Comments | treatljohnright: The fight on the bridge

wastingyourgum in treatljohnright

The fight on the bridge - and why it matters

Aug 06, 2010 18:41

I've been meaning to post this for a while and just before (hopefully) we all go nuts over Drabblefest II, I thought I'd pop it out there for discussion...

I've listened to Foz and Dom's explanation on the DVD extras of why Robin and Little John don't meet the traditional way but I think they got it wrong and here's why...

( The fight on the bridge - and why it matters )

1x02, char: little john, discussion, char: robin

Comments 35

an_lagat_glas August 6 2010, 19:36:10 UTC

that's still no reason Robin and John can't be shown to come to like and respect each other

This would have been awesome. I don't think they could have gone the traditional route as Much was already Robin's close companion, but Little John was definitely underused in the entire series. I think the outlaws were in general, actually (though I can't say I didn't love all the Team Castle stuff ; ) )

wastingyourgum August 6 2010, 21:18:03 UTC

No, I absolutely have no problem with Much being the best friend - I loved that friendship - I just wish we'd seen more of Robin being friendly with the rest of the gang. He stays very aloof from them all.

jagnikjen August 6 2010, 20:04:22 UTC

I'd never thought much about the scene on the bridge, tbh. But you make an awesome argument as to why it's so very important.

wastingyourgum August 6 2010, 21:20:00 UTC

Not the bridge so much - as I said location is completely dispensable - but a scene in which Robin is challenged would have been good. He never really has to face that until (sort of ) 1x08 and even then it's a very grudging "You were right... but so was I and I still am." sort of resolution.

thymelady August 6 2010, 20:34:11 UTC

Reading and agreeing all the way. Much didn't have to be more played down if Little John and Robin were friends. Robin speaks a lot to Will and Djaq. Just because LJ seems gruff, we find out soon enough what a big heart he has ( ... )

wastingyourgum August 6 2010, 21:26:20 UTC

I love the uncooked rabbit bit but again that scene would have needed very little extra to make clear the way things were going to be. If you watch it's not even really certain at that point that Robin's taken over (maybe he hasn't at that point and him and John have some discussion between 1x02 and 1x03 we never see?) - John still seems to be in charge.

I suppose that scene in 2x08 does see John admitting Robin is in charge but we really needed that to be made clearer way back when. The other outlaws vanish and Robin is just suddenly referring to "my men".

I prayed so hard all through S3 for even a hint of romance for LJ after we got some sort of resolution to the Alice situation - you felt he'd put that behind him but he never got to move onto something else.

I plan to fix that BTW... ;)

robinfanatic August 6 2010, 23:51:39 UTC

If John is being made older to give him a wise, fatherly aspect he should at least be the canny old Sergeant tempering Robin's heroic young Captain - and he's not.

This would have been so wonderful to have seen in scripts. It would have enhanced the relationship, could be played for both comedic or dramatic moments. Sigh. Dom & Foz missed the boat.

The Robin they created couldn't be friends with anyone, even though he claimed Much was his BFF. So portraying John & Robin as friends, given Robin's characterization, wouldn't have been easy to achieve.

amarra_jade August 7 2010, 00:08:12 UTC

The Robin they created couldn't be friends with anyone, even though he claimed Much was his BFF.

Ouch. :(

wastingyourgum August 7 2010, 00:13:02 UTC

Very ouch - but spot on. They do seem to have deliberately kept Robin separate and we only get those few precious glimpses (2x12, 3x13) of how he and Much could be at their closest. The rest of this time he has this gap between him and everybody else. Yes, it gives great angst to his character but still...

amarra_jade August 7 2010, 00:30:36 UTC

They do seem to have deliberately kept Robin separate and we only get those few precious glimpses (2x12, 3x13) of how he and Much could be at their closest.

Oh, definitely, but I don't think it's quite fair to say he wasn't capable of friendship because those moments were so rare -- to me, the fact that they happened proved he was. I don't think he would have given Much a tearful hug as he was dying and told him "You are my best friend" if it wasn't true. But YMMV.

And just so no one thinks I'm only here to be wangsty on Robin's behalf, I would have loved to see him taken down a peg or two more often, and it would be great for LJ to be the one to do it.

Thread 7

whytewytch4 August 7 2010, 02:43:41 UTC

Totally, utterly agree. LJ was the second in command by all the legends, but that potential is never used. Robin never asks LJ for his opinion that I can recall. And yes, this Robin needed some pegs taken out from under him ( ... )

wastingyourgum August 7 2010, 18:08:41 UTC

You had me at "spanking"... XD

j/k. Sort of. ;)

Totally agree about John - but not so much that he's black-and-white about things, that's not necessarily bad in itself. I think more that that facet of his personality is presented as somehow making him less intelligent.

A couple of scenes of John, I dunno, explaining to Robin where the best campsites were or something, or better yet, agreeing to let Robin to be in charge and Robin asking him to be second would have gone a long long way...

whytewytch4 August 7 2010, 18:21:51 UTC

Exactly! I don't like the B/W facet because it does make him look less intelligent, and he wouldn't be alive still after living in the woods all those years if he was stupid.

And a "handing over of the reins" or giving advice to Robin here and there would have definitely gone a long way, you're right.