Robin Hood 3x11 Review: The Enemy of My Enemy

[corrielle]

I really enjoyed this episode. It was funny and exciting and had that wink-and-a-nod quality that has been missing of late, but it also had some nicely satisfying emotional bits in unexpected places.


Guy and Robin - Working Together at Last

This entire episode, I kept doing double-takes every time Robin and Guy were on screen together, and it wasn't because they were trying to kill each other. I had to keep reminding myself that they were, in fact, working together.  It was weird and strange and wonderful, and Richard and Jonas play off of each other so perfectly that I'm sorry Guy didn't turn outlaw sooner.  As with many things in this series, I think the trust between them could have been developed more slowly, and that the audience is being asked to accept too much too soon, but it was nicely done all the same.  I actually think that Robin and Guy are also pushing themselves to accept each other more quickly than either of them is comfortable with for the sake of their "shared goals" of rescuing Archer in the short term and thwarting Isabella in the long term.  We can see them struggling with this, too.  They have a lot of history to work out, and I wouldn't be surprised if they end up beating each other up some more before this is all over.  For a very long time, both of them have been defined (at least partially) by being the other's opposite.  This may be pushing it a bit, but I think that in working together, both Guy and Robin are having to redefine who they are, and this is unsettling for them.  So, they're trying to set boundaries.  Hence, we have have Guy's, "Don't ask me to forgive your father for what he did," and Robin's "Don't ask me to forgive you for what you did to Marian." It's like they're both saying, "I can work with you... just don't ask me to change who I am and let go of things I still need to be angry about.  Because being angry about those things makes me me."

All of this is to say that Guy and Robin are still wary of each other, though they've recognized they are going to have to work together. Throughout the episode, they keep casting these quick, surreptitious glances at each other, as if they're expecting to be turned on at any moment.  Robin does it twice in the first scene where they're riding through the forest, and he seems very uncomfortable in the scene where Guy robs the toll station.  Robin looks worried that Guy is about to kill the attendant, and looms over Guy's shoulder, ready to intervene.  Robin also has an interesting reaction when the bar fight first breaks out before they get involved, too. It's just a quick glance over at Guy, as if Robin's unsure of how Guy's going to handle himself in this particular situation.  Guy's mistrust shows itself in slightly different ways.   He knows that he's in Robin's territory, working with Robin's gang, and he knows in theory that Robin will help him if he needs it, but he doesn't really believe that Robin's "no man left behind" policy extends to him.  In Guy's mind, Robin is using him as an expendable convenience, easily left behind if need be.  So, he doesn't trust Robin to come for him in the prison, and I don't think he expected Robin to help him out of the noose, either.

They do work together splendidly though, don't they?  Guy brings his practicality and problem solving, and Robin brings the improvisation and daring.  Lots of people seem to be focusing on the scene in the tavern (and for good reason because it's BRILLIANT), but I think that they're very first "job" together, robbing the toll booth, says a lot about them as well.  First of all, I don't think Robin would have done it had he been on his own.  It's not his kind of robbery. He tends to steal from the nobility directly, and though he's been known to hit corrupt tax collectors, he leaves minor functionaries alone.  (Probably because he knows what the Sheriff would do to them if they went back to him empty handed.)  Robin can still feel good about relieving the ostentatiously wealthy of their extra jewels, but there's no such gratification in taking a few coins from someone who wasn't even going to keep them.  Guy, on the other hand, thinks practically.  Robbing the toll road means less money for Isabella and more money for them if they need it, and it's a good thing they have it, as it turns out.  That... brings me to the scene in the tavern. After wandering around York with Guy making grumpy observations about how well-fortified the castle is and Robin cheerily assuring him they'll find a way in, they end up at a tavern, drinking together.  Again... I cannot tell you how much this scene both breaks my brain and makes me insanely happy.  Because they're actually sitting together and talking about the problem like grown ups.  Robin, as usual, takes inspiration from whatever is going on around him and comes up with the "get arrested" plan, which, in true Indiana Jones style, he's making up as he goes along. Guy, being the type who likes things planned out and thought through, is none too impressed with it.  (Guy has acted impulsively before, I know, but when he actually has time to plan something, he tends to think things through pretty thoroughly.)  Yes, part of this is trust issues, but I think Guy would have had problems with this plan even if he trusted Robin with his life.  What amazes me about this scene is, when Guy points out how problematic it is for one of them to be on the outside when neither of them really trusts the other, it's Robin who takes the risk and extends trust to Guy.  I fully believe that when Robin threw that loaf of bread, he was intending to get himself arrested, leaving Guy on the outside.  This is... huge.  This is Robin pretty much putting his life in Guy's hands.  It's not Robin's fault that Guy can't help but grin at the idea of the notorious Robin Hood getting carted off by the York city watch...  (And really, it was probably for the best that Robin was left with the improvising part... I don't know if Guy could have pulled it off.)

