Rochvelleth's Season 4
I finally got to the end of my season 4, just in time to post it! :D Here it is. I've placed my footnotes at the bottom of each relevant episode, so there isn't far to scroll to read them. I hope it's all clear and I caught all my typos!
4x01 - Exodus
The opening shot pans over the smoking ruins of Nottingham Castle and the city, where a few bedraggled peasants are picking through the debris for their old belongings or weeping for what is lost. Then the scene changes to graveyard of Kirklees Abbey (introduced by arrow!text, of course!), a green place with the shelter of trees, where Much, John, Tuck, Kate and Archer are standing sadly over Robin’s fresh grave.
Tuck encourages the gang to leave Robin behind and Kate asks what happens now, which sparks an argument as raw emotions spiral out of control. Tuck wants to breathe new life into the Robin Hood ideology, fixing his gaze on Archer. Kate, and gradually Archer, are taken with the idea of going to Loughborough for help from the King’s loyal troops. Much and John, however, are adamant that there is only one thing to do now, and that is to help everyone who has been devastated by the siege and destruction of Nottingham.
The gang split up, and variously we see each of them going about different tasks, with the scenes cutting between one and another. Tuck takes it upon himself to visit the villages and reassure the people, but he ends up lying when asked outright whether Robin Hood is dead. Kate and Archer head to Loughborough while Much and John head to Nottingham.
Kate has already been to Loughborough, and the Captain of the Guard, Derrick[1] greets her and Archer wearily, and declares that he can do nothing until the King returns. Derrick is obviously disillusioned by recent events and his master’s capture, but he is so disheartened that he cannot bring himself to take any action. Kate and Archer are disappointed, and leave Loughborough with heavy hearts.
Meanwhile, just as Much and John reach Nottingham, they find a steady stream of people leaving by the main gate, carrying what little they have managed to salvage. People are weeping, or injured, or absolutely ruined by the fall of the city. The camera pans over their heads, showing the massive column of bereft townsfolk heading towards the woods. Much and John wade in, and tearfully try to help them, but there is little they can do.
Tuck heads towards Nottingham, disheartened by his encounters and wondering whether he has done the wrong thing by lying to the people. Kate and Archer also return to Nottingham, knowing that that is where Much and John will be. Reunited, the gang share their news, and further arguments ensue.
But as they argue, a squadron of soldiers, uniforms shiny and new, comes towards the city. The soldiers are beginning to round up the people fleeing Nottingham, and John is first to see red and charge at them. The gang follow, and for a while it looks as though they are in dire trouble, miserable and outnumbered. But as they fight together, their spirit is finally renewed, and a little of Archer’s eastern weaponry, coupled with Much’s ability to lead and John’s strength, allows them to win the day and send the soldiers packing. The people of Nottingham cheer them, and, buoyed by their small victory, they finally see how they can help the townsfolk and go about finding people for them to stay with in the villages, as a temporary solution.
For now, it seems as though the gang still have some purpose. But when they have time to reflect on it, they finally wonder where those soldiers came from...
[1] I can see Derrick being played by someone like Philip Glenister. He’s strong, not so young, and begins the series being very dour. Then we don’t see him for a few episodes, but he’s coming back!
4x02 - A Lucrative Contract
In the opening scene, a troop of soldiers, much larger than the last one, can be seen marching along the forest road, every footfall perfectly in step as their armour clangs and clatters in unison. At their head travels a carriage, with royal insignia. The gang, who have been rebuilding their lives and those of the people of Nottingham, are roused from the camp when one of their alarms is sounded by the army marching past. They go out to watch the road, and are horrified at the spectacle. They cannot make out who is in the carriage, except for a sleeve of rich cloth draped over an arm resting on the sill, and a red gloved hand.
Once the troops have gone past, the gang follow, shocked. The army stops outside Nottingham, and the carriage pulls up at the gate. Two men climb down. One is Sir Jasper, Prince John’s loyal servant, and the other the gang do not recognise - it is Jasper’s cousin, Sir Nicholas[2]. Nicholas has been given the contract to rebuild Nottingham after its destruction, and Jasper has been relieved of his other duties and granted the project of restoring the city and its trade to Prince John’s satisfaction.
