In this week's episode of the MGM+ action-adventure series Robin Hood, the protagonist makes a daring visit to the royal court in Westminster to attempt a reconciliation with Marian Huntingdon. Soon, Robert, or Robin, as most people in England now call him (though I will continue to use both names interchangeably, as the series does), also has to deal with the arrest of his uncle, whom the Sheriff of Nottingham had taken to his castle at the end of the previous episode. Episode 8 features the most action of the series so far, as Robin engages in a fierce sword duel with his arch-nemesis, the Sheriff of Nottingham, while also uncovering a close betrayal.
Episode 8 of Robin Hood begins with the five Saxon hostages being led out of their cell in Nottingham Castle for a meeting with the Sheriff, who has devised a new plan. Since Robin Hood continues to elude the authorities and sow terror among the Normans, the Sheriff now wants to use the hostages as bait. A crucial detail is that one of these hostages is Gamewell, Robin's uncle, who had significantly helped him after the death of his parents.
Creators: Jonathan English, John Glenn
Stars: Lydia Peckham, Steven Waddington, Sean Bean
The Sheriff expects the outlaw to try to save his people, especially his uncle, so he decides to release one of the prisoners to return to Sherwood and spread the word of the law. Before letting him go, the Sheriff clearly conveys his message: Robin Hood must surrender within a week, or the Saxon hostages will be executed, with even greater consequences for the inhabitants of the forest.
Interestingly, as the hostage is allowed to leave on horseback, one of the Sheriff's men asks him if he truly believes Robin will surrender, to which the man simply replies that if something like that were to happen, it would only ruin his original plan. This is because the Sheriff's real plan is different, even though he releases one of the hostages to send a direct message to the outlaw. But, contrary to what his message suggests, he doesn't expect Robin Hood to surrender, but rather intends to prepare for an attack by the outlaws on his castle. This is undoubtedly a cunning plan, as the sheriff seems to have learned to anticipate his opponent's actions and has become more ruthless, especially since he now knows and has admitted that the outlaw will come to kill him.
Later, Gamewell has a heated conversation with the sheriff, whom he asks to speak with to make a proposal. Gamewell states that if the sheriff wants to persecute all the Saxons for the crimes of a single outlaw, he is willing to sacrifice his own life to atone for Robin Hood's sins and thus protect the lives of innocent Saxons. The sheriff refuses the deal, insisting on the need to maintain order and uphold the laws of the kingdom, suggesting that his warning that he will harm all the Saxon foresters if Robin does not surrender is merely a tactic to force the outlaw to give himself up.
The conversation soon turns to the execution of Hugh Locksley, the incident that started this whole fiasco, and Gamewell questions the legality of hanging an innocent man. The sheriff exclaims that he did everything he could to save Hugh from danger, allowing him to participate in the Norman government despite knowing how much he longed to rebel against the Norman king. He adds that Hugh Locksley brought about his own downfall and reveals that the Saxon forester Alwin was the one who testified against him, which is why Hugh was arrested.
Meanwhile, Robert prepares for a risky visit to Westminster Palace, both to deliver a message to Queen Eleanor and, perhaps more importantly, to try to reconcile with Marian. The last time they saw each other, Marian reproached Robert for all the violent decisions he had made, which had caused the deaths of numerous people, including her brother, Aronne. She had also ended their relationship and told him she never wanted to see him again. Now, the protagonist meets with a man named Ibrahim Al-Rashid, a friend of Little John, to arrange a secret visit to the palace, which he enters disguised as a royal guard.
Robert finds Marian and approaches her while she seems lost in thought, perhaps romantic ones, and gives her a coin he wants to send to Queen Eleanor. This coin symbolizes that Robert, or his alter ego, Robin Hood, is ready to collaborate with her, causing more trouble in the Midlands through his rebellion. But Marian is annoyed that he has chosen her as a messenger, even though she herself had taken on that responsibility a few episodes earlier, although at that time she was unaware of her lover's true identity. Once the task is completed, Robert asks Marian to tell him clearly if she no longer loves him, as he believes her moral judgment is only suppressing her true feelings for him.
Marian responds frankly, stating that they have already moved past the stage of questioning whether they still love each other, as Marian no longer wants to love or be with Robert because of his violent and troublesome decisions. She reiterates her desire never to see him again, and this time she seems even more determined. This is evidenced by the fact that she doesn't hesitate to throw into the fire the small dried marigold flower, apparently from the time she and Robert met, that he had left in her room. This marks the end of a chapter in Marian's love life, who is probably preparing to open a new one.
Thus, when Prince John asks her to dance at a ball in the royal palace some time later, Marian does not refuse and, in fact, enjoys it. Her close friend, Priscilla, who is now also part of the royal court, directly advises her to forget about Robert. Priscilla is in a serious relationship with William Marshal, who intends to marry her. For this reason, Priscilla faces the indirect anger of Celine De Fitzou, who is understandably upset by the situation, as she had been with William before his visit to Nottingham.
As a result, Celine and Priscilla exchange very harsh insults in this episode, but the latter is clearly used to facing challenges. For now, Marian does not seem willing to accept Robert's love again, and both she and Priscilla seem to be on their way to occupying important positions at the royal court. When Robin returns to Sherwood, he learns of what happened a few nights earlier, when the Sheriff's men arrested Uncle Gamewell and four other elderly Saxon men in retaliation for his attack on Lord Warwick. The protagonist decides almost immediately to try and save his uncle and the others, as Gamewell is an innocent man who had nothing to do with his illegal activities.
While Robin meets with his group to plan a rescue, he realizes that Nottingham Castle was built by Saxons, as it existed before the Norman conquest, meaning they can easily find secret entrances. Furthermore, Milange shares his knowledge of the castle's corridors and exact layout, information he knows from his years in the Sheriff's service. Therefore, a daring plan of attack is devised, whose sole purpose is to rescue the Saxon hostages.
As Robin and his men infiltrate the castle and subdue the guards, they manage to reach the cells and open the door, freeing all the Saxon prisoners. But as they attempt to escape, numerous guards suddenly spring into action, led by the Sheriff himself, who had prepared for such an attack. The Sheriff of Nottingham had predicted that Robin Hood and his Merry Men would come to rescue the Saxons, and now he is ready to counterattack. A fierce battle ensues, in which many of the Merry Men have to fight their way out of the castle, while Henry Miller is mortally wounded by a guard. Ultimately, Henry, or rather, his lifeless body, as he dies within minutes, has to be abandoned inside the castle while his brothers and the others flee to safety.
Meanwhile, Robin Hood is pursued by the Sheriff of Nottingham, who wants to put an end to the matter, and the two engage in a fierce sword duel on the rooftop of the building. Only thanks to Ralph, or rather Rosemary, who has finally revealed her true identity, does Robin survive, as she intervenes at the last moment and shoots the Sheriff in the arm. She and Robin manage to escape the castle along with their friends and the Saxon prisoners, but the Sheriff seems quite pleased with the outcome. He quickly reveals to his henchmen that he had coerced one of the prisoners into becoming a spy for him, meaning the authorities will now receive confidential information directly from Robin Hood's camp, which will help the sheriff finally bring down the outlaw.
Comments
Post a Comment