Robin Hood -Who Shot the Sheriff?

Episode three, "Who Shot the Sheriff?" begins with the seemingly economically unwise move of the Sheriff ordering a miller and his family out of a grain mill and closing the mill doors. Any government official worth his weight would have opened the mill up in the government's name, overcharged the customers and collected the revenues, or rewarded one of his loyal cronies with the deed to the mill in exchange for a hefty political contribution.

In any case, Robin's sympathies are firmly placed with the ousted miller and his family. He promises them that somehow he will fix things despite the fact that the miller is leery of accepting any help from an outlaw.

In the wake of Robin's promise Much encourages him to leave the scene, making themselves scarce before the sheriff's men arrive. Robin cannot resist lingering long enough to enjoy the expression of relief on the face of the miller's wife as she takes in the news that he's on the case. Much chides Robin for enjoying the gratitude as much as the good deed.

On the village outskirts they meet up with Joderich, the bailiff, on his way to close the mill down. Robin hands him a sack full of coins on the miller's behalf and entreats Joderich, who seems like a decent sort, to take the money and arrange things with the sheriff so that the mill can stay open. Joderich agrees to do so without giving Robin the credit for his actions.

The miller's wife upon seeing the bailiff entering the village is confounded because it seems that Robin didn't keep his promise. In fact, the bailiff offers them a reprieve but refutes the fact that he spoke to Robin. Just as the miller and his wife are trying to make sense of this turn an arrow flies out of the forest and nails Joderich in the back. He drops dead at the miller's feet as Robin and his allies watch astounded from the cover of the forest. Most astounding yet, the miller's wife cries out that Robin killed him.

Confusion abounds, Robin chases down the real shooter but he gets away after a struggle. Leaving Robin perplexed and a little miffed that somebody got the best of him. The rest of the gang speculate that the shooter was the heretofore non-violent "Night Watchman", a creature of myth based on the real actions of a do-gooder who dresses in disguise and leaves food and medicine for people in need.

In Nottingham the Sheriff is having a field day with Joderich's death. He's delighted to have a senseless and cowardly murder on hand to blame Robin with. Gisbourne is raring to go charging into the village to torture a few people on account of this latest act of villainy on Robin's part, but Marion offers the opinion that reprisals against the villagers didn't work out that well the last time, and the Sheriff, possibly considering Robin's last visit to the castle and his sworn oath to kill Fazy if he takes revenge on innocents again, for once agrees with her.

The Sheriff's man-at-arms wants to employ town criers to give Robin some bad press and ruin his credibility with the peasants. Gisbourne wants to take some dogs into the forest and run Robin and his men into the ground. The Sheriff likes both ideas and pits Gisbourne against his man-at-arms, challenging them to both go ahead and see whose idea is more successful.

Joderich's funeral takes place in the castle courtyard with the Sheriff lauding his civil servants service to the crown for a second or two and then segueing immediately into a diatribe against Robin the vile murderer.

Marion, attending the funeral with her father, notices an old friend dressed in uniform and approaches him. She wants to know why he's back to working for the sheriff when he's supposed to be retired. Joe Lacey tells her that he's been recalled to service and Marion tells him she'll talk to the sheriff and get him off his duties.

Robin is attending the funeral too, hanging on the outskirts of the crowd with his gang. Much is offended to realize that the sheriff has the nerve to call Robin the killer and make it sound as though they are all criminals, to which Roy replies, "You know we are criminals?" Well, maybe, but Much and Robin aren't in the habit of thinking of themselves so. Not too long ago they were war heroes returning home with commendations from the highest authority in the country. Apparently noble service to one's country isn't worth what it purports to be.

Robin loads his bow and sends Marion a summons that strikes her sharply in the rump. Disgusted by his temerity she marches over to confront Robin and shoves his arrow back in his face, "You don't ever shoot me!"

He's not feeling guilty though, he's deeply concerned about the fate of his good name. If the villagers believe he's a killer and can't be trusted he won't be able to help them. Marion, who apparently really doesn't think too well of him, insists that this display on the sheriff's part is all his fault. He killed Joderich and gave the sheriff a stick to beat him with. Robin, sounding truly offended, tells her that he didn't kill Joderich the Night Watchman did. Then it's Marion's turn to sound offended as she vehemently denies the involvement of the mysterious Night Watchman. Robin might be suspicious but he's not. He's still too worked up for the fact that he looks bad and he wants Marion to look around the castle for him and try to figure out who the killer might be.

Back in the forest the outlaws try to plan a strategy for catching the Night Watchman when they are interrupted by barking, lots of loud, excited barking. The kind of barking that comes from packs of dogs on the hunt. Gisbourne's in the forest with a pack of hounds and the chase is on. Robin splits up the gang into pairs and they all take off at a run.