And, though they bicker and fight, they continue to work really well together throughout the rescue.  Guy is ready to catch the guard when Robin knocks him out in the dungeon, and they have a bunch of little "silent communication" moments that had me blinking in surprise and running the episode back to see if I was imagining things.  One of my favorite things, though, is Guy's "live to fight another day" line when he, Robin, and Archer are all surrounded.  It's a very pragmatic thing to do, and it shows a lot of trust in Robin's ability to get them out of trouble later.  (Also, I would like to point out that it would have been very easy for Guy to have turned on Robin here, and I was almost afraid that was what was going to happen. But he didn't.  How he's grown...)

Some Thoughts on Robin Alone

I'm actually really proud of Robin in this episode. I re-watched a whole bunch of episodes from earlier in this season last night, and the shift in Robin's attitude towards Guy is staggering.  He may not be ready to be Guy's new best friend, but I think he's beginning to understand some of what Guy's been through.  The moment when Guy says that he'll never ask for Robin's forgiveness for what he did to Marian because he can't forgive himself... Robin's whole demeanor changes. One moment, he's angry and defensive, ready to put Guy in his place, and the next, he's holding himself back, letting what Guy has just told him sink in.  I think Robin has always known that  Guy did care for Marian, and that he does carry tremendous guilt for her death around (and probably always will).  After all, Robin told Guy he wanted him to live with the pain he was feeling when he cut Guy's face in the first episode, and he taunts Guy with it later in the episode with the Irish brothers.  What's different this time?  Well, I would suggest that this time, Robin doesn't take any pleasure in thinking of Guy's suffering.  And for Robin, that's huge. 

Though it almost gets lost in the ensuing fist fight, I think it's worthwhile to point out that Robin wasn't planning to bring Guy into the camp without knowing he was trustworthy.  Robin stops and tells Guy as much before they start arguing.  Robin isn't careless, and he does care about the risk that Guy might pose to the rest of his gang.  However, I have to wonder... what would Robin have asked of Guy?  What proof of good will or loyalty could Robin have demanded?  He clearly had something in mind... was he planning on blindfolding Guy the first time he brought him to the camp, maybe? 

This brings me to how Robin stands between Guy and rest of the gang.  Robin has to walk a really fine line here.  On the one hand, he has to be the one defending Guy to everyone else, because it's Robin's idea that Guy be there in the first place. On the other, he has to let his friends know that he hasn't gone mad, that he cares for them and for the pain Guy has caused them, and that he isn't being reckless.  Despite his habitual "I'm Robin and I'm right" take on things, I think he does a pretty good job of this, especially since neither the gang nor Guy make his job any easier.  I really like that Robin has to save Guy from the rest of the outlaws... literally.  Robin tackling Guy out of the way of Much's arrow will never cease to amaze me, and the look Guy flashes at Robin when Kate's sword comes down inches from his face is... really interesting.  I think Guy understands how much Robin's putting on the line for him, and how very much he needs Robin's protection at that moment, and Robin is still adjusting to the idea that he's actually concerned about Gisborne's life.

