Character Relationship Map: Blackadder: Back & Forth

Characters

• Blackadder (played by Rowan Atkinson) — protagonist

  Modern-era Lord Blackadder, time-traveling aristocrat and schemer.

• Baldrick (played by Tony Robinson) — protagonist

  Modern-era Baldrick, loyal servant and accomplice to Lord Blackadder.

• Melchett (played by Stephen Fry) — supporting

  Bumbling aristocrat and friend to Lord Blackadder.

• George (played by Hugh Laurie) — supporting

  Dim-witted aristocrat and friend to Lord Blackadder.

• Maid Marian / King Blackadder's Wife (played by Kate Moss) — supporting

  Dual role: legendary outlaw's companion and medieval queen.

• Darling (played by Tim McInnerny) — supporting

  Clergyman and friend to Lord Blackadder.

• Wellington (played by Simon Russell Beale) — minor

  Historical British military leader at Waterloo.

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Baldrick → Maid Marian / King Blackadder's Wife (Power Royal Association) — Baldrick gains a formal political role in the altered monarchy.

  The final broadcast presents Baldrick as the figurehead Prime Minister alongside King Blackadder and Queen Marian.

• Blackadder → Maid Marian / King Blackadder's Wife (Romantic Sexual Encounter) — Their encounter is brief but directly affects Blackadder's medieval adventure.

  In Sherwood Forest, Blackadder has sex with Maid Marian before leaving with a souvenir hat.

• Blackadder → Baldrick (Professional Master And Servant) — Blackadder commands the schemes while Baldrick performs loyal practical support.

  Baldrick serves Blackadder by retrieving the wager items, assisting with the time machine, and following him through history.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Melchett → Darling (Alliance Co-Guest) — Their connection is limited to the shared guest group and wager.

  Melchett and Darling attend the same New Year's Eve gathering and join the wager against Blackadder.

• Melchett → George (Alliance Co-Guest) — They share participation in the opening social challenge.

  Melchett and George are both among the guests who accept Blackadder's wager and await the historical objects.

• Baldrick → Wellington (Narrative Historical Interference) — Baldrick helps Blackadder move through a dangerous military episode.

  Baldrick accompanies Blackadder when they land near Wellington's forces and escape after taking historical objects.

• Blackadder → Wellington (Conflict Historical Rival) — Blackadder interferes with Wellington's historical moment for personal gain.

  Blackadder lands beside Wellington during the Waterloo campaign and attempts to steal his boots.

• Blackadder → Darling (Social Host And Guest) — Darling is part of the social group whose challenge tests Blackadder's claim.

  Darling is present at Blackadder Hall when Blackadder proposes the time-travel wager.

• Blackadder → George (Social Host And Guest) — George participates in the wager that initiates the adventure.

  George attends the gathering at Blackadder Hall and challenges Blackadder to retrieve historical objects.

• Blackadder → Melchett (Social Host And Guest) — Melchett is one of Blackadder's aristocratic guests and a skeptical participant in the opening scheme.

  Melchett attends Blackadder's New Year's Eve gathering and accepts the wager concerning the time machine.

Story Analysis

A fraudulent time-travel wager becomes a chaotic mission to repair history after Blackadder and Baldrick accidentally alter Britain.

Plot Progression

1. The Impossible Wager — Blackadder hosts a New Year's Eve gathering and wagers that his machine can retrieve objects from history. His fake demonstration becomes real, sending him and Baldrick into the past.
2. Lost Across History — The travelers survive a dinosaur encounter and discover that the machine's dials lack dates. They move through royal, literary, and outlaw settings while trying to find a route home.
3. Boots, Helmets, and Danger — Blackadder pursues the wager objects at Waterloo and Hadrian's Wall. Each stop creates new risks while the travelers remain unable to control their destination.
4. History Strikes Back — Baldrick remembers the dial settings, allowing them to return to 1999. They find that their interventions have transformed Britain and damaged the historical record.
5. The Cunning Final Plan — Blackadder revisits key moments to repair the altered timeline and save Britain. The closing broadcast reveals a surprising royal outcome involving Blackadder, Marian, and Baldrick.