Matthew, the miller's boy, is spending his first day on the job and finds out what it's like to work for a pecker head. He sets the sheriff's tray on the left side of the desk only to discover that the sheriff is right-handed and also, a twisted, and evil power hungry megalomaniac. He forces Matthew to stand on his right leg, to help him remember the sheriff's evil-handedness in the future. While poor Matthew balances on one leg trying to pretend that he's not alone in the room with a maniac the sheriff tries to instill in him a sense of gratitude for his lot in life. After all isn't being ruthlessly tormented for no good reason better than being chased to death in the forest by a pack of dogs?

Matthew looks rather uncertain about that as he contemplates the sheriff's goblin-like maw invading his personal space. Then an arrow soars through the open window, striking Matthew between the shoulder blades and killing him instantly. The sheriff, realizing that Joderich's killer has a master plan, panics and flees in a cowardly terror for the dubious cover of his bird cages while calling for the guards. Enter his man-at-arms who tells the sheriff that Gisbourne has taken most of the men with him to the forest. Fazy's first option is to recall his men and cover his butt with them. On second thought though he considers that the death of an innocent and helpless young boy might be twisted to his advantage after all. He wants to attribute Matthew's death to Robin Hood as well, and by-the-by perhaps his sergeant might see fit to add a few more interesting and pretty deaths to that roster while they're at it.

"In your face, Hood," the sheriff seems to say. Robin distinctly warned him against doing this very thing in the last episode. Still the sheriff can't seem to help himself, and at least this time the killings will be anonymous and providentially accidental.

Marion, having sidled up to Guy earlier, (haven't decided if this is actually a hardship for her) has secured a space for herself in the castle because it seems safer for her with a killer on the loose. She strolls by as a servant bites the dust and notices that the sergeant is conveniently close by. Later she pays a visit to her old friend Joe Lacy to discuss bow range and murdering the sheriff in a round about fashion. Joe suspects her of trying to prove Robin's innocence and asks her if she's still in love with him. Marion pretends she doesn't know who he's talking about, but he calls her bluff and tells her to give Robin a message when she sees him, not that she ever does, that there are those who remember him from the old days and still love him.

Interesting, that. Apparently Robin and Marion were an item at one time and if someone like Joe Lacy knows about it probably a pretty public item at that. The fact that she was in love with Robin is no matter of secret privilege and we are inspired to wonder then about her apparent animosity towards him in present days.

Robin and the gang, thirsty, exhausted, and at least in Much's case in want of cheese, make for the nearest village in search of sustenance and are astonished to be greeted with violent disdain. The miller's wife attacks Robin bodily, accusing him of killing her son, Matthew, and no amount of denial on Robin's part will suffice to convince her and the rest of the villagers otherwise. The sheriff's smear campaign is working in spades. Robin and the outlaws run from the villagers back to the baying hound filled wilderness.

Desperate and flat-out of ideas Robin decides he has to make a deal with the sheriff. Leaving Little John in charge he and Alan make for Nottingham castle at night. With surprisingly little effort Robin sneaks into the sheriff's bedchamber and surprises him in submissive sleep pose (both hands extended palms up beside his head, dreaming of Robin, perhaps? One begins to wonder). He places his hand over the sheriff's mouth and his dagger at the sheriff's throat. Fazy wakes up and laments the fact that he hasn't been awakened by a beautiful woman, instead. Robin tells him to call off the dogs and he'll find out who's trying to kill him.

The sheriff is skeptical, he's used to being loathed and is distrustful of Robin's abilities anyway. But Robin points out that he sneaked into the sheriff's chambers undetected and a determined killer could do the same. Fazy is convinced and is willing to give Robin's plan a shot. He'll appear openly in the village, a publicity appearance, and draw out the killer. Robin and his men will be waiting to strike.

On his way out of the castle Robin makes a chased-by-soldiers inspired detour into an unlocked bedchamber. The door is thrown open to reveal lovely Marion in dishabille, (one questions her sense, she's sleeping in the castle with the sheriff and leaves her door unlocked? Not very bright) The guard apologizes for disturbing her and slams the door shut. And who should pop out from under the covers but Robin. He can't get her to kiss him for anything but she'll let him into her bed in a pinch.

She tells him she suspects the sergeant at arms of being the killer by reason of proximity and ambition. It's a fuzzy analysis at best, but her claim is that the sergeant has benefited from the current situation of panic at the castle and Robin says he's going to change the situation.

Marion shares skepticism of Robin's abilities with the sheriff. She doubts that he can change things just because he wants to, and he counters that it's difficult to change things you don't want changed. A subtle jab at Marion there? Is he implying that she's become too complacent in her compliance with the sheriff?

