He's called Michael Cochrane. He's been in a lot of series over the years, including two appearances on Doctor Who and my personal favourite, the BBC series Wings, where he plays Lieutenant Charles Gaylion
There's a trope well known, "Mean character, nice actor". The theory is that bad guys played by actors who are actually lovely people, seem so much meaner, because the actor has to put so much effort into portraying them, rather than just being themselves.
I’m a bit confused on what it means. I’m assuming that it means that in either democracy or monarchy, money is more important than merit. Am I correct?
Thats the point of his character, he always escapes his just deserts. Watch the last one of the series in India. Simmerson gets a rather lovely punishment ;)
Having done many historic re-enactments, when I watch Sharpe scenes, I can just feel the heat inside the tent, and the smell of gunpowder stained clothes and tent material . Ahhhhhhh brings back memories.
@@abcdefghijklmop7659 Back in the day (3 or 400 years, and before) health problems were generally thought to be cause by an "Imbalance of the Four Humors"; fluids in the body that had to be kept in balance for the body to function properly and healthily. The Melancholic Humor, or Black Bile, the Phlegmatic, or Phlegm, the Choleric, or Yellow Bile, and the Sanguine, or Blood. This theory has been around since the time of the Greeks, and was exercised through the process of bloodletting, where a set amount of blood was drained from the body and then examined for any irregularities.
While more subtle, you can tell LeRoy has come to despise Simmerson about as much privately as Simmerson shows for Sharpe openly. Just look at that stare he skewered Simmerson with when he says "Money talks...and Merit walks..."
i like the actor's portrayal of captain leroy. his delivery on "washington won" was simple yet leaves an impression. shame leroy wasn't in the series long.
Leroy had balls the size of boulders. At Talevera it was him, not Simmerson, who was up in front of the South Essex and kept them firing in the face of the advancing French column, long after Simmerson quit the field at the mere sight of said French column.
@@Lewis9709 Don't worry. Everyone starts off knowing nothing, then only what the adults told them to say. Then one day, if they keep at it, they'll learn to find out things for themselves.
When hogan gives his speech about combustable gases in the internal organs. leroy gives him that look like man wtf. lmao .then hogan winks at him hahaha
I think Leroy knows what kind of man Simmerson is but having bought his commission he realizes it's just a part of the game. Leroy turned out to be a good officer and humane, bailing out Sharpe a couple of times and becoming the correct officer to lead the South Essex.
French used conscription and had many officers that served in the ranks. Had they not have to fight the whole of Europe they would of beaten the United Kingdom without a doubt.
@@rc59191 there are patterns that seem to persist in these wars , like how people who wished to conquer the world would somehow keep fighting the russians in winter and failed and how it would be the British and some other allies would beat them later ,if I were to become someone that would want to rule the world I would start with the uk and just demolish Russia with nukes
Serving in Iraq I got into an argument with a squad mate and said 'We're all Americans, deal with it.' My guy says "I don't know about the rest of y'all but I'm from f*ckin Texas' lol.
alot of americans have more loyalty to their state than their country, which was one of many reasons alot of them sided against the union in the civil wars
@@djcrazythomashulks a lot of Americans treat people from even neighboring states as unwanted foreigners. Oregon tolerates Washingtonians, Californians are almost universally reviled even by people who moved to Oregon from another state lol.
@@pearldiver1006 but it's not though lol. Still a state of the Union. Elsewhere they'd be illegal immigrants and require processing through immigration when they moved from Texas to anywhere else in the country lol
The way this scene is written, in the book by Cornwell and in the series by Eoghan Harris, both show that Hogan knows the perfect way to handle a pompous ass like Simmerson. "But dammit, sir, I am in command!" "Yes, and it's just because you are in command that you need the services of men like Sharpe and his rifles, since we both know just how things can get in the field." In other words, Hogan talks to him as a fellow soldier, which means Simmerson can't countermand him without admitting that he doesn't have the first clue how to run his regiment or lead it in the field.
@@randyperkins5759 Fetch and Carry basically means you're the platoon dogsbody, doing all the menial tasks like carrying supplies, or in the case of Hogan's suggestion, Explosives. Hogan's manipulation of Simmerson led him to believe that Sharpe and his men were under Hogan's command, and therefore could keep wearing the green jacket of his Regiment, and not those ghastly redcoats. Hogan did Sharpe a favour by doing so.
“From America?” “No sir, from Virginia.”😭🤣 Cpt Leroy was played by underrated actor Gavin O’Hirlhy who sadly passed in 2021. He played a large part as a SPECTRE infiltrator in the Bond reboot with Sean Connery (may he RIP too) of Thunderball called “Never Say, Never Again,” was a warrior in George Lucas’s original Willow & other roles. He did a great job here as Cpt Leroy. After recently discovering Sharpe, which I had no idea about I am really enjoying into this underrated hidden gem of a tv series. I presume this older series where a lot of young actors such as Sean Bean cut their teeth was pretty popular in the UK but I had no idea about until just recently which is a shame. I can only surmise it is sadly way underrated & not appreciatee enough here in the States. I’m only on Episode 4 as of this comment but surmise that it was popular enough in the UK to get reboot in the late 2000’s after the initial run finished it seems.
It’s a shame we didn’t get more of him in later seasons. He’s really great. A great performance and an interesting character. We got ALOT of other awesome side characters (pyecroft, Ross, McDonald, El Mirador, etc.) but I do miss hogan. He and Wellesley were always hilarious together.
I loved the little wink Hogan gave to Leroy there, and then Leroy trying to stifle a smile, after he basically told Simmerson that the flogging disgusted him without saying that the flogging disgusted him. As good as Leroy's look of shock as Simmerson gave that new flogging order. Those little looks and doubletakes say more then any line of dialogue ever could.
