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corrielleI'm sitting here at my desk with six pages of handwritten notes in my lap, and yet I have no idea where to begin. This was it. This was the last episode of a show I have loved and hated and screamed at and cried at and fangirled over for going on three years now. This was a show that meant so much more to me than campy scripts, whooshy arrow sound effects, anachronistic clothing, and Richard Armitage's pretty face. It meant sitting down with friends and snacks and drinks on a Saturday afternoon with the remote control firmly in hand so that we could pause and rant and make wisecracks. It meant getting to see what craziness was going to happen this week. On occasion, it meant having my breath knocked out of me because it was wonderfully, terribly good. It meant getting to see characters I loved like they were members of my family. It meant Guy. And Allan. And Robin. (Yes, I loved him even when he was an ass.) And dear, sweet Much. And Little John. And even Tuck and Kate. (Someone close to me loves Kate the way I love Guy and Allan... and it has made it difficult for me to hate her as much as I might have otherwise.) In seasons past, it meant Marian and Djaq and Will. It meant Isabella's unstable morality, the Sheriff's camp, and the possibility of Prince John's SUPER-CAMP. It meant getting online after the episode and reacting and debating and crying and squeeing with the most understanding, intelligent, talented fellow fans I could have asked for.
And even when the writers didn't treat the characters well, they were still my people. And I loved them much more than reason might have dictated.
Like a lot of ensemble shows, Robin Hood always did have some of its best moments when the gang worked together, and this episode is no exception. I have never been prouder of all of them as a group. Here at the end, something about the group dynamic clicked perfectly into place, and I... can barely put into words how much I love it. We see it in the scene where Much saves Kate. While the Sheriff is still reveling in the evilness of his own evility (not a word, I know), Robin is looking around, thinking about what options he has, and all he has to ask Much is, "Can you do it?" No other explanation needed. They know each other too well for more to be necessary. And when Much says yes... Robin trusts him. But it takes all of them to pull it off. Much got to be the daring one, and I love him for it, but I also love Archer for covering him and Tuck, John, and Guy(!!!!) for pulling them up to safety. We can see it in the scene where they're falling back to the castle. Much is wonderfully, heroically competent here (finally... we get to see the man who spent years in the Holy Land fighting at Robin's side), and I think the "fire an arrow, run, hide behind the next line of men ready to shoot" strategy worked pretty damn well. They got everyone they could into the castle, which, considering what was coming at them, was impressive. What I think I love most, though, is Robin, Tuck, Guy, and John sneaking out the sabotage the trebuchets. The four of them make a fantastic team. (And they make some fantastic explosions.... The image of the fireballs going up, and then coming straight back down makes me gloriously, vindictively happy.) My heart was in my mouth when they were discovered, though. There they were... surrounded by enemies, and I was thinking to myself, "One of them is not going to survive this scene. Probably Guy. This is it. This is how I'm going to lose him." I didn't need to worry, though. Much and Archer were on top of things, ready to save the day (or night, as the case may be). There were a lot of moments where I liked Archer in this episode... but I flat-out loved him here. Was this the show pulling a "Han Solo comes back just in the nick of time" stunt? Of course it was. And... that almost makes it better in my eyes. And also... Archer looks good firing flaming arrows from horseback. At any rate, this is how the gang is supposed to function. This is how Robin is supposed to treat his people - like competent, valuable friends who know what they're doing and can handle themselves when the going gets rough. And... this is how they're supposed to work together to protect each other. Because when they do that... people live. It's a shame it took losing Allan to remind them of that.
Speaking of Allan...
I was ready to cry this episode. I had a box of Kleenex and everything. But I was expecting to work up to it. I had a feeling that most of the deaths were going to happen in the last ten minutes, so I did not expect to be bawling withing two minutes of the opening shot. But I was. When I watched Part One, I cried because Allan had died alone. I may have made some noise to the effect of "The gang had better feel BAD about what they did to him..." When I watched Part Two, I cried because all of them so obviously did. I couldn't be angry at them for not trusting Allan any more. Not after the broken, devastated look on Much's face when he says, "We did this..." John's insistence that they "honor the dead" before the situation gets too dire, the anger on Much's face when he's the first one to light the fire, the silent determination on Robin's face when he's the last one left standing by the pyre... No. They cared for Allan. He was one of them, and they know it now.
Guy and Kate both have interesting reactions in this scene. Kate is the first one to slip away, but I think that it wasn't lack of caring that made her leave. I think this was the moment where she realized, "This is serious. One of our people has already died, and a lot more are going to. We need help. We're not going to make it through this without it."caedhe has suggested to me that this is Kate's way of honoring Allan... being sneaky, giving the Sheriff the slip, and bringing back an unexpected army so he (and all of the others who will die) won't die in vain. It's a kind reading of Kate's motivation, but I like it. Guy... hangs back, as usual. He doesn't get in the middle of their grief, but I think that there is something in him that sees how they treat each other and... wants to be part of that. He could just as easily have gone off and found something else useful to do. But he's there. Even though he doesn't really know what to do, what his place is, he takes some more steps towards humanity and stays. I'm so glad the writers let him be in this scene, though it makes me weep for the awkward, halting friendships that could have been.
A Few Brief (or not) Points About Individual Outlaws
I have a lot to say about Guy and Robin, but I really do feel like this episode was good to the whole gang. John got to be big and large and strong and wise... He got to give voice to my anger at Robin's death with his, "It's not FAIR!" and he got to be the one who insisted that they take care of Allan. John has always been the one who reminded the gang why they fight, who looked at the needs that people had right now when they were nearly lost in the "big picture." So... to have him do this for the sake of Allan's memory... it was good. I also have a soft spot for John's fatherly relationship with Kate, and the scene where she's on the walls about to sneak down was really touching. He could have stopped her leaving, but he lets her go. He trusted her to do her part, get word to the king's army. I also love that we get to see him checking on the wounded after the first big battle... it's a very John thing to do. Personal and compassionate.
For her part, Kate was... herself. Still young and a bit reckless, but I found myself liking her anyway. She wasn't as obnoxious as she has been in past episodes, and she blended smoothly into the gang during the group scenes. I like that she decided to go get help. She realized she wasn't much good in a fight, and probably thought that she could be doing the most good by bringing back reinforcements. And, though a lot has been made of the fact that she got captured again, I think that this is the time when it is least ridiculous for this to have happened. Kate got out of the castle, all the way to the army, and was on her way back when she got caught. I think it's a miracle she didn't run into trouble before then.caedhe pointed out to me on our rewatch that Kate probably didn't think she needed to have a plan for getting back into Nottingham. She thought she was going to be riding at the head of an army. And you know what? She could have stayed away. She didn't have to go back after she found out that they were on their own. But Robin needed to know that the army wasn't coming. So she came back bearing that important information, and I think that shows tremendous bravery.
Of all of the characters in the gang, we've gotten to know Tuck the least. We know that he wants freedom and justice for the people of England, but we never really get a sense of why. However, I think that even he got his moments in this episode. I have a long history of liking the brilliant characters who are dropped into the midst a group that needs their specific knowledge. (Rodney McKay, Stephen Maturin, Wesley Wyndham-Pryce...) So... I may have geeked out just a tiny little bit at Tuck playing with chemicals in the great hall, figuring out how to makeGreek Byzantine fire at the last moment. I know it's the middle of a battle, I know that there are real stakes here, and I think Tuck knows that too. Very keenly. But there's something in me that appreciates Tuck's curiosity and his well-earned satisfaction at solving the problem, figuring out the formula. I also like that Tuck is the one that encourages Robin to make his last speech. I don't think this was simply Tuck acting as Robin's PR man. Tuck understands how people work, how quickly morale can falter in situations like this... And he knows that Robin has the power to give people hope, give them courage, and maybe, just maybe, get them through the siege alive. Quality of the speech aside, the people needed to hear from Robin at that point, and Tuck knew it.
I was especially happy with everything Much did. I've talked before about how he got to shine, how he got to lead. Sam's acting in this was top notch, I thought. He was angry and driven and focused and broken and... I have never loved him more. (And he got to take off the *&$%^ hat for once, but I'll get to that part later.) I could say more, but it would just be me repeating more of the same: They finally treated Much right!