The gang continue to watch, and see that soldiers are being sent out in different directions in small groups. The gang split up, at Tuck’s suggestion, and each follows a different squadron to find out what is happening. Kate is left to watch what is going on in the city. Much follows a squadron to Locksley, John to Clun, Archer to Nettlestone and Tuck to Knighton. They all witness the same phenomenon - young, strong men are taken from the villages and rounded up, then marched back towards Nottingham. Much puzzles aloud, watching from the Locksley hillside, wondering what they want the men for if not for soldiers, since they have so many already...
Back at Nottingham, Kate cannot bear straining to see what is going on from the treeline, and so she dares to creep closer, using whatever natural cover she can and eventually making it to the moat that surrounds the city. She jumps in, and secretes herself beneath the walkway, in earshot of Jasper and Nicholas. There, she hears their plans for Nottingham - a great new city, much better than before, with the harshest possible taxes and a better class of people living there. Disgusted, she can barely keep herself from saying something. Then, as some soldiers scouting the perimeter of the city complete the circle, she is seen...
When the rest of the gang get back to Nottingham, they meet up and swap stories, and wonder where Kate is. After a while, however, they see Jasper come out to the city gate, with Kate tied up and badly beaten, kneeling by his feet. Much immediately wants to go down there and do something to rescue her, but has to admit that he has no plan. Not even half a plan. Robin would have known what to do... Tuck wants them to hold off, and maybe go down and speak to Jasper - after all, they have not met before, and he might listen to them. But as they argue, Archer holds up a bag in which he has the very last bit of Byzantine Fire left over from the city, and gives one of those smiles, just like Robin used to when he had his heart set on a dangerous plan.
Choosing their moment carefully, the gang head towards the gate with a white flag, and Tuck insists that they begin by trying to talk to Sir Jasper. But when hidden soldiers are sprung on them, the gang fight them off and Archer uses the Byzantine Fire to keep them at bay while Much punches Jasper in the face and rescues Kate, picking her up and carrying her because she cannot walk on her own. They are pursued, but manage to lose the soldiers and make it back to the camp. Their world has been turned upside down just when they thought they had the chance of making it better...
[2] Sir Jasper appeared in 2x10 (Wakabout), where he told of what would happen if Nottingham were destroyed (which is what has happened now!), and was also seen in 3x01 (Total Eclipse). He’s a nasty piece of work - once a lackey of Prince John, now let loose with megalomaniacal tendencies. I envisage Sir Nicholas, who is less openly nasty but more sadistic, being played by someone like Tim McInnerny.
4x03 - Team Hood
The episode opens with a crack of thunder, and a view of the downtrodden men of Nottinghamshire forced to continue clearing the rubble from the city even under heavy rain. As one man lifts a large stone in the area that was once the castle, he is shocked to find a hand lying limp between the stones. Then it moves, and he calls others to help him dig...
Back at the camp, the gang are miserable as the rain beats down on the roof. Kate is badly wounded, Nottingham is being rebuilt by men who seem even worse than the old Sheriff, and the King remains in the hands of Leopold of Austria. They can see no hope and they have no plan. Yet again the gang are divided: Tuck wants to rally the men working in Nottingham and make them rebel; John wants to protect the villagers; Much wants to go and rescue the King. This time the argument becomes much more heated, and the question of leadership arises. Tuck and Archer are quick to lay claim to leadership, but John argues that he has experience, while Kate says that there is no reason a woman should not lead the gang. Only Much remains quiet.
Back in Nottingham, Nicholas goes to see what all the workers are so excited about - and finds that they have recovered someone alive in the rubble, a woman. It is Isabella, and she is angry, and weak. When he sees her rich clothes, Nicholas realises she is a noblewoman and takes her to Jasper’s tent for food and water. Meanwhile Jasper is sending a local mercenary woodsman, a stern and burly man named Arthur[3], to try to find the gang’s camp.
