Robin Hood 3.12: Something Worth Fighting For, part 1

(This picture isn't from episode 12, but it's a nice shot, don't ya think? *wink*)

Spoilers...

Well...I'm sure no one has noticed that I never got around to blogging about the conclusion - of season 3 and the show itself - of Robin Hood. However, because I am a COMPLETIST (*grin*) and the DVDs of season 3 just released on Tuesday, I thought I'd finally get around to checking this item off the blogging to-do list. This season was so hit-or-miss it was rather hard to get up the motivation, so it was extra easy for me to be distracted by the holidays.

Anyway - the last time I blogged about my favorite outlaws, Guy (Richard Armitage) and Robin (Jonas Armstrong) had reached a somewhat uneasy truce, bonded over the knowledge that Guy's mother and Robin's father had an affair that resulted in a heretofore unknown brother, the oh-so-conveniently named Archer (Clive Standen). Considering that the announcement of the show's cancellation was made after the season finished airing in the UK, but before it began on BBC America, it's even easier than it should be to recognize Archer as the heir apparent to the lead of the show, a cocky, self-assured mash-up of Robin and Guy's personalities. While I think the showrunners/scriptwriters completely killed this show due to lack of focus, lack of a plan, Clive Standen is enough of an Errol Flynn clone that I would've definitely continued to watch the show should it have produced a fourth season. Oh well, perhaps Clive will move on to more interesting roles (there was a rumor that he was in the running to star in the fourth Pirates film).

Let me back up for a second - so, the basic set up for this storyline is that King Richard (who was LAME, if you've seen the season 2 finale) is "supposedly" returning to England, and Prince John & his minions are planning a hostile takeover. Robin and Guy decide that they must take Nottingham Castle and imprison Sheriff Isabella (Lara Pulver). This is make it or break it time for Isabella, as she realizes if she doesn't deliver the men Prince John needs for his army he'll dispose of her as easily as he does all of his other enemies. In and of itself this isn't an awful set up for a climatic battle, (can you sense the "but" coming? LOL) BUT there's a few missed opportunties here in my view.

One: the return of Kate's (Joanne Froggatt) mother. Isabella blackmails her into tricking Kate that Robin still loves her. Kate, because she's an IDIOT, falls for it. And the fact that Kate's mother has suddenly, out of the blue lost all of her anti-Robin bias just adds insult to injury. I mean she hugged Robin in order to plant Isabella's evidence on him - and he didn't think that was freaky and insincere? Of course I should just acknowledge Robin's legendary stupidity about women, but this my friends is a new low. Also, for as much as I like Clive Standen because of his uncanny ability to channel Errol Flynn, his character arc here is quite dicey, even by this show's standards. Episode 11 did a fine job of establishing that Archer has a real mercenary streak, but since he's Robin's half brother, of course there's a heart of gold buried in there somewhere, right? :) So that makes his about-face in this episode a little puzzling. He goes from working for Isabella to turning outlaw as soon as he sees Kate willing to die for her principles (typing that last bit made me gag just a little, I can't lie). What is with the men on this show and KATE?! It's so WRONG!! Talking about Kate reminds me of another thing that bugged me about this episode - Tuck (David Harewood). How annoyingly sanctimonious can a character get, yeesh! His bright idea is having a sit-in with the men of the village to stop Isabella's supply train to Prince John from leaving the castle - a SIT-IN?! Seriously?! That was lame. Thankfully it only lasted for about three minutes.

One of my all-time favorite characters on the show bites the dust in this episode - Allan (Joe Armstrong), who was criminally under-used this season. There was a time, mind you, when Allan's death would've positively devastated me. But this season has been such a roller coaster of highs and lows that I really didn't care. The only thing that did bother me, though, is that he had to die all on his own, after Robin and his band of fickle men accept some rumor that he was working with Isabella, rather than pay attention to the fact that he'd been suffering through all of season 3 living in the woods with the gang. Would he do that if he was a double agent? I think not, just sayin'...Allan, you deserved a better end, methinks.

I realize this post is mostly a gripfest, but I figure the show's canceled, I might as well blow off some steam about how frustrating it's been to watch one of my all-time favorite shows just fizzle out. Not that this season has been all bad (see episode 9), but overall it's ended up more about missed opportunities than what I would've preferred. However, I'll end this episode commentary by reiterating what a dream come true it's been for Guy to finally, finally see the proverbial light and work with Robin instead of against him. Oh, what this show could've been if they'd made Richard Armitage the new lead. What a dream come true that would've been! *sigh* :)

Commentary on part 2 coming tomorrow...

