Summary
Robin Hood remains competent in a lot of ways in “Go Back to Them”, but it’s a bit too serious for its own good and lacks some of the character’s trademark silly energy.
In an article for TechRadar, Jasmine Valentine talks about how the supposedly grounded sex scenes of Robin Hood are a little weird. I think it’s a good, accurate point, but I think it’s symptomatic of a wider issue with the MGM+ show that isn’t just contained to sex scenes. You can see it in Episode 5 a lot, especially since we’ve gotten into the swing of things, heist-wise. It’s the idea of the show being “grounded” in general, I think, and the ways that tends to be expressed, most of which sap the fun out of the idea of Robin Hood as a concept.
Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t want a Robin Hood show to be some kind of historical document. I find the feints it makes in the direction of very serious prestige shows to be a bit trying, honestly, and the writing isn’t sophisticated enough to make it work. That’s where the sex scene argument comes in. Priscilla has cropped up repeatedly throughout this season, and here in “Go Back to Them”, with no other narrative function beyond using her body to try and secure some agency. Granted, the ways available to women to exert agency in this setting are fairly limited at the best of times, and they can’t all be invited to serve in a queen’s court (albeit for ulterior motives), but this is probably why it’s better for a Robin Hood show to be silly.
Another way this manifests is in the seriousness around the manhunt for Rob feeling a bit silly. The Sheriff, calling on aid from the earls of Leicester and Warwick, describes Rob as a “dangerous beast” and tries to lend a mythic vibe to the outlaws in the forest that feels a bit overblown. The political realities are obvious. Rob and his merry men robbed the Bishop of Hereford’s gold, which means no money is available to pay the bounty for his capture, which is an issue. And it won’t be solved by a vengeful Earl of Huntingdon rushing into the forest to try and avenge his son’s death, so the Sheriff keeps the specifics of Rob’s involvement low-key. He also neglects to explain how he’s going to pay anyone for their services in the current manhunt, obviously indulging in some wishful thinking about the recovery of the abbey’s stolen fortune.
Rob is keen to bury that money, which makes a degree of sense. A bunch of itinerant Saxons throwing coins around would draw attention, and if any of them are captured with bags of the stuff on their person, it makes their guilt pretty obvious. Besides, the heist was intended more as a symbolic gesture than a way for the thieves to enrich themselves, not that Spragart quite gets this idea. By the same logic, Rob also wants to disband the newly-formed Merry Men so that they don’t present such a big target for the giant hunting party roaming the forests looking for them.
Despite some reluctance, this is eventually agreed to, with Rob himself taking shelter in a cave with a wolf, while Spragart and Little John head in the direction of Nottingham and the Miller siblings – the youngest, Henry, survived his injuries but still isn’t in robust health – return to their village to rejoin the rest of their family. The oak tree beneath which the money is buried provides a handy meeting point for the future.
The news of the manhunt travels far and quickly in Robin Hood Episode 5, reaching Marian in Westminster along with the news of her brother’s death at the hands of an outlaw I can’t believe she hasn’t guessed is her aggrieved Saxon boyfriend. But she does have other things to be getting on with. As was rather obvious, Marian’s presence at court is a deliberate play by Queen Eleanor, who seeks to govern the country in her husband’s stead and install her preferred prince, Richard, on the throne in his absence. But Henry II is a cousin of the Sheriff of Nottingham, who will support Prince John’s ascension – unless he can somehow be blackmailed or forced to remain quiet. But that requires an insider who is familiar with him and his daughter, Priscilla, and can navigate the crucial politics of the Midlands, an important but culturally diverse and combustible midpoint between the north and south of England.
“Combustible” is about right, which becomes obvious as “Go Back to Them” progresses and the separated Merry Men gradually find their way back to each other under less than ideal circumstances. Spragart predictably starts throwing money around and drawing attention to himself, Friar Tuck’s sermonising makes him wistful of the brief time spent with his new friends, and the Millers, upon returning home, are almost immediately ratted out by the husband of their cousin Isabel, and are promptly arrested by the Sheriff’s soldiers, who burn all the village’s crops as punishment for harbouring them.
Some of this works better than the rest, I think. I like the idea of the peasant locals being snitches, because that kind of backstabbing cowardice foments in oppressive circumstances, but Friar Tuck’s lofty claims of found family are tough to buy into, given he only met he others in the previous episode, and Rob’s fever-dream of his father inspiring him to become an outlaw is a bit forced. It would probably have been better to spend an episode or two with the Merry Men carrying out a few different heists and becoming closer, instead of having them retire after their first job.
Anyway, the gang all find themselves reconvening under the oak tree, obviously sans the Millers, though they’re joined by Isabel herself. It’s time for a rescue mission, which is where Robin Hood really comes into its own, giving each member of the Merry Men something relevant to do. With the help of a distraction, some disguises, a few arrows, and a carriage, the gang are able to not only rescue the Millers but also recruit Milange, the serving boy who was arrested by the Sheriff in the previous episode for defending Priscilla with a knife.
While the mission is a success, though, it’s only going to build more infamy for the outlaws and light a fire under their pursuers, especially since Priscilla gets shot in the hand with an arrow. Now she, the Sheriff, and the Earl of Huntingdon are all determined to bring Rob to justice, and folding Marian back into that dynamic, especially with Rob potentially developing an alternative romantic connection with Ralph, is only going to cause more trouble. I just hope the show develops a bit more excitement along the way and doesn’t get bogged down by its own seriousness.
Read More: Robin Hood Episode 6 Recap
