I am a huge fan of the Sharpe's series, and Sean Bean in general. I regularly watch the Sharpe's series in succession, and enjoy them all. However, I find the plot to this episode a bit contrived and overdone. (I watch it, because it isn't terrible and is part of a great series, but it is my least favorite.) I groan every time it's revealed that Truman is Sharpe's half brother. I mean, come on... The way his mother was sleeping around, he probably has ten siblings running around the countryside. Not to mention it's the oldest trick in the "melodrama" book. And then, to make the groan-factor that much higher, just when he finds out that Truman is his brother, Truman goes and gets himself shot. You can just hear me rolling my eyes, I'm sure.Ironically, my second to least favorite is Sharpe's Regiment, the only other episode set in England instead of France or Spain. Hmm... Could it be a trend? At least Sharpe's Challenge is set in India and not a retired Sharpe sitting at home twiddling his thumbs and pining over his whore of an ex-wife.

The War's over, and Sharpe's back in Yorkshire where he started from. Right off, that tells you "Sharpe's Justice" isn't about fighting and glory; it's about how a career soldier settles back into normal life--in this case, as the officer in charge of the local yeomanry. That, in and of itself, weakens the whole premise of Sharpe as a character and as a show.It's hokey here and there. The whole "long lost brother" bit is silly as hell, and the only surprises here with it are that they used it at all--and that it takes Sharpe so long to figure it out. Also weak beyond belief are Mrs. Sharpe and her paramour, Lord Rossindale, who both came right out of Central Casting and aren't acted well enough to bring anything but the cardboard cutouts. Finally, while "Sharpe" episodes aren't known for subtlety, "Justice" goes way overboard with the black-and-white, good-and-bad. There's no middle ground here: Either a character is Good or he/she is Evil.Still and all, there's good here too. Sean Bean created Richard Sharpe, and he's got the character down pat. Everything is right about his performance. Minus the constant battles of the earlier episodes, his character is developed and exposed in a way we've never seen before. Also excellent is the eternal sidekick, Sgt. Harper. There's more camaraderie between the two than ever before, and it's quite nice. Even Daniel (the singer) gets good screen time and decent attention paid to him for the first time in the series; his momentary disloyalty and later apology show us how worthwhile his character might've been over three seasons if he'd ever gotten the chance.It all--episode and series--ends with Sharpe off to Normandy and Lucille, Harper off to Ireland (where's Ramona?) and Daniel staying with the locals in Yorkshire because he's got no place else to go. As they split up for the last time, it's a sad thing, knowing there'll be no more "Sharpe"s, and though you wish this last one had been better, it's a solid enough way to say goodbye.

**SPOILER**Not adapted from one of Cornwell's books - as far as i know anyway! And boy does it show! It really wasn't in Sharpe's character to go delving into his past, but he goes ahead and does it anyway. The inclusion of the long lost brother plot is a little trite, but it is quite nice - it emphasises how strong the bond between Sharpe and chosen men is. It was also nice to see more of Hagman who is criminally underused in the series, often seemingly included only to perpetrate some folk singing. Once again Jane is completely bonkers, but Rossendale puts in a good performance as the man completely besotted by the scheming minx and feeling a little guilty about the betrayal of the gallant Major Sharpe. The scene in the square was a little chilling, a precursor to the Peterloo massacre that took place not long after. In conclusion though, Sharpe just isn't the same when he isn't fighting the French.

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.