Robin Hood 3.7: Too Hot to Handle

Spoilers...

A drought's hit Nottingham in episode 7 of Robin Hood - a potentially deadly situation exacerbated by Prince John's need to be loved by the people. Robin (Jonas Armstrong) and Isabella (Lara Pulver) still have a thing for each other. I mean you know its real when Robin waltzes into town to bring his lady luv strawberries. The double entendre in that scene had me rolling, LOL! But I have to say, how freaking stupid do you have to be to stage your little strawberry rendevous in full view of Prince John's (Toby Stephens) window. Yeesh. *rolls eyes*

So Prince John sees Robin and Isabella together and orders Guy (Richard Armitage) to follow the two of them around to determine her where her loyalty lies. At this point like there's any question about that, but whatever, I get it, it's not like there's no precedent on this show for characters being really dense. I loved every single scene Toby Stephens appeared in, the man's portrayal of Prince John is everything I wanted and then some. It could be a bit disturbing to analyze how easily he plays characters that are so in love with themselves, but where would the fun be in that? ;-) I also enjoyed Guy's interaction with the Prince - poor Guy, he obviously thought getting rid of the Sheriff would mean great things for him right off, but that dream has not played out according to plan (huuuugggge shocker, right? LOL). And maybe I'm reading too much into Guy's expression, but Armitage gives the performance a layer that almost, almost makes you believe he feels bad about the whole situation with his sister.

I've got to give credit to the fight choreographers for the way they staged the three-way fight between Guy, Robin, and Isabella - with Robin and Isabella shackled together, no less! (Seriously, Robin is losing his touch - to let Guy sneak up on them like that is tremendously pathetic.) But I thought the fight scene was quite entertaining. And once again Richard comes through as the finest actor on the show by making it seem just barely possible that he wants Isabella to choose him over Robin. Does he not want to lose his one remaining family member? Does Izzy remind him of Marian? Am I completely and overly obsessed with every nuance of Richard Armitage's facial expressions? The questions are endless.

So once Robin and Isabella escape Guy (for now), Robin reveals just how seriously deluded he is about the whole Marian/Guy relationship. I cannot believe he actually tells Isabella, with a straight face, that Marian never gave Guy a reason to feel anything for her. What planet was he living on for the last two years?!

Anyways...Robin & Isabella manage to make it to where the water is blocked, followed (of course) by Guy who locks them in and leaves them to drown. Poor Guy is once again missing a critical principle of this show, that is, if you don't kill someone right off they will always find a way to escape. In the ensuing scene Isabella reveals just how badly she's pinned all of her hopes for escape & a new life on Robin, and not-so-shockingly Robin begins to cave under the pressure. He just can't go there because of the whole Marian debacle - as an outlaw, he can't have it all. Poor boy. So after this revelation, Isabella goes all Gisborne on us and turns on Robin, who has never learned the idea that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. As brilliant as he likes to think of himself, Robin is not the brightest star in the sky, is he?

One of my favorite Prince John quotes: "Oh please, don't go all enigmatic on me Gisborne. Are they dead?"

So Isabella turns on Guy and Robin, and Guy just can't believe the sister he sold would throw him under the bus, but whever. This leads to not only another solidly staged and entertaining fight scene in the dungeon, but some freaking hilarious humor courtesy of Prince John. One of the strongest points of this episode are John's scenes - Stephens gets the chance to throw around some really funny, dry one-liners over and over - LOVED it. Now that Isabella has screwed up Guy's plans for royally-sanctioned power and position, he's got to go rogue...that makes me very happy. Just sayin'. :) I think it could be way healthier for Guy and Robin to bond over being dissed by Isabella (as opposed to the whole Marian mess).

Every scene with the rest of the gang bored me to tears - Tuck (David Harewood) comes off as really pompous and annoying to me, and Much (Sam Troughton) is just sad with this hopeless crush he has developed on Kate (Joanne Froggatt). I have to give Kate some credit for annoying me less this episode than she has in all of her previous appearances. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that her hairstyle has changed? I don't know, but don't worry, I'm not about to jump ship and become a Kate fan. ;-)

Robin Hood 3.4: Sins of the Father

Spoilers...

