Originally I was going to make a few posts reading the different adaptations of Scarlet Pimpernel, how they characterize Chauvelin, and maybe how that informs my interpretations of Chauvelin. But once I started writing them out, it just wasn't working (as you can see by this being about halfway through the month). Instead I'm going to delve more into examining my interpretation of Chauvelin as a character through various other shows and characters.
Now, back to the title. Where is the pepper scene? Why do none of the adaptations have it?
The pepper scene is one of my favorite scenes in the entire Scarlet Pimpernel series. (My other favorite is in Needs Must where the Pimpernel drags Chauvelin off to his carriage.) The tension and build up, and then the Pimpernel's clever little trick. Marguerite watching from the attic, to Chauvelin closing in on the Pimpernel and almost trapping him. The 'I know that you know that I know that you know that I'm the Scarlet Pimpernel', but neither of us is going to straight up say it. And then... the pepper, and Percy just waltzes out to continue his plans.
It's such and iconic scene, and yet it doesn't make it into adaptations.
First, 1934. This adaptations follows the plot of the book very well, up until the pepper scene. This is where it deviates. It does provide a nice climax that works well for the medium. I love that Percy comes back for his hat, and then has his men throw Chauvelin in the cellar.
Next, 1982. This adaptation does a fantastic job combining the plots of The Scarlet Pimpernel and El Dorado. Still no pepper scene, but Chauvelin does have a great reveal moment. The camera turning to reveal him there, waiting, like a sly little fox. Percy is able to coordinate with Armand to escape. Except Chauvelin brought backup.
Then, the musical. This adaptation plays a bit with the plot, moving some things around (even more in the German version). Could the pepper scene have worked in the musical? Except for the fact that Chauvelin doesn't figure out the identity of the Pimpernel until Marguerite essentially tells him. The tension there is that the audience knows that Grapin is actually the Pimpernel, not that Chauvelin know that Percy is the Pimpernel and is stalling for time for his trap.
Maybe I'll briefly touch on the 1950's TV series. In this version Chauvelin never figures out the Pimpernel's secret identity, but we do get a reference to it in the pilot with someone getting tripped into a box of snuff.
With Leverage Redemption season 2 dropping today, here are a few shows that give me Scarlet Pimpernel vibes. (There may not be a character that reminds me of Chauvelin in all of them.)
The first one is, obviously, Leverage (and Leverage Redemption). To me Leverage is modern day Scarlet Pimpernel. There's the masterminded plots and lots of grifting (I would argue that, yes, the PImpernel is a grifter). The Leverage team can be smaller than the league because they also have technology on their side. Wait, you ask, does that mean Sterling = Chauvelin? Kind of. Sterling is Chauvelin but incredibly genre savvy. Sterling always wins, but Chauvelin always loses (while staying alive through the power of knowing the Pimpernel's identity).
Another show is Spy x Family. What if Marguerite was secretly an assassin? And they adopted a child who's secretly a telepath? And it takes place vaguely during the cold war? It's slice of life anime meets spy thriller, with a few other anime genres thrown in occasionally. So far there's not really a Chauvelin analogue, but Yor's brother being in the secret police has some potential.
If you want a podcast, I recommend The Blackwater Aethercast. Steampunk with a bit of occult happenings. The main character, Lord Blackwater, is a genius inventor (anti?)villain, with competent staff to help with his plans. There isn't really a Chauvelin analogue, but the US Marshall in the second arc does get soup thrown on him at one point when he catches up to Lord Blackwater so that he can escape.
Another anime is Moriarty the Patriot. Moriarty give me very strong Pimpernel vibes as the Lord of Crime, with his brothers and others joining him to pull off plots. I guess that makes Sherlock the Chauvelin analogue. I do love their friendship.
A show I am really excited for the next season of is Shadow and Bone. Specifically, the Crows give me the Pimpernel vibes with their heists and plots. Also, the costumes are amazing.
One last anime is Code Realize. A bunch of public domain characters from the victorian times working together in a steampunk world on various plans. Arsene Lupin, gentleman thief, is their leader.
In celebration of my favorite villain of all time I will be making fan art, specifically Chauvelin from the Scarlet Pimpernel fan art, for the month of November. Keep an eye out for the 29th when I do my yearly "Falcon in the Dive" piece!
The tag for this will be Chauvember (the wordplay of Chauvelin and November was too perfect)
The past few years I have done a "Falcon in the Dive" themed drawing on Chauvelin's birthday (Nov 29th). I am going to expand this to making all of November my own Scarlet Pimpernel event in appreciation of my favorite villain of all time.
Now, I should probably have a somewhat official name for it, and a tag. I'm thinking is Chauvember or Needs Must November. Why Needs Must? it's my favorite short story, heavily featuring Chauvelin, from "The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel". (You will need to scroll about 3/4 down the page or just Ctrl+F needs must:)
Goals for the month:
-Motivate myself to do more art, specifically SP art. (Since I will probably have focused on Hermitcraft for Inktober prompts).
-An animatic for "Needs Must" that gets updated yearly. (Currently in the planning stages, I have started a playlist of potential songs)
-Yearly "Falcon in the Dive" drawing on Nov 29th. (This is to show how my art style changes over the years, and also to appreciate my favorite villain of all time)
-Make and share various Scarlet Pimpernel AUs? (I have so many. I have a doc that's a bunch of shorter ideas. and then an entire folder for the more fleshed out ideas. Every new media I consume I ask myself, could I combine this with Scarlet Pimpernel?)
-Invite others to participate? (no obligation though, this is mostly for me)
-Pull more people into the SP fandom? (which was my evil plan all along, mwa ha ha ha)
Since I want to improve my drawing skills, here are some sketches of Stanley van Beers as Chauvelin. I plan on filling up the rest of this page by the end of the month
