Captain Pellew sends Hornblower to France with the French royalist Colonel Moncoutant (Anthony Sher.) He reminded me of Monsieur Faberge, a Brut.The British have teamed up with their enemy with the hope of helping the royalists to overthrow the revolutionaries. Hornblower accompanied by Major Lord Edrington (Sam West) find that Moncoutant is too busy exacting revenge against the villagers they are based in. Hornblower falls for the beautiful schoolteacher.It is not long before Pellew and Hornblower separately realise that this unholy union is doomed. Hornblower is appalled by what he sees the royalist soldiers do. Major Erdington a man of sardonic dry wit tries his utmost to keep things diplomatic with the French royalist soldiers and the angry Hornblower.Less seafaring action in this one, especially as Pellew is struck as there is no wind for the sails of his ship. Romance is in the air for Hornblower with the schoolteacher who tries to keep her and the children safe.There is character development for Archie Kennedy who becomes more experienced in battle, a good performance from Sam West and an over the top one from Anthony Sher.

SPOILERS The French Revolution split the French nation like so many internal wars have split nations before. With royalists and republicans executing each other in equal measures, it's a wonder that many French were left alive by the end of the conflict. In the fourth episode of the majestic Hornblower series, the charismatic member of the King's navy, must fight to save a French town from an extremist Frenchman.Still serving aboard Captain Pellew's (Robert Lindsay) Indefatigable, Lieutenant Horatio Hornblower (Ioan Gruffudd) is sent to France with an extreme French General (Anthony Sher) to re-associate the General with his village. Arriving at the village however, it isn't long before the General's power gets to his head however, and Horatio must help the beautiful schoolteacher Mariette (Estelle Skornik) and the rest of the village.As a rarity, this episode is spent mostly on dry land, and whilst a nice pleasant change, it does feel slightly more isolated. Lacking in the gritty realism of seafaring, "The Frogs and the Lobsters" feels distinctively more like an opportunity for the brilliant Lieutenant to fall in love in sunny climates, a sort of Club 1700s as it were.Minus the sea, Hornblower often doesn't feel like Hornblower though, and this shows in a weak script and plot which have a tendency to frustrate and annoy. Two phrases never thought to be heard about such an amazing series, they are necessary sadly for this episode and the mediocre following couple.Still, scripting aside, the series continues to benefit from some top notch acting. Gruffudd is once more on top form, as is Antony Sher as the inscrutably evil General Moncoutant. Once more however, the series is helped along by an award winning turn by Jamie Bamber as Hornblower's best friend Archie. Bamber has grown throughout the entire series and he will continue to improve until the characters disappearance from the series.For being part of such a good series, it's emotionally disturbing to want to condemn any episode. Sadly this fourth part is vastly inferior to it's predecessors. You do find yourself engulfed and desperate for more at it's conclusion, but compared with earlier episodes, it remains a big disappointment.

I agree that the acting is phenomenal, I too wish to see Sam West and Robert Lindsay in other productions, but it seems that there is very little available by way of backtracking their other works. I am tickled every time Lord Edrington gives one of his dry little commentaries, he would make an awesome verbal adversary. I can't remember where I heard this quote but it pops into my head when I watch Sam West's portrayal of the redoubtable Lord Edrington, "It's difficult to fight a battle of the wits with the unarmed." Not that HH is 'unarmed', but Lord Edrington seems to leave the Naval folk deliciously speechless rather frequently. ^_^

The "Horatio Hornblower" series has been a wonderful surprise. It is beautifully filmed, with enough period detail to make it seem real, while things are carefully explained to us so that it is not too obscure. We learn along with the new young officer Horatio. By the time of this, the fourth movie, he has developed confidence and values of his own, and they are sorely tested as he, a sailor, ends up in a French village contested by the Republicans and the Royalists. The performances are wonderful. I hope that there are more "Horatio's" in the works.