Blackadder Goes Forth (TV Series) General Hospital (1989) User Reviews

One of the best episodes

[snoozejonc · 10/10 · 12 February 2021]

Blackadder hunts for a German spy in the field hospital.

This is another classic episode with a very funny plot, brilliant dialogue and wonderful performances.

The plot is quite clever considering its a 30 minute sit-com episode with a fair bit of intrigue surrounding the identity of the spy. It does not in anyway detract away from the main purpose, which is the comedy, but it gives it an extra dimension of entertainment.

This is another fine example of the Curtis and Elton dialogue at its best, with Blackadder firing razor sharp punchlines like a machine gun turret. His biggest victim in this episode is Captain Darling in a number of hilarious exchanges. We also get some of the best sight gags in the series.

All performances are excellent as ever with every member of the regular cast on perfect form. Rowan Atkinson, Stephen Fry and Tim McInnerny have the best material. Miranda Richardson has a memorable guest role as Nurse Mary Fletcher-Brown. Bill Wallis has a great cameo as a notable patient in the hospital.

General Hospital - another hilarious classic!

[general-melchett · 10/10 · 10 November 2006]

General Hospital's opening scene in the trench was one of the funniest things Blackadder has ever shown to us - Baldrick's unbelievable stupidity is at its worst here. But as the first 10 minutes are generally light-hearted, the rest of the episode becomes dark and mysterious - rooting out a German spy is the main event in this episode. Nurse Mary is probably the most complex single-episode character in Blackadder - she is a woman of many faces, and one that is deceitful and frank. Blackadder once again begins to get to know and fancy her, but this episode is his best relationship - better than anything The Queen of Spain's Beard (Series 1) or Amy and Amiability (Series 3) have to offer - only because it is dark, mysterious and rather subtle - unlike the two aforementioned episodes. That said, this episode delivers more hilarious lines and is once again another riotous comedy fest (a great line is said by Blackadder when Baldrick says that he has a girlfriend (Miss Wright) back home who wants to gather him up in her arms: "Yes, I wouldn't be too hopeful - we'd have to get her arms out of her strait-jacket first.") This is probably the most complex and intelligent of all the Blackadder episodes, and is one that actually has a sense of mystery to it, and is also one that offers a surprising resolution. The episode offers very subtle clues during the hospital scenes that will eventually lead to the resolution - you probably won't catch them, but thankfully, Blackadder recaps us at the end and tells us all. It is this reason that makes General Hospital unique, and a must see Blackadder episode. But it is the next episode, Goodbyeee, that will be the greatest.

On the whole - General Hospital is a great episode, and easily the smartest of all the Blackadders, as well as being one of the funniest. A must-see. 10/10

One of the Best in all the series

[Robert_Wagner62 · 10/10 · 3 December 2010]

Blackadder Goes Forth is the best of the Blackadder series, closely followed by Blackadder the 3rd, 1st & 2nd...But this episode, General Hospital is truly hilarious, not the funniest, but very very funny.

When Blackadder is appointed as the Officer given the task of rooting out a German Spy, a lot of great lines follow. One of my absolute favorite parts is when Blackadder is interrogating Cpt. Darling for no other reason but his disdain for the man, and he ties him up in a chair and gives him a cigarette and then lights it, then smacks it out of his mouth and in an increasingly investigative tone, asks, "OK Darling, what was it the Pumpernickel or the thought of hanging around large men wearing leather shorts...?" What a gas, a true British classic...

I own the whole series, including Blackadder Back & Forth, the one part episode made in 1999, but Blackadder Goes Forth is truly the funniest...

Forgettable but fun.

[zacpetch · 8/10 · 3 December 2014]

In the first ever Blackadder, "The Foretelling", there was something of a mysterious feel to the episode. Sadly it was the only thing it did well. I was hopeful of seeing something with a similar feel of mystery to it again in Blackadder, done well this time, and it's here that "General Hospital" delivers. It's also good for giving us more from Miranda Richardson in a character quite unlike her two previous roles on the show. Nurse Mary comes across initially like another Amy from series three but is soon shown to be a very different sort of woman.

The show begins with an excellent game of Eye-Spy as Baldrick is plain stupid and believes the word 'breakfast' begins with the letter T (tea). Edmund responds by punching him. It's one of few occasions we see Blackadder actually hit anyone this series and it's good to see it happening again. Then a bomb lands and sends George to hospital.

Melchett and Darling have one of their finest moments in their first appearance this episode hiding one behind a noticeboard as the other comes up behind you with a shotgun. Edmund is told that there's a spy in George's hospital and it's his job to find him. Then after Edmund sets off, Darling is literally shot in the foot and sent to spy on Edmund. "Sounds fun!" Melchett says and he's right, it is. The episode is a fun one and still one that has a sense of the mysterious to it as we're kept guessing who the spy will be. The answer will surprise you!

The episode leaves clues throughout as to the identity of the spy and it still manages to be surprising when the spy's identity is revealed by Edmund, after an incredible monologue about pooh-pooh that must have needed tonnes of takes to get right: It's Melchett at his finest. Then we learn about someone else who is the spy instead. Also great is Edmund's interrogation of Darling (believe me, I'll be asking myself some quite searching questions later on) and the one-off character of The Brigadier Proudfoot-Smith.

The episode is let down by it's being placed between two extremely good ones and comes off as forgettable overall. That's a shame because this is quite a different episode than the usual Blackadder and a strong episode because of it. 8/10

Sublime!

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 25 April 2022]

Blackadder is tasked with routing out a spy at a Hospital, George is laid up, being tended to by the beautiful Nurse Mary.

Definitely one of Blackadder's bet ever episodes, absolutely magical from start to finish.

It almost plays out like one of those romances from the 1950's, it has that kind of sentimental romantic vibe, however it's Blackadder, so it's loaded with wit, humour, and a lot of physical humour.

Miranda Richardson, be still my beating heart, is sublime throughout, magically funny, with an incredible sense of timing. Loved the scenes of her nursing George, side splitting.

I can't believe how quickly this series has rolled by, only one to go, and I must ready myself for it, having only seen it once.

This, was perfect, 10/10.

Spy

[bevo-13678 · 10/10 · 2 April 2020]

Great espionage movie too many sex scenes and not enough fighting

Decent...

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 8 June 2010]

This is neither a great episode nor a bad one--just a decent episode from the somewhat disappointing fourth series. In this episode, George is injured and sent to the hospital. Soon after his arrival, word is that there is a German spy working in the place and Blackadder is chosen to take three weeks off from the war and investigate. Once again, the Captain is thrilled to be out of the action.

The first thing any viewer will notice is one of the patients who speaks with a very strong German accent and uses a lot of German words. Yet, no one there seems to have noticed. Blackadder orders Baldrick to watch this guy but almost all of Blackadder's attention is on a horny nurse (Miranda Richardson) and they spend almost all their time together having sex. In the end, Blackadder appears to be a hero and Darling a complete idiot....perhaps.

While this episode is entertaining, there are very few laughs. It's all very nice viewing but far from memorable of interesting. Worth seeing but that's about it.