The Even Chance / The Duel
Allright! I have done it! I took a good long look at this episode again. Not that it was that long ago that I last saw it. I cannot think of a better episode to listen to if I’m cleaning the living room or kitchen. No, I mean, actually sit down and look at it. Here are some of my thoughts: What?! The new boy at sea cannot even row his own boat! Allright, that I might be able to understand. But 2 women doing the rowing. :no no Not very gentlemen like, Horry. “Welcome to Purgatory” A man should not be allowed to look so cheerfully good in a long wet coat. I am off course talking about Archie Kennedy, because by the time Horatio gets on board he already looks rather greenish to me. :sick: I like Archie’s speech as goes down the stairs.. “You can’t kill a king..” How deliciously innocent. Oh, those French and their revolutionary ideas. :happy The more often you see it, the more you notice about what ‘others’ are doing. The first times that I watched the scene where Jack Simpson re-joins the others on the Justinian I paid only attention to Horatio and Simpson. It’s only after seeing it a few times that I noticed how Jamie carefully lets the cheerful Archie Kennedy ‘fade away’ to be replaced by the hollow shell. I do believe that Horatio is more captivated by the change in Archie (and the others) than that he’s afraid of Jack. He does not understand why he should be afraid of Simpson and he seems to want to question Archie on what is going on. As to the embarrassing ‘dance’ scene: (I really have to look away, because it is too much) I often wonder if Horatio would have gotten up to dance, had Archie not been there. If Archie had not shaken everytime Simpson hit the table. :hide Oh and the moment when Archie has his fit… Which one is more lovely to look at? Horatio with his hair full of curls and open shirt :cloud9: or Archie as they put him back to bed. :love: (Always awakening feelings in me that are not entirely motherly.. :naughty ) and than that delicious evil look coming from Simpson. Call me stupid but I love Simpson. I just like a guy who is good at being bad! And Dorian Healey is SOOOO good at it. :devil Then there’s the delightful moment when Horatio misses his steps in ropes and doesn’t dare to go on. Oh, how afraid must you be to ask help from Simpson? But the question that I was thinking of: How did Horatio get down those ropes again? Did he do it on his own? Did he get help? Archie? Matthews? Or perhaps Simpson after all, so he could show off in front of Horatio? :plotting The inquisition scene is always painful to watch, although it showed that Horatio is not afraid to fight Simpson, but when he’s down, laying on the floor, I find myself agreeing with Cleveland (or is it Heather?) “stay down!’ But noooooo, not our Horatio, he just HAS to get up again, only making Simpson more angry…. :no no And am I the only one who asks herself what Simpson did to punish Clayton after the gun-incident? The way Clayton backs up and the look on Simpsons face … could not have been a pleasant experience… :unsure: As to the way Horatio manipulates Jack into a duel…! :rotf: The sheer play between Ioan and Dorian Healy is just …! :naughty Not to mention the way Dorian says: “Apologise to you? Never this side of hell.” Sorry to say this but… orgasmic!! :cold shower 1 Followed immediately by this scene where Clayton and Archie try to reason with Horatio and he remains deliciously stubborn.. And then poor Clayton…. At least, in the end, he had the courage to stand up to Simpson. :crying I love the first time we get to meet Pellew. Immediately making an impact, showing sense and command. Lots better than Keene. And than Horatio has to take command over the boys… I cannot help myself but always have a good laugh at the scene with Styles, the boils and the plaster.. :rotf: And off course the way Horatio takes command with the game . Sean Gilder is great with the foul looks he first gives Horatio and than the triumphant one when Horatio confirms that it were 6 rats. :naughty Styles just keeps impressing me, also when, after the corpse has been put to water that he has to give Horatio the thanks from the others and himself… Just this careful hesitation, bit shy, yet also not wanting to show it.. And the way Horatio accepts with a compliment and Styles' salute. “A salute. It’s a start I suppose.” :thud Like I said, the more often you see it, the more you see the ‘others’ as well and paying close attention to Sean Gilder.. he’s actually a good actor. :cool: The scenes aboard the Marie Galante are great. Matthews suggestions, the play between Matthews and Styles. Horatio when he stands below decks with shaking hands. I love the way they filmed Matthews on board the Marie Galante when he stands behind the wheel. Just gorgeous. The light and everything. Paul Copley looks like he’s feeling right at home. :cool: Indeed it is predictable that in the small boat the French take over. The ‘fish-for-it’ scene is just great and I loved the way Horatio outsmarted them. And how this wins him the respect of his people, if he didn’t already have it. And than Simpson returns… :shock The scene were he starts to cry those ‘crocodile’-tears are just as embarrassing to me as they were for Pellew. But, there, at that table. I don’t believe that anywhere in all the episodes do Horatio and Archie look better…. :faint :cloud9: Just the way it’s filmed, the looks on their faces and Simpson, as the words come back in flashbacks… Loved the way it is done. Knowing that this is followed by the ‘Jack’s missed you’ moment between Archie and Jack… :shock I mean I have seen soooo many times and every time the look of sheer horror that Jamie manages to create and the following scene between the horrified Archie, the annoyed Jack and the almost cheerful Horatio is just…:dunno . Makes me wonder if Horatio ever really realised how deep Archie’s fear of Jack ran… Obviously not considering what happens 2 episodes later, but still, was Horatio still so ignorant? Or did he feel that as some time had passed Archie should be ‘over it’ by now? Or was he too excited about the coming action to notice? The raid on the Papillon is something I usually quickly browse through as I don’t like the fighting that goes on. And knowing what Simpson does to Archie and Horatio…. :rant: :censored But it gives Finch his moment in the spotlight :sun and when back on board, after the attack, the showdown follows between Horatio and Simpson I always feel so proud of Matthews and Styles for standing up for Horatio. Off course the inevitable duel between Simpson and Horatio follows. I am always a bit disappointed by how Simpson surrendered… It just feels wrong. It happened too quickly. :tsk tsk: Allthough his reaction at Horatio’s words is totally expected. That is exactly Simpson. :thumbs up (Good shot, Captain Pellew.) :thumbs up A few of my favorite quotes: “You can’t kill a king.” – Archie “My name is Hornblower.” – Horatio “What an infernal piece of bad luck.” – Cleveland “To my knowledge there’s nothing in the King’s regulation…” – Horatio “I piss on your regulations. There is but one law in this mess. Render to Ceasar. I’ll leave it to you to figure which of us is Ceasar and which is to do the rendering..”- Simpson “Apologise to you? Never this side of hell!” – Simpson to Horatio “Did you see me? Did you see?…. I killed two! Well… one, certainly…” Archie to Horatio “A salute… Well, it’s a start, I suppose.” – Horatio “Begging your pardon, Sir, but don’t you better cock your pistol?” - Matthews “Shall I clamp him on the jaw for you, sir?” – Oldroyd “Not unless he misbehaves himself.” - Horatio “Fish for it!” - Horatio to French captain. “You’re not worth the powder!” Horatio to Simpson “You fought your duel, that’s well. Never fight another, that is better.” – Pellew to Horatio Well, I have bored you girls and boys long enough! Hope this will get you into watching HH again. Good night. :snooze