And now, I am going to add my voice to the chorus of people in this fandom who have already said, "I didn't want to like Archer, darn it!" I really didn't. I wanted to find him pretentious and over-the-top and not-as-good-as-who-he-was-replacing. I wanted to hate him so much that I couldn't stomach the idea of watching a fourth season (when I thought there might be one) so I could have a clean break with the show and not watch with no regrets. But... I couldn't. In this last episode, I actually saw the potential for him to be a really interesting character, and I'm sad that I don't get to see what they were going to do with him. One of the things that intrigued me the most about him is that he doesn't seem to have many illusions about nobility or morality, his own or anyone else's, but he's still got enough of a conscience that he won't run out on his brothers when they need him. He admits to selling the Byzantine fire to Vasey (which he didn't have to do, by the way... he could have played dumb, but they needed to know how much Vasey had, and Archer had the information), and when Robin calls him on it, Archer does something that not many people have done before. He calls Robin on the cost of ROBIN'S choices. And, what's more, Archer isn't judging Robin for it, he isn't saying that Robin shouldn't have asked people to fight for him, even. He's just pointing out the hypocrisy. Yes, Archer selling barrels of the stuff to the Sheriff is probably going to get people killed. But, from his point of view, so is Robin asking them to fight. I thought that was a really nice scene in general... Clive Standen is certainly pretty... but I think that he also had the beginnings of some good chemistry (of the non-sexual variety) with the rest of the cast. Of course, I mostly mean "with Robin and Guy," and we were going to lose the two of them anyway. *sigh* I really wish the three "brothers" could have had more time together, because it was amazing seeing them all playing off of each other.
Archer has some other great moments, but I appreciated him most when he went into the tunnel after Guy. He wants to go with Guy when they both see Isabella in the first place, but Guy won't let him. In a way, I think that Archer understands Guy's "I have to do this alone" attitude. He knows Guy won't ask for Robin's help on this, even if it kills him. And while Archer understands Guy's reluctance, he thinks it's ridiculous, so he does the sensible thing and lets Robin know what's going on. I... am so grateful to him for that, I can hardly stand it. It meant that Guy didn't have to die alone. And again, I feel the loss of what could have been. I saw the beginnings of Archer acting as a bridge between Guy and Robin when the two of them needed him to be. I think he sometimes understands both of them in ways the other just doesn't get. (Yes, I know Guy and Robin have a lot of shared history that binds them together, but I think Archer is enough like both of of his brothers that he gets reasons and motivations that would be difficult for Guy or Robin to wrap their minds around because they're on opposite sides of the spectrum.)
Vasey and Isabella: At Long Last, Villainy Doesn't Pay
Though Isabella acted completely out of self-interest throughout this entire episode, I still found it hard not to feel for her. She is alone, she has no friends, and hell is about to reign down on Nottingham. I'm not excusing what she does, but there is a mad desperation to her actions that almost makes me sorry for her. I think Lara has a lot to do with this, too. Even when she's doing terrible things, her expressions and body language are confused and conflicted. For instance, when Guy comes down to offer her the poison, she throws everything she can at him, psychologically speaking. Marian's death, his own skewed sense of mercy... and for what? Was she trying to convince him to let her go? Perhaps. But... I also think that she senses that he's starting to feel sorry for the things he's done, and she wants to twist the knife as much as possible. However, when he turns his back and leaves, she says his name to herself, almost gently, as if she is sad that he's leaving. I don't know what to make of it, and honestly, I think that Isabella doesn't either. She's angry and afraid and unbalanced, but there are other feelings there as well... feelings that she is trying to tamp down and push as far back into the recesses of her consciousness as possible. Because caring would make her vulnerable, which is the last thing she wants to be right now.
I had some timeline issues with her luring Guy into the tunnel. How did she know exactly when the Sheriff would be there? There was no point where she could have communicated with him. I suppose she didn't know, then... She was probably was simply remembering her instructions to get Guy into the tunnel and thought that if she could give Guy to Vasey, she might be able to get some protection and retain some of her power. And... Vasey seems ready to offer that to her. The look on her face when she drops that cloak, though, and goes over to Vasey's side... she'll take what she can get, but she is not happy about it. (What WAS that dropping the cloak thing, anyway? A symbol of the Sheriff's office? Vasey sure never wore it... Why did she have to get rid of it to show her allegiance? Because the less clothing a woman is wearing, the more vulnerable she is? *stops that line of thinking before the monster in my chest that's still angry at the FEMINIST FAIL of Isabella's arc wakes up*) Anyway... I thought it was really interesting that Isabella finally honestly recognizes that Archer is her brother. What changed? Last week, she was up in arms about her mother's sacred memory. Here's what I think it is: she believes it because Archer is still in town. In her mind, the fact that he stayed with Robin and Guy when he could have gone anywhere with the money she had given him is all the proof she needs. Why else would he have stayed?
It has occurred to me that Isabella wants Guy to die in despair. She wants him to die regretting what he did to her, remembering that he hurt one of the people who trusted him. That's why she brings up the "You loved me once" again at the beginning of the fight in the tunnel. She wants that to be the last thing on his mind. But... she's doesn't get that satisfaction. Later, when the Sheriff and his men pass by the body, Isabella is angry. The only explanation for that look I can come up with is that she's upset that Guy looks like he's at peace. At the end, she failed to crush his spirit as completely as she would have liked to. It's terrible and messed up beyond all belief, but I like it, if only because it showed that Guy was able to rise above that very same impulse for anger and cruelty. Still, though, I'm sorry that Isabella died without even a little bit of redemption. She didn't get to have a Marian or a Meg or a Robin come along and see the good that was buried under all of that insecurity and hunger for power. And it makes sad, because I'll always believe that with just a little bit of kindness, she could have been a different person. I'm... actually tearing up as I write this. I've cried for Allan, for Guy, for Robin and the rest of the gang... but I hadn't realized how much I'm sorry that Isabella died. She has such potential... she deserved to be better than she show allowed her to be.
And now... on to Vasey, whose death caused me NO pain at all. I have never loved to hate a character so much as I hated him in this episode. Keith Allen was wonderful, as usual (and he had a very snazzy cape, if I do say so myself). The confidence with which he declares, "I want my town back!" the nastiness of his "Welcome to hell, Robin Hood..." and the fact that he attacks in the middle of the night when he was supposed to wait for dawn, his not-at-all-contained glee when he realized Isabella had killed Robin were all classic Vasey. However, something is... different about him. He's bored of the game where Robin cleverly tricks him and makes him look the fool. People have mentioned that for three seasons, Robin and the Sheriff have danced around each other, but nothing has really changed. It was an interesting self-referential jab for the Sheriff to make. He knows how the game is played, and he's done playing that way.
Still, though... I wanted him dead. From the moment where he talked about Allan... I wanted to see blood. Mostly because what Vasey says only seemed to confirm my fears that he tortured Allan before he died, though I suppose that he could have been saying it to get under Robin's skin. We've always known Vasey liked to see people break. He's done it to countless one-shot characters, and he tries to do it to Guy in the end, adding his reminder of "You loved me once, too," to Isabella's. So, it gives me a grim sort of satisfaction that Vasey got to know that he was defeated, if only for a few seconds, before he died. There he is, Lord of the Castle once more, only to realize that Robin Hood has fooled him one last time, and this time, it will cost him his life.
And for the last time... Some thoughts on Robin.
It's no secret that I have never been on the best of terms with this version of Robin. It didn't help that he was written as too young, too immature to be the legend I had always envisioned. However, in this last episode... I respected him, I felt for him, and I was sorry to see him die. It's too bad that we couldn't have had this Robin around for the past season or so. Much of what impressed me so much about Robin here is how he treated other people. The way he takes his gang for granted has always been one of my major problems with him, and in this episode, he didn't. He trusted Much with his life, and with the defense of the castle if he didn't make it back from trying to destroy Vasey's weapons. And then, there's how he treated Guy... I had one of those moments when I had to blink a whole lot and pinch myself to make sure I was really seeing what I thought I was when the two of them rode out of the castle to parley with Vasey. I... cannot get over how amazing that was. Robin goes out to seek terms with his oldest enemy, and who does he have at his side? Guy. Even though Guy had claimed to kill the Sheriff, and he is obviously not dead, Robin trusts Guy's word when he swears he didn't know and rides out onto that field with him. And it was a good thing Guy came, too... He kept a cool head when Robin would have done something rash (putting himself within reach of Vasey's sword? Not too smart, Robin...). Also, I share Guy's shock at Robin's utter rejection of Vasey's offer. Yes, it wouldn't have been like Robin to give in, but he didn't even think for a moment about giving Guy up. He may go on about all of this being bigger than Guy later, but I also think that the reason Robin didn't consider Vasey's offer is that he already thinks of Guy as one of his people... He wouldn't trade Much or Kate or John to Vasey, not even for the sake of all of Nottingham, and he's not going to trade Guy. He wouldn't be Robin, though, if he didn't get a little pissy at Guy for assuming it was "about him." I even liked that, though, because Robin gave Guy the chance to leave, or to choose to fight with them, and once Guy made that choice... Robin trusted him completely, no questions asked. (Yes, my "thoughts on Robin" have turned into "thoughts on Robin and Guy." What were you expecting?)
