After long years of battle with the French Republic in European waters, peacetime has been declared and Britain's finest naval officers have returned home in high spirits. But a few months of idleness and low government pension have left many an officer unhappy and eager for work. Horatio Hornblower (Ioan Gruffudd) is currently situated in Portsmouth, living in a flat above the home of alcoholic Mrs. Mason (Barbara Flynn) and her shy but sweet-tempered daughter Maria (Julia Sawalha). Forced to pawn personal items and result to gaming-table winnings to make the rent, Horatio is relieved when he's appointed by Admiral Pellew (Robert Lindsay) to undertake the sailing of the sloop Hotspur on a mission to the coast of France. The Revolution is at an end, but across the channel the forces of Napoleon Bonaparte are stirring.

One of his tasks is to take French émigré Major Côtard (Greg Wise) to meet opposition forces in France. Drawing together a fine crew including his old friend William Bush (Paul McGann), and young Midshipman Hammond (Christian Coulson), Hornblower meets only opposition on the high seas. There is trouble aboard the Hotspur which brews almost as strongly as Bonaparte's forces in France. They find an enemy frigate awaiting them in the bay and are nearly captured on a spying mission to the coast. The dictator is planning a mass invasion against Britain with a force of 50,000 men. When he is informed of this news, Pellew orders a first-strike against the once-again-hostile French fleet. There's a traitor among their ranks, and Hornblower suspects it to be their French passenger and alley. He must also deal with insubordinate young officers, Irish turncoats, and his uncertain romance with Maria.

In the second episode, Hornblower encounters two wayward passengers set adrift in a storm. One of them is an American girl, the other a noted Frenchman who attempts to pass himself off as Swiss. He's forced to take them along on a rescue mission to locate the whereabouts of a missing British frigate and her entire crew, under the command of fellow officer and old friend Commander Bracegirdle (Jonathan Coy). They discover the remains of the ship and crew on the French coast, where foreign forces are stirring. Their plans are unknown, and once again our hero is swept up into an adventure. This time to prevent all-out war, while also dealing with his fussy mother-in-law and docile wife, with whom he's not yet found true happiness. Both episodes are exceptional filmmaking and while some of the characters seem inconsistent with earlier adventures, the cast and crew turn in superb performances.

Hornblower has been promoted and assumes a varied attitude with this newfound power. He's somewhat more resolute, harsher in punishments, and surprisingly distant toward his wife. His good friend Bush is less empathetic in his opinions but nevertheless is given some of the most brilliant dialogue, such as when Horatio asks him if it's a bad time to get married. Without batting an eyelash, Bush responds, "There IS NO good time to get married!" Watching the pair of them interact and manage to get themselves out of one scrape after another is what makes the series such a success. The romance involved is subtle and not overt. Maria comes across as being likable but not the strong-willed heroine we would expect Horatio to marry, which is why the relationship causes so much friction, even to the point of the young man briefly considering calling the whole thing off. Humor abounds, from the would-be-groom finding himself sick on the day of the wedding, to Styles' wretched attempts at cooking--once by dumping the entire contents of the stew pot onto the cabin floor, and then scraping it back into the kettle. "Learn to cook, Styles," Bush tells him dourly, "or I'll hang you myself."

The films also involve unexpected traitors and the token young midshipman in distress. Really the only complaint I have against the series in general is its ability to kill off promising young officers within a couple of episodes. With all the humor, a spattering of romance, and some good old-fashioned kinship between shipmates, there's also enough action to satisfy even the most violent-natured of observers. Good old-fashioned ship battles provide exquisite cinematography as ships fire out of the mist. The final battle involves a snowstorm at sea which lends everything a beautiful bluish-white glow. Being appreciative of fine filmmaking, these scenes in particular kept me breathless. The stories seem to be gaining strength as they proceed, and this one involves more political intrigue than former episodes.

Both films contain the content issues we've now come to expect -- mild profanity and violence at sea. Men are sent crashing to the decks with gunfire and explosions. It's implied a boy is blown up, his blood spattering a nearby officer, who promptly has a panic attack. People are stabbed and shot in battle. Several times explosions render boats into splinters. One impressive but devastating shot includes a dory being rowed out to sea before it goes up in a ball of flames. Horatio receives a gruesome burn on his right hand putting out a bomb fuse. A man shoots himself in the head, with bloody results. (A spray of blood in a far-off shot.) A man is flogged. The incident is more grating due to the reason for the punishment than the actual gore factor. There are numerous expressions of the term "bastard," "bloody," and minor profanities. Occasional mild abuse of deity creeps in, along with one use of GD. There's no sexual content aside from a few mild innuendoes. Hornblower is accused of "berthing" with a Revolutionist at the gaming tables. Pellew reminds him he cannot sleep on shore without permission (in reference to lady friends); Hornblower unthinkingly responds he wasn't going to sleep. His senior officer later mischievously gives him permission to spend his wedding night on shore.

The flaws are few, far outweighed by the positive elements of the story. The series teaches honor, responsibility, and valor. Even with all their quips, both Bush and Hornblower are excellent leaders, able strategists, and willing to go any length to protect their men. Good old-fashioned values such as these are needed in today's society. Horatio Hornblower proves a good man can exist in a corrupt world.