In Review: Robin Hood (S1 – EP8) The True Price of Defiance

Synopsis: In The True Price of Defiance, Rob mounts a daring rescue of his uncle and the Saxon elders, only to discover he has walked straight into the Sheriff’s trap.

The Story

Picking up from last week’s events, the Sheriff has captured Rob’s uncle, Gamewell, along with several Saxon lords, in retaliation for Rob’s attack on Baron Warwick’s castle. Meanwhile, Rob, Little John, and Friar Tuck travel to London to purchase arms from a Saracen acquaintance of Little John.

While in London, Rob takes the opportunity to visit Maid Marian at Westminster, hoping to learn whether she still loves him, while also delivering a message to the Queen. Upon their return to Sherwood, the gang learns from one of the foresters that the Sheriff has imprisoned Uncle Gamewell and the other Saxon lords.

Rob plans a raid on Nottingham Castle, using secret passages to gain entry and rescue his uncle, but the attempt quickly turns disastrous as Rob and his men are overwhelmed by the Sheriff’s forces. During the raid, Ralph’s brother is killed while Rob engages the Sheriff in a fierce duel. In the midst of the fight, the Sheriff reveals that it was a forester who betrayed Rob’s father.

Although Rob and the gang manage to escape, they are forced to leave Ralph’s brother behind. Unbeknown to them, the Sheriff has planted one of his spies among the captured Saxon lords. Acting on information learned from the Sheriff, Rob sets out to confront the forester who betrayed both him and his father.

Acting

We get some solid acting performances this week, though nothing particularly stands out beyond the spirited duel between Sean Bean’s Sheriff and Jack Patten’s Robin Hood. The early scene between Rob, Little John, and the Saracen is also a lot of fun, adding a welcome touch of energy and humour.

Overall

This was a fun episode that does a solid job of balancing the various character arcs with the overall story. The duel at the Sheriff’s castle is nicely choreographed and gives Sean Bean plenty of room to channel his inner villain.

I’m also really enjoying the stillness and staunch reliability Marcus Fraser brings to Little John, though I’d like to see him get a bit more screen time in future episodes. Little John has always been one of my favourite characters, both in the original folk tales and in later film adaptations.