That is such an incredible episode, jam-packed with adventure and character and great dialouge as you so perfectly described. It does leave many questions. I've read several well done fanfictions that speculate on the question of who helped Horatio down when he was punished on the grating, but can't remember any in particular about his slipping on the rope with Simpson, though I'm sure they are out there. All those questions get the imagination moving and if I have the time the desire to watch again. GG

You didn't bore me, Sylviane! "What?! The new boy at sea cannot even row his own boat! " Maybe he couldn't do it, got seasick just seeing the sea. ;D " And am I the only one who asks herself what Simpson did to punish Clayton after the gun-incident?" I don't want to think about it. Shutting it from my mind...

And if I remember, in the book Simpson never died... instead, he's lurking out there ready to crawl out again in scary fanfics :unsure: My favorite is (maybe) Retribution, even thought... :hmm: Okay I'll stick to that previous line and say that in the books, Kennedy never died either :cool: Okay I love the other movies as well... D&D is quite interesting in the sense that they are all "bad guys" and "good guys", very human.

I'm still ploughing my way through the books I find that Horatio is a lot more reckless in the books. The first film is amazing as we all get to journey with Horatio and see how he changes from a shy 17yr old boy to a mature young man with responsibilites and a sense of duty about him at the end.

ow... then maybe you could recommend one for me, I don't think I've yet read any of those fics?