Spain, 1812. Wellington's army is on the offensive. Two fortresses block his progress: Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz. He takes Ciudad Rodrigo and is now headed for Badajoz. Sharpe, now a Captain in the South Essex, learns that he has a daughter with Teresa and she is in Badajoz. He also runs into an old nemesis - Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill, an incredibly nasty piece of work. He will need to watch his back.
An excellent episode of Sharpe. A very interesting central plot surrounding Sergeant Hakeswill, complete with suitably over-the-top performance from Pete Postlethwaite as Hakeswill. Add in a few other plots - Sharpe's promotion, the young ensign, Teresa and her daughter, the Chosen Men potentially being absorbed into the South Essex and being forced to wear red and carry muskets, the Battle of Badajoz - and it's a riveting episode.
There are still a few clumsy elements in the plot, as if the writer and director didn't know how to link scenes seamlessly, but it's not as bad as in Season 1. Sad that Major Hogan (Brian Cox) is not around. His replacement, Major Nairn (Michael Byrne), shares his ruthless, scheming streak but isn't as much fun. I also preferred David Troughton, rather than Hugh Fraser (of Poirot fame), as Wellington.
An excellent episode of Sharpe. A very interesting central plot surrounding Sergeant Hakeswill, complete with suitably over-the-top performance from Pete Postlethwaite as Hakeswill. Add in a few other plots - Sharpe's promotion, the young ensign, Teresa and her daughter, the Chosen Men potentially being absorbed into the South Essex and being forced to wear red and carry muskets, the Battle of Badajoz - and it's a riveting episode.
There are still a few clumsy elements in the plot, as if the writer and director didn't know how to link scenes seamlessly, but it's not as bad as in Season 1. Sad that Major Hogan (Brian Cox) is not around. His replacement, Major Nairn (Michael Byrne), shares his ruthless, scheming streak but isn't as much fun. I also preferred David Troughton, rather than Hugh Fraser (of Poirot fame), as Wellington.