The Cazalets Season 1 Episode 4 Episode 4

The Cazalets is a British television show set in the years leading up to the Second World War. This episode, entitled Episode 4, is the fourth installment of the first season.

The episode opens with a family dinner at Home Place, the family's country house, which has been rented to a group of evacuees from London. The Cazalet brothers, Hugh, Edward, and Rupert, are all in attendance, along with their wives and children. As they sit down to eat, the family receives the news that France has fallen to the Germans. The mood at the dinner table is somber, with everyone acutely aware of the danger that now faces Britain.

Edward and his wife, Villy, are struggling with their respective infidelities. Villy's affair with a fellow artist has been discovered by her husband, but despite his anger and hurt, he seems unable to break things off with his own mistress. Edward is having an affair with Diana, a family friend, and although they are cautious, they know that their secret cannot be kept forever.

Hugh's wife, Sybil, is pregnant, and her sister, Rachel, is staying at Home Place to assist with the pregnancy. Rachel is the family's unmarried, childless aunt, and her presence highlights the difference between her life and those of the other women in the family. She is intelligent and witty, but also lonely and unsatisfied with her own existence.

Meanwhile, the younger members of the family are dealing with their own struggles. Louise, Rupert's daughter, is experiencing her first love and sexual awakening with a reckless young pilot. Polly, the youngest Cazalet daughter, is struggling to make sense of the world around her and is consumed by a guilt complex after accidentally breaking a valuable vase.

As the war looms ever closer, the family must come to terms with the changes that are coming. The men are all talking about enlisting, and the women must be prepared to manage without them. The prospect is daunting, especially for Sybil, who is already struggling with her pregnancy.

The episode ends with a poignant moment between Edward and his son, Teddy. Edward is reading his son a bedtime story, and as he finishes, he embraces him tightly and whispers, "I'll come back to you, Teddy." It is a moment that speaks to the fear and uncertainty that permeates the lives of the entire family.

Overall, Episode 4 of The Cazalets is a poignant and introspective installment in the series. It highlights the personal struggles of the family members against the backdrop of a looming global conflict. The characters are complex and well-drawn, and the themes of love, loss, and sacrifice are handled with sensitivity and depth. It is a show that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, and well worth watching for anyone interested in historical drama.