Sharpe's Regiment

This was the first episode of Sharpe I have seen, and entirely explains the appeal of Sean Bean, which is an aspect of British culture which had slightly puzzled me. Sharpe sounds better than you might expect, looks good and constitutes solid period entertainment. My only reservation is about the two heroines - isn't it time even Regency heroines grew up? Georgette Heyer would be appalled.

Richard is told that his battalion is to be dissolved - the men are to be sent elsewhere due to the fact new recruits are lacking at home. Sharpe and Harper are determined to find out why so they go back to England and uncover profiteering racket and it becomes a political explosion. 8.5/10.

This is one of the best episodes of a brilliant series of films. It's a brief departure from the usual battle hackenslash of the other films and instead shows another side to Sharpe's personality, including his terrible intuition when it comes to the pathetic and deceptively fragile Jane. But Sharpe isn't the main highlight of this installment. For me, the head attraction is Harper, played by the impressive and easy-on-the-eyes Daragh O'Malley. His revenge on a brutal sargeant with the simple words, "God Save Ireland" is a moment to be cherished and rewatched over and over. Just delicious. There are few TV movies that I simply adore, and the Sharpe series is right at the top. It was a grand discovery.