Very true, but I think in the context of the scene he was giving a variant of talking the talk vs walking the walk. Those 19th century gentlemen were very good at making insults that could be easily missed
@@jinxcat90 Leroy is saying that money gets you places like in his case and in Simmerson's case, but you still need some kind of merit to your name- Wellesley for instance distinguished himself greatly as a general despite being wealthy enough to hang back, as did George Washington.
@@SantomPh actually Wellesley got a loan from his brother who actually had the titles and cash, then was able to purchase a high rank even tho it was in one of the Indian Regiments, but eventually thru luck and skill he was able to get better promotions and civil rank, which allowed better postings.
Being a good villain takes skill, being a petty piece of shit hated by everyone takes talent for an actor. The foot massage is what does it in this scene.
In the final Sharpe episode, it takes a near-death experience to actually shape Simmerson into a decent man. Acts pleasantly with the other members of his party, plays games with a child, and commands a section of Sepoys, with a musket in hand, against the 3rd Native Horse.
Pretty sure he also had heatstroke during that time. And he finally subordinated himself under Sharpe. As you know Sharpe either drags you to glory or gets you killed.
@@TheMaulam12345 correct, Sharpe is an ACTUAL man...at least when compared to most of the officers he had to deal with over the years...at least on the screen, Simmerson was a thorn in Sharpes side many times...less so in the books...
@Howard Pearcey However, I have heard, that everyone, who bought a commission, begun by default at the rank of ensign, i.e. the lowest officer-rank. This show makes it out, that you could begin at any rank you like. I could be wrong, but that is what I heard.
@Howard Pearcey I did a little more research, namely Wikipedia, and it seems, that you could begin at different ranks depending on the price. However, lieutenant colonel was the highest. That is according to this article: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchase_of_commissions_in_the_British_Army
@Howard Pearcey Commissions could only be bought up to the rank of lieutenant colonel and required you to have served a set minimum period in the rank below it, normally three years. Promotion to full colonel and above required merit. Simmerson got immediate lieutenant colonel by dint of the fact that he paid for the raising of the entire South Essex regiment. That was a lot rarer than an officer raised from the ranks. Normally, one did have to start at ensign, then lieutenant, captain, major and lieutenant colonel, serving three years in a rank before being able to buy the next one.
@Howard Pearcey You did have to buy commissions but the system wasn't totally corrupt as historical fiction (e.g. this series) likes to make out. You had to prove you would be good for the job in order to buy a commission, and you had to be recommended by another officer.
@Howard Pearcey I actually wrote to Bernard Cornwell to ask him how the purchase system originated, and he replied that it was a holdover from the days of Marlborough (late 17th - early 18th century) when the British either didn't have a standing army, or the one they had was so small that they had to raise new regiments every time there was a war. The raising was often done by individual aristocrats like Simmerson, at their own expense, and they naturally recouped some of the expense by selling officers' posts to younger men. The system was informal, but it became "blessed by custom" and endured until 1871, when Great Britain (and virtually everybody else in Europe) scrambled to imitate the Prussians' example of creating a professional officer class trained and educated at staff colleges. In his historical note to Sharpe's Eagle, Cornwell calls it the strangest aspect (to modern eyes) of the Napoleonic British Army; on the one hand, it was monstrously prone to corruption and unfairness, but on the other, without it Wellesley would not have reached Colonel's rank quickly enough to make his talents as a soldier obvious in India.
For those unfamiliar, back in the old days health was thought to be caused by a balance of internal gasses called Humors and that illness was caused by the Humors being out of balance. To relieve illness the Humors had to be put back into balance, usually by bleeding, that balance though was unique to each person so it required some trial and error to find that right balance. What Simmerson and his personal physician was doing was what one might call "preventative medicine", balancing the Humors before they got too out of balance to really notice.
That, and he was scarifying his skin. Scarifying was the pratice of creating shallow incisions in the skin to create scar-patterns for cosmetic purposes. Like a tattoo, in practice!
The hilariousness of this situation is that Leroy left the U.S. to escape the "injustices" of democracy. His apparent reward for that transition was to be placed under the command of someone who makes a decent argument for democracy (namely that the common person would have gotten to weigh in on a man like Simmenson having power far moreso than the Britanian System).
Being a democracy has done absolutely nothing to stop incompetent shitheels like simmerson from being in the US military. Remember that general who got removed from command of a missile base for going on a four day bender with two hookers during an offical visit to russia? Or the commander of US forces in Iraq that got drunk on a bus tour of Europe and told a rolling stone reporter what he really thought about obama?
@@joshuaolson7082 how about that time the idiots running the Afghanistan withdrawal left 80 billion in weapons and vehicles and made the enemies they'd spent 20 years fighting a better equipped force than some first world countries?
The USA Governments have always had a problem with improper business/government ties and influence. Even in the Napoleonic age, that flaw started to cause problems.
Sharpe: "I am from the ranks, Sir" You must be aware that being promoted to a higher rank from private has a different meaning in this era. They have done something meritoriously for them to be promoted, and Sharpe has shown Simmerson what he is capable of in this episode. He fears him, that's what the novel said.
You can see the division in thought when Leroy introduces himself. Sharpe asks, "From America, sir?" Leroy replies, "No, sir. From Virginia". A man that isn't from 'America', would have no problem fighting a civil war against 'America' which is exactly what many 'Virginians' elected to do.
I think we're overestimating just how much Americans saw themselves as citizens of a single large nation, with a central government, instead of sovereign states merely joined together.
Reminds me of what people said about darth vader being pissed at incompetence with officers more so because they did not earn their ranks but piett did so he respected him more.
