(no subject)

[trinityvixen]

Having finished my Hornblower box set, I can honestly say the whole thing ought to have ended after the sixth installment. Really, despite being hilarious, the whole Horatio getting a wife bit was entirely unnecessary. You could tell from the outset that Horatio wasn't ever going to work out paired with a female. I thought he had a father at least from the first movie, but it seems he's pretty much family-less, so that explains stuff, but whatever dude. Mariah was too old, not attractive nor pitiful enough to merit the attention, and terribly annoying.

I also didn't get at all the whole thing with the explosive cannonball at the end. Is it that he doesn't care if he did die or just that he didn't want to be overly praised because he is so bad at accepting help/compliments? Whatever. I am also incensed, outraged even, at the strange turn of Mr. Bush not shooting the traitor. Why the hell not? If it was because they'd been friends or if Mr. Bush were in on the plot or if he weren't able to kill men readily, I'd understand it. But Mr. Wolf and Mr. Bush were never talking together, so not friends. Mr. Bush remained loyal and wonderful to the last, so not complicit with the traitor either (especially as he, along with ten marines and Horatio, does end up shooting the bastard). And there has never been a moment Mr. Bush didn't kill as he was supposed to. I resent this hesitation bullcrap. Almost as much as I resent the fanfic happy ending. God in heaven, no surprise, she's preggers despite Horatio not having more carnal relations with her than he would the mast of his ship (I'm surprised the wedding night happened at all, given his readiness to escape to war).

Did get a great big laugh as the series ended with him still perplexed as to what Mariah meant by putting his hand on her stomach. I knew she'd have to come right out and tell him before he'd get it. Hee hee.

Really, my most significant insight came after I put on Pride and Prejudice, which, given my predilection towards A&E at present, has been on my mind for a while. Despite the excellence of three-fourths of the Horatio Hornblower, Pride and Prejudice remains the most superior miniseries ever shown on that channel. The first disc is almost painful to watch in parts as the bits that are mortifying to Elizabeth Bennet are just as horridly embarrassing for the viewers.

Oh, and my insight was this: the Navy men are much more attractive than the Army men. Watch Hornblower and compare Archie Kennedy, Horatio Hornblower, Mr. Wellet, Lord Voldemort, Mr. Bush, even the Admirals are terribly distinguished versus the army officers in Pride and Prejudice. I may be biased--Navy's in the family, after all (my grandfather was a Naval engineer)--but you cannot beat the men of the Navy, not in those poncy red coats, boys. And lose the muttonchops.

Comments

[plungerdna.livejournal.com]

yeah Navy men!!!

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Heh, glad you approve. Give me some good sea men any day of the week over twitchy jarheads.

[anomilygrace.livejournal.com]

The 18c British regular's uniform is far better - the ones the hat companies wear. Or maybe that's just my undeniable attraction to men in breeches. Tight stockings over well shaped calves, tight breeches, and a bright red coat to top it off? (Don't forget the linen shirt and cocked hat). Sorry, I have to go with them every time.

Except for Horatio, himself, of course. Too bad he plays for the other team. ;)

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I'm not sure Horatio even knows how to sport, let alone choose teams. :)

I'm not a huge fan of britches, really. Watching Pride and Prejudice has sealed pants and waistcoats for me. Darcy looks magnificent in them...

[linaerys.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on Army vs. Navy, except that Eddrington is so cute. Also, you should definitely watch some Sharpe for the charms of the young Sean Bean.

Hornblower with a woman? He is either gay or he is gay, there is nothing else, and then he lost his boyfriend, Archie, and the series stopped being very good. Without Archie, what is there?

I agree completely--I've watched 1-6 many times (and cried many times), but 7 and 8 only once. The only amusing part is watching Horatio interact with Mariah. Oy. That part is canon to the books, however. You might want to give the books a try, they are wonderful, and some of them are quite funny.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Eddrington...Eddrington...is he the army officer who goes with them when they try to put the Marquis back into power in France? Otherwise known as the expedition to make Horatio vaguely heterosexual despite no evidence prior or ever after to that being the case? And you are so right. Once Archie's gone, you've lost emotional connection to the first episode, and without overlying arcs, the series doesn't hold together as a series. Oh, Pellew is still there, fine, and I love him greatly (though I get increasingly indifferent to his obvious favoritism of Horatio, especially in 7 and 8, but we're going to ignore those).

What is Sharpe anyway? I keep seeing icons of it. And I love me some Sean Bean, so that's all well and good to recommend it right there.

I would read the books, I suppose, though I'm guessing they'll be a bit more, erm, romanticized? How many are there? Lord, I've turned into the person who reads the books after the movie.

[linaerys.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's Eddrington. Known as Lord Slutbunny in the HH fandom, because everyone likes to write PWP starring him. Pellew's great, although his favoritism is annoying.

Well, in the books, Horatio does manage to fall for women, sort of, but not Mariah. His disdain for her is canon. In the books his love affair is with Bush more than anyone else. Beat to Quarters, A Ship of the Line and Flying Colours are by far the best, and the first that C. S. Forester wrote, although not the first in the chronology of Hornblower's life. Archie is not a character in the books, except very briefly in Midshipman Hornblower.

Sharpe is a series about Richard Sharpe, who is in a company of riflemen during the Napoleanic war. He is as hetero as Hornblower is not, and the wimmins, they cannot keep their clothes on around him. That series is very fun, and also a who's who of British character actors.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, Eddrington. About him was said one of my favorite lines in Hornblower. After he insists that the newly promoted Horatio call him some fancy titled because he's a lord, Archie says, "Just think, Horatio: if you could have bought a commission as well as a new uniform, you could have been in the army." The Navy girl in me goes squeeeeeeee.

I could see Horatio and Bush ( ::insert inappropriate, immature giggling:: ), though, honestly, if he needs be hetero (as the series so desperately tried to get him to be), I'd say his most romantic exchange was with the actress who played the Duchess. He was flustered around her, to be sure, but he also respected her more than any of the other strumpets to waltz by him (and if they'd tried to make the Irish-girl-playing-an-American/Horatio any stronger in 8, I might have gagged). She had his number, wasn't in love with him as a noble person or a cute one but as a dedicated and brave person who put the importance of others ahead of himself and was genuinely guileless when it came to his duty.

Plus, she was awesome. And she kept calling him "Mr. Haytch," with that pseudo-snooty accent. Soooooo much better than what Mrs. Hornblower calls him (I shuddered every time she said "Hoary"---see? I'm shuddering again at work, just thinking of it).

Where can I see Sharpe? I absolutely must. Young Sean Bean, getting the actiton he so desperately deserves (but hasn't gotten because he's a more effective villain than anything else and villains are evil because they never get laid)? Sign me up!