History Recap / BlackadderS3E5AmyAndAmiability

Edmund is in serious debt, and Baldrick has become obsessed by a mysterious highwayman known as "The Shadow". With no intention of following Baldrick's cunning plan to become a highwayman himself, Blackadder tries asking the Prince Regent for a pay rise, only to find that George is broke too (owing to his newfound addiction to and complete inability to play card games). With no better options, Edmund is therefore forced to search for a rich wife (and hence a sizable dowry) for the Prince. Unfortunately, of the 262 princesses in Europe, only two are possible matches: Grand Duchess Sophia of Turin, who is unlikely to marry the Prince on account of the fact she's met him, and Caroline of Brunswick, a woman with the worst personality in all of Germany ("and, as you can imagine, she's up against some pretty stiff competition").

With foreign royalty off the table, Edmund starts looking in British high society. Amy Hardwood, the daughter of a noted industrialist, seems like a good prospect, but unfortunately they're flat broke too. Blackadder breaks off the engagement (though too late to stop the Prince from blowing a fortune on engagement presents), and reluctantly follows Baldrick's suggestion and takes up life as a highwayman. With Baldrick as his horse. On his travels, he encounters Amy, who is actually the Shadow. She pretends to be in love with Blackadder to steal the Prince's money and the wedding gifts, but after having the ruse revealed to him and being tied up by her to be shot, he is rescued by Baldrick and subsequently turns her in for a £10,000 reward. The Prince, now in love with Amy, is crushed to discover that she has been arrested and hanged, but is warmed by the fact that he discovered "so much money I don't know what to do with it!", having accidentally found the hiding place for Edmund's reward money. All seems lost ... until Blackadder convinces the Prince to play a game of "cards" with him.

* CallBack: Sally Cheapside mentions being "in love with a poet called Shelley who's a famous whoopsie". Shelley was one of Lord Byron's hangers-on in "[[Recap/BlackadderS3E2InkAndIncapability]]".

-->'''Baldrick:''' You become a dashing highwayman, then you can pay your bills, and everyone would want to sleep with you.\\

* TruthInTelevision: One of the potential brides Blackadder suggests for George is Caroline of Brunswick, whom he dismisses on account of her "having the worst personality in Germany". Historically, the Prince Regent ''did'' marry Caroline, her personality was pretty much as described by Blackadder, and the marriage was an unmitigated disaster. In this universe, [[spoiler: it's presumably Blackadder who marries her.]]

* BrokeEpisode: Edmund and Prince George's financial troubles are behind the plot to marry Amy.
* CallBack: Sally Cheapside mentions being "in love with a poet called Shelley who's a famous whoopsie". Shelley was featured in the second episode of this series.

* EpicFail: The Prince's card-playing abilities (given the fact that he was told the object of the game is to lose one's money as fast as possible).

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Amy Hardwood comes to Blackadder's attention by spending lots of money, but then it turns out her family's stone broke. Where did all that cash come from?

* KickTheSonOfABitch: Amy, a.k.a. The Shadow, robs Blackadder and calls him a "dumb animal". Blackadder returns the favour after escaping and gets her arrested and executed for a hefty reward.

* NobilityMarriesMoney: Prince George, who has been accumulating huge gambling debts, attempted to marry the daughter of a wealthy industrialist for her money.
* NoodleIncident: Apparently Amy's aunt and uncle were a milkmaid and the Pope, who fell in love and got married.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Blackadder was so concerned about the prospect of his imminent death at the Shadow's hands that Baldick's sudden arrival introduces Blackadder to a genuinely new experience; "being pleased to see [Baldrick]!"

* PayEvilUntoEvil: Of all the people who Blackadder kills in the third series, Amy is the one person who definitely deserves it. That being said, Blackadder's motive is revenge first, the reward for her capture second, and bringing her to justice for her crimes a distant third.

* TakeThat: Blackadder reads an article in ''The Times'' entitled, "King Talks to Tree, Phew What a Loony", then remarks that the paper has really gone downhill recently. This was a dig at Prince Charles, who famously talked to his plants, although George III really did talk to a tree during one episode of madness, imagining it to be the King of Prussia. And also at Rupert Murdoch, who had bought ''The Times'' in 1981, six years before this episode was broadcast.

* EatsBabies:
-->'''Blackadder:''' People are worked up, sir, because they are so poor that they are forced to have children as a cheap alternative to turkey at Christmas.

* TakeThat: Blackadder reads an article in ''The Times'' entitled, "King Talks to Tree, Phew What a Loony", then remarks that the paper has really gone downhill recently. This was a dig at Prince Charles, who famously talked to his plants. And also at Rupert Murdoch, who had bought ''The Times'' in 1981, six years before this episode was broadcast.

'''Baldrick''': Yeah, it's like goldy or bronzy, only it's made of iron.

'''Baldrick:''' Yeah, it's like goldy or bronzy, only it's made of iron.

'''Baldrick''': Yeah, it's like goldy or silvery, only it's made of iron!

'''Baldrick:''' Yes, it's like goldy and bronzy only it's made out of iron.

