Can one truly claim the title of a proper outlaw if one loses a sword fight to Sean Bean's character, whose character always dies in every show or movie he's in? It's a thought-provoking question. While it's fitting that Robin Hood must establish the Sheriff of Nottingham's credentials beyond his mere capacity for plotting and executing people under false pretenses, one doesn't want to inadvertently make the protagonist look like a fool either. Yet, in Episode 8, "The True Price of Defiance," Robin spends most of his time worrying more about his love life than his own countrymen, not exactly setting the bar high on the intelligence scale.
His fellow Saxons are in peril, as the Sheriff decides to arrest them for Robin Hood's crimes, threatening execution if he doesn't surrender within a week. Pragmatically speaking, it's not a bad idea—it's just not morally sound—since one of the captured Saxons is Robin's uncle, Gamewell, and a true hero wouldn't pass up the opportunity to theatrically rescue one of his own. However, the Sheriff doesn't believe for a moment that Robin will surrender but instead plan a daring raid on his castle—a raid the sheriff will be ready for.
It's clear that the Sheriff is unequivocally a villain at this point. He's always been a villain in Robin Hood stories, but it's worth mentioning that MGM+'s version has sought to be a fairly even-handed portrayal in many respects. He still has a solid point that he made a concerted effort to spare Hugh Locksley. It was Alwin, a Saxon forester, who sold him out in the first place. But now obsessed with capturing Robin Hood—especially given its implications on his own reputation and power in the region—any notions of fairness are long gone.
While his uncle and countrymen languish in captivity, Robin himself infiltrates Westminster under the guise of a royal guard, a ruse supported by Little John's compatriot, Ibrahim Al-Rashid. Rob is trying to deliver a message to Queen Eleanor but crucially through Maid Marian, which gives him an opportunity to try and patch up their relationship. Unsurprisingly, she's not really having it. Rob's smug insistence that she still loves him is met with the scorn it deserves. Whether she loves him or not is kind of irrelevant since, as she explained during their previous encounter, she doesn't want anything to do with him or his violent choices.
The extent to which Marian's decision is informed by her burgeoning relationship with Prince John is unclear for now, but there's definitely something between them. Marian is getting used to being at court, as is Priscilla despite having just arrived. The pomp and pageantry suit them both, as does the catty back-and-forth they immediately engage in with Celine De Fitzou, Marshal's previous mistress. Both of them clearly have designs on influential positions in—or at least adjacent to—the monarchy, which makes Robin's offer of an outlaw's woodland life a bit less tempting.
Robin, of course, plays right into the Sheriff's hands like a pawn on a chessboard. His daring raid on the Nottingham castle forms the crux of Episode 8 of Robin Hood, a cunning plan fueled by Milange's knowledge of every hidden passageway and entrance dating back to the castle's Saxon origins. But the Sheriff, ever one step ahead, awaits in ambush, accurately predicting Robin's every move. Henry Miller pays the ultimate price for Robin's predictability, his life splayed out like a pawn in a larger game as the Merry Men are forced to flee, leaving Robin to duel with the Sheriff atop the castle's parapets.
The Sheriff would have had Robin dead to rights if not for the timely intervention of Ralph/Rosemary, who, by the way, sees Robin's romantic troubles with Marian as an opportunity to make a more concrete romantic move of her own. But as is the norm, the Sheriff remains a step ahead. Among the freed Saxon hostages is a spy, now positioned to report back on all of Robin's activities. And there is much discord in the Saxon camp due to Gamewell's revelation, shared with him by the Sheriff, that it was Alwin who sold out Hugh in the first place.
Robin immediately plots revenge against Alwin, even though he ultimately decides against it for reasons beyond mere optics. But Alwin forces Robin's hand by attacking him. Will Robin's killing of Alwin ruin his status as a local hero? Will the Sheriff's spy remain loyal or switch sides? Will Marian come around? These and many more questions will presumably be answered in the final few episodes.
