The narrative of Robin Hood's inaugural episode commences with a vivid recounting of how the Normans subjugated the Saxon lands under the iron fist of Henry II. Immediately after their triumphant march, the Normans imposed heavy taxes on the Saxons and compelled them to embrace Christianity. They usurped the Saxon lands, bestowing them as gifts to their loyal Norman lords. Furthermore, the Normans issued a ban on hunting in the vast forests, reserving this privilege exclusively for the king himself. In response to this oppressive new order, some defiant Saxons took refuge in the dense forests, vowing to resist the Norman yoke.
The scene shifts to a heartfelt conversation between Hugh Locksley and his young son, Robert, as he narrates the legend of Aedric, the Saxon hero who led the initial uprising against the Normans. According to this time-honored tale, Aedric stumbled upon the abode of merry fairies, where he fell in love with the fairy queen, Godda. On their wedding night, she transformed him into a majestic stag, granting him eternal life and making him the guardian of the forest.
As Robert drifts off to sleep, Hugh shares his impending journey with his wife, Joan, in a hushed tone. The next morning, Hugh embarks on a horseback ride to Nottingham alongside two companions, determined to speak with the Sheriff. Meanwhile, Huntingdon also seeks an audience with the Sheriff, hoping to secure more land for his own kingdom. However, the Sheriff turns down his request. In a bid to instill leadership skills in his daughter Priscilla, Huntingdon asks her to sit by his side and learn from his experiences.
Hugh arrives at the Sheriff's presence, imploring him to return the Locksley manor that was unfairly taken from him. Although he knows that the Sheriff is set to return these lands to some Saxons, he is instead offered a position as a royal forester. Initially hesitant to accept this new role, Hugh is persuaded by his colleague to consider Robert's future prospects.
Upon returning home disheartened, Hugh pours out his frustration to Joan. She does her utmost to persuade him to let go of his past lands and focus on their new life together. With a promise to never forsake his Saxon heritage, Hugh embarks on this new chapter with renewed determination and a deepened sense of purpose.
Later, Hugh leads Robert into the forest, where he imparts the art of archery. During their lesson, Hugh not only teaches Robert the craft but also guides him to listen to the forest's whispers. He shows Robert a necklace from a sacred place, promising that one day, when Robert is ready, the spirits will lead him there.
After the lesson, Robert stumbles upon Huntingdon's daughter, Marian, at their old home. He reveals to her that the house was once theirs. As they chat, Huntingdon returns home and summons Marian. She informs him of the boy, and Huntingdon shouts a warning to Robert. Fortunately, Hugh arrives in time to save Robert and escorts him home. The tension between Hugh and Joan escalates as he struggles to let go of what was taken. Robert retreats to the forest to hone his archery skills.
Years pass, and Robert blossoms into a fine young man with exceptional archery prowess. However, the rift between the Saxons and Normans deepens. Hugh and Joan disagree on whether Robert should seek a position in the Norman courts or stay home to take over from his father. Ultimately, they decide to let Godda decide Robert's fate.
In Nottingham, Priscilla begins a clandestine affair with Captain Lefors. They later go on a hunt and encounter Huntingdon and his daughter, Marian. In contrast to Priscilla's mischievous nature, Marian is conservative and abhors seeing the Saxon people suffer.
As for the Saxons, Hugh, Robert, and a few foresters join the hunting party to serve the Sheriff and Huntingdon. During the hunt, Priscilla teases Marian about enjoying the company of the Saxon men. Huntingdon continues to push his agenda to secure his lands, fearing that Locksley will demand his land back someday. The group spots a herd of deer and moves in for the kill.
Unfortuitously, Robert's arrow pierced through a poacher's flesh along with the deer's. Realizing his mistake, Robert ceased his shooting, but Huntingdon continued to draw his bow. Robert intervened to stop him, earning Huntingdon's ire. The Sheriff's men apprehended the two poachers, and Hugh implored the Sheriff to grant them a just trial. However, Huntingdon insisted on beheading them immediately. Ultimately, the Sheriff, influenced by Huntingdon's insistence, honored Hugh's request. Then, the Sheriff commanded Marian to mark the hunt's victor, insisting on using the blood of one of the injured poachers. As she marked Robert, Marian remarked that her people should be the ones bleeding, catching Robert off-guard. On the other hand, the poachers blamed Hugh for their imprisonment, despite his efforts to spare their lives.
After the incident, Hugh secluded himself for a week, urged by Joan to forget about it. Meanwhile, Robert secretly visited Marian to inquire about her words' meaning. He recognized her as the girl he met as children. Before Marian could respond to his question, Huntingdon's men appeared and chased Robert away.
Back in Nottingham, Huntingdon continued to plot against Hugh. He reported to the Sheriff that he had proof that Hugh was a traitor, bringing in one of Hugh's close allies, Alwin, who testified that Hugh had been protecting poachers and breaking the law.
Elsewhere, Robert prepared for a wedding as Marian visited him. They invited her to attend the wedding with them. Marian was eager to see what a Saxon wedding looked like. She walked to the venue with Robert, picking flowers and openly sharing her thoughts. She confessed her worry about her father discovering she was gone.
At the wedding, Robert introduced Marian to his cousin, Will. The festivities were jovial, and Joan tried to play matchmaker between her son and Marian. As the party raged into the night, Marian and Robert sneaked away. They ended up kissing and discussing why Robert wanted to change his name. Later that night, Robert escorted her home. By then, Huntingdon had long noticed his daughter's absence; he sent men to find her, but she returned home by herself. He beat her for disobeying his orders and lying about her whereabouts.
Later that night, Priscilla had a nightmare about something emerging from the forest. She warned her father that meddling with Hugh and allowing Huntingdon to triumph would only bring chaos. The sheriff dismissed her concerns and added that Hugh had been found guilty of treason.
In the middle of the night, the sheriff sent Lefors and a few men to arrest Hugh. Joan warned him to remain calm when he confronted the Sheriff.
In the bleak confines of Nottingham's dungeons, Hugh finds himself incarcerated alongside the very poachers he had dared to save earlier. Lerch, one of them, is now a pawn in Huntingdon's machinations, bribed with the promise of freedom in exchange for ending Hugh's life with a hidden knife. As Lerch springs his deadly surprise, Hugh fights back with all his might, a desperate struggle that attracts the attention of a nearby guard. In the chaos, the guard is accidentally slain, and Hugh, in an attempt to aid the fallen comrade, becomes the primary suspect in the eyes of the soldiers who rush in. Lerch and another inmate seize this opportunity to make a run for it, leaving Hugh to face the full fury of the law.
Accused of heinous murder, Hugh is hustled before the sheriff's very eyes, his pleas of innocence falling on deaf ears. The sheriff, fueled by long-standing animosity towards the Saxons, accuses Hugh of complicity with his former captives and sentences him to hang by dawn's light. In a last-ditch effort to avoid further bloodshed, Hugh relents and confesses his true feelings towards the Saxons.
The next morning, Robert arrives in Nottingham, weary from a sleepless journey, only to witness his father being dragged to the gallows. The bishop's words ring out, casting the Saxons as heathens deserving only of judgment. Robert yearns to intervene, but his father begs him to desist, imploring him to turn away and save himself from the fray. In his final moments, Hugh prays to Aedric, imploring the deity to shield Robert and use him as a vessel for saving his people's souls. The episode ends with Robert's haunting gaze fixed upon the tragic end of his father's life.