I am WAY behind in my Robin Hood blogging, I know, I know. But let the record show that I am determined to get caught up THIS WEEK. Just in case you need a refresher, the last time we visited Nottingham, Robin & the gang are accused of being heretics, and the Sheriff (Keith Allen) has sent Guy (Richard Armitage) off to pay homage to Prince John. The Sheriff is apparently becoming a bit stressed about his struggles to collect the cash he needs to keep Prince John happy - so he calls in a new tax collector - Ruthless Rufus. Yes, that is the best name the scriptwriters could come up with. *rolls eyes*

So Rufus arrives in Nottingham with his son Edmund, and starts throwing his muscle around. This of course antagonizes my least favorite addition to the cast EVER, Kate (Joanne Froggatt), who's taken to Rufus's home in order to spare her annoying mother. There Rufus forces her dance for his entertainment. Lame. Will Kate survive the attentions of the dastardly Rufus? Unfortunately for the show, yes, Robin (Jonas Armstrong) & crew stage a rescue. *sigh* Since Kate is now a known associate of outlaws, she has to take to the woods. In typical Kate-and-her-relatives-are-complete-ingrates, she and her mother aren't grateful that Kate's been saved from Rufus - instead she and her mother find a way to blame Robin for the fact she has to leave the town. ARGH!! To add insult to injury, Much (Sam Troughton) and Allan (Joe Armstrong) both apparently want Kate to like them - Much falls all over himself to try and appear in a favorable light. (Aside: Why are men so stupid?!?!)

In spite of Ruthless Rufus's alliterative moniker, he's a fellow with a somewhat interesting history. Unfortunately for the Sheriff, Rufus has a history in Nottingham - he saw the Sheriff take his father's shop from him years before. Since the Sheriff has no conscience, he of course isn't going to remember wrecking Rufus's boyhood - and since suffering hasn't made Rufus a more compassionate person, he's willing to trample anyone in the way of his quest for revenge. This extends to his son, Edmund, who's somehow grown up with some scruples and obviously doesn't approve of his father's tactics. I've got to say, it's a nice change watching the Sheriff get played - well, he's usually played, but by a good guy - it's a switch when a baddie is the one pulling the wool over Sheriff Vasey's eyes.

As you can tell by the above picture, Kate & Allan get themselves taken prisoner by Rufus, while Edmund gets himself taken as a hostage by Robin & the gang. Kate and Allan have a nice, nauseating moment bonding over their shared misfortune. If Allan was imprisoned with any one else I don't think I'd care...he's my favorite member of the gang, and I love and adore his smart-aleck sense of humor. I just hate to see it wasted on Kate. *sigh again* However, this prisoner exchange does have an upside. Little John (Gordon Kennedy) actually gets a bit of screentime since, as a longtime resident of Nottingham, he's the first to recognize Rufus (only he just can't place him at first). Poor Little John's been pretty criminally underused so far this season, hasn't he? Tuck (David Harewood) also gets the chance to practice being Dr. Phil when he tries to convince Edmund to quit making excuses for his father's criminal behavior.

There are parts of the "big reveal" at the end of this episode that I actually really liked. When the gang descends on Rufus's hideout to rescue Kate & Allan, the Sheriff also appears - in hot pursuit of the money he discovered Rufus has stolen. When the Sheriff goes all "fatherly" in his talk with Edmund about the fact that Rufus "has issues" I just rolled. This is a major case of the pot calling the kettle black, no? ;-) The icing on the cake is when Robin makes one of his impossible shots and the arrow magically hits the mark, preventing a crazed Rufus from killing his son. Gotta love Robin's bow work, I'm just sayin'...

By the end of the episode, Kate is an official member of the gang and she's magically let go of all of her anger issues (thanks to Allan's therapy session I guess). Thankfully there's a shakeup coming to the show with the next episode. I made a mistake in my post on episode 3 - for some reason I was under the impression that Guy was returning this week...don't know what I was thinking but of course, that's not the case. It's really TRAGIC, this being the last season of the show & all, that Guy's AWOL from TWO WHOLE EPISODES. Oh well, c'est la vie. :)

Robin Hood 3.3: Lost in Translation

Spoilers...

This episode of Robin Hood suffers from an unforgivably fatal flaw - Guy (Richard Armitage) is AWOL. Didn't the scriptwriters realize that he is the #1 reason 99.9% of this show's fanbase tune in on a weekly basis? I'm just sayin'...crazy, crazy move people!!

