 Baldrick , who in the first series was the most intelligent of the main trio , became more stupid , an idea proposed by Ben Elton to make him " the stupidest person in the history of ... human beings " , and to act as a foil to Blackadder 's new @-@ found intelligence . The series was also the originator of Baldrick 's obsession with the turnip , although this apparently arose from a botanical error on the part of Elton , who confused the vegetable with the " amusingly shaped " parsnip . 
