Lord Flashheart

Lord Flashheart is the name of two characters (the first presumably an ancestor of the second) who appeared in two episodes of the popular BBC sitcom Blackadder. They were both played by Rik Mayall.

The first Lord Flashheart appeared in a single scene of the first episode of the second series of Blackadder. His descendant, Squadron Commander the Lord Flashheart, appeared as a major character in the fourth series in an episode called "Private Plane".

Character

Lord Flashheart is boisterous, arrogant and appears very attractive to all the women he comes in contact with. He is extremely popular amongst his peers, and immediately becomes the centre of attention whenever he enters a room. The two Flashhearts are stereotypes of a certain kind of hero (the Elizabethan swashbuckler and the World War I Royal Flying Corps flying ace, respectively), slanted to emphasise the negative qualities associated with such characters such as excessive pride, smugness, sexism and arrogance.

His catchphrase is to shout "Woof!" or "Let's do-oo-ooooo it!" very loudly, whilst thrusting his pelvis suggestively. He commonly uses sexual innuendoes in ordinary conversation, for example, "Am I pleased to see you, or did I just put a canoe in my pocket?"

Character Development

Blackadder II

Flashheart's first appearance was in the season two episode "Bells". He is initially introduced, in conversation, by Lord Blackadder as his most trusted friend, and he is chosen to be Blackadder's best man. Lord Percy, whilst expressing regret on Blackadder's choice of best man, describes Flashheart as being "The best sword, the best bow and best kisser in the kingdom". However once he makes his extravagant last-minute entrance to Blackadder's wedding he flirts outrageously with The Queen, Nursie and even Baldrick, who is dressed as a bridesmaid ("Thanks bridesmaid. Like the beard, gives me something to hang on to!"), then insults Lord Melchett "Still worshipping God? Last thing I heard, he started worshipping me!" , and steals the bride - but only after they swap clothes.

The song over the final credits of "Bells" included the lines "Lord Flashheart, Lord Flashheart, I wish you were the star; Lord Flashheart, Lord Flashheart, You're sexier by far."

Blackadder Goes Forth

In the fourth series episode "Private Plane", Flashheart reappears as a WW1 pilot. His full rank and title in the fourth series is Squadron Commander The Lord Flashheart. This encounter with Blackadder ends in opposite manner to the episode in Blackadder II - instead of starting out as friends and ending up as (presumably - as one did steal the other's bride and threatened to kill the other) enemies; they start out as foes and end up as comrades, united in their desire for revenge on Captain Darling who had refused to send official help to Blackadder and Baldrick when they were captured by the Germans, leaving Flashheart to answer Lieutenant George's plea for an unofficial rescue mission. Flashheart, meanwhile, began calling Blackadder "Slackie", an abbreviation of "Slackbladder", which he uses as a derogatory pun of Blackadder and calling Baldrick "the mound of the hound of the Baskervilles," as a joke about him being so disgusting. Upon discovering Baldrick and Blackadder behind enemy lines, Flashheart shoots WW1 flying ace Baron von Richthofen (played by Adrian Edmondson) before shouting, "What a poof!"

Blackadder: Back and Forth

Mayall also played a very Flashheart-like Robin Hood in the millennium special Blackadder: Back & Forth. He is accompanied by Will Scarlet, Friar Tuck, Maid Marian (Kate Moss) and his band of Merry Men. At first he is killed by his own men when they realise Blackadder's truth about the insufficiency of their lives. But later, when Blackadder tries to change time back to normal, he asks him why he is so great, upon which he gives the answer "Because I'm me!"

Flashheart & Bob

The bride stolen by Flashheart is Kate (known as Bob, played by Gabrielle Glaister), who spends most of the episode posing as a man to earn money as Blackadder's valet.

In Blackadder Goes Forth Kate/Bob appears again, this time posing as a man in order to "do her bit" by serving in the army. The events of the second series in which Blackadder is entirely taken in by her disguise notwithstanding (or perhaps because of them), in this episode Blackadder sees through her disguise right away.

She also makes a brief cameo in Flashheart's episode. Flashheart demonstrates his philosophy that "if you want something, you should take it," by calling her into the room and announcing to her that he wants something. She responds immediately by saying; "Take it," while pulling open her top; she then leads him out of the office.