All season, Tuck has been encouraging Robin to do more than be the leader of an outlaw band in Sherwood, but Robin has been reluctant. He knew that if he were to try to raise an army of his own to fight the Sheriff and Prince John, a lot of good, earnest, untrained men would die. This time, though, he has no choice. He thinks that if the men from Nottingham and the villages who are trapped in the city don't fight, they'll be slaughtered. (And he hasn't yet factored in Vasey's greed... he really thinks the Sheriff intends to take no prisoners.) And you can see the responsibility of that decision weighing heavily on him. He does the best that he can to make sure as many people make it as possible, and when they are checking on the wounded after the retreat, you can see him taking in what they've lost, dealing with it, and moving on. When I really felt for Robin, though, was the moment he learned that King Richard wasn't coming. He had never intended to hold the castle indefinitely. He'd been holding on to the slim hope that he, his team, and some determined villagers and city folk who hated the Sheriff could hold out just long enough for Richard to return an show up with reinforcements. Learning that they're on their own, that no help is coming? It breaks him a little. You can see what the loss of that hope does to Robin, and it's not just himself or his friends he's worried for, either. He knows that a lot more people are going to die, now, and he knows that with Richard being held for ransom, things are only going to get worse for everyone in England.
However, even knowing that Richard isn't coming... knowing that they have very little hope, Robin leads. I've made fun of his speechifying right along with the rest of the fandom, but sometimes, people need to hear from their heroes. And... I even like his speech. He doesn't promise them victory, because he knows that it's not very likely. He promises them meaning, though, and that's even more important, sometimes. And I even like to think that he's right... that sometimes the examples of a few brave people can change things. It's happened before. Sure, this is a kind of preachy kids show... but I think that's one "message" I'm ok with. And I love Robin so much for giving people what they needed as their leader when he obviously had so little left to give. That is leadership. That is what Robin could have been if he'd decided to be more than a cocky kid tweaking the Sheriff's nose.
After Robin is poisoned, he accepts his death sentence with a lot of grace, and he still does what has to be done with the time he has left. He cares for his people, makes sure they get out of the castle, and fights like he has nothing to lose. He doesn't want anyone making a big deal out of him before he knows that the Sheriff has been taken care of, and for that, he has my utmost respect. In keeping with the fact that Robin is supposed to be a preternaturally good archer, I love that he gets to shoot One. Last. Awesome. Arrow. And what an arrow it was... with his last shot, he destroys Vasey, Isabella, an entire army, and all of Nottingham castle. I also think it was significant that he brought Archer with him. He recognized that he might not be able to make the shot, that Archer might have to do it for him. I know I've been terribly annoyed at him for his "Of course I can do it! I'm Robin Hood" lines before, but this time... it was quite poignant when he said it as he visibly struggled to draw his bow properly.
I cannot even pretend to be objective about the scene where Robin says goodbye to everyone. I was a crying mess by this point, and I wasn't much better my second time through. I really did think it was nicely done, though. I thought it was fitting that they started with a reminder of Robin's connection to Sherwood. The forest has given him shelter, a place to hide, a place to call home when he gave up his lands and his titles. He loves Sherwood, and his remarking on the beauty of the sunset (and yes, even the Gladiator-esque hand on the grass) let us see that in a way we don't usually get to. When he begins to say goodbye to everyone... I think that he tries to give each of them what they need in his last words to them. He gives Much confidence. He recognizes the man that Much is and how very important their friendship has been to him over the years. And when he says "You're already a better man than I'll ever be," I think he means it. He gives John strength. John doesn't need gentle words or consolation. He needs Robin's big, loud "This is a GOOD DAY to die," and a gruff man-hug. Robin gives Archer a place to belong, and reminds him that he's got a family if he wants one. He gives Tuck a continuing sense of mission, assuring him that the future they fought for together won't die with him. He gives Kate... his respect and a hug. I've laughed at him calling her "brave" before... but not this time. This time, she was brave. And, I may be going out on a limb here, but I think he did her a favor by not giving her dying declarations of love or reminding her of what they'd had. It will be easier for her to move on without Robin's dying assurances of affection ringing in her ears.
And then... he leaves them. Because he doesn't want them to remember him weak and in pain and dying, I think. And because they need to comfort each other, not him. The image of John putting one arm around Kate and the other around Much is... so perfect. Those two are the ones struggling most, and John knows it.
Again, I make no promises about coherency when I talk about Robin seeing Marian. I knew she was going to be in this episode. And my number one guess for how she would be featured was as heavenly welcome party for Robin. But still... even though I knew it was coming, I still stopped breathing for a moment when I saw her walking through the forest. I cried at this scene. I'm a Guy/Marian shipper down to the depths of my soul, but I cried anyway. The way he says her name is terribly, beautifully romantic. He still loves her, and she's been waiting for him, and he finally gets to take her hand and laugh with her with no worries, no cares, no enemies waiting to find him. He can rest now, and I think he's earned it. We leave them with one last shot of him spinning her around, their voices echoing through the trees until it fades into nothing and they pass from life into legend.
I haven't said much about the scene after Robin's death, and I suppose here is as good a place as any. Everyone's reactions are very much in character, I think. Much is so broken he thinks he can't go on, can't imagine continuing their work without Robin. Tuck is trying to keep everyone together, making speeches, trying to inspire them to honor Robin's memory and remember why they fight. Kate is ready to do what she thinks Robin would have wanted. John... doesn't say anything at all, but he's quick to join Kate and Tuck, which works for me. Archer hangs back for just a moment, as if he's consciously making a choice, and then he's in. Much... is the last to be in. In a way, he's just lost the most. He's known Robin longest, and he's least ready to even begin to move on. But when John calls him, he's in, but he's still broken. He barely mouths Robin's name when all of them say it. And the last thing we get to see is all of them, carrying Robin's body together. The episode started with the gang honoring one dead outlaw, and it ended with them burying another. Rest easy, Robin. You and I didn't always get along, but I think I cared for you in the end all the same.
In Which I Couldn't Be More Proud of Sir Guy of Gisborne
In the group of friends I do fannish things with, I'm "the one who likes the villains." Point me to a fandom I love, and I'll point you to at least one character I adore who is either morally ambiguous or just plain evil. I make up excuses and come up with implausible rationalizations for my villains' heinous actions in my spare time, and I come up with missing tragic backstories like it's my job. So, when I first "met" Guy of Gisborne, I couldn't have been happier. He was working for the wrong side, he was Not a Nice Person, and he made things difficult for the hero. However, from the very beginning, I was almost certain that there had to be something more to Guy. There was a reluctance, a depth and a complexity to him that went beyond the black-clad right-hand-man he could have been in the hands of a lesser actor. And if that was all we had ever gotten to see -- those little early hints of compassion, those times where it appeared that, just for a moment, there was more to him than the villain's role life had dealt to him -- I would have been content. I would have joined up with other Guy fangirls, and we would have talked and squeed and theorized about why he was so damaged (we did that anyway...) and written fics that milked those moments of humanity for all they were worth, and we would have speculated about what it would be like for him to do the right thing, just once.
But then, the most amazing thing happened... I didn't have to pretend to make Guy better than he was. Canon did it for me. The writers may have made a lot of mistakes on this show, but letting Guy turn into a person was not one of them. He got to fall in love with Marian in canon. He got to begin to make real, beautifully noble choices. He got to begin to change, and then... he killed her, and I worried that we had seen the last of Guy's humanity, but as the third series progressed, I realized that it was still there. It was horribly trodden upon and abused and haunted, but it was there. And then, he was standing up to the Sheriff and having life-changing conversations with young, naive girls in prison cells and offering Robin a hand up so they could go traveling together... And so, while I see where all of the people who think that Guy's turnaround and integration into the gang went by too quickly are coming from, I'm so terribly happy that Guy got any sort of redemption at all that I don't care. Sure, I wish he could have had a long, awkward time of it getting to know his place in the forest, but with Richard leaving, they didn't have a long time. So they did the best they could with the time they had, and I think it was fantastic. All of that is to say... I loved the Guy that we got to see in this episode - smart and proud and tragic and everything I had always hoped that he would get to be.