At the camp, Tuck, Archer and John have stormed off in different directions, leaving Much alone with Kate, who still can barely walk. Calmer now, they talk at length, and Kate gets Much to tell her what it was like being with Robin in the Holy Land, and knowing the King. Meanwhile, John goes to Locksley, where he talks to the women left behind while their menfolk are in Sir Nicholas’ labour camps. There, he discovers that the people really did believe Tuck’s lie that Robin is still alive, and he cannot bring himself to tell them the truth.
In Nottingham, Isabella is resting in the tent when Jasper and Nicholas enter and press her to tell them what happened. Now that she is cleaned up, they can see that she bears terrible scars down her left cheek and arm. She tells the tale of the Battle of Nottingham, how Robin Hood had destroyed everything with Byzantine Fire, and she had narrowly escaped death by flinging herself into the tunnel system just before the barrels blew up.
At the camp, Much and Kate are shocked when the alarm sounds. Someone is nearby - Arthur the woodsman and a troop of soldiers. Kate cannot leave, and Much pledges to protect her or die trying. The soldiers come so close that they walk over the top of the camp. The roof is not so sturdy as it used to be, over two years after it was built and with nobody to maintain it, and the beams creak heavily. Much and Kate hold their breaths...
John is just returning from Locksley, and meets Tuck, whom he begins to berate for lying to the people. Just then Archer finds them, and reports breathlessly that he has seen a troop of soldiers by the camp. They run to help Much and Kate, and when they see how close they are to danger, Archer runs out and begins to shoot at the soldiers. Tuck and John follow, and the three of them run in different directions, splitting the force. Much goes out to see what is happening and finds Arthur, who attacks him fiercely. At the last moment Much delivers a fatal blow, and Kate cries and hugs him. The others return, and they agree that they work best as a team. They join hands and declare: ‘We are Robin Hood!’
[3] A sinister figure. Not sure about an actor, but maybe someone with a croaky whispery voice. I’d say Michael Wincott (who played Guy in RH:PoT) if I thought he’d do it!
4x04 - An Inch of Truth
Kate has been recovering from her beating, and has taken to walking into Locksley regularly to build up her strength. She speaks to her mother, and confides in her about Robin’s death and how it’s affected her, not realising that her little sister, Maggie, has overheard everything. Soon Maggie mentions it to another child, and before they know it everyone in the village knows about Robin and the news is spreading.
Kate returns to the camp and tells the others what has happened, and Tuck declares that they have two choices: to admit the truth but tell them that Robin Hood’s legacy lives on, or to deny it and have Archer dress up as Robin. Archer is keen on the second plan, but Kate, Much and John insist that telling the truth is the only option. And so they head to Locksley.
When they arrive at Locksley, however, they see that there are soldiers in the village, and they watch, horrified, from the treeline as the soldiers start to round up pretty young women with the clear intention of marching them off to Nottingham for their pleasure. The gang want to help, but are greatly outnumbered. They do not notice that Archer has gone missing...
Suddenly, a hooded figure on horseback rides into Locksley and spectacularly fights off the soldiers, using exotic throwing weapons as well as a bow. He kills several, and the rest retreat. The villagers are delighted and cheer for the hooded stranger. One girl in particular, an especially beautiful young villager called Beth[4], tries to make him stay so that they can celebrate his bravery. But the figure gallops away without revealing his face. The villagers decide it was Robin, who must not be dead after all; when the rest of the gang go down to make sure everything is alright, they cannot bear to break the villagers’ hearts by revealing that Robin really is dead.
Back at the camp, John is angry with Archer for being so careless and unthinking and they very nearly come to blows. But Tuck breaks it up and declares that the decision has been made for them: as long as Archer does not reveal his face, it is in everyone’s best interests to continue pretending he is Robin. The thought of anyone pretending to be Robin upsets Much, who slips away quietly and leaves the others arguing.
Much walks through the forest in the direction of Kirklees Abbey, intending to visit Robin’s grave. When he arrives, he sees a man in dark clothing dismount from his horse and enter the abbey, and so Much follows, curious.