So 007 kills Sean Bean in Goldeneye because he knows that in the past Sean Bean was responsible for the death of his future self in Sharpe, AARGH MY BRAIN!
@@fix0the0spade And Pettraci from Never Say Never Again is checking out 007's skills before he commandeers two atomic bombs in Never Say Never Again. There are 3 Bond actors in this scene.
Why in the name of all that's holy has this series NEVER MADE IT TO AMERICA?!?!?!?!? The History Channel ALONE could have blocked up cable/satellite for MONTHS showing these. Excellent acting, historically connected, great backgrounds and costuming!!! Oh wait....never mind....It doesn't paint Americans in the role of hero, and it might interfere with the sixth rotation of Storage Wars....
And it has damn near every awesome British actor of the 90s in, this American would happily watch. I mean, how often do you get to hear Boromir call Vision a twat?
As a matter of fact, it was on the History Channel, though watching it was a mixed bag; on the one hand, they cut out scenes for the sake of timing; on the other, one of their presenters interviewed Bernard Cornwell in intervals.
i read every book in this series at least 4 times, cornwell creats some really dispicable characters, the guy is a truly great writer. actually i read all most all of his books, the viking series was very good, did care for the king authur series as much the archer series was excellent. i picture sharpe much differently, 6 feet 4 , black hair and big and rugged.
Cornwell has said himself that he pictured Sharpe differently as well, until he saw Sean Bean's portrayal of him. Now when he thinks of Sharpe he sees Sean Bean.
And still Commander. Must be a quite limited service. Of he felt in disgrace by his early duty in these times, that made him change name in around 1910 and join the Royal Navy as a seaman and worked his career through the ranks until becoming Commander in the late 1950‘s. But still 70 years. Must still piss off his authorities.
In the context of the Sharpe books there's also a double meaning: that the rich talk, ie do nothing while those with merit 'walk' ie take action OR are in the infantry, fighting.
@@austenkelly3646 it was believed that 'bad blood' caused health problems so releasing it supposedly relieved the symptoms. Of course it was total bunkum like phrenology.
Leroy: ‘I strip fellow human beings of their freedom and exploit them for money.’ Simmerson: ‘Ah, a fellow gentleman!’ Sharpe: ‘I have experience.’ Simmerson: [incomprehensible screaming]
Well, at the time it was a pretty fair notion. Even if he wasn't a loyalist, people very much saw themselves as being from their state first and their nation second. It wasn't until the civil war that most people switched the order of loyalty.
Interesting to think what role Benedict Arnold would have for the British at this time period if he had still been alive. Probably not much since at this time he would be about 70.
To be fair it depends on how one defines 'gentleman' in this context. For avaricious men like Simmerson such an epithet is _merely_ an affirmation of superior social status, affluence and material wealth. ....Of course he conveniently disregards the etiquette, honour and other chivalrous qualities _normally_ synonymous with being gentlemanly!
Simmerson even looks like an ass-perfect choice of actor. A unknown fact was over a 1/3rd of the American colonists remained loyal to the Crown during the Revolutionary War. I wondered if that was indeed snuff Hogan was always snorting because he seemed stoned out of his mind all the time.
Revolutions are mainly fought between a small percentage of rebels, and a small percentage of loyalists while the vast majority of people stay out of it.
Sharpe Is More A Gentleman Than Simmerson And A Lot Of Those In That Tent Will Ever Be ... If Theres One Thing I Never Have Agreed With And That Is Commisions Should Be Earned Not Bought .
"It's just because you are in charge, sir. The General Wellesly doesn't want to add to your many responsibilities." Slickest way of calling a man stupid I've ever seen.
In this scenario, "Gentleman" means born into money, rather than having to work for it. Most officers of the period literally bought their commissions from the Army.
It is a little weird that Leroy still has a Southern accent, this would be roughly 25 years after the American Revolution, he would've been a kid when his father was forced out, hard to believe he could hold on to it that long
If his family was forced out with him, and they continued to live together (possibly with other "expats") that might explain things. Also, the Leroy clan may be very traditional, and loyal to their ways.
I've often wondered at what point "American" accents appeared. Initially the settlers would have spoken with the accent of their country of origin, and probably the kids would as well as you get your accent from those around you. If you live with a bunch of Irish, you'll learn to speak as they do. 1st generation immigrant Americans probably sounded much like contemporary Europeans did. So at what point do recognisably "American" accents appear?
I believe "Fop" referred to the powdered wig, frilly Frenchified English gentleman. "Dandy" came later (1820s), when Beau Brummell imitated the Napoleonic Wars cavalry-officer style with natural hair and more military dress. The two groups even formed fashion gangs that fought in the streets!
The person that played Simmerson did a great job. We really dislike him!
He’s probably a really nice bloke in real life!
He's called Michael Cochrane. He's been in a lot of series over the years, including two appearances on Doctor Who and my personal favourite, the BBC series Wings, where he plays Lieutenant Charles Gaylion
According to a book about the series, Micheal Cochrane is one of the nicest guys you could wish to meet.
Good acting all round- and James Bond rubbing his feet!
There's a trope well known, "Mean character, nice actor".
The theory is that bad guys played by actors who are actually lovely people, seem so much meaner, because the actor has to put so much effort into portraying them, rather than just being themselves.
"Democracy or Monarchy, don't make no difference: Money talks, merit walks"
That line, just loved it.
He forgot to add, " but it can't touch my three lock box", at the end.
I’m a bit confused on what it means. I’m assuming that it means that in either democracy or monarchy, money is more important than merit. Am I correct?
@@andrewlevin6331 yes, essentially. Simmerson was incompetent and a coward, but he had the scratch.