Now, aside from some annoyances I'll expound on later, the essential conflict of the episode is pretty fascinating IMO. Our favorite Sheriff (Keith Allen) has learned that the Abbot of Kirklees is guilty of heresy - he's been translating the scriptures into English. The Sheriff threatens to destroy the Abbot's work unless he agrees to help bring down Robin Hood (Jonas Armstrong) by turning the villagers against him - so the Abbot condemns Robin & crew as heretics. This episode, with its religious theme, was obviously designed to highlight newcomer Tuck (David Harewood), and it does a pretty decent job all things considered. Tuck's raging crusader-for-Robin Hood mentality still occasionally gets on my nerves, but the content of the translation storyline is strong enough for me to overlook that. The interaction between Tuck and the Abbot is pretty interesting - the Abbot, of course, will do anything to protect his life's work, while Tuck wants him to worry a little less about translating the scriptures and live some of the principles instead. The whole idea of the scriptures being in English does lead to some cute Much moments, when he rather redundantly can't wrap his head around the concept. ;-) And the Sheriff has several priceless moments throughout the episode as well - Keith Allen loves to ham it up and he takes advantage of every opportunity - like when he supplies a faux relic with which to intimidate the villagers. When he starts "preaching," and then kissed the decaying hand, it just cracked me up. Just when you think you've seen the Sheriff do it all... *sigh* ;-)

This episode - unfortunately - also provides plenty of screentime for annoying Kate (Joanne Froggatt) and her even more annoying mother. They (especially Kate's mother, because it's GLARINGLY obvious that Kate's starting to crush on Robin) are so blatantly anti-Robin and stupid about it to boot that it's just annoying. We could have had some originality, but NOOOO...we had to have some half-baked rehash of Marian & her father's conflicts with Robin. Now I realize that the way Kate's mother takes the Abbot's words to heart is fairly historically accurate considering the position of the church in society at the time. But I don't CARE, I can't STAND that woman!!

I have to mention the whole Kate/Much (Sam Troughton) thing. While Kate is in complete and utterly pathetic denial that she's got a crush on Robin ("*sob* I don't ever want to see you again Robin, do you hear me?!" Puh-LEEZE. *rollseyes*), poor Much is developing a crush on Kate. This does lead to a brief, but cute, scene where Allan (Joe Armstrong) attempts to give the hapless Much some advice on how to woo a lady. Unfortunately this is followed up by the scene where Much attempts to execute the plan, and he's told off by Kate because he smells. SERIOUSLY?! That's a little like the pot calling the kettle black...the girl is apparently also in denial about the fact that she's a peasant TOO. Yeesh!!

So let's wrap things up...Robin & the gang are captured when they fail to convince the Abbot to denounce the Sheriff. Kate attempts to rescue Robin by attacking him on the way to the pyre and slipping him an arrow so he can try to cut the ropes. Then - and this made me GAG, I kid you not - she WINKS at him. OF ALL THE NERVE!!! She has to be one of the most exasperating fictional characters EVER to pollute one of my favorite TV shows. I'm just sayin'...

Of course all's well that ends well, especially since this is only the 3rd episode of the season. If the episode didn't include all of the Kate-related scenes I would've been a lot happier with it, but that's just me - and I freely admit to being biased. :) Just think of the episode that could have been if the writing had been a bit tighter and Guy had been given a role in the story...a girl can dream, right?

Thankfully, Guy's back next week...and so is his sister. And people I think you're in for a treat - I loved the introduction of Guy's family - it's an example of a new character being written in a new, fresh, and fascinating way (especially when compared to KATE...okay, I'll get off that soapbox...).

Robin Hood 3.2: Cause and Effect

Spoilers...

So sorry I'm a little late blogging about the latest episode of Robin Hood - "Cause and Effect." I suppose I didn't really feel an urgency to write about this episode since it's one of the ones I watched on YouTube back when series 3 first started to air in the U.K. The primary reason probably has more to do with the fact that I now have to start mentioning the above woman in my episode reviews - Kate, played by Joanne Froggatt. But perhaps I'm getting a bit ahead of myself... :)

The episode opens with a nice montage of Robin (Jonas Armstrong) & the gang in action, robbing the rich to feed the poor and antagonize the Sheriff (Keith Allen) and my lovely, angst-ridden Guy (Richard Armitage). I think it's safe to assume that some substantial amount of time has passed between this episode and the last, which marked Robin's return. It's at this point that I might as well note that Tuck's (David Harewood) predisposition for going on and on about how people "need a hero" gets a little obvious and annoying after a while.