Guy may have been warily accepted into the gang, but even as he works with them, he knows he's an outsider. When Vasey shows up at the gates, and Guy and Robin about to ride out to meet him, one of the first things Guy does is try to convince Robin that he didn't know Vasey was still alive. Guy knows that it looks bad for him that he claimed to have killed Vasey, and yet there he is... at the head of an army with a serious yen for revenge. In a way, it's as if Guy feels responsible for Vasey showing up. If he had killed the Sheriff properly, they wouldn't be in this situation, and he's expecting Robin to blame him for his "failure." Vasey certainly would have if the situation had been reversed. (In fact, Vasey DID get angry at Guy every time Robin turned out not to be "dead.") I think that all of this plays into Guy's surprise when Robin doesn't turn him over to the waiting army. In Guy's mind, that's what happens when you fail spectacularly: you get cut loose. And though he knows that Robin is different from Vasey, it still doesn't make sense to him that Robin would choose to fight rather than give him up. I think he's finally beginning to realize just how different Robin really is... and that realization, as much as anything, is what prompts him to tell Robin, "I'm with you." That, and the fact that he couldn't ask for a more dedicated and willing group of people who detest Vasey down to the very core of their beings.
I find it to be brutally ironic that Guy gives Isabella the poison that ends up killing Robin. At first, I thought that this was a stupid move on his part, but now, I'm not so sure. When he gave it to her, she was behind bars, had no weapons, and was about to be caught in the middle of a short, bloody siege. Isabella sarcastically asks him if giving her the poison is his idea of mercy, but really it is. Guy has almost been publicly executed twice in the second half of this series, and he knows all about the shame and the fear that comes with dying in front of a crowd. He doesn't want her to have to suffer that. As awkward and strained as it was, this scene breaks my heart for a couple of reasons. First of all, we finally get Guy showing genuine kindness to his sister, and it comes in the form of a vial of poison. One last messed up, weirdly gentle gesture on the part of the elder Gisborne sibling. And even then, he's still Guy, ready to accuse her of being in league with Vasey and thinking the worst of her. (I kind of think this makes his "mercy" even more surprising...) Second... Isabella tries to throw Marian in his face, and he barely reacts. In fact, he agrees with her that there is too much blood on his hands. Having taken responsibility for what he's done, nothing Isabella can say to him can condemn him any more than he already condemns himself. That is... staggeringly sad, but appropriate.
(A brief note about the poison: If I remember correctly, in several versions of the Robin Hood legend, Robin does die by poison... and sometimes, it's even a female relative of Guy or the Sheriff who gives it to him, out of revenge for killing her kin. I wonder if they meant to be referencing that...)
When Guy isn't wondering why on earth Robin hasn't turned him over to be tortured and killed by Vasey or giving his sister poison so she won't be killed painfully by whoever wins the battle... he's being brilliantly competent at what he's supposed to be doing: helping the gang fight off the Sheriff's army. The second he comes back from giving Isabella the poison, he's asking, "What's happening?" He wants to be part of the conversation, thinks he might have something important to add, and... everyone else reacts like this is the most natural thing in the world. And he does remind them of a pretty major weakness in their defenses... the tunnel that all of them think is blocked. I've already flailed a considerable amount about Guy being one of the men Robin takes with him to take out the trebuchets... so I'll only do it a little here. *flails just a little* That was Guy, crawling through the dirt with Robin and Tuck, sabotaging war machines, getting saved by Archer, and helping them to bar the city gates with riders coming up fast behind them! GUY! *flails a little more* See? Done. Guy also knows when to fall back. He probably knows the defenses of Nottingham better than anyone else in the city, and when he shouts to Robin that the gates aren't going to hold much longer, Robin listens, and later, when they're falling back even further into the great hall, Robin yells for Guy to get people organized, and Guy starts to do it. No questions asked. And by the end of things, it seems as if he actually cares what happens to everyone. He may say he doesn't care about the people, he may tell everyone that the only reason he fights on their side is to get even with Vasey, but I think that somewhere in the middle of this episode, that changes. After the first big fight when they've all pulled back into the courtyard, Guy surveys the damage, and he looks worried, and a little upset. And it isn't a "counting the number of bodies and adjusting plans based on current tactical disadvantage" kind of thing. It's... much more personal than that. He has been around dead and dying soldiers many times, but this is probably the first time he's been around common people - not soldiers, not outlaws, just everyday, common people - who are so willing to fight and die for a cause and for each other. I... think it might even inspire him just a little. Because when Robin makes his big speech at the end, none other than Guy of Gisborne, Robin's most sarcastic, cynical detractor, is raising his sword in salute. And in that moment, I think Guy finally believes in it -- all of Robin's ideals about hope and meaning and justice -- not because Robin finally showed him the light, but because Guy has always been a terribly disillusioned idealist who still wanted to believe. And in that moment... he does.
The first time I watched this episode, I yelled at Guy when he went into the tunnel after Isabella, "No! Don't go in there alone!" But of course, he wouldn't be Guy if he had asked for help. The way Guy sees it, Robin has more important things to attend to than one escaped prisoner. Isabella is Guy's responsibility, and he'll be the one to deal with her. However, even though he stopped Archer from getting Robin, Guy doesn't seem particularly surprised when his brother tags along at first. (And it's a good thing they were down there, too, because with all of the noise upstairs, I'll bet no one even heard the explosion underneath the castle.) So, having sent Archer up to warn Robin that the tunnel is open, Guy runs into the Sheriff and Isabella alone. And for the first bit of that fight, it's just Guy and Vasey. He's on his own, just like he's always been, and then... Robin's there, and then Archer... sure, both of them were there for "big picture" reasons like making sure they weren't about to be attacked from the inside, but... they're also there for Guy, defending him when he needed it most. It was... wonderful to watch. And it was an excitingly choreographed fight scene, too. The PotC fangirl in me loves that at one point, Guy tosses Archer his sword because Archer needs it more than he does. Also... I love that Guy saves Robin. Guy saw Isabella about to stab Robin in the back, and he is the one who pushed Robin out of the way, leaving him with no weapon standing over the Sheriff. The moment I saw Vasey grab that sword and put it through him... I think my heart stopped beating for a couple of seconds. Looking at it now, though... I'm glad that it was Vasey and Isabella who killed him. So much better than him being killed by a random guard or an impersonal arrow. At least Vasey and Isabella were... worthy opponents. In a way, it's fitting that the man who tried to kill Guy's spirit slowly for all of these years should be the one to kill his body. (Though the final victory, I think, is Guy's, not the Sheriff's. His spirit was alive and well there at the end.) And... I cannot emphasize this enough... Guy died saving Robin. Yes, Robin got nicked by the dagger, but Guy at least saved Robin for long enough for Robin to save everyone (using the secret cellar Guy points out with his dying words, by the way!). Not a useless way to die at all, and for that, I am relieved.
When Robin sees that Guy is hurt... he calls his name with a mixture of desperation and genuine concern, and a lot of the anger that he directs at the Sheriff seems to be on Guy's behalf. Robin is angry and upset that Guy is dying... and it seems right. If this is what happens when the universe is slightly out of alignment, I don't want it to ever go back. Guy's actual death is one of the hardest things for me to watch, still. I loved the way they wrote it, but it's hard. He is calm and ready for it, and he doesn't seem afraid. I hadn't realized this before, but I think that Guy smiles in this scene more than he did in any almost any episode this season. Possibly even the one with Meg. I've become quite the connoisseur of Guy-smiles over the course of the show, and I've learned to recognize the sardonic ones, the fake ones, and the crafty ones. That wasn't what he was doing here. He really smiles at Archer when he calls him "Brother," and... that peaceful, not-quite-there look that settles over his face, corners of his mouth just slightly upturned.... I don't think I've ever seen that before. Not even when Marian was alive. There was always too much fear and power getting in the way when he smiled for her. But this... this was the smile of a man who is at peace. He knows that he's near the end, and it's almost as if he's already seeing the other side as he speaks. At the last, Guy knew three things: he loved Marian. Marian and Robin loved each other. And both of them helped him to die free of the Sheriff and the evil he represented. Yes, I think that when Guy says, "I lived in shame, but because of you I died proud and free," he's talking to Marian and Robin. He's come a long way from that desert courtyard in the Holy Land, where the idea of Marian loving another is enough to drive him to kill her. In his last moments, Guy loves Marian still. He's also grateful to her for what she showed him how to be, and, without rancor or reservation, grateful to the man she loved for what he allowed Guy to become.