Meanwhile, the gang are interrupted by a commotion in the forest, and they go out to the Great North Road to see what is happening. A few soldiers are pushing a group of peasant girls along, and so Archer pulls his hood low over his face and dons his mask again, and they go to the girls’ rescue. But suddenly a larger troop of soldiers comes up behind them - it is a trap. And leading the soldiers is a figure with a familiar voice - a woman with long dark hair tied back severely, and her face half-covered with a silver mask. Isabella.
A fight breaks out, but the gang have a few advantages that Isabella doesn’t know about, including a couple of the traps that are rigged in various parts of the forest near the camp. After a hard fight, and some cunning moves, they manage to escape deep into the trees and Isabella is left frustrated and has to return to Jasper and Nicholas a failure. They berate her, but she insists: she knows Robin is dead because she killed him herself, and it won’t be long before the remnants of his gang are rounded up and despatched.
As the gang celebrate their minor victory, Much returns. And he has good news: the stranger at Kirklees had come to announce that Queen Eleanor is returning.
[4] I’m envisaging Beth as being played by someone like Roxanne Pallett.
4x05 - Better the Devil
A plague has come to Locksley. The gang go to help, but as Tuck inspects the dying he declares: this is not the ordinary pestilence, but something worse. Kate goes to her mother’s house - only to discover that her mother (Rebecca) and sister (Maggie) have the plague. Devastated, Kate shouts at Tuck that he has to find a cure, but Much and John have to restrain her as Tuck explains that, for now, there is no cure. Kate weeps while Tuck and the gang manage the afflicted, moving them to separate houses and marking the doors with crosses. Everyone who is not sick is sent to the church, where they grieve together for dying loved ones.
In Nottingham, Nicholas is overseeing the rebuilding of the Great Hall, but he begins to notice that some of the labourers are sick. One comes towards him, and the man’s skin is becoming black and foetid. Nicholas shrinks away, disgusted at the sight.
Back in Locksley, the gang are working desperately to try to stop the disease spreading without catching it themselves. Tuck has made them cover their whole bodies and their faces. But Tuck is finding this harder than anything he has done before. On the banks of Locksley Lake, he sinks to his knees in tears, begging God to help him. Much and John find him like this and try to encourage him to go on. Right now, they are all the people of Locksley have.
Meanwhile, Nicholas is with Jasper and Isabella in Jasper’s tent. Somehow, Isabella has managed to convince them that she is worth keeping around because she has inside information on Robin’s gang. Once Nicholas and Jasper have gone off to have another look at the afflicted, she goes off to get a horse, persuades some guards to accompany her, and sets off for the forest.
In Locksley, Kate sneaks out of the church, where she was supposed to be checking villagers for symptoms. She goes to sit with her mother and sister. Much realises she is missing, and knows exactly where she will be, so goes to find her. And there she is, weeping over her mother, who is dead.
Archer is helping the gang as himself, rather than pretending to be Robin Hood - all the villagers agree that Robin shouldn’t be put at risk, and so don’t expect to see him there. And so Archer gets talking to Beth, the girl he saved from the soldiers, who is not suffering any symptoms. But she thinks he is much too proud of himself, and spurns his advances. As she walks away from him, it is quite clear that he is smitten.
In the forest, Isabella is angrily waiting to be discovered by the outlaws. She has an idea roughly where the camp must be, but cannot find it precisely. After waiting for a while, she declares to the guards that the best way of finding them will be to go to Locksley and torture some peasants until they show up to defend their miserable innocents. But when she arrives she sees that the plague has come there too.
The gang are weary and do not react well to Isabella’s presence. But then she reveals: she recognises this plague, which once came to Shrewsbury. And there is a way to cure people who are not suffering too badly! She confers with Tuck, who goes to find the relevant herbs, and together they make a potion for the afflicted to drink. Some villagers still die, but some begin to get better - including Kate’s sister, Maggie. As they burn the dead, an uneasy truce with Isabella is declared, with even Kate grateful to her.
