In Review: Robin Hood (S1 – Ep4) The Cause of This Unrest

Synopsis: In “The Cause of This Unrest,” Rob leads a daring heist to steal the Sheriff’s own bounty for his capture. Success could finally fund their cause — but the risks force every outlaw to confront the true cost of rebellion.

The Story

Episode 4 opens with the Sheriff of Nottingham growing increasingly exasperated after yet another failed attempt to capture Robin Hood. He blames the Earl of Huntington’s greed for pushing Rob into outlawry and for disturbing the peace, and—hoping for a swift end to things—he raises the bounty on Robin’s head. He then orders the Bishop of Hereford to pay for half of that bounty from the Church’s coffers.

Meanwhile, deep in Sherwood Forest, Rob, Little John, Ralph and the gang are starving and desperately in need of supplies. As luck would have it, they spot a cart delivering food and goods to the church on the road between Hereford and Nottingham. Never one to refuse a gift horse, Rob leads the group in robbing the cart, but they’re met with surprising resistance from one of the two accompanying friars. This fiery cleric later reveals himself as Friar Tuck, who reluctantly joins the outlaws—knowing that returning to the abbey after being robbed would mean severe punishment.

In London, Marian continues her training as a lady-in-waiting to the Queen, only to learn that Her Majesty has bigger plans and intends to train her as a spy. Will Gamewell, meanwhile, seems to be living his best life, though it’s clear his drinking and womanising won’t be tolerated forever.

Back in Nottingham, the Sheriff sends his pregnant daughter Priscilla to represent him at the Earl of Huntington’s funeral for his son. The Sheriff orders his men to take her to a nunnery once her duties are done, but Priscilla has ideas of her own.

In Sherwood, Rob and the gang debate their next move while struggling to survive in the forest. Friar Tuck argues that the best way to hurt the Sheriff is through his purse. He reveals the schedule and route used to transport the Sheriff’s money from Hereford to Nottingham, and a plan is hatched. Along the way, the group meets a thief named Spragart, who joins them with his wife Mary. But when the heist goes horribly wrong, Mary is killed and one of Ralph’s brothers is badly injured. Thankfully, Tuck has just enough healing knowledge to keep him alive.

The episode closes with a shaken, dishevelled Bishop of Hereford returning to Nottingham with shocking news: Robin the Hood has stolen the very bounty the Sheriff placed on Locksley’s head.

Acting

Angus Castle-Doughty is introduced in this episode as Friar Tuck, who is a far cry from the stereotypical, burly, ale-loving Tuck of old. This version is wiry, sharp-minded, and carries the same fiery temperament, but he also emerges as the group’s de-facto planner. We’re also introduced to the thief Spragart, played by Ryan Gage, who brings a fun, roguish energy to the role. At this stage, Spragart is only along to help with the heist and hasn’t fully earned his place within the gang, but once he does, he’s bound to become an interesting counterpoint to Rob and the others. Lydia Peckham delivers a fierce performance as Priscilla, who refuses to be cornered by her father’s old-fashioned attitudes toward women. However, she makes it clear she believes the Sheriff will have to kill Rob of Locksley if he hopes to prevent another Saxon uprising.

Overall

“The Cause of This Unrest” does a solid job of continuing the story from where last week’s episode left off, giving a bit more screen time to the growing gang of outlaws as they welcome a few new members. We get some genuinely interesting dialogue between Friar Tuck and Rob, as the two debate religion and their very different spiritual philosophies. Also enjoyable are the scenes set in London, where we see Marian beginning to settle into her new role and the political world she’s being drawn into.