Oh, Guy, my Best Beloved... You died a good man, and that is more than I ever thought I could ask for. I'll miss you, but I'm glad you're free at last.
Next week on Robin Hood...
Oh wait. There won't be a next week... what am I going to DO on Saturdays from now on? (Grade, see friends, and work on mybigbanghood fic... that's what I'm going to do!) Actually, it looks like there won't be a "Next Time on Robin Hood" at all, now. The BBC canceled the show. Not that I'm terribly surprised. I am, however, vacillating between being relieved that it's over and strangely sad that I don't get the choice to watch Series 4 or not. Because, with the right writers/producers working on it, I think that the gang we were left with could have been a lot of fun.
And even when the writers didn't treat the characters well, they were still my people. And I loved them much more than reason might have dictated.
Like a lot of ensemble shows, Robin Hood always did have some of its best moments when the gang worked together, and this episode is no exception. I have never been prouder of all of them as a group. Here at the end, something about the group dynamic clicked perfectly into place, and I... can barely put into words how much I love it. We see it in the scene where Much saves Kate. While the Sheriff is still reveling in the evilness of his own evility (not a word, I know), Robin is looking around, thinking about what options he has, and all he has to ask Much is, "Can you do it?" No other explanation needed. They know each other too well for more to be necessary. And when Much says yes... Robin trusts him. But it takes all of them to pull it off. Much got to be the daring one, and I love him for it, but I also love Archer for covering him and Tuck, John, and Guy(!!!!) for pulling them up to safety. We can see it in the scene where they're falling back to the castle. Much is wonderfully, heroically competent here (finally... we get to see the man who spent years in the Holy Land fighting at Robin's side), and I think the "fire an arrow, run, hide behind the next line of men ready to shoot" strategy worked pretty damn well. They got everyone they could into the castle, which, considering what was coming at them, was impressive. What I think I love most, though, is Robin, Tuck, Guy, and John sneaking out the sabotage the trebuchets. The four of them make a fantastic team. (And they make some fantastic explosions.... The image of the fireballs going up, and then coming straight back down makes me gloriously, vindictively happy.) My heart was in my mouth when they were discovered, though. There they were... surrounded by enemies, and I was thinking to myself, "One of them is not going to survive this scene. Probably Guy. This is it. This is how I'm going to lose him." I didn't need to worry, though. Much and Archer were on top of things, ready to save the day (or night, as the case may be). There were a lot of moments where I liked Archer in this episode... but I flat-out loved him here. Was this the show pulling a "Han Solo comes back just in the nick of time" stunt? Of course it was. And... that almost makes it better in my eyes. And also... Archer looks good firing flaming arrows from horseback. At any rate, this is how the gang is supposed to function. This is how Robin is supposed to treat his people - like competent, valuable friends who know what they're doing and can handle themselves when the going gets rough. And... this is how they're supposed to work together to protect each other. Because when they do that... people live. It's a shame it took losing Allan to remind them of that.
Speaking of Allan...
I was ready to cry this episode. I had a box of Kleenex and everything. But I was expecting to work up to it. I had a feeling that most of the deaths were going to happen in the last ten minutes, so I did not expect to be bawling withing two minutes of the opening shot. But I was. When I watched Part One, I cried because Allan had died alone. I may have made some noise to the effect of "The gang had better feel BAD about what they did to him..." When I watched Part Two, I cried because all of them so obviously did. I couldn't be angry at them for not trusting Allan any more. Not after the broken, devastated look on Much's face when he says, "We did this..." John's insistence that they "honor the dead" before the situation gets too dire, the anger on Much's face when he's the first one to light the fire, the silent determination on Robin's face when he's the last one left standing by the pyre... No. They cared for Allan. He was one of them, and they know it now.
Guy and Kate both have interesting reactions in this scene. Kate is the first one to slip away, but I think that it wasn't lack of caring that made her leave. I think this was the moment where she realized, "This is serious. One of our people has already died, and a lot more are going to. We need help. We're not going to make it through this without it."
caedhe has suggested to me that this is Kate's way of honoring Allan... being sneaky, giving the Sheriff the slip, and bringing back an unexpected army so he (and all of the others who will die) won't die in vain. It's a kind reading of Kate's motivation, but I like it. Guy... hangs back, as usual. He doesn't get in the middle of their grief, but I think that there is something in him that sees how they treat each other and... wants to be part of that. He could just as easily have gone off and found something else useful to do. But he's there. Even though he doesn't really know what to do, what his place is, he takes some more steps towards humanity and stays. I'm so glad the writers let him be in this scene, though it makes me weep for the awkward, halting friendships that could have been. A Few Brief (or not) Points About Individual Outlaws
I have a lot to say about Guy and Robin, but I really do feel like this episode was good to the whole gang. John got to be big and large and strong and wise... He got to give voice to my anger at Robin's death with his, "It's not FAIR!" and he got to be the one who insisted that they take care of Allan. John has always been the one who reminded the gang why they fight, who looked at the needs that people had right now when they were nearly lost in the "big picture." So... to have him do this for the sake of Allan's memory... it was good. I also have a soft spot for John's fatherly relationship with Kate, and the scene where she's on the walls about to sneak down was really touching. He could have stopped her leaving, but he lets her go. He trusted her to do her part, get word to the king's army. I also love that we get to see him checking on the wounded after the first big battle... it's a very John thing to do. Personal and compassionate.
For her part, Kate was... herself. Still young and a bit reckless, but I found myself liking her anyway. She wasn't as obnoxious as she has been in past episodes, and she blended smoothly into the gang during the group scenes. I like that she decided to go get help. She realized she wasn't much good in a fight, and probably thought that she could be doing the most good by bringing back reinforcements. And, though a lot has been made of the fact that she got captured again, I think that this is the time when it is least ridiculous for this to have happened. Kate got out of the castle, all the way to the army, and was on her way back when she got caught. I think it's a miracle she didn't run into trouble before then.
caedhe pointed out to me on our rewatch that Kate probably didn't think she needed to have a plan for getting back into Nottingham. She thought she was going to be riding at the head of an army. And you know what? She could have stayed away. She didn't have to go back after she found out that they were on their own. But Robin needed to know that the army wasn't coming. So she came back bearing that important information, and I think that shows tremendous bravery. Of all of the characters in the gang, we've gotten to know Tuck the least. We know that he wants freedom and justice for the people of England, but we never really get a sense of why. However, I think that even he got his moments in this episode. I have a long history of liking the brilliant characters who are dropped into the midst a group that needs their specific knowledge. (Rodney McKay, Stephen Maturin, Wesley Wyndham-Pryce...) So... I may have geeked out just a tiny little bit at Tuck playing with chemicals in the great hall, figuring out how to make
I was especially happy with everything Much did. I've talked before about how he got to shine, how he got to lead. Sam's acting in this was top notch, I thought. He was angry and driven and focused and broken and... I have never loved him more. (And he got to take off the *&$%^ hat for once, but I'll get to that part later.) I could say more, but it would just be me repeating more of the same: They finally treated Much right!
And now, I am going to add my voice to the chorus of people in this fandom who have already said, "I didn't want to like Archer, darn it!" I really didn't. I wanted to find him pretentious and over-the-top and not-as-good-as-who-he-was-replacing. I wanted to hate him so much that I couldn't stomach the idea of watching a fourth season (when I thought there might be one) so I could have a clean break with the show and not watch with no regrets. But... I couldn't. In this last episode, I actually saw the potential for him to be a really interesting character, and I'm sad that I don't get to see what they were going to do with him. One of the things that intrigued me the most about him is that he doesn't seem to have many illusions about nobility or morality, his own or anyone else's, but he's still got enough of a conscience that he won't run out on his brothers when they need him. He admits to selling the Byzantine fire to Vasey (which he didn't have to do, by the way... he could have played dumb, but they needed to know how much Vasey had, and Archer had the information), and when Robin calls him on it, Archer does something that not many people have done before. He calls Robin on the cost of ROBIN'S choices. And, what's more, Archer isn't judging Robin for it, he isn't saying that Robin shouldn't have asked people to fight for him, even. He's just pointing out the hypocrisy. Yes, Archer selling barrels of the stuff to the Sheriff is probably going to get people killed. But, from his point of view, so is Robin asking them to fight. I thought that was a really nice scene in general... Clive Standen is certainly pretty... but I think that he also had the beginnings of some good chemistry (of the non-sexual variety) with the rest of the cast. Of course, I mostly mean "with Robin and Guy," and we were going to lose the two of them anyway. *sigh* I really wish the three "brothers" could have had more time together, because it was amazing seeing them all playing off of each other.