She retaliates that it would be easier for Robin to just leave, but he says he's having too much fun, and we have to believe that he is. Sneaking about the castle at night, threatening the sheriff's life in his own bed chamber, late night visits to his ex-girlfriend with the added edge of being about to get caught at any minute...who wouldn't love that crazy action? Marion doesn't think any of this is fun and games, though. She doesn't tell him to grow-up this time, but it's on the tip of her tongue (as unfortunately for the viewer tired of the trite and overused expression it always is) and instead asks him if anything truly touches him.

Robin doesn't understand the question and she explains that he behaves as if he's invulnerable, everything is a game and none of it truly affects him. In effect, I think she is subtly attacking his feelings and behavior towards her as much as anything else. He pops in and out of her life at his whim, hinting at deeper feelings, dangling his affections in front of her, before whisking away again on his next adventure. He tells her, in his first moment of sincere conversation with her, that he has been hurt, that he does feel pain, and that his feelings are genuine. Marion takes the opportunity to impart the information that she was talking about him earlier that day and that he should know that people do remember him from the old days and still love him. However if she's waiting for an admission on his part that he still loves people he remembers from the old days she waits in vain. He grins and whisks away again on his next adventure. But not before he steals a kiss on her cheek, leaving Marion grinning despite herself.

Robin enlists the outlaws to deliver their last store of food to the starving villagers in an attempt to convince them that he isn't a killer. None of them are enthusiastic about this approach, particularly Much, who is hungry and doesn't understand why Robin wants to feed people who hate him. But the gift works to a degree. Although the miller, Owen, accuses Robin of engaging in games with the sheriff and using the common people as pawns. Twice then Robin has been accused of being less than sincere in his attempts to show affection and loyalty and on both occasions he is wounded by the implication.

The sheriff and Gisbourne show up in the village to engage in a little post-tongue-cutting friendly publicity with the locals. Gisbourne claims to be offering the village the gift of freedom as he and the sheriff strut about sucking up to the peasants and refusing to be cowed by terror and the possibility of assignation.

An arrow flies, striking a guard in the arm. The shooter flees, as does a masked figure hiding in the woods. Robin, as promised, races after the masked culprit and tackles him to the ground, pinning him, and demanding to know what kind of man he is, when he kills innocent people.

Robin's prisoner reaches up to remove his mask and Robin catapults halfway across the clearing as he realizes that he's captured Marion. Much, on Robin's heels, arrives in time for the unmasking and declares, "You're the Night Watchman!"

She is, but she's not the killer. That would be Joe Lacy, who tells Robin and Marion when they catch up to him as he's about to launch an arrow into the sheriff's heart, that he's the only man in Nottingham who is brave enough to do something about the sheriff's tyrannical reign. Robin argues with him, after all he killed Matthew in his quest for vengeance and the others, innocent people working in the castle. But Joe is undeterred, the sheriff deserves to die and he begs Robin to let him do it. Robin says no way. Prince John will only send another sheriff, better the devil you know than the one you don't. He warns Lacy that he will shoot him if he persists in his folly but Lacy is determined. He shoots and his arrow finds his target just as Robin and Marion, armed as the Night Watchman with a bow, shoot him in the arm. He topples down the hill and lands at the bottom crowing, "I did it! I shot the sheriff!"

To which the sheriff replies, "No, you shot the deputy. My look alike." Ugg! What a ghastly notion, the sheriff has a look alike.

Gisbourne strides up like the black death and drives his sword straight into Joe Lacy's murderous unrepentant heart. No trial, no appeal.

Robin and Marion take a small stroll together where she reveals her secret identity. Robin tells her that she doesn't need to dress up and act out anymore now that he's on the scene. She claims that her father had her taught to fight so that she would have choices in the world, she chooses to help the poor and Robin's return isn't about to change that. He wants to know if her father knows how she's putting her skills to use and she admits that he believes she enjoys embroidery. Interesting since we're three episodes into the series and we haven't seen her engaged in a single domestic task yet, much less whiling away her time with a needle and thread.

Robin excuses himself to re-open the mill for the villagers now that the sheriff has gone and Much joins Marion. She observes Robin being hugged and thanked by the now grateful peasants and comments that he enjoys the glory. Much disagrees, he says Robin just wants to be loved. Robin turns to smile at Marion and she can't help but smile back, because clearly she does love him.

And of course they're both right. Robin can't operate inside a vaccum. He needs the accolades. Losing the admiration of the peasants was deeply distressing for him, he is touched by the opinions of others. He is touched by the opinion of Marion as well, although he hasn't admitted as much yet.