Melchett - Blackadder Goes Forth (General Melchett)

Blackadder Goes Forth (General Melchett)

The Melchett dynasty has changed quite a bit in Blackadder Goes Forth; rather than being the snivelling, slimy, reserved, intelligent, obsequious sycophant that Lord Melchett was, General Melchett is a loud, childish, unintelligent, incompetent, pompous warmonger.

The General Melchett character appearing in Blackadder Goes Forth was something of a popular caricature of World War I generals like Field Marshal Douglas Haig in that both his preferred battle tactics and general attitudes towards warfare are stuck firmly in a bygone era. He fails to understand or comprehend the basic concepts of modern trench warfare and is totally unable to come up with a new strategy that would suit it. Instead he continuously sends men to a senseless death with seemingly no tactics at all. This is parodied in a scene where Haig himself (played by Geoffrey Palmer) is talking to Captain Blackadder on the phone. In front of Haig is a model of a trench with rows of men on either side. He places all the models on top of the trench, then knocks them over with a stick and casually sweeps them into a waste paper bin. Blackadder also comments on this in "General Hospital"; in response to General Melchett informing him that a German spy is stealing battleplans, Blackadder sardonically replies, "I didn't realise we had any battle plans."

The General is constantly trying to lift the morale of the men, completely ignorant of the fact that they are too afraid of their impending deaths to have their spirits lifted by a Charlie Chaplin film or a drag act. Much like Lieutenant George, he has no concept of soldiers' fear, and cannot understand why Blackadder and Captain Darling are reluctant to fight (and presumably die). He also attempted to have Captain Blackadder shot for eating his (Melchett's) pet carrier pigeon (called Speckled Jim), which he raised from a chick, causing him to have an unfair court-martial for Edmund with him as Judge, tried to marry Lieutenant George (who was in character as drag queen 'Gorgeous Georgina'), and shot Captain Kevin Darling in the foot to provide a believable alibi for undercover hospital work. Despite Blackadder's having shot his pigeon, however, he appears to prefer Blackadder to Darling, at one point asking him to be his best man at his wedding.

It appears the General is a family friend of Lieutenant George's and both make frequent references to traditional upper class life in the UK. This mostly involves heavy overuse of Public School slang and metaphors as well as references to stereotypical upper class values. There seems to be a hint that Melchett attended Winchester College as he makes a few references to them facing Harrow in various sports. Melchett then went to Cambridge University (as did George himself) with one of George's relatives. General Melchett was at George's six birthday where he set his dog on, ran over, and shot George's rabbit Flossy. Although no reason is given for him doing this, apart from the possibility that he wanted to have some rabbit pie.

General Melchett displays 12 medals on his tunic - in order (with associated post nominal in parenthesis) the Victoria Cross (VC), Distinguished Service Order (DSO), Territorial Force War Medal, Afghanistan Medal 1878-1880, General Service Medal 1918, Egypt Medal 1882-1889, India Medal 1896, Queen's South Africa Medal 1899, King's South Africa Medal, India General Service Medal and finally the 1914-15 Star. He has also been made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) and henceforth is awarded the title 'Sir'.

In series four, the role of the snivelling sycophant and Blackadder's rival is filled by Captain Darling, who acts as General Melchett's aide and who is always by his side, right up until Melchett sends him to the front line in the series' final episode. He is the only one of the main characters that survives the final episode, having stayed behind instead of serving on the front line.