Archer has some other great moments, but I appreciated him most when he went into the tunnel after Guy. He wants to go with Guy when they both see Isabella in the first place, but Guy won't let him. In a way, I think that Archer understands Guy's "I have to do this alone" attitude. He knows Guy won't ask for Robin's help on this, even if it kills him. And while Archer understands Guy's reluctance, he thinks it's ridiculous, so he does the sensible thing and lets Robin know what's going on. I... am so grateful to him for that, I can hardly stand it. It meant that Guy didn't have to die alone. And again, I feel the loss of what could have been. I saw the beginnings of Archer acting as a bridge between Guy and Robin when the two of them needed him to be. I think he sometimes understands both of them in ways the other just doesn't get. (Yes, I know Guy and Robin have a lot of shared history that binds them together, but I think Archer is enough like both of of his brothers that he gets reasons and motivations that would be difficult for Guy or Robin to wrap their minds around because they're on opposite sides of the spectrum.)
Vasey and Isabella: At Long Last, Villainy Doesn't Pay
Though Isabella acted completely out of self-interest throughout this entire episode, I still found it hard not to feel for her. She is alone, she has no friends, and hell is about to reign down on Nottingham. I'm not excusing what she does, but there is a mad desperation to her actions that almost makes me sorry for her. I think Lara has a lot to do with this, too. Even when she's doing terrible things, her expressions and body language are confused and conflicted. For instance, when Guy comes down to offer her the poison, she throws everything she can at him, psychologically speaking. Marian's death, his own skewed sense of mercy... and for what? Was she trying to convince him to let her go? Perhaps. But... I also think that she senses that he's starting to feel sorry for the things he's done, and she wants to twist the knife as much as possible. However, when he turns his back and leaves, she says his name to herself, almost gently, as if she is sad that he's leaving. I don't know what to make of it, and honestly, I think that Isabella doesn't either. She's angry and afraid and unbalanced, but there are other feelings there as well... feelings that she is trying to tamp down and push as far back into the recesses of her consciousness as possible. Because caring would make her vulnerable, which is the last thing she wants to be right now.
I had some timeline issues with her luring Guy into the tunnel. How did she know exactly when the Sheriff would be there? There was no point where she could have communicated with him. I suppose she didn't know, then... She was probably was simply remembering her instructions to get Guy into the tunnel and thought that if she could give Guy to Vasey, she might be able to get some protection and retain some of her power. And... Vasey seems ready to offer that to her. The look on her face when she drops that cloak, though, and goes over to Vasey's side... she'll take what she can get, but she is not happy about it. (What WAS that dropping the cloak thing, anyway? A symbol of the Sheriff's office? Vasey sure never wore it... Why did she have to get rid of it to show her allegiance? Because the less clothing a woman is wearing, the more vulnerable she is? *stops that line of thinking before the monster in my chest that's still angry at the FEMINIST FAIL of Isabella's arc wakes up*) Anyway... I thought it was really interesting that Isabella finally honestly recognizes that Archer is her brother. What changed? Last week, she was up in arms about her mother's sacred memory. Here's what I think it is: she believes it because Archer is still in town. In her mind, the fact that he stayed with Robin and Guy when he could have gone anywhere with the money she had given him is all the proof she needs. Why else would he have stayed?
It has occurred to me that Isabella wants Guy to die in despair. She wants him to die regretting what he did to her, remembering that he hurt one of the people who trusted him. That's why she brings up the "You loved me once" again at the beginning of the fight in the tunnel. She wants that to be the last thing on his mind. But... she's doesn't get that satisfaction. Later, when the Sheriff and his men pass by the body, Isabella is angry. The only explanation for that look I can come up with is that she's upset that Guy looks like he's at peace. At the end, she failed to crush his spirit as completely as she would have liked to. It's terrible and messed up beyond all belief, but I like it, if only because it showed that Guy was able to rise above that very same impulse for anger and cruelty. Still, though, I'm sorry that Isabella died without even a little bit of redemption. She didn't get to have a Marian or a Meg or a Robin come along and see the good that was buried under all of that insecurity and hunger for power. And it makes sad, because I'll always believe that with just a little bit of kindness, she could have been a different person. I'm... actually tearing up as I write this. I've cried for Allan, for Guy, for Robin and the rest of the gang... but I hadn't realized how much I'm sorry that Isabella died. She has such potential... she deserved to be better than she show allowed her to be.
And now... on to Vasey, whose death caused me NO pain at all. I have never loved to hate a character so much as I hated him in this episode. Keith Allen was wonderful, as usual (and he had a very snazzy cape, if I do say so myself). The confidence with which he declares, "I want my town back!" the nastiness of his "Welcome to hell, Robin Hood..." and the fact that he attacks in the middle of the night when he was supposed to wait for dawn, his not-at-all-contained glee when he realized Isabella had killed Robin were all classic Vasey. However, something is... different about him. He's bored of the game where Robin cleverly tricks him and makes him look the fool. People have mentioned that for three seasons, Robin and the Sheriff have danced around each other, but nothing has really changed. It was an interesting self-referential jab for the Sheriff to make. He knows how the game is played, and he's done playing that way.
Still, though... I wanted him dead. From the moment where he talked about Allan... I wanted to see blood. Mostly because what Vasey says only seemed to confirm my fears that he tortured Allan before he died, though I suppose that he could have been saying it to get under Robin's skin. We've always known Vasey liked to see people break. He's done it to countless one-shot characters, and he tries to do it to Guy in the end, adding his reminder of "You loved me once, too," to Isabella's. So, it gives me a grim sort of satisfaction that Vasey got to know that he was defeated, if only for a few seconds, before he died. There he is, Lord of the Castle once more, only to realize that Robin Hood has fooled him one last time, and this time, it will cost him his life.
And for the last time... Some thoughts on Robin.
It's no secret that I have never been on the best of terms with this version of Robin. It didn't help that he was written as too young, too immature to be the legend I had always envisioned. However, in this last episode... I respected him, I felt for him, and I was sorry to see him die. It's too bad that we couldn't have had this Robin around for the past season or so. Much of what impressed me so much about Robin here is how he treated other people. The way he takes his gang for granted has always been one of my major problems with him, and in this episode, he didn't. He trusted Much with his life, and with the defense of the castle if he didn't make it back from trying to destroy Vasey's weapons. And then, there's how he treated Guy... I had one of those moments when I had to blink a whole lot and pinch myself to make sure I was really seeing what I thought I was when the two of them rode out of the castle to parley with Vasey. I... cannot get over how amazing that was. Robin goes out to seek terms with his oldest enemy, and who does he have at his side? Guy. Even though Guy had claimed to kill the Sheriff, and he is obviously not dead, Robin trusts Guy's word when he swears he didn't know and rides out onto that field with him. And it was a good thing Guy came, too... He kept a cool head when Robin would have done something rash (putting himself within reach of Vasey's sword? Not too smart, Robin...). Also, I share Guy's shock at Robin's utter rejection of Vasey's offer. Yes, it wouldn't have been like Robin to give in, but he didn't even think for a moment about giving Guy up. He may go on about all of this being bigger than Guy later, but I also think that the reason Robin didn't consider Vasey's offer is that he already thinks of Guy as one of his people... He wouldn't trade Much or Kate or John to Vasey, not even for the sake of all of Nottingham, and he's not going to trade Guy. He wouldn't be Robin, though, if he didn't get a little pissy at Guy for assuming it was "about him." I even liked that, though, because Robin gave Guy the chance to leave, or to choose to fight with them, and once Guy made that choice... Robin trusted him completely, no questions asked. (Yes, my "thoughts on Robin" have turned into "thoughts on Robin and Guy." What were you expecting?)