Robin's argument for Guy's inclusion in the gang is simple - he's one more person to help in the fight against the corrupt prince and Isabella, and he's got knowledge and skills that make him incredibly useful.  It... makes sense.  Guy, even more than Allan, knows how Nottingham works, and he knows Isabella (though THAT fact hasn't done him a whole lot of good so far, but who knows... it might in the future).  Since John and Kate are the most vocal with their objections, they're the ones we get to see Robin deal with the most. (And might I point out that Allan is the ONLY one besides Robin who chimes in with support for Guy in that initial argument?) With John, Robin is very pragmatic.  He emphasizes Guy's choice to join them, and that Guy killed the Sheriff.  With Kate, he takes much more of a "do it for me, and for yourself" attitude.  Robin doesn't want Kate eaten away by the need for revenge, and in his own Robin-ish way, he's trying to look out for her by encouraging her to let it go.  Also, I think that Robin needs the two of them to accept Guy, because that will make it easier for Robin to deal with him. He practically says as much to Kate, as if he knows it's going to be a lot harder to be civil to his former enemy if Kate and John are both there reminding him how much Guy has hurt all of them in the past. 

As for the rest of the episode... I already touched on how much I love "fly by the seat of his pants with half-formed plans" Robin, and it was great fun watching him do what he does best... get himself into difficult situations and then out of them by means of cleverness and a great deal of luck.  Words cannot describe how much I love his fancy accent and the too-large coat that looks like it came out of Prince John's closet and his pretending that he's bailing his drunk friend Gisborne out of jail.  It's... perfect and hilarious and wonderful.

I also need to mention how much I love that Robin does his classic "shoot through the rope that's about to hang a man" trick for Guy's sake.  He could have let Guy hang, helpful or not.  This is, after all, the man who killed Marian, the man who has made Robin's life difficult at every turn.  So, it's amazingly significant that Robin does for Guy here what he would do for anyone else in the gang... he saves his life.  Because Guy's part of the group now, and because Robin has promised Guy that he can be trusted. I think Robin knows how fragile that trust between them is, and he knows that every time their trust in each other is rewarded, it will be that much easier for them to rely on each other when it's really important.

In Which Guy Tries to Act Human and Almost Succeeds

I will admit that I was a little worried about how the writers were going to handle Guy being tossed in with the outlaws.  How were they going to preserve the things that make him Guy while integrating him into the group?  All in all, I think they did a good job of it.  Guy is not nice.  He is not cuddly.  He is still his prickly, over-sensitive, sarcastic, newly possessed of a conscience, prone-to-violence self.  (And I love him for it.  "He stole my horse..." is probably one of my favorite lines in this whole episode, in terms of delivery.  The annoyed, put out way he said it... classic.)

Guy is keenly aware of his position.  He knows that he's almost completely dependent on Robin's good will for protection from the other outlaws. He knows that most of them hate him and would as soon kill him as look at him.  And what's more, he thinks he deserves it.  He may talk big with his "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" business, but he only brings that up after Kate mentions her brother.  This may be giving Guy too much credit, but I think he's putting up an "I don't like you, and I don't need you to like me" front to avoid dealing with the fact that his awakening conscience actually is feeling a bit awkward at being confronted with someone he hurt in the very recent past.  Another big step in the evolution of Guy's conscience comes when he's talking about Marian to Robin.  He says, "I loved her as you loved her," which, if I'm correct, is the first time that Guy has ever recognized the fact that Robin loved her too, and that the whole thing was more complicated than "She should have been mine!" 