@@ryanmatthew05 i figured, thanks for the confirmation
If there is such a thing as democracy. I have never seen it!
If simmerson was in vietnam he would have been a victim of fragging
Rightly so.
Thats the point of his character, he always escapes his just deserts. Watch the last one of the series in India. Simmerson gets a rather lovely punishment ;)
he never would have made to Nam suffering from the bone spur for sure
Whats fragging ?
@@andrelaboy2002 throwing a grenade at your officer cause you hate him so much so he dies...
Having done many historic re-enactments, when I watch Sharpe scenes, I can just feel the heat inside the tent, and the smell of gunpowder stained clothes and tent material . Ahhhhhhh brings back memories.
I did reenactment for 12 years,,l miss the smells l got to know Jason Salkey from the Sharpe series,
He played the part of Harris,,
@@villyvassell8572 could you explain the whole scarification thing to me please as I’m guessing you will have an understanding of the time period
The best smell ever!
@@abcdefghijklmop7659 Back in the day (3 or 400 years, and before) health problems were generally thought to be cause by an "Imbalance of the Four Humors"; fluids in the body that had to be kept in balance for the body to function properly and healthily. The Melancholic Humor, or Black Bile, the Phlegmatic, or Phlegm, the Choleric, or Yellow Bile, and the Sanguine, or Blood. This theory has been around since the time of the Greeks, and was exercised through the process of bloodletting, where a set amount of blood was drained from the body and then examined for any irregularities.
While more subtle, you can tell LeRoy has come to despise Simmerson about as much privately as Simmerson shows for Sharpe openly. Just look at that stare he skewered Simmerson with when he says "Money talks...and Merit walks..."
Sometimes the stereotype of the Southern gentleman...isn't a stereotype and is legit.
At the very least, Simmerson’s practice of flogging his soldiers did not endear him to Leroy.
@@JnEricsonx Yeah... it's just only in fiction LMAO
When noticing a episode of Sharpe was on tv i naturally sat down with a cuppa to watch ..Thats my style sir
Always loved Hogan’s character, talks a man he hates into cutting himself and makes it think it’s to his benefit.
Sums him up perfectly.
Major Hogans coat buttons up tightly around a number of other duties ....
Okay, I need clarification because I'm ignorant. Is he snorting cocaine or opium or what?
@@andrewpestotnik5495 Snuff, tobacco inhaled through the nose delivering nicotine and a flavor. It was a common thing back then I believe.
@@tonythatorc971 thanks, I just didn't know if it was cocaine or what. That was my first guess
That's why he's a murdering officer
i like the actor's portrayal of captain leroy. his delivery on "washington won" was simple yet leaves an impression. shame leroy wasn't in the series long.
Leroy had balls the size of boulders. At Talevera it was him, not Simmerson, who was up in front of the South Essex and kept them firing in the face of the advancing French column, long after Simmerson quit the field at the mere sight of said French column.
Yes, but no. The French won that war for their junior partner, "America". The Americans lost virtually every part of it.
Seemed like a damn fine man.
@@mrblack888 You're a special kind of stupid aren't you?
@@Lewis9709 Don't worry. Everyone starts off knowing nothing, then only what the adults told them to say. Then one day, if they keep at it, they'll learn to find out things for themselves.
When hogan gives his speech about combustable gases in the internal organs. leroy gives him that look like man wtf. lmao .then hogan winks at him hahaha
I've been watching this scene since I was a child in the 90s, and there's always something new to find!
I think Leroy knows what kind of man Simmerson is but having bought his commission he realizes it's just a part of the game. Leroy turned out to be a good officer and humane, bailing out Sharpe a couple of times and becoming the correct officer to lead the South Essex.
It was a way to tell Simerson that Simmerson is a gasbag without Simmerson understanding the insult.
yes. they was fcking with the idiot.
I love that wink Hogan gives Leroy. As if to say " your the only other one in here with a brain so I know you'll enjoy this."
And him hiding that smirk right after.
"I came from the ranks Sir"
The shock on Simmerson's face was priceless. Oh the horror of merit, lmao
That's how the Mongols ruled, and destroyed Europe. The best soldiers were promoted, no matter their heritage.
@@SovereignStatesman The Mongols destroyed Europe?
Yes, from 1941-1945.
A jolly jumper? Here, my word!
French used conscription and had many officers that served in the ranks. Had they not have to fight the whole of Europe they would of beaten the United Kingdom without a doubt.
@@rc59191 there are patterns that seem to persist in these wars , like how people who wished to conquer the world would somehow keep fighting the russians in winter and failed and how it would be the British and some other allies would beat them later ,if I were to become someone that would want to rule the world I would start with the uk and just demolish Russia with nukes
Serving in Iraq I got into an argument with a squad mate and said 'We're all Americans, deal with it.'
My guy says "I don't know about the rest of y'all but I'm from f*ckin Texas' lol.
alot of americans have more loyalty to their state than their country, which was one of many reasons alot of them sided against the union in the civil wars
@@djcrazythomashulks a lot of Americans treat people from even neighboring states as unwanted foreigners. Oregon tolerates Washingtonians, Californians are almost universally reviled even by people who moved to Oregon from another state lol.
@@santijauregui459 I was totally going to say that.
It's a whole another Country!!
The Republic of TEXAS!!
@@pearldiver1006 but it's not though lol. Still a state of the Union. Elsewhere they'd be illegal immigrants and require processing through immigration when they moved from Texas to anywhere else in the country lol
The way this scene is written, in the book by Cornwell and in the series by Eoghan Harris, both show that Hogan knows the perfect way to handle a pompous ass like Simmerson.
"But dammit, sir, I am in command!"
