James
While there is - sadly - a great deal of reality to this episode, those who have followed the Sharpe story up to this point might perhaps give a moment's thought to whether they really want to go down this road - with all the change of scene and change of mood it entails! This is a complex and challenging "peacetime" episode in which the return of Sharpe and Harper to England proves as much of a disappointment for them as it does for those watching. Just as after the First World War just a century later, returning soldiers are stunned to find that - awful though things may have been on the battlefield, life there had a certain raw simplicity to it. Back home, things are more complex (in relations with people but also as regards what's right and what's wrong), and this all the more the case for returning soldiers trying somehow to fit in and not even quite sure if the fight was worth it. To be honest, though very thought-provoking, it all leaves quite a bitter taste, even if the worst potential consequences are avoided by the time the final credits role...
chrichtonsworld
This episode is not about the war against Napoleon! This is more about the aftermath for the British soldiers! Also it tackles the social and economic problems in England (start of industrial revolution). Comparing this movie to the previous ones it is obvious that this one doesn't contain enough swashbuckling action! Personally I didn't mind it that much! For Sharpe this adventure is a very personal one! He encounters an old friend,Martin Truman,who later turns out to be his brother! Also Sharpe finds out about his mother,Lizzie Sharpe (a prostitute)! And very last but not least he finally gets to talk to Jane (his wife who betrayed him and stole his money)! For the first time you see what kind of a cruel person Jane really is in contrast to her lover Lord Rossendale,who admits that Sharpe is a honorable man! She insults Sharpe in such a way that is hard to believe that she actually ever loved him! It also becomes clear that Sharpe has no future in England and that he self is only truly happy on the battleground. Al these themes provide top drama and give good insight of Sharpe's past and character! A good and entertaining episode in the Sharpe series on a different level!
Chris Horry
A nonsensical plot about evil Mill Owners in Yorkshire made worse by some contrived rubbish about a long-lost brother. The series had already gone into a huge decline after the excellent first and second seasons but hits rock bottom here.Avoid - at all costs.
Paul Chambers (WileE)
With the Peninsular campaign over, our hero Richard Sharpe has to return to England. However, his next assignment sees him working for a wealthy mill-owner against his former friends in Yorkshire. There is a contrived plot about the burning of mills, as well as the usual family revelations; but this is a disappointing outing. Sharpe simply is not the same without two factors being present - the Chosen Men and the French. The same problem was evident in Sharpe's Regiment. If you are a Sharpe fan, of course you will like it. If not, then best stick to those outings that actually involve battle scenes.
AD
