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.

Sean Bean returns once again as Richard Sharpe in this, the ninth movie in the series entitled Sharpe's Regiment, a strange entry as it is one of only two Sharpe movies where the main portion of the action takes place in England.

He has been sent home, along with Harper to find out why the South Essex have not been receiving their promised reinforcements, which is now endangering the future of the Regiment.

On arrival at Horsegauards in London, Sharpe discovers that the South Essex is far from a dying regiment but a thriving force...on paper only. The records show that the regiment is still being recruited, trained, supplied and dispatched, but without one trained soldier reaching Sharpe's ranks in Europe.

Lord Fenner, the man behind the deception realises that Sharpe is getting too close to the truth and orders his and Harper's murder, but when they in turn dispatch the dispatchers and disguise the bodies as themselves, they decide to join the South Essex as raw recruits to find out where they and the several hundred others that proceeded them are really disappearing too.

Great scenes to watch out for are Sharpe and Harper's arrival at Horseguards, and when 'Private' Sharpe eventually unmasks himself as a highly decorated senior officer to the bullying officers and Sergeants that had been so ruthless in the training of the South Essex. Rank most certainly has its privileges and revenge can be so sweet.

This episode also marks the first appearance of Abigail Cruttenden as Jane Gibbons, soon to be Sharpe's wife and eventual nemesis.

As I said, an unusual entry in the series but still a brilliant and entertaining film.