However much Guy may have grown, he's still incredibly sensitive about some things, and he easily falls back into the pattern of threatening violence when people get too close to certain topics.  He's sensitive about his mother, and about losing his title.  When Archer is giving both Robin and Guy attitude about their poverty, Robin takes it in stride.  He's used to people who don't get why he gave up what he did.  It's still... very new for Guy, and he's been used to shutting people up at the point of his sword, so this is naturally what he would fall back on.  Other people have pointed out Guy's reaction to the older prisoner asking for death... and II agree that this moment is pretty important.  Guy has just threatened to kill the next person who touches him, and I really don't think he expected anyone to take him up on it when he said it.  So, having the old mad plea for death shocks Guy back into reality... and I think it reminds him of just how recently he himself would have been happy to die. 

This brings me to something else that has changed about Guy recently.  He really doesn't want to die.  He may not think that the future holds a great deal for him, but he would at least like to find out what that is.  There is desperation on his face when he's surrounded by outlaws with revenge in their eyes, and there is real fear in his face when that noose goes around his neck.  He's doing a great job of keeping it together and not breaking down under the stress, but it's obvious that he is afraid of dying.  Whether it's a new sense of purpose, the faint possibility of family or friendship, or a need for revenge that's driving him, this is quite a difference compared to the last "execution" scene we got to see Guy in.  There was a soul-deep serenity when Isabella was going to execute him that's missing here.  Also, there is a terribly sad resignation on his face when he's the last one left in a noose and he wonders if the others are going to free him as well as Robin.  (Like I said... I don't think he expected them to.)

Call it contrived it you will, (I know I have) but I love the fact that Guy helps Little John at the end.  Guy has slowly been figuring out how to work with other people this whole episode, and Robin's just proved that Guy is "part of the group," and so Guy... wants to do his part, I think.  I like that we get to see that Guy knows how to protect "his" people in a fight, and he's actually quite good at that.  Also, I think that a part of Guy knows that John is the one outlaw he most needs to win over.  John is the most vocal about his dislike of Guy, and his position of seniority gives him a lot of influence.  Guy knows that if he can win John over, or at least make him tone down the dislike, things will be easier for him. Also, Guy recognizes that John is one of their strongest assets in a fight.  He knows that losing him would make all of them weaker. (Not that I think that Guy was so clearly calculating in the moment... though some of this may have been going on subconsciously.)  And that he offers John his hand... wow.  The old Guy remembers who doesn't like him, and makes those people miserable.  This Guy is rushing to their aid and offering them a hand up. 

And, in the "WHY DOESN'T THIS SHOW LET SCENES RUN TO THEIR NATURAL CONCLUSIONS?" category, we have the, "So, where do you want me to sleep, then?" line.  I love this.  I love it to death.  I love the outlaws' various reactions, with all of them looking up from their day-to-day activities like they hadn't even thought of the practicalities of Guy staying there.  I love the stiff, formal way Guy asks the question, not meeting any of their eyes as he asks it.  I've seen that expression before... usually when he was telling Vasey some particularly distasteful news.  He's embarrassed to have to ask them for anything in the first place, not sure at all how he fits in, and he's expecting the worst.  I really wish we had gotten to see just a little more of this instead of cutting to Archer jumping toll fences and showing off on horseback.  Who was it who made the first move to answer Guy's question?  Was it Robin, like it's been the whole episode?  Was it Much, since I have a feeling he takes care of stuff like extra supplies?  Was it Tuck, showing some of his vaunted religiously motivated compassion?  WHO??? (I suppose that's what fanfic is for, but in this case I want a canon answer so badly it hurts.) Actually, it's almost a surprise that Guy is still with them at all.  Having failed to retrieve Archer and bring him to the cause, what reason does Guy have to come back with them?  I suppose the better question is, where else is he going to go?