Jasper and Nicholas have heard what is happening in Locksley and ride to the village with soldiers. Out of self interest, they ask to work with the gang, and Isabella goes with them to help the men in Nottingham. In the last scene, grief-stricken Kate finds comfort in Much, and tries to kiss him - but he understands she is only upset, and pledges to support her without asking for anything in return.
4x06 - Half a Plan
The gang are trying to get on with their lives, and the episode begins with a few short scenes of their activities - robbing coaches, helping the poor, harrying Jasper’s soldiers when they can. Archer is enjoying pretending to be Robin, though he occasionally sulks that he never gets the gratitude for it, because he can’t show his face. Helping people is the reward, John insists to a pouting Archer, and that should be enough.
Just then, they hear a coach on the Great North Road, and go to see what it is. It is a rich coach with a troop of guards, and they get a perfect view of its occupant: it is Prince John. Since this is the time when Queen Eleanor is supposed to be arriving, the gang are worried that she might fall into her wicked son’s hands, and so they go to Kirklees where Eleanor has a faithful monk friend called Anselm[5]. Anselm tells them that Eleanor is due to arrive the next day, and the gang decide that they are going to need some back-up. Meanwhile, when Prince John arrives at Nottingham, he declares himself delighted with the progress of the rebuilding - but is shocked to see Isabella, who he had heard was dead. Isabella insists that she is on Prince John’s side, and Jasper calls a feast in his honour.
Archer suggests that the gang should go to Loughborough, to ask the King’s faithful soldiers there to come and give Eleanor protection. When they arrive, Derrick, the Captain of the Guard, is heartened to hear about the queen returning and so pledges his full support. But his sergeant, a mean-looking man called Winters, can be seen lurking in the shadows, having listened to all their plans...
The gang go with Derrick and his soldiers to the road where Eleanor will travel from Harwich, and wait. The gang play some games to keep their spirits up, and soon the soldiers are joining in, and even Derrick begins to feel less dour. Finally, they feel as though there is some hope for the future. As they play together boisterously, they almost fail to notice - but Much, who has taken it upon himself to be the lookout, suddenly shouts that there are armed men coming. Derrick gets his men into the trees by the road, and they watch as Prince John and Jasper and Nicholas, Isabella with them and Winters leading the party, arrive at the spot where they are supposed to meet Eleanor.
Tuck has an idea: the gang should go to intercept Eleanor while Derrick and his men hold up the troops from Nottingham. Derrick is reluctant to make the decision, but eventually agrees to fight in Eleanor’s name, and as the gang head off east he sets up an ambush.
Meanwhile, the gang meet Eleanor, who is travelling with only Anselm for protection. Eleanor is very pleased to see her Big Bear, John, again, and remembers Much. She takes to Kate and Archer quickly, but finds Tuck a little serious. But where is Robin? They tell her of Robin’s death with heavy hearts, and then of Prince John’s new bid to capture her, and how the Loughborough guard are risking their lives to keep her safe. But the strong-willed queen rallies them and insists all they can do is fight back - and they cannot leave Derrick’s men to die when she can do something about it.
The gang reluctantly take Eleanor to the battle, which is raging fiercely. Anselm blows a horn, and Prince John turns to look, dismayed that his mother has made it through. He screams at people to stop fighting, and soon men on both sides are relaying his call, and the battle is calmed. Eleanor rides into the centre of the carnage and speaks to everyone: This battle has to stop, before a civil war breaks out. Prince John agrees, in shock at his mother’s appearance. For now, there is peace, and Derrick’s men rejoice with the gang. Eleanor declares she is going to Loughborough with her loyal guards, and nobody dares to stop her. The gang pledge their support, and the episode ends with celebration while Prince John sulks.
[5] Mark Charnock has to play this part, or I quit! (This is a reference to Brother Cadfael, whose assistant in the TV series was played perfectly by Emmerdale’s Marlon Dingle.) While I’m at it, Winters in this episode might be played by someone who does a good young ambitious type. Totally at random, how about Nigel Harman? Or someone of similar age and potential sneeriness.
