Just reading this thread shows that some of the best comedy ever mixes pathos with laughs. Yes Derek has some wonderful moments as does the royal family, red dwarf, fast show and the rest.
For me it is the last episode of blackadder...really brought home the enormity and futility of war and the absurdity of WW1 in particular. Perfect in recalling captain blackadders understanding throughout the series in how it would all end. . A master stroke playing with the film to get it just right.
Spot on. The utter futility of the position of Blackadder, Baldrick and George was the theme of the show. Like you say, only Blackadder realised that fact.
Regarding Blackadder goes forth the last scene is obviously brilliant
But an underrated scene is when captain Darling is told he's going into the trenches as a surprise from Melchet in particular when Darling is subtly begging not to go and then the office door opens and there's a silhouette of the driver ready to transport him
Poor sod nearly gets away with it
The scene where he chins the dad is great
There's a great line from it when Eddie and Joan go out for dinner and she has a mixed grill she reels of all of the dish so it's
Steak, gammon , lamb chop, pork chop, egg, mushrooms, tomato,sausages, bacon, pineapple,onion rings and chips
Then she says it "it was too much for me I had to leave the tomato"