* TruthInTelevision: One of the potential brides Blackadder suggests for George is Caroline of Brunswick, whom he dismisses on account of her "having the worst personality in Germany". Historically, the Prince Regent ''did'' marry Caroline and the marriage was an unmitigated disaster. In this universe, [[spoiler: it's presumably Blackadder who marries her.]]

* TakeThat: Blackadder reads an article in ''The Times'' entitled, "King Talks to Tree, Phew What a Loony", then remarks that the paper has really gone downhill. This was a dig at Prince Charles, who famously talked to his plants.

* TakeThat: Blackadder reads an article in ''The Times'' entitled, "King Talks to Tree, What a Loony", then remarks that the paper has really gone downhill. This was a dig at Prince Charles, who famously talked to his plants.

----

* UptownGirl: Not the main plot, where the prince is definitely [[GoldDigger in it for the money]]. But in trying to persuade her father to give it a go, she lists off several straight examples of increasing absurdity, the last of which being that her aunt and uncle were a milkmaid and the Pope.

* UptownGirl: Not the main plot, where the prince is definitely [[GoldDigger in it for the money]]. But in trying to persuade her father to give it a go, she lists of several straight examples of increasing absurdity, the last of which being that her aunt and uncle were a milkmaid and the Pope.

* TruthInTelevision: One of the potential brides Blackadder suggests for George is Caroline of Brunswick, whom he dismisses on account of her "having the worst personality in Germany". Historically, the Prince Regent ''did'' marry Caroline and the marriage was an unmitigated disaster. Also, in this universe, [[spoiler:it's presumably Blackadder who marries her]].

* PlayingCyrano: Blackadder acts as this to Prince George, although he thinks she's disgustingly twee [[spoiler:until he finds out she's the Shadow]].

'''Baldrick''': What'd you think you've been eating for the last two months?!\\

'''Baldrick''': ''Hire'' a horse?! For ninepence?! On Jewish New Year in the rain?! A bare fortnight after the dreaded Horse Plague of Old London Town?! With the blacksmith's strike in its fifteenth week and the Dorset Horse Fetishists Fair tomorrow?! ({{Beat}})\\

* GodzillaThreshold: ''"Crisis, Baldrick, crisis! No money, no marriage, more bills! For the '''first''' time in my life I've decided to follow a suggestion of yours!"''
* TheHighwayman: What Edmund decides to become after the plan to marry George off to Amy falls through. There's also "The Shadow", actually Amy Hardwood.

* KickTheSonOfABitch: The Shadow robbing Blackadder, and then calling him a "dumb animal". Blackadder returns the favour after escaping and gets her arrested and executed for a hefty reward.

Edmund is in serious debt. With no intention of following Baldrick's cunning plan to become a highwayman, Blackadder tries asking the Prince Regent for a payrise, only to find George is broke too (owing to his newfound addiction to and complete inability to play card games). With no better options, Edmund is therefore forced to search for a rich wife and hence a sizable dowry. Unfortunately, of the 262 princesses in Europe, only two are possible matches: Grand Duchess Sophia of Turin, who is unlikely to marry the Prince on account of the fact she's met him, and Caroline of Brunswick, a woman with the worst personality in Germany.

With fellow royalty off the table, Edmund starts looking in British high society. Amy Hardwood, the daughter of a noted industrialist, seems like a good prospect, but unfortunately they're flat broke too. Blackadder breaks off the engagement (though too late to stop the Prince from blowing a fortune on engagement presents), and reluctantly follows Baldrick's suggestion for the first time, taking up life as a highwayman. On his travels, he encounters Amy, who is in truth the infamous highwayman known as the Shadow. She pretends to be in love with Blackadder to steal the Prince's money and the wedding gifts, but after having the ruse revealed to him and being tied up by her to be shot, he is rescued by Baldrick and Blackadder turns her in for a £10,000 reward. The Prince, now in love with Amy, is crushed to discover that she has been arrested and hanged, but is warmed by the fact that he discovered "so much money I don't know what to do with it!", having accidentally found the hiding place for Edmund's reward money. All seems lost...until Blackadder convinces the Prince to play a game of "cards" with him.

'''Prince George''': As a matter of fact, they ''do'' often to have to-!\\

--->'''Prince George''': ''(lasciviously)'' That goes without saying.

-->People are worked up, sir, because they are so poor that they are forced to have children as a cheap alternative to turkey at Christmas.

-->'''Sally Cheapside''': ''[kisses Blackadder and hard]'' Oh, I'm overcome. Take me with you to live the life of the wild rogue, cuddling under haystacks and making love in the branches of tall trees!

'''Baldrick:''' ''(alarmed)'' Alright, which one do you want me to do first?!\\
'''Blackadder:''' No that's what Caroline's like!
* TruthInTelevision: One of the potential brides Blackadder suggests for George is Caroline of Brunswick, whom he dismisses on account of her "having the worst personality in Germany". Historically, the Prince Regent did marry Caroline and the marriage was an unmitigated disaster. Also, in this universe, [[spoiler:it's presumably Blackadder who marries her]].