4x07 - The Queen Must Die
Prince John sits in Jasper’s tent, exasperated that his mother is back and supporting Richard. As Jasper and Nicholas fuss around him, Isabella calmly gives him a plan: use one of Eleanor’s trusted followers to feed her poison. The queen will be dead, and Robin Hood’s gang finished for good.
Eleanor holds court in Lougborough, with the gang there as her guests. They are treated to a feast, pleasing Much, but after the food it is time for serious talk. Tuck explains what Prince John and his lackeys have been doing to the country. Kate complains about the plight of the men forced to rebuild Nottingham. Derrick explains that most of the King’s loyal troops are still out of the country. Eleanor decides that there is only one thing to do: they must collect that massive ransom that Richard’s new captor, the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI, is asking: 150,000 marks. And Eleanor has already sent for William Longchamp, the exiled Bishop of Ely, to collect it.
The gang are worried that the ransom will cripple the country and cause more misery, but Eleanor will not be swayed, and they leave. Little John is in a strange mood, but says nothing. When the gang go to Locksley, where they are making a food drop, they are surprised to find a hooded woman with a basket handing out food - Isabella. They question her, and she says that she feels sorry for the people, and that following her brother’s death she is responsible for his villagers. Archer is inclined to believe his sister, and more so when he sees that Beth seems to like her. The others mumble acceptance and they all go to the run-down Locksley Hall to talk. Isabella pretends to be afraid of Prince John and Jasper and Nicholas, and asks for the gang’s protection.
Meanwhile in Loughborough a messenger visits Eleanor, announcing that Longchamp will return to England in the fortnight if his queen wishes it. Soon the gang return and meet this news with mixed feelings - in particular, John seems somewhat hostile. Eleanor sees that the gang have brought someone new with them, and is surprised when she finds out that it is Gisborne’s sister. Isabella is held by the guards while the gang speak for her. Although Eleanor is suspicious, knowing that a woman’s wiles are all the more dangerous than a man’s, she accepts the barrel of French wine that she has brought as a gift...
Back in Nottingham, Prince John is planning all the things he’ll do as king. Suddenly he insists that Jasper get him some guards to escort him to Loughborough, because he wants to be nearby to ‘mourn’ when he finds out about Eleanor’s death.
Eleanor orders another feast - again making Much happy - to celebrate that Longchamp is coming. Little John angrily says that she likes her feasting too well, while the poor of England are starving. Publicly, Eleanor pretends outrage at this, and Much and Archer berate John - but he walks out. Meanwhile, Isabella is allowed to attend the feast, and she watches happily as her barrel of wine is brought out for the guests.
John goes for a walk along the battlements to cool off, and Much comes out to make sure he is alright. He is unwilling to talk at first, but he is about to open up when suddenly they see lights out in the town - a small column of soldiers is coming towards them, followed by a grand carriage. John fears an attack, but there are too few soldiers for that. Then they realise: if Prince John is coming, then he must think something is happening to his advantage. They look at each other. Isabella!
Much grabs his bow, runs into the Hall, and shoots an arrow straight at the queen, intending to hit her goblet. But he only just misses her head, and Derrick arrests him. But John comes in and explains everything. Isabella is thrown in the dungeon, while Eleanor goes out to meet her son, who is shocked to see her alive. The gang laugh as they watch him squirm and leave.
4x08 - Family Affairs
A traveller is walking through Sherwood Forest, cloaked and hooded, and when the gang see him they follow - straight to the camp. They ambush him, and he removes his hood. It is Lukey Scarlett, Will’s little brother. Their Auntie Annie has died, and Lukey wants to fight for Robin, like his brother.
In Nottingham, Prince John is becoming increasingly angry, making Jasper and Nicholas nervous. His mother is ruining everything again... and how can he stop her? He decides he needs to meet her, and to make her come out of hiding he goes to Locksley to torture some peasants. When the gang find out, they want to save people - but Tuck holds them back, because there are so many soldiers. So they go to Loughborough, where they have an audience with the queen, whom Lukey is amazed to meet.
