My latest obsession
So, I have officially finished NaNo! Huzzah!! My novel is nowhere near complete but the 50,000 mark has been conquered. I started re-reading the story and it’s actually not as bad as I first thought. Although I was still sane at the beginning of the story… I fear what happens at about the 16,000 mark onwards!
I only made it through thanks to two things: one, a little application called Write Or Die, where you can set goals for yourself like write 700 words in 20 minutes or something similar. That helped me amazingly!
The second thing, and the thing we will talk about here, is 'Sharpe'. Oh dear. I need to stop getting obsessed with every new TV show I watch, especially ones that started seventeen years ago.
'Sharpe' is based on a series of books about the main character, Richard Sharpe, who works his way up in the army during the Napoleonic wars, so like early 1800s. I sort of knew that I would like it because I LOVE the series 'Hornblower', which is set in the same time period but focussing on the navy instead. However, the series are so different. 'Hornblower' is like the idealistic young dreamer brother to 'Sharpe'’s older, wilder brute. They’re definitely from the same mould but are so vastly different. In 'Hornblower', when the main character is facing opposition, he will usually say something angrily like “With respect sir, I believe that…”, whereas in 'Sharpe', if he’s facing opposition, he usually just punches someone in the face.
Basically every 'Sharpe' episode I have seen goes like this: Sharpe is established as totally awesome, due to the loyalty his men have for him or the fact that he’s the best shot with a rifle ever. The high ranking officials in the army camp don’t know what to do with him as apparently they are scared of him because although he’s an officer, he’s of low class and is tough (ie has a Northern accent), so they send him on a dangerous mission. On the way to/during the dangerous mission, he encounters a beautiful damsel in distress who he of course saves and then who is SO grateful, she thanks him in the only way she knows how. Then Sharpe completes the dangerous mission and is usually shot/stabbed and then nearly dies. Beautiful damsel nurses him back to health, they make out and then he returns as the hero to his camp. The high ranking officials are ALWAYS surprised when he returns and he gets mad because he knows they sent him on a hopeless mission, not expecting him to return. Most episodes end with them on their way to the next battle.
I don’t quite know why I love it so much. I like the heroics, it’s so foreign to me that people would just walk out in a lined formation to face opposing gunmen who are doing the exact same thing. I love the camaraderie between Sharpe and his men and I like rolling my eyes when the women fall into his arms. Although the theme music is so anachronistic (screeching electric guitar) that it infuriates me so much that I’m genuinely annoyed for the first five or so minutes of the show (Luckily I worked out how to fast-forward it!).
And who doesn’t love a man in a uniform? I feel like I probably would not enjoy it half as much if Sean Bean was not in it. I think the real test will come when I start watching the later episodes, filmed like 15 years after the first episode. Sean Bean isn’t exactly a spring chicken anymore so we’ll see if I really do like the show or if it’s just for the eye candy...
And now some pictures of my favourite military folk from the 1800s:
Sharpe... I also enjoy his mullett too. Very 1800s :)
Hornblower... I like how there were better pictures of him- but none with the hat!!
And my very own lovely Archie!
Why don't they make uniforms like that nowadays???
I only made it through thanks to two things: one, a little application called Write Or Die, where you can set goals for yourself like write 700 words in 20 minutes or something similar. That helped me amazingly!
The second thing, and the thing we will talk about here, is 'Sharpe'. Oh dear. I need to stop getting obsessed with every new TV show I watch, especially ones that started seventeen years ago.
'Sharpe' is based on a series of books about the main character, Richard Sharpe, who works his way up in the army during the Napoleonic wars, so like early 1800s. I sort of knew that I would like it because I LOVE the series 'Hornblower', which is set in the same time period but focussing on the navy instead. However, the series are so different. 'Hornblower' is like the idealistic young dreamer brother to 'Sharpe'’s older, wilder brute. They’re definitely from the same mould but are so vastly different. In 'Hornblower', when the main character is facing opposition, he will usually say something angrily like “With respect sir, I believe that…”, whereas in 'Sharpe', if he’s facing opposition, he usually just punches someone in the face.
Basically every 'Sharpe' episode I have seen goes like this: Sharpe is established as totally awesome, due to the loyalty his men have for him or the fact that he’s the best shot with a rifle ever. The high ranking officials in the army camp don’t know what to do with him as apparently they are scared of him because although he’s an officer, he’s of low class and is tough (ie has a Northern accent), so they send him on a dangerous mission. On the way to/during the dangerous mission, he encounters a beautiful damsel in distress who he of course saves and then who is SO grateful, she thanks him in the only way she knows how. Then Sharpe completes the dangerous mission and is usually shot/stabbed and then nearly dies. Beautiful damsel nurses him back to health, they make out and then he returns as the hero to his camp. The high ranking officials are ALWAYS surprised when he returns and he gets mad because he knows they sent him on a hopeless mission, not expecting him to return. Most episodes end with them on their way to the next battle.
I don’t quite know why I love it so much. I like the heroics, it’s so foreign to me that people would just walk out in a lined formation to face opposing gunmen who are doing the exact same thing. I love the camaraderie between Sharpe and his men and I like rolling my eyes when the women fall into his arms. Although the theme music is so anachronistic (screeching electric guitar) that it infuriates me so much that I’m genuinely annoyed for the first five or so minutes of the show (Luckily I worked out how to fast-forward it!).
And who doesn’t love a man in a uniform? I feel like I probably would not enjoy it half as much if Sean Bean was not in it. I think the real test will come when I start watching the later episodes, filmed like 15 years after the first episode. Sean Bean isn’t exactly a spring chicken anymore so we’ll see if I really do like the show or if it’s just for the eye candy...
And now some pictures of my favourite military folk from the 1800s:
Sharpe... I also enjoy his mullett too. Very 1800s :)
Hornblower... I like how there were better pictures of him- but none with the hat!!
And my very own lovely Archie!
Why don't they make uniforms like that nowadays???