Original artwork, not a still
I mean, look at this! What is it? / I'm surprised you've forgotten, my lord. / I haven't forgotten, it's a rhetorical question. / No, it's a potato.
— Blackadder · 1983
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Blackadder is making an argument about fame; Baldrick is identifying lunch. Neither can persuade the other to operate at the same level, and the potato remains stubbornly a potato throughout the exchange. The joke is a perfect small example of their partnership: elaborate grievance meets literal-minded helpfulness.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for BlackadderShow the scene
In ‘Potato’, the third episode of Blackadder II (1986), Sir Walter Raleigh's celebrity has left Blackadder thoroughly irritated. He complains that the people doing the work receive none of the rewards, and holds up a potato to make his point. Baldrick hears his rhetorical question as a genuine request for identification. Blackadder then contrasts their ordinary vegetable with the wealth and romantic success that exploration has brought Raleigh.
Sources (2)
- Potato — episode subtitle transcriptBlackadder II — Potato; quoted conversationReference checked
- Blackadder II — WikiquotePotatoReference checked
Context reviewed