"Yes, and it's just because you are in command that you need the services of men like Sharpe and his rifles, since we both know just how things can get in the field."
In other words, Hogan talks to him as a fellow soldier, which means Simmerson can't countermand him without admitting that he doesn't have the first clue how to run his regiment or lead it in the field.
I'm pretty sure it's also he was stroking his ego, people like Simmerson are easier to persuade if you talk to them like that.
W. H Also. Also make them think that it was their idea in the first place. They love that.
"Fetch and carry, eh?" Oh Simmerson.. how the irony comes back at you.
We'll see him fetch and carry an eagle!
I infer that 'fetch and carry' is not a good thing or a good status. Can anyone tell me more about 'fetch and carry'?
@@randyperkins5759 think of it as errand boy. You don't get to do any fighting, you just do whatever everybody tells you to do
But...but...he has friends at court
@@randyperkins5759 Fetch and Carry basically means you're the platoon dogsbody, doing all the menial tasks like carrying supplies, or in the case of Hogan's suggestion, Explosives. Hogan's manipulation of Simmerson led him to believe that Sharpe and his men were under Hogan's command, and therefore could keep wearing the green jacket of his Regiment, and not those ghastly redcoats. Hogan did Sharpe a favour by doing so.
“From America?”
“No sir, from Virginia.”😭🤣 Cpt Leroy was played by underrated actor Gavin O’Hirlhy who sadly passed in 2021. He played a large part as a SPECTRE infiltrator in the Bond reboot with Sean Connery (may he RIP too) of Thunderball called “Never Say, Never Again,” was a warrior in George Lucas’s original Willow & other roles. He did a great job here as Cpt Leroy.
After recently discovering Sharpe, which I had no idea about I am really enjoying into this underrated hidden gem of a tv series. I presume this older series where a lot of young actors such as Sean Bean cut their teeth was pretty popular in the UK but I had no idea about until just recently which is a shame. I can only surmise it is sadly way underrated & not appreciatee enough here in the States. I’m only on Episode 4 as of this comment but surmise that it was popular enough in the UK to get reboot in the late 2000’s after the initial run finished it seems.
His dad was awesome as well.
@@KenjiMapes he also played a very nasty piece of work in Lonesome Dove.
Anyone else take notice of Hogan instantly tricking Simmerson into cutting himself again.
No I dont think anyone noticed...
Alan 😂😂🤣
Hogan is an excellent int officer that way
It’s a shame we didn’t get more of him in later seasons. He’s really great. A great performance and an interesting character. We got ALOT of other awesome side characters (pyecroft, Ross, McDonald, El Mirador, etc.) but I do miss hogan. He and Wellesley were always hilarious together.
I loved the little wink Hogan gave to Leroy there, and then Leroy trying to stifle a smile, after he basically told Simmerson that the flogging disgusted him without saying that the flogging disgusted him. As good as Leroy's look of shock as Simmerson gave that new flogging order. Those little looks and doubletakes say more then any line of dialogue ever could.
I love how Simmerson acts as though Scarification is actually helping him. It's even funnier when Hogan convinces him to have it done again.
that wink he gives Captain Leroy afterwards lmao
@@danknerevarine3678yes! I noticed that lol. Brilliant acting from all in this scene.
"Money talks...Merit walks"
...That statement still holds true in politics today
Very true, but I think in the context of the scene he was giving a variant of talking the talk vs walking the walk. Those 19th century gentlemen were very good at making insults that could be easily missed
@@jinxcat90 Leroy is saying that money gets you places like in his case and in Simmerson's case, but you still need some kind of merit to your name- Wellesley for instance distinguished himself greatly as a general despite being wealthy enough to hang back, as did George Washington.
@@SantomPh actually Wellesley got a loan from his brother who actually had the titles and cash, then was able to purchase a high rank even tho it was in one of the Indian Regiments, but eventually thru luck and skill he was able to get better promotions and civil rank, which allowed better postings.
By that he means buying your way into stuff or power is far easier than via merit. Which is always true because merit takes time, money is instant.
I found the statement anachronistic.
There are 3 James Bond characters in this scene..Alec Trevelyan, James Bond and Captain Jack Petachi from Never Say Never Again.
Oh its Daniel Craig
I keep forgetting that Daniel Craig was in everything before he was Bond.
There's also the First Sea Lord from Tomorrow Never Dies who plays Major Lennox.
For England, James.
@@Bot23 Correct, but it's still a Bond film.
"Who the devil are you sir" - gets me everytime. Great character, Great actor.
Being a good villain takes skill, being a petty piece of shit hated by everyone takes talent for an actor. The foot massage is what does it in this scene.
‘Lieutenant Sharpe Sir’
‘No you’re not you’re a damn disgrace’ 😂😂😂
@@erikrungemadsen2081 James Bond was massaging his feet while the boots are still on them?
@@jimbobeire
He had to. Simmerson was paying all his expenses, lol.
In the final Sharpe episode, it takes a near-death experience to actually shape Simmerson into a decent man. Acts pleasantly with the other members of his party, plays games with a child, and commands a section of Sepoys, with a musket in hand, against the 3rd Native Horse.
Pretty sure he also had heatstroke during that time.
And he finally subordinated himself under Sharpe. As you know Sharpe either drags you to glory or gets you killed.
Sepoys? Wouldn't that be taking place before the Napoleonic wars?
All the while in a bathrobe with a Sunday hat
He also thanks Sharpe and apologizes
A truly character of many arcs
@@nickmitsialisSepoy’s we’re in the British army till the 1850’s when they revolted and where replaced.
