![]() Likewise, watching the show with an adult mind has made me realize some extra elements that were worked in to flesh out some side characters. The scripts flow well, and there’s a surprising amount of snark written in at points along the way. I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention the writing, which is very well done. ![]() Some of the battles suffer from a lack of sufficient extras to portray scale effectively, but Sharpe is at its best in the skirmishes and intelligence missions anyway - the small-scale conflicts where Sharpe and his Chosen Men are tested, bloodied, and eventually triumph.įemale characters are somewhat few, although the ones who do appear have as many redeeming qualities as can be expected given both the era the show depicts and the era the show was filmed in.Īn early standout is Assumpta Serna, who plays Comandante Teresa Moreno, one of the leaders of the Spanish guerillas in the struggle against French occupation of Spanish territory. On the contrary, it holds up admirably well for a low-budget piece from mid-90s British television. I’m very pleased to say that isn’t the case. ![]() While watching a few of the episodes in preparation for this column (and also just because I wanted to), I was preparing myself for it to not hold up, or my fond memories of it to just be nostalgia. Some of it can be a bit much with today’s eyes, but that’s one of the things that makes well-executed historical fiction an engaging watch.Īnd make no mistake: Sharpe is well-executed. Put another way - if you have ever seen the historical fiction mini-series “North and South,” there is nothing worse in Sharpe. None of it is overly gratuitous or done simply to be shocking - rather, I would argue that it is paying proper respect to the times and the scenarios in which the characters exist. There’s a lot of up-close depictions of period-accurate medical triage (one vomit-inducing scene with maggots comes immediately to mind). There is a lot of swearing - although nothing too strong by today’s standards. Horrible things happen, and happen frequently. That neatly segues to an important point about the Sharpe series. Hakeswill is an absolute monster of a person, and Postlethwaite’s portrayal of him is one for the ages. Here, he plays an early nemesis of Sharpe’s, the diabolical Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill, who returns from Sharpe’s past to torment him. One of the best is played by Pete Postlethwaite - another name some may recognize. The acting, throughout, is fantastic, especially the villains that Sharpe encounters along the way. The replacement was Hugh Fraser, a name some may recognize from the old Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot series, where he starred as Captain Hastings. Likewise, the actor for Lord Wellington changes after Sharpe’s Eagle - the name of the second episode - as the original actor had health issues. He was supposed to be a series regular, but the actor ended up leaving, which resulted in his shoes being filled by subsequent characters. Major Hogan is the first intelligence officer to interact with Sharpe - and he is an absolute gem. The first two episodes are solid, but belie the future of the show a little. Things rarely go to plan, and there are always side plots along the way. Once he and his supporting cast is established, the show follows their assignments and adventures, usually doled out to them by one of Lord Wellington’s intelligence officers. Very early in the show, he is promoted further to Lieutenant, and given command of a small company of riflemen - rough troops, but very skilled. Lord Wellington-to-be takes an interest in Sharpe, and elevates him from the ranks, promoting him to Sergeant. That man would eventually become Lord Wellington - commander of the British troops during the Napoleonic Wars. Over the course of the series, the viewer gets to experience the various escapades of Richard Sharpe, a fictional commoner who saves the life of a man while serving in India. I’m just going to refer to the individual entries as episodes for ease of reading, despite that not being a strictly correct term.
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