Original artwork, not a still
Ha ha ha, don't worry my boy, if you should falter, remember that Captain Darling and I are behind you. About thirty-five miles behind you.
— Blackadder ‧ 1983
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Melchett offers moral solidarity; Blackadder measures the distance. The exchange lets the two men express incompatible versions of the same command structure without openly arguing. Keeping the reassurance and the reply together is essential: the joke lives in how far ‘behind you’ can stretch when the people saying it will remain safely at headquarters.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for BlackadderShow the scene
In ‘Captain Cook’, the first episode of Blackadder Goes Forth (1989), General Melchett asks Baldrick whether he is looking forward to the big push. Baldrick admits that he is terrified. Melchett takes this as healthy soldierly humour and reassures him that he and Captain Darling will be behind the men. Blackadder supplies the geographical detail that turns the promised support into something rather less comforting.
Sources (2)
- Captain Cook — episode subtitle transcriptBlackadder Goes Forth — Captain Cook; quoted conversationReference checked
- Blackadder Goes Forth — WikiquoteCaptain CookReference checked
Context reviewed