@@steffanyschwartz7801 yes. I was wondering if these adventures with Simmerson took place AFTER the Napoleonic Wars
"You mean you're not a gentleman?" "No sir." "BY GOD SHARPE THIS WILL NOT DO! ALL MY OFFICERS ARE GENTLEMEN!" 😂 absolutely love that delivery
Except Simmerson, himself
This could have been the start of a wholesome subplot about the South Essex tutoring Sharpe in the art of being a gentleman.
@@hsnell1222 I like that idea.
I love how they all call each other 'sir' like gentlemen
That's because its accustom to call officers sir and ma'am and is still something in todays military's that is inforced 😊
Because officers are still considered to be 'Ladies or Gentlemen,' in Her Majesty's Forces. Don't know at the US as I left HMF in 1982!
Because it's their titles...
but they are gentlemens, well except for Sharp
@@TheMaulam12345 correct, Sharpe is an ACTUAL man...at least when compared to most of the officers he had to deal with over the years...at least on the screen, Simmerson was a thorn in Sharpes side many times...less so in the books...
You want me to burst dammit, BLEED MEEEE GOHH, quality sharpe
I'm 43 year old and still lucky enough to have some pals from school....even today we refer to a certain type of man as ' a right fucking simmerson '
"Wellsly doesn't know what makes a good soldier!"
Is that why he's a higher rank than you?
@Howard Pearcey However, I have heard, that everyone, who bought a commission, begun by default at the rank of ensign, i.e. the lowest officer-rank. This show makes it out, that you could begin at any rank you like. I could be wrong, but that is what I heard.
@Howard Pearcey I did a little more research, namely Wikipedia, and it seems, that you could begin at different ranks depending on the price. However, lieutenant colonel was the highest. That is according to this article:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchase_of_commissions_in_the_British_Army
@Howard Pearcey Commissions could only be bought up to the rank of lieutenant colonel and required you to have served a set minimum period in the rank below it, normally three years. Promotion to full colonel and above required merit.
Simmerson got immediate lieutenant colonel by dint of the fact that he paid for the raising of the entire South Essex regiment. That was a lot rarer than an officer raised from the ranks. Normally, one did have to start at ensign, then lieutenant, captain, major and lieutenant colonel, serving three years in a rank before being able to buy the next one.
@Howard Pearcey You did have to buy commissions but the system wasn't totally corrupt as historical fiction (e.g. this series) likes to make out. You had to prove you would be good for the job in order to buy a commission, and you had to be recommended by another officer.
@Howard Pearcey I actually wrote to Bernard Cornwell to ask him how the purchase system originated, and he replied that it was a holdover from the days of Marlborough (late 17th - early 18th century) when the British either didn't have a standing army, or the one they had was so small that they had to raise new regiments every time there was a war.
The raising was often done by individual aristocrats like Simmerson, at their own expense, and they naturally recouped some of the expense by selling officers' posts to younger men. The system was informal, but it became "blessed by custom" and endured until 1871, when Great Britain (and virtually everybody else in Europe) scrambled to imitate the Prussians' example of creating a professional officer class trained and educated at staff colleges.
In his historical note to Sharpe's Eagle, Cornwell calls it the strangest aspect (to modern eyes) of the Napoleonic British Army; on the one hand, it was monstrously prone to corruption and unfairness, but on the other, without it Wellesley would not have reached Colonel's rank quickly enough to make his talents as a soldier obvious in India.
Brian Cox.What a great actor.
Shenanigans
I am proud to say I lost out on a part to him (Helm Hammer hand)
Captain Leroy is rather cool................................(as you'd expect from a gentleman of Virginia).
When does he don black face.
Pfffftttttt.
Oh, *Virginia*. I thought you were being rude.
Leroy was so damn right money talks and merit walks.
Major Hogan is definitely my favorite character😎😎😎
For those unfamiliar, back in the old days health was thought to be caused by a balance of internal gasses called Humors and that illness was caused by the Humors being out of balance. To relieve illness the Humors had to be put back into balance, usually by bleeding, that balance though was unique to each person so it required some trial and error to find that right balance. What Simmerson and his personal physician was doing was what one might call "preventative medicine", balancing the Humors before they got too out of balance to really notice.
Fluids, not gasses, but yeah.
Thanks for the explanation! I thought it was strange (still do), but it's good to know.
Shame they had no anti bacterial wipes!
That, and he was scarifying his skin. Scarifying was the pratice of creating shallow incisions in the skin to create scar-patterns for cosmetic purposes. Like a tattoo, in practice!
If I need to balance my humours, I just eat more beans or veggie tacco mix, does the job very nicely, but not so nice for anyone in the room 😅
I see Sharpe videos, I hit the like button, that's my style sir.
Listening to Sir Henry Simmerson reminds me of the way Chris Rock talks
The hilariousness of this situation is that Leroy left the U.S. to escape the "injustices" of democracy. His apparent reward for that transition was to be placed under the command of someone who makes a decent argument for democracy (namely that the common person would have gotten to weigh in on a man like Simmenson having power far moreso than the Britanian System).
Well, his family left, when he was still young, didn't have much of a choice.
Being a democracy has done absolutely nothing to stop incompetent shitheels like simmerson from being in the US military. Remember that general who got removed from command of a missile base for going on a four day bender with two hookers during an offical visit to russia? Or the commander of US forces in Iraq that got drunk on a bus tour of Europe and told a rolling stone reporter what he really thought about obama?
@@joshuaolson7082 how about that time the idiots running the Afghanistan withdrawal left 80 billion in weapons and vehicles and made the enemies they'd spent 20 years fighting a better equipped force than some first world countries?
The USA Governments have always had a problem with improper business/government ties and influence. Even in the Napoleonic age, that flaw started to cause problems.