All season, Tuck has been encouraging Robin to do more than be the leader of an outlaw band in Sherwood, but Robin has been reluctant. He knew that if he were to try to raise an army of his own to fight the Sheriff and Prince John, a lot of good, earnest, untrained men would die. This time, though, he has no choice. He thinks that if the men from Nottingham and the villages who are trapped in the city don't fight, they'll be slaughtered. (And he hasn't yet factored in Vasey's greed... he really thinks the Sheriff intends to take no prisoners.) And you can see the responsibility of that decision weighing heavily on him. He does the best that he can to make sure as many people make it as possible, and when they are checking on the wounded after the retreat, you can see him taking in what they've lost, dealing with it, and moving on. When I really felt for Robin, though, was the moment he learned that King Richard wasn't coming. He had never intended to hold the castle indefinitely. He'd been holding on to the slim hope that he, his team, and some determined villagers and city folk who hated the Sheriff could hold out just long enough for Richard to return an show up with reinforcements. Learning that they're on their own, that no help is coming? It breaks him a little. You can see what the loss of that hope does to Robin, and it's not just himself or his friends he's worried for, either. He knows that a lot more people are going to die, now, and he knows that with Richard being held for ransom, things are only going to get worse for everyone in England.
However, even knowing that Richard isn't coming... knowing that they have very little hope, Robin leads. I've made fun of his speechifying right along with the rest of the fandom, but sometimes, people need to hear from their heroes. And... I even like his speech. He doesn't promise them victory, because he knows that it's not very likely. He promises them meaning, though, and that's even more important, sometimes. And I even like to think that he's right... that sometimes the examples of a few brave people can change things. It's happened before. Sure, this is a kind of preachy kids show... but I think that's one "message" I'm ok with. And I love Robin so much for giving people what they needed as their leader when he obviously had so little left to give. That is leadership. That is what Robin could have been if he'd decided to be more than a cocky kid tweaking the Sheriff's nose.
After Robin is poisoned, he accepts his death sentence with a lot of grace, and he still does what has to be done with the time he has left. He cares for his people, makes sure they get out of the castle, and fights like he has nothing to lose. He doesn't want anyone making a big deal out of him before he knows that the Sheriff has been taken care of, and for that, he has my utmost respect. In keeping with the fact that Robin is supposed to be a preternaturally good archer, I love that he gets to shoot One. Last. Awesome. Arrow. And what an arrow it was... with his last shot, he destroys Vasey, Isabella, an entire army, and all of Nottingham castle. I also think it was significant that he brought Archer with him. He recognized that he might not be able to make the shot, that Archer might have to do it for him. I know I've been terribly annoyed at him for his "Of course I can do it! I'm Robin Hood" lines before, but this time... it was quite poignant when he said it as he visibly struggled to draw his bow properly.
I cannot even pretend to be objective about the scene where Robin says goodbye to everyone. I was a crying mess by this point, and I wasn't much better my second time through. I really did think it was nicely done, though. I thought it was fitting that they started with a reminder of Robin's connection to Sherwood. The forest has given him shelter, a place to hide, a place to call home when he gave up his lands and his titles. He loves Sherwood, and his remarking on the beauty of the sunset (and yes, even the Gladiator-esque hand on the grass) let us see that in a way we don't usually get to. When he begins to say goodbye to everyone... I think that he tries to give each of them what they need in his last words to them. He gives Much confidence. He recognizes the man that Much is and how very important their friendship has been to him over the years. And when he says "You're already a better man than I'll ever be," I think he means it. He gives John strength. John doesn't need gentle words or consolation. He needs Robin's big, loud "This is a GOOD DAY to die," and a gruff man-hug. Robin gives Archer a place to belong, and reminds him that he's got a family if he wants one. He gives Tuck a continuing sense of mission, assuring him that the future they fought for together won't die with him. He gives Kate... his respect and a hug. I've laughed at him calling her "brave" before... but not this time. This time, she was brave. And, I may be going out on a limb here, but I think he did her a favor by not giving her dying declarations of love or reminding her of what they'd had. It will be easier for her to move on without Robin's dying assurances of affection ringing in her ears.
And then... he leaves them. Because he doesn't want them to remember him weak and in pain and dying, I think. And because they need to comfort each other, not him. The image of John putting one arm around Kate and the other around Much is... so perfect. Those two are the ones struggling most, and John knows it.
Again, I make no promises about coherency when I talk about Robin seeing Marian. I knew she was going to be in this episode. And my number one guess for how she would be featured was as heavenly welcome party for Robin. But still... even though I knew it was coming, I still stopped breathing for a moment when I saw her walking through the forest. I cried at this scene. I'm a Guy/Marian shipper down to the depths of my soul, but I cried anyway. The way he says her name is terribly, beautifully romantic. He still loves her, and she's been waiting for him, and he finally gets to take her hand and laugh with her with no worries, no cares, no enemies waiting to find him. He can rest now, and I think he's earned it. We leave them with one last shot of him spinning her around, their voices echoing through the trees until it fades into nothing and they pass from life into legend.
I haven't said much about the scene after Robin's death, and I suppose here is as good a place as any. Everyone's reactions are very much in character, I think. Much is so broken he thinks he can't go on, can't imagine continuing their work without Robin. Tuck is trying to keep everyone together, making speeches, trying to inspire them to honor Robin's memory and remember why they fight. Kate is ready to do what she thinks Robin would have wanted. John... doesn't say anything at all, but he's quick to join Kate and Tuck, which works for me. Archer hangs back for just a moment, as if he's consciously making a choice, and then he's in. Much... is the last to be in. In a way, he's just lost the most. He's known Robin longest, and he's least ready to even begin to move on. But when John calls him, he's in, but he's still broken. He barely mouths Robin's name when all of them say it. And the last thing we get to see is all of them, carrying Robin's body together. The episode started with the gang honoring one dead outlaw, and it ended with them burying another. Rest easy, Robin. You and I didn't always get along, but I think I cared for you in the end all the same.
In Which I Couldn't Be More Proud of Sir Guy of Gisborne
In the group of friends I do fannish things with, I'm "the one who likes the villains." Point me to a fandom I love, and I'll point you to at least one character I adore who is either morally ambiguous or just plain evil. I make up excuses and come up with implausible rationalizations for my villains' heinous actions in my spare time, and I come up with missing tragic backstories like it's my job. So, when I first "met" Guy of Gisborne, I couldn't have been happier. He was working for the wrong side, he was Not a Nice Person, and he made things difficult for the hero. However, from the very beginning, I was almost certain that there had to be something more to Guy. There was a reluctance, a depth and a complexity to him that went beyond the black-clad right-hand-man he could have been in the hands of a lesser actor. And if that was all we had ever gotten to see -- those little early hints of compassion, those times where it appeared that, just for a moment, there was more to him than the villain's role life had dealt to him -- I would have been content. I would have joined up with other Guy fangirls, and we would have talked and squeed and theorized about why he was so damaged (we did that anyway...) and written fics that milked those moments of humanity for all they were worth, and we would have speculated about what it would be like for him to do the right thing, just once.
But then, the most amazing thing happened... I didn't have to pretend to make Guy better than he was. Canon did it for me. The writers may have made a lot of mistakes on this show, but letting Guy turn into a person was not one of them. He got to fall in love with Marian in canon. He got to begin to make real, beautifully noble choices. He got to begin to change, and then... he killed her, and I worried that we had seen the last of Guy's humanity, but as the third series progressed, I realized that it was still there. It was horribly trodden upon and abused and haunted, but it was there. And then, he was standing up to the Sheriff and having life-changing conversations with young, naive girls in prison cells and offering Robin a hand up so they could go traveling together... And so, while I see where all of the people who think that Guy's turnaround and integration into the gang went by too quickly are coming from, I'm so terribly happy that Guy got any sort of redemption at all that I don't care. Sure, I wish he could have had a long, awkward time of it getting to know his place in the forest, but with Richard leaving, they didn't have a long time. So they did the best they could with the time they had, and I think it was fantastic. All of that is to say... I loved the Guy that we got to see in this episode - smart and proud and tragic and everything I had always hoped that he would get to be.
Guy may have been warily accepted into the gang, but even as he works with them, he knows he's an outsider. When Vasey shows up at the gates, and Guy and Robin about to ride out to meet him, one of the first things Guy does is try to convince Robin that he didn't know Vasey was still alive. Guy knows that it looks bad for him that he claimed to have killed Vasey, and yet there he is... at the head of an army with a serious yen for revenge. In a way, it's as if Guy feels responsible for Vasey showing up. If he had killed the Sheriff properly, they wouldn't be in this situation, and he's expecting Robin to blame him for his "failure." Vasey certainly would have if the situation had been reversed. (In fact, Vasey DID get angry at Guy every time Robin turned out not to be "dead.") I think that all of this plays into Guy's surprise when Robin doesn't turn him over to the waiting army. In Guy's mind, that's what happens when you fail spectacularly: you get cut loose. And though he knows that Robin is different from Vasey, it still doesn't make sense to him that Robin would choose to fight rather than give him up. I think he's finally beginning to realize just how different Robin really is... and that realization, as much as anything, is what prompts him to tell Robin, "I'm with you." That, and the fact that he couldn't ask for a more dedicated and willing group of people who detest Vasey down to the very core of their beings.
