The Sheriff gets an ultimatum, to kill Robin or lose his position. He decides to use ambush and bloodhounds, as well as more men than ever, and so the outlaws are pushed to the brink.
Leave it to Kip Carpenter to know how to break all our hearts. No, really - all hoods off to him. In very short notice he managed to turn out a masterpiece.
I don't want to think too much about *why* it was necessary for Carpenter to do it. That sort of takes away from it a little. However, it led to The Greatest Episode, which I'd say holds up almost 40 years later.
Visually, they outdid themselves. Remember, they had to do all effects in camera.
The actors do some of their best work.
The budget must have been higher for this one? There seems to be a ton of extras, probably to remove all doubt that the outlaws are facing overwhelming odds this time.
The dialogue is perfect.
The action is so well-constructed and memorable. Look at the epic capture of Little John and Will Scarlet. The equally epic almost-rescue by Nasir.
The last fight between Robin and the Sheriff being framed as a battle, beautifully located. Three outlaws on a battlefield, only two of whom are firing, against dozens of men.
That redscreen shot of Robin, all alone, getting the Sheriff's row of soldiers to pull back, is unforgettable. Somehow you believe that he could do that.
This is the only episode that's been able to make me tear up. It has many of the elements I've missed in the rest of the series, like real stakes. The good guys still have plot armour - except one - but they have a much harder time than usual.
Time and time again my insides are ripped out:
-Robin persuading Marion to allow him to sacrifice himself for her and Much. Note the difference in him as he's walking over to her, dreading what he's about to do, versus the strong face he puts on when he starts talking to her.
-Marion then being forced to break Much's heart, because Robin had promised him to join them later. And Much, of course, always trusted Robin 100%. It's possibly the most heartbreaking scene of all, with some great acting by Peter Llewellyn Williams.
-Gisburne assuming Robin got away, as usual. Funny. And crushing.
-The Merries getting their hopes up that Robin might still be alive, when they are rescued by the new Hooded Man. When even Will Scarlet believes it, and starts smiling.. Carpenter, you sadist :'(
-Finally, the beautiful shooting of fire arrows into the pond. We know for a fact that none of them, behind or in front of the camera, thought they'd being doing this ceremony for ROBIN.
The new Hooded Man is introduced, in just the right dream-like, mysterious manner. Not that it was enough to get me to watch series 3. There's only one Robin Hood!
The hood itself is used to great effect, to trick both the outlaws and the Sheriff's soldies to think this might be Robin of Loxley. The soldies think he's a ghost, and don't dare shoot at him. Thus he gets away, and the legend continues.
9/10
Best part: Redscreen Robin with the bow. No contest. That's the most epic end I think I've ever seen.
Worst part: Now this is nitpicking:
*What's Marion doing wielding a sword during the ambush? Close combat isn't her skill. Makes no sense that she gets away, while Scarlet and Little-John are captured.
*I would have liked a teeny, tiny bit more inner conflict and vulnerability from Robin. He just accepts what Herne says, without question. And dude, I know you're badass-ness personified, and you "found your power", but come on! Your line is "There are so many things I want to say to you, but time has caught me up and now I'll never say them" - and your voice isn't even strained??
Random thoughts/obs:
-The Sheriff blackmails Edward by threatening to hurt his son, nice and scary touch, but we never actually see the boy deliver the message to the Merries. Not enough time?
-Did they really use bloodhounds in the 13th century?
That Marion is too easily manipulated. Yes, the plot required it, but what if she had said
"Oh, so the courageous thing is to go on living? Why don't you do that, then? I'm almost as good an archer as you. You and Much can get away, while I cover you. You're Robin Hood, you're more important to the people, you should be the one to survive. Nothing is meant to be!"
Yep, would have liked to see him get out of that one!
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