The smooth talking Virginian Cpt is a personal favorite character of mine
Sharpe: "I am from the ranks, Sir"
You must be aware that being promoted to a higher rank from private has a different meaning in this era. They have done something meritoriously for them to be promoted, and Sharpe has shown Simmerson what he is capable of in this episode. He fears him, that's what the novel said.
" You're an American?"
"No sir, a Virginian."
That is a VERY Virginian thing to say.
Leroy looks like he's inhaled some of Hogan's combustible gases.
That wink the MAJ gives Leroy after convincing Simmerson to get bled again!!! 0:48
You can see the division in thought when Leroy introduces himself. Sharpe asks, "From America, sir?" Leroy replies, "No, sir. From Virginia". A man that isn't from 'America', would have no problem fighting a civil war against 'America' which is exactly what many 'Virginians' elected to do.
Pretty much anyone would say their state instead of America.
I think we're overestimating just how much Americans saw themselves as citizens of a single large nation, with a central government, instead of sovereign states merely joined together.
@@winternow2242The result of the pending American Civil War would show the estimation more accurate than not.
Reminds me of what people said about darth vader being pissed at incompetence with officers more so because they did not earn their ranks but piett did so he respected him more.
And he was one of the few people to not take a Force Choke from Vader as I recall?
@@JnEricsonx yep
Simmerson actor was so awesome
007 doing a spot of foot massage,shaken not stirred!
So 007 kills Sean Bean in Goldeneye because he knows that in the past Sean Bean was responsible for the death of his future self in Sharpe, AARGH MY BRAIN!
What about cpt Leroy then?He becomes an outlaw in the 1870`s west and is hung by Robert duval in Lonesome Dove.oh happy days.
And then he becomes a B17 commander in Eight Army Airforce in WWII and help the brits once again.
Good eye, I completely missed that.
@@fix0the0spade And Pettraci from Never Say Never Again is checking out 007's skills before he commandeers two atomic bombs in Never Say Never Again. There are 3 Bond actors in this scene.
Money talk's, Merit walk's. The guy was way ahead of his time!!!
no he wasnt, its just that that problem is old as hell
he wasnt ahead of his time, shit just hasnt changed in that regard
Why in the name of all that's holy has this series NEVER MADE IT TO AMERICA?!?!?!?!? The History Channel ALONE could have blocked up cable/satellite for MONTHS showing these. Excellent acting, historically connected, great backgrounds and costuming!!! Oh wait....never mind....It doesn't paint Americans in the role of hero, and it might interfere with the sixth rotation of Storage Wars....
And it has damn near every awesome British actor of the 90s in, this American would happily watch. I mean, how often do you get to hear Boromir call Vision a twat?
It was on PBS
I watched it in the 1990s. I always thought it was an American production, but, whatever, it was definitely shown here when it was first produced.
As a matter of fact, it was on the History Channel, though watching it was a mixed bag; on the one hand, they cut out scenes for the sake of timing; on the other, one of their presenters interviewed Bernard Cornwell in intervals.
This is what 'Low Budget but High Quality' Looks like in the UK.
But yes, America needs this. Just don't try to remake it.
Lmao at Leroy looking at Hogan like "I see what you're doing there" 😂
Anyone else think that Hogan was going the long way of saying, "you're full of shit, Sir Henry"?
I agree. But hogan also just knew how to be such a good kiss ass
And this is why 006 turned On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
The major’s wink is brilliant.
@3:33 a wild daniel craig appears
2:54 That's an American who's been around the British long enough to pick up their sense of humor.
I love how Hogan is always looking at someone else in the room and winking at them. Lolol Brian Cox is the man
Hogan using an engineers lecture on Farts to make simmerson bleed himself more
It’s okay, Sharpe and Simmerson part ways for good on a handshake, like besties
Wonderful acting
2:41 - Thanks for the history lesson, Captain.
Naming your TH-cam channel after Simmerson, now that’s soldiering!
Imagine making a series like this today and trying to portray a slave owning Virginian as a nice guy. The liberals would go into meltdown
i read every book in this series at least 4 times, cornwell creats some really dispicable characters, the guy is a truly great writer. actually i read all most all of his books, the viking series was very good, did care for the king authur series as much the archer series was excellent. i picture sharpe much differently, 6 feet 4 , black hair and big and rugged.
Cornwell has said himself that he pictured Sharpe differently as well, until he saw Sean Bean's portrayal of him. Now when he thinks of Sharpe he sees Sean Bean.
Such a great character
3:57 Getting your feet massaged by James Bond.....many women envy Simmerson :)
Later in the series, Simmerson demands a kiss from Sharpe.
Alas, to think of the passionate caresses, that will never be.
I love simerson reaction to Sharpe when he says he is from the ranks.
Hey look! It's Mr. James Bo-... Berry! Good to see he's been fighting for king and country for the last 200 years...
And still Commander. Must be a quite limited service. Of he felt in disgrace by his early duty in these times, that made him change name in around 1910 and join the Royal Navy as a seaman and worked his career through the ranks until becoming Commander in the late 1950‘s. But still 70 years. Must still piss off his authorities.
money talks, merit walks. True still today
In the context of the Sharpe books there's also a double meaning: that the rich talk, ie do nothing while those with merit 'walk' ie take action OR are in the infantry, fighting.
I keep imagining hearing Sir Henry say, with a perverse and self satisfied look on his face, "Man Fat"
Never saw an officer more in need of an inter-cranial high speed lead injection. Captain LeRoy actually has manners.
Yep, Sir Henry is definitely a right bleeder.
Whats the point of the bleeding?
@@austenkelly3646 it was believed that 'bad blood' caused health problems so releasing it supposedly relieved the symptoms.
Of course it was total bunkum like phrenology.