The action then moves to the village, where we learn that Guy still hasn't seen fit to cut his hair, his rage is simmering barely below the surface, ready to explode at any moment (go Richard!), and he's collecting the village men to ship off to Ireland. This is the latest of the Sheriff's grand and overly complex money-making schemes that are always destined to fail - however, even if you think the plot conceit is a bit over-the-top, the visiting Irishmen are by far the best thing about this episode.

Kate, acting the part of plucky village girl to the hilt, attempts to smuggle her brother Matthew to safety, but the plot is caught by Guy, and in the ensuing scuffle Matthew is taken captive to the castle along with Robin (unbeknownst to Guy). It's so painfully obvious that Kate is the "poor man's Marian" it's not even funny. She, and especially her mother, really seem to hate Robin and everything he stands for, which is weird considering this is their FIRST APPEARANCE IN THE SHOW (but I digress). I guess the simplest way to boil down how Kate & especially her mother feel about Robin is that they'd rather roll over and take the oppression and abuse rather than support anyone who tries to do anything about it. In fact - they'd rather serve other people up for execution - as Kate does in a stupid, asinine, foolish, and ultimately futile attempt to "bargain" with Guy for Matthew's life.

It's not that I object to the introduction of a new female character to the show - in fact, it was going to be needed sooner or later. But I hate the lack of creativity - it's like women in the world of Robin Hood are required to endlessly whine about everything he does. How is Kate any different from Marian, only poorer and blonde? Why do Much (Sam Troughton) and Allan (Joe Armstrong) have to welcome her so readily into their rescue efforts when she sold their leader up the proverbial river a scant fifteen minutes prior? Did the writers just get lazy and decide to rewrite Marian as a peasant and make her father the most annoying woman to ever live in the village?! And what is with the stupid fake braid in Kate's hair?!?!

Whew...sorry to go on such a rant...but I'm really not a fan of Kate. What can I say, I got carried away... *sigh*

Now to talk about my favorite aspects of the episode...any scene involving Guy (of course!) and our guest star Irishmen, led by Finn (played by William Houston). The whole Irish storyline fascinated me. Finn and his loser younger brother have this "bright" idea to buy slaves from the Sheriff to serve in their army. Their goal - free Ireland from the British and set Finn on the throne. When Finn witnesses Robin's ultimately futile attempt to escape with the other prisoners, he's left impressed with Robin's ability to rally men to fight for his cause. He attempts to recruit Robin, Robin refuses, he attempts to rescue Robin, attempt fails due to betrayal by brother, both ultimately escape (of course! :)) in a thrilling hang gliding sequence (compared to the whole Kate thing, the hang gliding thing worked perfectly for me). Ultimately Finn "sees the light" and realizes that an army of men who believe in his cause is to be preferred to a conscripted army of slaves. Excellent object lesson, I think we can all agree, no? :)

Regarding Guy...dear man, I love you no matter how moody you get, but this long hair thing you have going on is trying my patience. :) I've got to say, it's really nice to see Guy actually start to show some real attitude towards the Sheriff. Setting up some conflict between the two of them is long overdue in my opinion. Even with Guy's callous involvement in Matthew's death, Richard Armitage seems to play the anger so well that I can never forget that his anger and rage is part of his grieving process.* Guy sort of has this self-loathing thing going on, only Guy being Guy, he lashes out at anyone and everyone. I think that's why he's become such a loose cannon where the Sheriff is concerned - since he killed the only woman he ever loved, he just doesn't care anyone. I mean after all, what does he have to lose?

*I suppose a person uniformed to the awesomeness that is Richard Armitage could argue that I'm reading WAY too much into his performance. But they would be WRONG. Just wanted to clarify that... :)

The lovely picture below captures one of the episode's best moments, when Robin calls out Guy's anger act. As much as I have loved Jonas Armstrong in this series, he's not had too many moments where I have felt that he rises to the occasion and delivers a strong performance equal to Richard's. This, however, was one of those moments, and it worked exceedingly well for me.

Till this Saturday's episode...think happy Guy thoughts. :)

Robin Hood 3.1: Total Eclipse

Spoilers!!

Oh Robin Hood, how I love you. :) The third (and sadly, final) season of Robin Hood finally, at long last, began on BBC America this weekend. And it starts off with a bang. Since it's been about a year and a half since season 2 aired over here, how about a quick recap?