Archer – The New Kid on the Block

Let me say again how very good Archer's casting is.  Every time I look at him, I can see Guy and Robin both.  I am quite prepared to like him.  I'm going to hold off on deciding just how much I like him until I get to see a couple more episodes with him, but he amused me greatly in his first showing.  I don't know much about him yet, but with my track record, it's hard for me not to give man who's a con-artist, a ladies' man, and a compassionate rogue a whole lot of leeway.  And he's got a pretty face, too. The hair could use some work, but did you SEE him shirtless? [/shallow fangirling]

I like that he uses his... ahem... privileges with the Sheriff's wife to get food for the other prisoners.  I was about to be very disappointed in him when I thought that he really was selling food to men who obviously had very little, but when I saw he was simply humoring the slightly crazy old man, I melted.  It was really sweet.

Lots of people have talked about how like Robin and Guy Archer is, personality wise.... What I want to know is, what about the part that's just like Allan?  I think that the two of them could team up and sell beach front property in Arizona to just about anyone.  I LOVE what a showman Archer is, how he makes up stories and rolls with the situation, and obvious as it may be, I love the "turning lead into gold while really obviously flirting with the Sheriff's wife" scene.   One big criticism of Archer that I've seen is that he's extremely self-interested.  I don't mind it so much because really, he has no reason not to be. He grew up alone, with no parents and no family, and he's used to looking out for number one and making the best of any situation he finds himself in.  If this means using people... so be it. (Do these sound familiar?  I'm pretty sure they're similar to the excuses I made for Allan when he betrayed the gang last season... Honestly, I think my soft spot for Allan has greatly influenced my opinion of Archer.) Sure, Guy and Robin came to save him, but he doesn't know them at all, for all that they claim to be his brothers.  And though he certainly could be a little more grateful, from his point of view they have nothing more to offer each other.  What are they offering him?  An opportunity to be poor and fight for justice and The Right?  No thank you.  Isabella can offer him far more in terms of money and security, and, if I remember correctly, Archer doesn't know much about how morally problematic she is. (I refuse to call her "evil."  Why yes, I AM a Gisborne apologist... why do you ask?)  

I see this episode as one big "refusal of the call" for Archer. He has too much "good" in him to be comfortable with being on the side of Isabella's newly oppressive regime.  His insistence on taking all of the prisoners with them, his compassion for the old man, his attempts to keep Gwennyth out of prison by taking the blame on himself, his part in saving Guy from the hangman... all of these things make him a likely candidate for redemption.  And it's not like the gang hasn't worked with worse people...  I guess what I'm trying to say is that Archer has potential.  And I think that his actor handles the campiness of the show quite well.  There are things that could have sounded ridiculous or forced that he managed to pull off with flair and tongue firmly planted in cheek. 

And finally, two random things about Archer that made me smile:

First, I couldn't NOT hear Jack Sparrow in some of his lines about unfortunate misunderstandings and telling Gwennyth they should "try to resist each other."  The ever-present PotC fangirl in me couldn't help but squee a little. 

Second, his rushing at the guards is pure Han Solo.

No wonder I think I could love him with just a little push from the show...



In Which John and Allan Have Lines, and Kate's Rage is Understandable

Family was a huge theme this week.  It's what ties Robin and Guy to Archer, and by extension, to each other.  However, the idea of being family is what holds the outlaws together.  Looking at it from that point of view, John's anger at Robin for bringing Guy into the camp and calling him "one of us" is understandable.  "One of us" isn't a title that's given lightly.  John isn't like Tuck.  He couldn't care less about the "big picture," and he doesn't care that Robin can bring his enemies around to his way of seeing things.  Being part of the gang a privilege that's earned, that implies trust and mutual friendship.  If Robin can bring Guy to their secret camp and announce that he's now part of the group, he can bring just about anyone, and the trust that he's given to all of the other outlaws means less.  John has had to live under Guy's heel for the longest, and it makes sense that he would be the most reluctant to accept him.  Still, all of the rationalizing in the world doesn't mean that my heart didn't hurt like crazy when John dropped his staff and walked away. 

