When the name Robin Hood springs to mind, arrows, bags of gold, and tights come to the forefront of my thoughts. I mean, they do for me. However, I don't often ponder intricate love affairs akin to a young adult drama, which seems to be a primary focus in the MGM+ adaptation. The title outlaw, Maid Marian, and Priscilla all find new paramours in Episode 7, or at least something resembling one. If it weren't for a late action scene depicting another heist, this time of a local Norman ruler, one might mistake this show for one that bears no resemblance to our traditional understanding of Robin Hood.
In "Thieves With A Purpose," Marian is in a state of confusion as she finally realizes that Robert is none other than Robin Hood, responsible not only for the chaos in Nottingham but also, more problematically, her brother's death. Rob doesn't do a very good job of defending himself, pointing out that Aronne's death was an accident but failing to mention that it wasn't even him who took his life. He's on the back foot when Marian starts listing all the other "accidents" he's responsible for. After a while, the claims of "you didn't mean it" don't hold much weight, although I'd argue that defrauding a bishop of a few quid isn't quite as heinous as hanging a man for a crime he didn't commit.
Despite this, Marian doesn't want to see Rob anymore. Putting aside the fact that Eleanor isn't inclined to let her wallow in her grief – having intuitively realized that she now has an opportunity to use Rob to her own ends without having to uphold her end of the bargain and dismiss Marian from her service – Marian immediately meets someone who can take her mind off the breakup: Prince John. His charming and princely demeanor saves her from some unsavoury types and immediately takes a shine to Marian, even if his sudden, unannounced arrival in England is a bit politically contentious.
The only thing that might put a damper on John courting Marian is Eleanor, who is politically shrewd enough to have realized that John has ulterior motives for being at court. Sensing the immediate closeness developing between him and Marian, who is quickly promoted to chambermaid, putting her closer to the Queen, Eleanor tasks Marian with continuing to indulge in his advances so that she can figure out his real game. Eleanor wants to install Prince Richard on the throne – a more even-keel and malleable potential leader – apparently since their childhoods. John knows this and also knows that he's next in line per the usual rules of succession. But through Marian, Eleanor hopes to determine the path he's taking and cut him off on the way.
This means that Marian has to "pretend" to become close to John, making it unclear whether her feelings are genuine or not, perhaps even to herself. It's similarly unclear whether John knows what she's up to or if his feelings are real; he catches her snooping in his office, revealing that he has been meeting with the Archbishop of Lille to curry favor with the religious institutions in France and England. But he seems to buy her excuse. Since Eleanor has made it pretty clear that he has some darker tendencies lurking just beneath the surface, there's enough ambiguity in this whole dynamic to make it quite compelling.
Away from the glittering royal court, the Midlands are slipping into a murky, tumultuous tale. The Sheriff, having uncovered Robin Hood's true identity and faced with the realization that the outlaw's fight is deeply personal, struggles to devise new strategies to capture him. But he's stymied, partly because the Earl of Huntingdon, still raw from the loss of his son and the Sheriff's perceived failure to grasp the circumstances leading to it, is stirring a minor mutiny against him. The Sheriff responds with a few well-placed punches, but the underlying truth remains: he's losing control – not just of the Midlands, but of his own household as well.
Speaking of Priscilla, her presence in Robin Hood Episode 7 remains a frustrating lowlight. It's not that Lydia Peckham is inadequate in the role – she's delivering it precisely as it should be, if not slightly better – but that the character itself barely extends beyond her seducing every man she meets. Her latest conquest is William Marshal, and "Thieves With A Purpose" tries to take the same angle as it does with Marian and John, creating ambiguity around the authenticity of their union. But given this is just the latest in an increasingly long list of Priscilla's suitors, it's harder to buy into. Nevertheless, hopefully the few remaining episodes will give her a more substantial role to play in the political arena she so clearly covets.
A standout sequence in this episode finds Robin Hood and his rapidly expanding band of Merry Men raiding the castle of Lord Warwick, a cartoonishly evil Norman lord who spends all his time forcing himself on Saxon women while decrying their humanity. Rob's gang needs the money that liberating Lord Warwick of his substantial assets will give them, and he's also still working Eleanor's agenda to further destabilize the region in the hope of securing Marian's freedom – even if, at this point, she may not want it. Little John certainly doesn't think so, but he's just happy to take the gold either way.
You might think things are going well for Rob. At the end of the episode, he finds a new romantic avenue, finally giving in to Rosemary's extremely obvious overtures. But the Sheriff makes a smart move by rounding up the local Saxon leaders and arresting them, including Robin's uncle Gamewell, promising to keep them captive until Robin surrenders himself. That doesn't seem like a move he'll let pass unnoticed.
