When I suggested that the MGM+ reboot of Robin Hood might have missed the mark on what made the character so endearing in the first place, I was only half-joking. However, with Episode 3, "No Man Can Hide Forever," we're not doing any favors by introducing more Merry Men who don't quite live up to their name. While I understand that the Norman occupation wasn't exactly a joyous time for the oppressed Saxons, I believe that the essence of what works for this character still holds true, even if the episode stands on its own merits.
After Rob's murder of the garrison captain, Priscilla's love interest, he finds himself a wanted man. Everyone, including the Sheriff, buys into the idea that Rob was hunting Normans as revenge for his father's execution, even though that's not exactly what happened. Priscilla tries to make a case to her father that capturing and executing Rob is crucial for Norman honor. The Sheriff, while not fully buying into her reasoning due to her own dalliances that could bring disrepute to the family name, takes the point about the bounty either way.
In all of this, the Sheriff sees an opportunity. Marian's father, the Earl of Huntingdon, is on the hook for Rob's actions in the eyes of the Bishop of Hereford, since his handling of Rob's father's execution was bound to radicalize him. If the Sheriff is the one to apprehend Rob and publicly execute him as a warning to other Saxons thinking about rebelling against their oppressors, it will help him consolidate power. It's a win-win for him, but it means bringing Rob in alive, which is complicated by the fact that the Earl is trying to claim the bounty for himself to avoid the Bishop's recompense.
Rob is forced to flee deeper into Sherwood to avoid the manhunt, and it's there that he runs into the Miller siblings: Ralph, Drew, and Henry. Henry is mute and has an unspecified mental illness that causes him to regularly indecently expose himself to passersby, which led to their banishment from their home in the first place. Ralph is secretly a woman disguised as a man, a reveal that made me chuckle since she had done such a poor job of it that I never suspected her of being a man in the first place. Either way, this is the beginning of Rob's band of not-so-merry men, but there's still a key player missing...
In the third episode of Robin Hood, the portrayal of Little John as a bounty hunter who believes he can commune with forest spirits is commendable. He initially pursues the bounty on Robin's head but undergoes a sudden about-face when a pagan deity informs him that Robin is now beloved of the forest and must be protected. This unexpected turn is likely tied to Little John's past trauma, which involves tasting killing by ending his murderous, abusive father's life and continuing the habit ever since. While one could argue that Little John's allegiance to Robin seems a bit too swift for the transition to be fully believable, his presence as a giant, throwing-Normans-around force is nonetheless welcome.
More attention is given to Marian's new life in Westminster, where she serves at the behest of Queen Eleanor, who views marriage vows as somewhat flexible. However, it becomes clear almost immediately that Marian has been recruited by Eleanor for a secret and specific mission, the details of which are yet to be revealed but will undoubtedly involve the Sheriff of Nottingham and Priscilla, given her proximity to both. I envision Marian being sent back to Nottingham sooner rather than later to try and gain their favor, with Priscilla perhaps deserving her fate due to her swiftness in throwing Marian under the bus when she heard about Robin's rebellion. This is something to keep an eye on.
Another aspect to keep an eye on is the utterly untenable situation occurring in Nottingham. When the Huntingdons set up camp near Robin and his new allies, one of his sons, Aaron, gets carried away and heads deeper into the woods to look for Robin himself. Unfortunately for him, he finds Robin and takes an arrow in the chest from Ralph for his efforts. The Earl arrives just in time to witness his son's demise, which doesn't bode well for the vibes or his relationship with the Sheriff. He vows revenge on Robin despite the Sheriff's clear instruction to capture him alive. I sense that all this is headed for trouble sooner rather than later.
