Year: 2006-2009
Genre: Historical fiction
Seasons: 3
Episodes: 39
Special Notes: I first watched it in 2012.
Summary: Tax evasion: Sherwood edition.
This show is cheesy, lame, ridiculous, cringe-y, and pretty much everything that is objectively not great. It does improve over the seasons, but you’re never going to say it’s top notch tv.
But I like it.
The first season opens with Robin and Much returning from the Holy Land where the war is ongoing. They find their home is now under the rule of the Sheriff and the people are suffering for it. Wanting to help but instead butting heads with the Sheriff, they wind up in the woods to begin their outlaw career.
The first episode is bad. The only way to get through the fights, story, script, questionable use of slow-motion/replay, all of it…is to laugh at them. Then there is fun to be had.
The whole first season is the weakest by far. It’s campy and silly and with the exception of the finale, none of the episodes stand out. There’s not much real danger so it’s allowed to be fun, if a little cheap.
Speaking of cheap. The costumes in the first season are trying to be somewhat period appropriate, but most of them look like they were scrounged from Goodwill. I don’t think there’s a single good outfit in any of those episodes.
Season two is a significant improvement. It takes itself more seriously while maintaining an adventurous tone. There are only a few meh episodes but it slices away most of the cheese and replaces it with not half bad meat. The costumes, though still not great, are better. I actually like some of Marian’s dresses, especially the green and purple one in episode six. And the finale creates a challenging path for Robin in the next season.
The final season touches the dark and gritty side. Light moments appear, but everyone is more mature and ground down by all that they’ve faced. Less winking and kissing, more stabbing and scheming. I can’t say much without spoiling it, so suffice it to say, it has some absolutely fantastic parts. And Meg’s dress in episode nine *chef’s kiss*
On to the characters.
Robin’s personality mimics the tone of the seasons (of the show, not the weather). There is literally a winking kiss moment in the second episode and it’s just, like, completely bad and yet amazing…-ly bad. By the end he’s matured but he’s retained his sense of honor and goodness, which sometimes bites him in the tush. But he does occasionally go crazy with the killing, which is always satisfying. I like how he’s good at delegating and he never rushes into action without some sort of plan. It’s also clear that he’s the best choice for being the leader. And I like the detail of him having a scimitar-ish sword and a recurve bow.
Much is my favorite of Robin’s men. He’s criminally under-appreciated and downtrodden by the other outlaws. His loyalty and brotherly love to Robin, no matter how it’s tested, stays strong. But no one ever thanks him for doing all the cooking which, as a cook myself, is monstrously unkind. That said, Much has this great monologue that really hits the spot regarding the struggles he faces as Robin’s friend.
I really like how they handled Allan A Dale’s arc. From the beginning of the show he has this hunger for something and then that hunger gets him in trouble and leads him down this path and then he has to redeem himself and I think it’s rather realistic.
Will Scarlett and Tuck are fine.
Aside from Errol Flynn’s Robin Hood, I’ve never cared for any Little John. This one is the typical big, slow guy with few brains and he’s, just, whatever.
As for the women, there are Marian, Djaq (pronounced Jack), and Kate.
Marian is…she has her moments. But she also uses this alter persona called the Night Watchman to channel her “I’m a strong, independent woman” card. It’s not as painful as it could be, but it’s wildly unbelievable. I understand that they need to give her something to do and meddling in politics and outlawry is the obvious choice, but would it kill someone to be original?
Djaq is in Robin’s crew and she is a Saracen, which is an interesting angle that is actually useful sometimes. She’s helpful and not annoying, making her the best of the three.
Kate combines two of my least tolerated characteristics: thoughtlessness and recklessness. Then she has the gall to blame the outcome of her stupidity on other people. If she hadn’t stuck her foot in it, so many problems wouldn’t have occurred. And what’s more, she has no fighting experience and yet they’re like, “Yeah, join our gang. This sounds like a stellar plan.” She’s annoying and troublesome and whiny and I can’t stand her.
I guess I should mention Isabella too. You’re not supposed to like her and I don’t, so good job.
The Sheriff is manipulative, power hungry and doesn’t care who he flattens to get what he wants. I don’t like him either.
Guy of Gisborne. Part of the reason I wanted to see this show is because of Richard Armitage. He’s one of my favorite actors and he really sells Guy’s despicable actions. It also helps that he’s incredibly handsome and I could listen to him talk all day. His romance with Marian does soften him a bit and toward the end he pulls out some heroics, but for the most part he’s no good. I think his best acting is in season three.
Shoutout to Toby Stephens who plays Prince John. He is fantastic in this role (and in another one that I’ve already talked about here.) John’s desire to be loved by the people is quickly replaced by the need to be feared, which I think is fascinating given what Machiavelli says about fear/love in the monarchy.
The dialogue is a unique blend of cheeses. You’ve got your Velveeta that makes you chuckle in pain. The mildly better mozzarella that manages to melt over everything. And the flavorful cheddar you can’t always find, but you always appreciate when it comes along.
I have to mention the traps they encounter in the castle. Absolute lunacy. At one point the floor opens and there’s this deep pit with like, lava, at the bottom. And molten lead sprays out of the wall. How!? Then there’s the room with the strings triggered to shoot arrows. And they had a fight over this ginormous cauldron of boiling oil; but that cauldron wasn’t there a minute ago and the whole thing is magically boiling in no time. C’mon. Who even makes ginormous cauldrons?
The music’s not particularly memorable. The theme song does a good job of being adventurous, but I wouldn’t seek any of the songs out to listen to on their own.
If I could change one thing, I’d improve the fights. The choreography never gets better and the fights keep their extreme unrealism. I don’t know how to sword fight, but I can tell these are stupid. For example: they hesitate when they shouldn’t, they miss the opportune moment to stab, and no one knows how to use shields. No matter where they came from or how long they’ve been fighting, everyone is automatically at the same level or suddenly a bumbling novice. (Why isn’t Much a consistently competent fighter? He survived the Holy Land and I never got the impression that it was by hiding behind Robin. He’s often easily beaten and upgrading his skill would’ve made his character that much more believable and strong. He doesn’t have to be the best, he just has to hold his own.) And let’s not forget how wounds are conveniently forgotten and battle strategies are not to be borne.
In conclusion, this show is hugely flawed and most people would not enjoy it. Like I said, it’s a cheese wedge. If you want quality in every aspect of your tv shows, skip this one.
And yet, I see a story that is timeless. A story of fighting against those who want you to obey and submit to a life of unreasonable and oppressive demands. It’s not executed to perfection but it’s got heart, friendship, loyalty, bravery and Richard Armitage. I enjoy its adventures and the goodness smothers just enough of the lameness.
The finales of all the seasons up the ante, but my favorite episodes are:
Season two: 2, 3, 6, 12
Season three: 1, 6, 9, 11