@@1701spacecadet I see
Freaking Brian Cox!!!! Brilliant actor.
One of the best & slimiest bad guys in TV history! However, Richard Morant as Flashman in 1971's "Tom Brown's School Days" still wears the crown.
I say that to myself when I self harm bleed me damn you
If you look closely you’ll see the actor for Captain Leroy was miming his part and was in fact voice acted by Morgan Freeman.
I suppose it's possible he was dubbed, but that's definitely not Morgan Freeman's voice.
@@odysseusrex5908 sounds a bit like Brian Dennehy
Leroy: ‘I strip fellow human beings of their freedom and exploit them for money.’
Simmerson: ‘Ah, a fellow gentleman!’
Sharpe: ‘I have experience.’
Simmerson: [incomprehensible screaming]
Except his family had stopped doing that a WHILE ago. Leroy himself would have been a kid though back then.
Love his guy
"From America Sir " No Sir from Virginia Sir.
Well, at the time it was a pretty fair notion. Even if he wasn't a loyalist, people very much saw themselves as being from their state first and their nation second. It wasn't until the civil war that most people switched the order of loyalty.
Interesting to think what role Benedict Arnold would have for the British at this time period if he had still been alive. Probably not much since at this time he would be about 70.
"all my officers are gentleman" except Simmerson
He's a ninny.
To be fair it depends on how one defines 'gentleman' in this context.
For avaricious men like Simmerson such an epithet is _merely_ an affirmation of superior social status, affluence and material wealth.
....Of course he conveniently disregards the etiquette, honour and other chivalrous qualities _normally_ synonymous with being gentlemanly!
Actually, apart from Simmerson, Berry and Gibbons, all his officers did behave quite gentlemanly.
Simmerson even looks like an ass-perfect choice of actor. A unknown fact was over a 1/3rd of the American colonists remained loyal to the Crown during the Revolutionary War. I wondered if that was indeed snuff Hogan was always snorting because he seemed stoned out of his mind all the time.
Michael Cochrane did awesome as Simmerson.
Revolutions are mainly fought between a small percentage of rebels, and a small percentage of loyalists while the vast majority of people stay out of it.
@@AnEnemySpy456 Fence sitters that keep an eye on who's going to win.
Sharpe Is More A Gentleman Than Simmerson And A Lot Of Those In That Tent Will Ever Be ...
If Theres One Thing I Never Have Agreed With And That Is Commisions Should Be Earned Not Bought .
But you also should never waste your Capital.
"It's just because you are in charge, sir. The General Wellesly doesn't want to add to your many responsibilities." Slickest way of calling a man stupid I've ever seen.
Can anyone tell me what's the meaning of gentleman here?? Why others r gentlemen & sharp isn't!?
In this scenario, "Gentleman" means born into money, rather than having to work for it. Most officers of the period literally bought their commissions from the Army.
Daniel Craig looks older in this than he did in the Bond films over ten years later!
Hogan was just brilliant. This particular episode is one of my favourite, especially with his exchanges with Sharp.
Bruh at the level of talent in this scene
0:49 I saw that wink towards Leroy.
You are correct
I just love how Simmerson gets roasted constantly and doesn't get it
What a Great Bad Guy!
I bleed myself twice so I don't combust. That's my style sir!
Ain't you the Simmerson who lost the King's colours?
Interesting that cpt Leroy n major Hogan so delicately accommodate sir Henry uncouth behavior
2:49 Slaves, Cotton, and Molasses... Now that's soldering.
Sounds like one hell of a party!
It is a little weird that Leroy still has a Southern accent, this would be roughly 25 years after the American Revolution, he would've been a kid when his father was forced out, hard to believe he could hold on to it that long
Former US foreign minister / secretary of state Henry Kissinger left Germany at age 15 but still (at age 97) speaks with a German accent.
@@kevinbyrne4538 I left Kentucky in 83 when I was 16, my Southern accent was gone in a couple years, guess everyone's a little different
I left Arkansas at age 16. 11 years later I still have a southern drawl.
If his family was forced out with him, and they continued to live together (possibly with other "expats") that might explain things. Also, the Leroy clan may be very traditional, and loyal to their ways.
I've often wondered at what point "American" accents appeared. Initially the settlers would have spoken with the accent of their country of origin, and probably the kids would as well as you get your accent from those around you. If you live with a bunch of Irish, you'll learn to speak as they do. 1st generation immigrant Americans probably sounded much like contemporary Europeans did.
So at what point do recognisably "American" accents appear?
An Irish Brian Cox - wonderful! 😊
Whenever I see Simmerson i feel like i need the lash
why is simmerson bleeding his own arm? is it bloodletting?
Aye
love Leroy's expressions while others are talking
Simmerson getting bled always makes me feel sick. That device they use really makes me uncomfortable lol
That was all the rage for nobility during that time. They thought by doing that would cure them of whatever.
@@zygas25 Oh I'm well aware of the historical context. I just hate this scene lol
I have a relative of this device for the cooking. A Deni-Steaker from QVC. I always thought of it as a potential instrument of torture.
Yankee here , would this gentleman also be considered a "Fop" ?
Absolutely. A blue blooded fop as ever I did see.
I believe "Fop" referred to the powdered wig, frilly Frenchified English gentleman. "Dandy" came later (1820s), when Beau Brummell imitated the Napoleonic Wars cavalry-officer style with natural hair and more military dress.
The two groups even formed fashion gangs that fought in the streets!
Leroy is cool and has a good head.
Simmerson must have bin a truly great actor because I really bloody hate him
Upon seeing this video, I hit the like button. That's my style sir!
Hogan just explained to Simmerson the rationale (as opposed to the justification) for the recent events in the news in the US.