I find it to be brutally ironic that Guy gives Isabella the poison that ends up killing Robin. At first, I thought that this was a stupid move on his part, but now, I'm not so sure. When he gave it to her, she was behind bars, had no weapons, and was about to be caught in the middle of a short, bloody siege. Isabella sarcastically asks him if giving her the poison is his idea of mercy, but really it is. Guy has almost been publicly executed twice in the second half of this series, and he knows all about the shame and the fear that comes with dying in front of a crowd. He doesn't want her to have to suffer that. As awkward and strained as it was, this scene breaks my heart for a couple of reasons. First of all, we finally get Guy showing genuine kindness to his sister, and it comes in the form of a vial of poison. One last messed up, weirdly gentle gesture on the part of the elder Gisborne sibling. And even then, he's still Guy, ready to accuse her of being in league with Vasey and thinking the worst of her. (I kind of think this makes his "mercy" even more surprising...) Second... Isabella tries to throw Marian in his face, and he barely reacts. In fact, he agrees with her that there is too much blood on his hands. Having taken responsibility for what he's done, nothing Isabella can say to him can condemn him any more than he already condemns himself. That is... staggeringly sad, but appropriate.
(A brief note about the poison: If I remember correctly, in several versions of the Robin Hood legend, Robin does die by poison... and sometimes, it's even a female relative of Guy or the Sheriff who gives it to him, out of revenge for killing her kin. I wonder if they meant to be referencing that...)
When Guy isn't wondering why on earth Robin hasn't turned him over to be tortured and killed by Vasey or giving his sister poison so she won't be killed painfully by whoever wins the battle... he's being brilliantly competent at what he's supposed to be doing: helping the gang fight off the Sheriff's army. The second he comes back from giving Isabella the poison, he's asking, "What's happening?" He wants to be part of the conversation, thinks he might have something important to add, and... everyone else reacts like this is the most natural thing in the world. And he does remind them of a pretty major weakness in their defenses... the tunnel that all of them think is blocked. I've already flailed a considerable amount about Guy being one of the men Robin takes with him to take out the trebuchets... so I'll only do it a little here. *flails just a little* That was Guy, crawling through the dirt with Robin and Tuck, sabotaging war machines, getting saved by Archer, and helping them to bar the city gates with riders coming up fast behind them! GUY! *flails a little more* See? Done. Guy also knows when to fall back. He probably knows the defenses of Nottingham better than anyone else in the city, and when he shouts to Robin that the gates aren't going to hold much longer, Robin listens, and later, when they're falling back even further into the great hall, Robin yells for Guy to get people organized, and Guy starts to do it. No questions asked. And by the end of things, it seems as if he actually cares what happens to everyone. He may say he doesn't care about the people, he may tell everyone that the only reason he fights on their side is to get even with Vasey, but I think that somewhere in the middle of this episode, that changes. After the first big fight when they've all pulled back into the courtyard, Guy surveys the damage, and he looks worried, and a little upset. And it isn't a "counting the number of bodies and adjusting plans based on current tactical disadvantage" kind of thing. It's... much more personal than that. He has been around dead and dying soldiers many times, but this is probably the first time he's been around common people - not soldiers, not outlaws, just everyday, common people - who are so willing to fight and die for a cause and for each other. I... think it might even inspire him just a little. Because when Robin makes his big speech at the end, none other than Guy of Gisborne, Robin's most sarcastic, cynical detractor, is raising his sword in salute. And in that moment, I think Guy finally believes in it -- all of Robin's ideals about hope and meaning and justice -- not because Robin finally showed him the light, but because Guy has always been a terribly disillusioned idealist who still wanted to believe. And in that moment... he does.
The first time I watched this episode, I yelled at Guy when he went into the tunnel after Isabella, "No! Don't go in there alone!" But of course, he wouldn't be Guy if he had asked for help. The way Guy sees it, Robin has more important things to attend to than one escaped prisoner. Isabella is Guy's responsibility, and he'll be the one to deal with her. However, even though he stopped Archer from getting Robin, Guy doesn't seem particularly surprised when his brother tags along at first. (And it's a good thing they were down there, too, because with all of the noise upstairs, I'll bet no one even heard the explosion underneath the castle.) So, having sent Archer up to warn Robin that the tunnel is open, Guy runs into the Sheriff and Isabella alone. And for the first bit of that fight, it's just Guy and Vasey. He's on his own, just like he's always been, and then... Robin's there, and then Archer... sure, both of them were there for "big picture" reasons like making sure they weren't about to be attacked from the inside, but... they're also there for Guy, defending him when he needed it most. It was... wonderful to watch. And it was an excitingly choreographed fight scene, too. The PotC fangirl in me loves that at one point, Guy tosses Archer his sword because Archer needs it more than he does. Also... I love that Guy saves Robin. Guy saw Isabella about to stab Robin in the back, and he is the one who pushed Robin out of the way, leaving him with no weapon standing over the Sheriff. The moment I saw Vasey grab that sword and put it through him... I think my heart stopped beating for a couple of seconds. Looking at it now, though... I'm glad that it was Vasey and Isabella who killed him. So much better than him being killed by a random guard or an impersonal arrow. At least Vasey and Isabella were... worthy opponents. In a way, it's fitting that the man who tried to kill Guy's spirit slowly for all of these years should be the one to kill his body. (Though the final victory, I think, is Guy's, not the Sheriff's. His spirit was alive and well there at the end.) And... I cannot emphasize this enough... Guy died saving Robin. Yes, Robin got nicked by the dagger, but Guy at least saved Robin for long enough for Robin to save everyone (using the secret cellar Guy points out with his dying words, by the way!). Not a useless way to die at all, and for that, I am relieved.
When Robin sees that Guy is hurt... he calls his name with a mixture of desperation and genuine concern, and a lot of the anger that he directs at the Sheriff seems to be on Guy's behalf. Robin is angry and upset that Guy is dying... and it seems right. If this is what happens when the universe is slightly out of alignment, I don't want it to ever go back. Guy's actual death is one of the hardest things for me to watch, still. I loved the way they wrote it, but it's hard. He is calm and ready for it, and he doesn't seem afraid. I hadn't realized this before, but I think that Guy smiles in this scene more than he did in any almost any episode this season. Possibly even the one with Meg. I've become quite the connoisseur of Guy-smiles over the course of the show, and I've learned to recognize the sardonic ones, the fake ones, and the crafty ones. That wasn't what he was doing here. He really smiles at Archer when he calls him "Brother," and... that peaceful, not-quite-there look that settles over his face, corners of his mouth just slightly upturned.... I don't think I've ever seen that before. Not even when Marian was alive. There was always too much fear and power getting in the way when he smiled for her. But this... this was the smile of a man who is at peace. He knows that he's near the end, and it's almost as if he's already seeing the other side as he speaks. At the last, Guy knew three things: he loved Marian. Marian and Robin loved each other. And both of them helped him to die free of the Sheriff and the evil he represented. Yes, I think that when Guy says, "I lived in shame, but because of you I died proud and free," he's talking to Marian and Robin. He's come a long way from that desert courtyard in the Holy Land, where the idea of Marian loving another is enough to drive him to kill her. In his last moments, Guy loves Marian still. He's also grateful to her for what she showed him how to be, and, without rancor or reservation, grateful to the man she loved for what he allowed Guy to become.
Oh, Guy, my Best Beloved... You died a good man, and that is more than I ever thought I could ask for. I'll miss you, but I'm glad you're free at last.
Next week on Robin Hood...
Oh wait. There won't be a next week... what am I going to DO on Saturdays from now on? (Grade, see friends, and work on my
bigbanghood fic... that's what I'm going to do!) Actually, it looks like there won't be a "Next Time on Robin Hood" at all, now. The BBC canceled the show. Not that I'm terribly surprised. I am, however, vacillating between being relieved that it's over and strangely sad that I don't get the choice to watch Series 4 or not. Because, with the right writers/producers working on it, I think that the gang we were left with could have been a lot of fun.