Wellington has begun his great offensive
to finally drive the French from Spain.
Napoleon, defeated in Russia,
his armies in Northern Europe in retreat and disarray,
is determined to hold Spain at all costs...
Sharpe is accused of murdering the husband of La Marquesa and threatening the alliance between England and Spain. With Sergeant Harper's help, Sharpe uncovers a revenge scheme by his nemesis, French spymaster Major Pierre Ducos.
Tropes that appear in this episode:
- Acrofatic: The Marques is noticeably rotund, but still an accomplished swordsman who keeps Sharpe on the defensive. His weight is lampshaded by Sharpe during their duel.
- Adaptational Early Appearance: This is Sharpe's first meeting with La Marquesa, since her earlier appearance, Sharpe's Sword, was not adapted until later.
- Adaptation Expansion: The adaptation adds an extra scene at the beginning where Ducos outlines his plans to Napoleon.
- Adapted Out: Major Hogan and Captain Leroy are omitted and replaced with Major Nairn.
- Arranged Marriage: La Marquesa married her husband on Napoleon's orders.
- Backstab Backfire: El Matarife tries to kill Sharpe after losing the final duel, but a Spanish officer kills him.
- Badass Cape: A hallmark of El Matarife's group of partisans.
- Bald of Evil: El Matarife is clearly balding and a part of Major Pierre Ducos' scheme to discredit Sharpe.
- Beard of Evil: Father Hacha has a natty little goatee. El Matarife's beard covers more of his chin.
- Big Bad: Major Pierre Ducos.
- Bond One-Liner: Ducos, after executing his now-useless pawn, Father Hacha.Ducos: You call me a liar?
- Brains Evil, Brawn Good: Ducos vs Sharpe. Ducos cooks up an elaborate scheme to get Sharpe executed and drive the English out of Spain in one cunning manoeuvre; he even factors the predictable way Sharpe will approach the plot into the equation. Things go well for him until he's forced into a direct confrontation with Sharpe, which he is woefully unprepared for, bungling his one kill shot and choosing to flee.
- Chain Pain: Matarife's method of dueling involves both combatants on either end of a chain, slashing at each other with long knives, with the chain keeping them together.
- *Click* Hello: The morning after La Marquesa's husband is murdered, Sharpe wakes up the next morning with a sword to his throat.
- Co-Dragons: El Matarife and Father Hacha to Ducos.
- Damsel in Distress: La Marquesa. After Sharpe is hanged (he's really Faking the Dead), she is captured by El Matarife and imprisoned at the convent by Father Hacha. Then after Sharpe wins the Battle of Vitoria, El Matarife captures her again and it's over her that the Duel to the Death decides.
- Death by Adaptation: Hacha is killed by Ducos for his failure whereas in the book he survives.
- Decomposite Character: Harper accompanies Sharpe on his mission, effectively taking the place of a partisan boy named Angel from the book.
- Delivery Guy: Harris and Hagman share this role for Harper's wife Ramona. They argue over what position Ramona should be in to deliver the baby. Hagman says Ramona should be on all fours, Harris thinks she should be in a crab position. Hagman wins.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: El Matarife's death is altered, being shot by Major Mendora as he prepares to stab Sharpe in the back rather than having his throat slit by Sharpe.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Ducos' plan involves framing Sharpe for murder and getting him hanged, just because Sharpe broke his glasses. Which he did because Ducos insulted Teresa, Sharpe's recently murdered wife.
- Dragon Their Feet: El Matarife is the last remaining threat after Ducos shoots Father Hacha and Ducos is shot by French soldiers for his failure to stop Sharpe at the battle of Vitoria.
- Dressing as the Enemy: The Chosen Men disguise themselves as French soldiers to infiltrate the fortress.
- Duel to the Death: Sharpe and El Matarife engage in one.
- Edible Ammunition: Sharpe goes to a convent to rescue/retrieve La Marquesa. She's held in the kitchen, cooking, and when Sharpe makes his appearance, the nuns attack him with food like chicken and vegetables. Sharpe grabs the chicken himself and uses the classic move of turning around. That's how you fight wicked nuns.
- Epic Fail: Ducos, out of his element in a straight brawl, completely collapses when Sharpe breaks free of his bonds and begins smashing the French soldiers. He misses his one shot to kill Sharpe, perhaps wisely sees the writing on the wall, and runs for it.
- Everyone Has Standards: Captain D'Alembord does not approve of Sharpe's fighting methods."This isn't a duel, it's a brawl!"
- Faking the Dead: Sharpe.
- Flynning: Sharpe is duped into a duel with a Spanish fencing master after Sharpe had been falsely accused of sleeping with his wife as part of a French plot. After playing by the real rules of fencing, Sharpe then switches to the rules of real combat (none) and quickly overtakes his genteel opponent. Ironically, actual fencers were very dirty fighters indeed.
- Groin Attack: Sharpe inflicts one on La Marquesa's husband.
- Heartbroken Badass: Sharpe is in a funk at the beginning of the episode after Teresa’s death in the previous episode.
- The Heavy: El Matarife, as his brother is behind the scenes with the Spanish upper classes and Ducos awaits results.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: The French intend to blow up one of their forts after executing Sharpe. As the Chosen Men leave after rescuing Sharpe from that fort, Harris lights the explosives, blowing up the fort.
- Honour Before Reason: The entire plot is about Sharpe's personal honour being ruined and trying to regain it. The story starts with Sharpe being accused of lecherous statements toward La Marquesa and challenging her husband to a duel. Then La Marquesa's husband is killed and Sharpe is framed, forcing him to fake his death to find out who challenged his honour and why.
- Improvised Weapon: Sharpe uses the broken pieces of his telescope to cut his bonds and stab a soldier or two.
- Karmic Death: After being forced to confess his murder of La Marquesa's husband, El Matarife tries to stab Sharpe, only to be shot by the officer he had tricked by framing Sharpe.
- Never Bareheaded: Father Hacha is never seen without his hat.
- Never My Fault: Technically it's Ducos' fault for Sharpe escaping (he doesn't keep a good watch on him and bungles his one shot); instead he takes it out on Father Hacha.
- Rebel Leader: El Matarife leads a partisan group working for Ducos.
- She Knows Too Much: Why El Matarife and Father Hacha kidnapped La Marquesa and imprisoned her in a convent.
- Siblings in Crime: El Matarife and Father Hacha are a Sinister Minister and guerilla leader working for Major Ducos.
- Sinister Minister: Father Hacha seeks to unite the clergy and aristocracy against Great Britain. He also wants to re-establish the Spanish Inquisiton.
- Slashed Throat: What El Matarife does to La Marquesa's husband.
- Slut-Shaming: Inverted. La Marquesa sneers at both Ducos and the head nun for being virgins.
- Snow Means Death: It's snowing during Sharpe's final duel with El Matarife.
- Spectacular Spinning: Sharpe fends off the nuns by spinning a chicken over his head.
- Taking the Veil: La Marquesa. More like "forced to take the veil" by El Matarife and Father Hacha.
- Threw My Bike on the Roof: After series of misfortunes, Sharpe ends up caught by the French. Ducos smashes Sharpe's telescope that he received from Wellington himself. Sharpe uses one broken piece as a weapon and it helps him to escape.
- Toplessness from the Back: La Marquesa while changing her clothes after Sharpe and Harper rescue her from a convent.