I really like that it was Allan who went after him.  Allan seems to be quite the caretaker this week.  He's the one who alerts the gang to Robin's fight with Guy, he's the one who goes after John, and (thanks to caedhe for pointing this out to me) when they're all walking down the road with Tuck, John, and Kate arguing in front and Much bringing up the rear, Allan is in the middle, listening to what's being said and constantly looking over his shoulder to make sure Much is all right. Then, when he goes after John, Allan's puts himself in a lot of danger, staging a rescue all on his own.  And why?  Because John is family.  And it's Allan, occasionally self-serving, roguish Allan who's reminding John of that fact. The reversal of the usual roles worked nicely here, I thought, and it was good to see how much Allan values his friends.  We've always known he loved them, but it's good to hear him say it. Having been reminded of how much they all mean to each other, they head to York.  And why?  Because Robin (NOT Guy...) is family.  And he's in trouble. I don't care how much this show has burned me... I get warm snuggly feelings every time something like this happens.

Oddly enough, I even liked Kate's rage. Her anger at Guy is newest, her loss the most raw.  That fact makes me forgive an awful lot of shrillness.   The way that she plunges her sword into the ground inches from Guy's face was... really powerful.  All of that built up energy had to go somewhere, even if it couldn't be directed where she wished it could be.  And once again, we are reminded that she is very young.  Her insistence that Guy is "pure evil" shows it...  But then she manages to move beyond her desire for revenge, or at least to start that process.  And though I'm usually not a fan of the "we should listen to Robin because he's Robin" argument, I like that she trusts that Robin has good reasons for teaming up with Guy enough to let him go to York with no more than a sweet "come back to me safely." 



Cue the Isabella Fangirling

Isabella doesn't get much screen time this week, but I love her every second that we see her.  I miss Keith Allen like crazy, but Lara Pulver is having a fantastic time playing at being eeeeeevil.   I love her incredibly sexy black outfits with lots of buckles and red. I love her with her hair swept up and her evil freckles in evidence. (Why are her freckles evil?  I don't know... we didn't see them as much when she was "good"?) I love how she manages to look sensuous and feminine and sharp as steel at the same time. I love her competence and that we get to see her brain working as she ponders why Robin and Guy are traveling together.  Other people have mentioned this, but she seems to be including her underlings much more in her planning than Vasey ever did.  Her tall, dark, and handsome lieutenant never got a name, but she seemed to be showing him a lot more respect than other sheriffs have given THEIR right-hand-men. Too bad Robin killed him.

I love the way she knocks Kate's arrow aside in the fight in the forest.  That was... some hard-core awesome, there, on both of their parts.  Both of them were fierce and intense and amazing. We can call Isabella a lot of things... faint-hearted isn't one of them.

It's interesting that we get to see her with the Sheriff of York after everything has gone down.  She does NOT like losing face in front of her colleagues, and the other Sheriff's "keep your problems in your own city" line was perfectly designed to get under her skin.  She is still insecure in her position, and the last thing she needs is other Sheriffs complaining about her to Prince John.

Re: The Next Episode

*mindless flailing* This is bad.  This is... very bad.  Lots of soldiers... surrounding the city... I have no spoilers, but my gut tells me this is going to be EPIC.  My hopes for Guy getting through this episode on the right side: very good. Hopes for Archer: Somewhat less good, but maybe he'll come around.  I'm still trying to figure out what to make of the shot that has Guy, Archer, Much, some other gang members, and Isabella all standing together, with Isabella looking forlorn.  Is she going to switch sides too, out of necessity? It would be a surprise, but that would make me SO happy... I wonder who the big enemy who unites them all is going to be... my money's on Vasey.


And on a final note, I have a request.  I want to know if 3x12 and 3x13 are both airing this Saturday, like with the last finale, or if they're going to be split over two weekends. I'm spoiler-phobic and am afraid of going to the BBC website to find out for fear of finding out other things I don't want to know.   (I know nothing but what we saw in the next episode preview, and I'm trying really hard to keep it that way.) So, if anyone has any information about airdates, I would be happy if you shared it with me.