Ebenezer Blackadder

Ebenezer Blackadder
Blackadder character
First appearance	Blackadder's Christmas Carol
Last appearance	Blackadder's Christmas Carol
Portrayed by	Rowan Atkinson
Information
Occupation	Moustache-shop owner
Children	Edmund Blackadder
Relatives	Richard IV (ancestor) Gertrude (ancestor) Edmund (ancestor) Leia (ancestor) E. Blackadder (grandfather) Edmund III (descendant) See here for more
Nationality	English

Ebenezer Blackadder is one of the many Blackadder descendants from the BBC sitcom of the name. Unlike his ancestors, however, he is the only member of the Blackadder family whose name is not Edmund to feature in the television shows.

Overview

Ebenezer Blackadder is a Victorian moustache-shop owner, and he is the most generous and kind man in England, though his kindness is often abused by everyone around him, from beggars and con-artists to his own god-daughter. His only true friend in the world is his assistant, Mr. Baldrick, who sometimes subtly criticises Ebenezer for his attitude, especially when it leads to them having absolutely nothing left on Christmas Eve. Though it is obvious through Ebenezer's comments that he is saddened and rather miserable, he opts not to display it.

However, that night, a Christmas spirit comes around to his house to visit, on a routine job of getting misers to "change their evil ways". Though he commends Ebenezer for his good behaviour, a conversation ensues between them and the spirit casually mentions that his most effective method is the use of visions of the subjects' past or their ancestors. This arouses Ebenezer's curiosity and the spirit decides to show him a vision of his ancestor:

Lord Blackadder from Elizabethan England tries to give Queenie a portrait of herself as a Christmas gift, only for her to reveal that she has banned Christmas and will execute anyone she sees celebrating it. In response, Blackadder uses reverse psychology to get Lord Melchett to give her a present, hoping Queenie will execute him, but Melchett's present only renews her love for Christmas and she almost executes Blackadder for not getting her a gift, but Blackadder tricks both Queenie and Melchett into signing a death warrant that will result in Melchett's execution and all of his belongings going to Blackadder himself (though Melchett was killed along with the others by Prince Ludwig).

Though claiming to be repulsed by Lord Blackadder's behaviour, Ebenezer expresses admiration at his ancestor's skill and wit, and asks to see another ancestor.

Mr. E. Blackadder, butler to the Prince Regent George, conspires with his servant, Baldrick, to steal all of George's presents for themselves, with Baldrick disguised as an old beggar woman. Once with George in the living room, they try to play a game of charades, but George fails to grasp the meaning of the word "syllable" and quits. Blackadder decides to tell the Prince a story of an old beggar woman who came to the castle of a young and handsome prince, also named George, on Christmas Eve, for shelter from the cold. In his sympathy, not only did George shelter the beggar, but gave her all of his Christmas presents. The story reduces George to tears, and just then, an old beggar woman, supposedly Baldrick in disguise, indeed comes to the palace asking for shelter, and as in the story, George asks Blackadder to give her all of his presents. However, the old woman quickly leaves the living room without Blackadder, who goes to the corridor to congratulate Baldrick, but he claims that he only just slipped into the costume, meaning that the old woman who took the presents was actually a thief. In his rage, Blackadder punches Baldrick and hurries out to chase the old woman.

Again, Ebenezer is impressed by his ancestor's wit and begins to realise that there is "something to be made out of being bad", and asks the spirit to show him what would happen if he were to adopt the same attitude as his ancestors. The spirit reluctantly shows him another vision.

In the distant future, the Universe is under the control of Queenie's descendant, Queen Asphyxia XIX, and her triple husbandoid, made from the descendants of Melchett, George and Nursie. Blackadder is the commanding officer of Asphyxia's Imperial Navy, and Baldrick is his thong-wearing slave. Blackadder returns from a mission of having just conquered an army opposing Asphyxia, but has also brought with him a "gift" which vaporises the husbandoid. Blackadder then demands that Asphyxia hand over her empire to him and marry him as his Queen, and she happily accepts his proposal.

Ebenezer is now convinced that if he becomes bad, his descendants will ultimately rule the universe. The spirit tells him that it is only one possible future, but Ebenezer asks him to show him what will happen if he remains the way he is. The spirit refuses, but Ebenezer manages to conjure up the vision himself.

The same scenario plays out, only with Baldrick and Blackadder's places reversed. Furthermore, Baldrick is shown to be rather incompetent: in the same mission that Blackadder led his army to victory, Baldrick accidentally wiped his own army out, and cannot remember his slave's name.

Despite the spirit's warnings, Ebenezer makes his decision to change his attitude completely, without letting the spirit know. From the next day, Ebenezer becomes as ruthless and cunning as his ancestors, speaking rudely and abusively to all those who conned him the previous day, taking back his earnings, and even abusing Mr. Baldrick. At one point, however, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert come to visit, intending to present Ebenezer with a gift of fifty thousand pounds and the title of "Baron Blackadder" for being the nicest man in England. Ebenezer, however, does not believe that they are the real royalty: since they demanded his last ten pounds from him the previous night for charity, he thinks that they are just more con artists, and insults them before ejecting them from his house. However, at dinnertime, Baldrick presents Ebenezer with the Queen's royal seal, proving to Ebenezer that he just missed what may have been his only chance at wealth and prosperity.

What happened to Ebenezer afterwards is not shown, but his legacy is continued in Blackadder Goes Forth, where his son, Captain Blackadder, is the protagonist.

Family

Ebenezer is the grandson of Mr. E. Blackadder, and father of Captain Blackadder. Although Ebenezer's grandfather became George IV of the United Kingdom, he is not in a royal position, being presumably descended from an affair his grandfather had before his elevation to royal status.