When we last left our intrepid band of outlaws/freedom fighters, they had traveled to the Holy Land (apparating Harry Potter-style, apparently, since the journey took no time at all) to save King Richard from yet another attempt on his life spearheaded by the Sheriff (Keith Allen). The world of Robin Hood fandom was set ablaze by the controversial ending to season 2, which saw my favorite baddie in the whole wide world (a.k.a. Sir Guy of Gisborne, a.k.a. RICHARD ARMITAGE!!) go off in self-destruct mode and kill Marian (Lucy Griffiths), after finally (FINALLY!!) realizing that she's been playing him for a fool for two years.

Personally, Marian's death was remarkably anticlimatic. She'd gradually become infected over the course of season 2 with one of the worst cases of TSTL (Too Stupid To Live) syndrome that I've ever seen. And the whole will she choose Robin or will she choose Guy thing had been taken WAY too far. Where Guy was concerned, she was far too blinded by his appeal and feelings for her - she thought she could control him, and failed MISERABLY. Her father never taught her that if you play with fire, you get burned (or stuck in the gut with a sword by an emotionally eviscerated, incredibly good-looking man). The best part of Marian's death was how it allowed Robin (Jonas Armstrong) to emote...that man has beautiful, beautiful eyes. Just sayin'. :) You can read my post on the season 2 finale here.

Fast forward to tonight's episode...strangely enough it takes MUCH longer to journey back to England from the Holy Land than the other way around. Weird, no? And apparently the second the boat docks one must run all the way back to Nottingham in order to avenge the death of one's beloved. (Question: Why did it seem like Guy & the Sheriff had been back in England so much longer than the boys in green? Also, all the running was a little crazy...it reminded me of all the running that occurs in The Two Towers.) Can I just tell you that I LOVED angry, angst-ridden Robin? That was played well, I liked seeing Robin cope - or not, as the case may be - with his grief and anger, and I think, guilt over not being able to save Marian. Over the course of the previous two seasons he's poured so much of himself into the anti-Sheriff crusade, that it's actually a wonder he hasn't reached the breaking point before. But of course, after perhaps realizing that your king is a MORON (seriously, go back and watch the end of season 2 if it's been a while, Richard was written very poorly IMO) and it's cost you the woman you love and are perhaps FINALLY ready to commit to, it's natural that one would have to lash out a bit. This is really the first time that being an outlaw has really cost Robin something near & dear to him - a wake-up call that was probably long overdue.

The man that brings Robin back from the brink is a new addition to the team - Tuck, played by David Harewood. In keeping with the way this show likes to shake up tradition, this incarnation of Tuck definitely isn't a roly-poly, jolly type - this Tuck may still be a priest, but he's a fighter and crusader. Out of all members of the gang, Tuck is being set up as Robin's best equal - how can I say this - mental acuity. I love Little John (Gordon Kennedy), Much (Sam Troughton), and most of all, I love and adore Allan (Joe Armstrong), but excepting perhaps Allan's occasional flashes of brilliance, they are definitely more followers than leaders and planners. I think it's interesting that Tuck, newly returned to England from foreign parts himself, has such a passionate drive to see the Sheriff and Prince John ousted from power - the urgency of his mission seems just a tad contrived for a new arrival, but whatever. Perfect logic has never been this show's strongest suit. ;-)

I absolutely loved this episode's focus on the Robin/Guy conflict. It's hard to find Richard Armitage's equal for playing the tortured soul, and he uses that skill to full effect in this episode. He may have incredibly nasty, greasy hair, but somehow I can look past that and see the tortured soul, know what I mean? *sigh* Not that I in any way condone how he dealt with his relationship problems at the end of season 2, but Marian just didn't get him, did she? Stupid girl. ;-) Guy had some great moments in this episode, from the encounter with Tuck, where he talks of the demons that haunt his dreams, to the moment where he begs Robin to kill him, only to be spared, to perhaps the best moment - where he tells the Sheriff that he FINALLY realizes that he doesn't like him. OMG, is the light dawning?! LOL

So, by the end of this episode, Robin realizes that he can't not do what it is he does, he can't suddenly deny Robin Hood. For as much as he created the legend the people love, it's an intrinsic part of who he is - and since the people love him enough to risk a massive forest fire with their candle-filled tribute (that cracked me up!) when they think he's dead, well Marian wouldn't want him to let them down, would she? :) Two things I absolutely loved in the ending segment of this episode: 1) the insane giant arrow the Sheriff tries to kill three people with. When will the man realize that elaborate death traps never, ever work? *rolls eyes* LOL! And 2) Robin's grand entrance and heroic speech. I am a total and complete sucker for those moments, they do me in every single time.

Till next week...WE ARE ROBIN HOOD!! (Haha, sorry, couldn't resist!) ;-)