadder) - Character Overview

Character Overview

Kevin Darling, whose surname is a constant embarrassment to him, is a Captain in the British Army in World War I. He is a pencil-pushing staff officer (hence the red tabs on his collar and the red band around his cap, both of which were later only worn by officers of the rank of Colonel or above) and aide to General Melchett. As revealed in "General Hospital", he was born in Croydon and educated in the Ipplethorpe Primary School, and even has a girlfriend called Doris. In "Private Plane", when pushed by Blackadder, Darling lets slip that he attempted to transfer to the Women's Auxiliary Balloon Corps (although he says there is nothing "cushy" about this). Given the context of this conversation (Blackadder is attempting to get transferred into the Royal Flying Corps), and Darling's character in general, he has presumably pulled some strings to allow him to remain in the army without having to serve in battle. Nevertheless, among Darling's handful of medals worn on his uniform, he appears to have been awarded a Military Cross, the circumstances of which are never explained.

Despite (or perhaps because of) his constant toadying, Melchett views Darling with a great deal of contempt, and although claiming to regard him as a son, takes pains to point out that he's certainly not a favorite, but rather a "sort of spotty, illegitimate sprog that no one really likes". Darling's main duties at GHQ include unloading and assigning truck loads of paper clips, sending orders to charge and helping Melchett with his dickie-bows and his dicky bladder.

Unlike most characters (who are usually comic foils), Darling is portrayed as a rival and intellectual equal to Blackadder, with whom he is always in conflict, and one who usually triumphs. However, Blackadder often gets some sort of revenge, for example feeding Darling, along with Melchett, with one of Baldrick's banquets (each dish consisting of unsavory ingredients), getting him to eat Baldrick's "Charlie Chaplin" moustache (in reality a dead slug) by telling him it's liquorice, watching as Lord Flashheart headbutts him out cold, interrogating him until he bursts into tears and protests that he's not a German spy, or serving Darling some of Baldrick's "coffee"—made from mud, using dandruff as sugar and saliva as cream (Blackadder did not take up Baldrick's offer of 'chocolate sprinkles').