Derrick is outraged at the thought of Eleanor putting herself in danger to save Locksley’s peasants - but she insists this is what she must do, and tells Derrick to get his soldiers. When they reach Locksley, the gang stand around to protect Eleanor as she rides into the centre of the village to confront her son. Prince John wants to talk to her in private, and she refuses - unless he comes to Loughborough with her alone. He eventually agrees, but before they set off gives orders to Jasper to hold all the villagers and burn them alive if he has not returned by sunset.
Back at Loughborough, Eleanor and Prince John go to her chambers to talk, and the gang wait nervously. Archer sneaks away to the dungeon, where Isabella is chained up in a cell. She thinks he has come to taunt her - but instead he starts pouring out his heart, confessing his unrequited love for Beth. He has never needed advice in getting a woman, but then he has never been in love before. He can’t talk to Kate, who knows Beth and might tell her. So Isabella listens and advises him, and when he leaves she smiles to herself, knowing she has found a weakness.
The gang talk among themselves as they wait for Eleanor to come out, and they press John about why he is so hostile to the queen’s plan to raise the King’s ransom. He is reluctant to speak, but finally blurts it all out. Longchamp’s family were ambitious landowners, and many years ago John used to work for the young William Longchamp as a thug, intimidating tenants and breaking heads. Eventually John quit the job and met Alice, and they moved away together. But Longchamp’s descent into political scheming soon had his enemies baying for blood, and his old lackeys were outlawed and hunted down. For Alice’s sake, John fled into the forest and didn’t dare contact her - until, ten years later, he learned of his son.
As the outlaws stare at John, shocked by his revelations and worried about Longchamp’s imminent arrival, they hear a loud clatter from Eleanor’s room. Fearing for her life, they burst in - only to see her holding Prince John, who has sunk to the floor sobbing. She waves the gang away, and asks her son to explain what is wrong. She never loved him like Richard, he sobs. They have a heart-to-heart, but she cannot get him to realise the errors of his ways, and so he storms out.
The gang, who have been getting nervous because it is late, escort the prince back to Locksley. Kate has a go at him en route, and Tuck tries to reason with him, and by the time they arrive he is in a terrible mood. As the gang hand him over, he shouts to the soldiers to burn the villagers anyway, and the gang watch in horror as the church, where they have been rounded up, is set aflame.
But nobody had realised that Archer slipped away on the journey back, and he rides in with his Robin Hood disguise, fighting off the soldiers - with the help of the gang - and saving the villagers. He comes close to revealing his identity to Beth, but John pulls him away, and they go back to camp.
4x09 - Kill Bill
The opening scenes shows Harwich, where a rowing boat reaches the shore, and a man in a black cloak steps out - William ‘Bill’ Longchamp[6]. Anselm, Eleanor’s faithful monk, is there to greet him.
The gang are just setting out to intercept Longchamp on the Harwich road, with John in a foul mood. They have gone without troops so as not to attract attention, but as Much reveals his nervousness about the plan, the gang start to irritate each other and bicker. Kate snipes at Archer for trying to replace Robin, and John has a go at Tuck for doing everything Eleanor says. Lukey gets angry that his brother is away.
Tuck tries to calm the outlaws down, and Archer asks about Longchamp’s history to give them some distraction - which upsets John, who goes off on his own to cool down. Tuck tells the others how Longchamp was an ambitious man who had worked his way into power at the end of Henry’s reign, and when Richard took the throne he was so in favour that he became Chancellor, and Bishop of Ely even though he had no church background. When Richard went away to war, he left Longchamp in charge - but Prince John was quick to undermine him and seize power, getting him excommunicated and exiled along the way. The prince will not be happy when he discovers Longchamp is back.
Little John has wandered further up the road, and sees Longchamp heading their way, along with Anselm and a bodyguard. His knuckles whiten as he grips his staff, barely unable to contain himself...
The gang start to wonder why Longchamp is taking so long, and Kate sets off along the road to see whether she can see any sign of them - and comes across Longchamp and Anselm lying beaten in the road, and the bodyguard dying, a knife protruding from his chest, and his last words ‘The big man...’. Kate gets the others, and they escort the injured Longchamp and Anselm to Loughborough, wondering all the while where John is - and whether he would really kill and jeopardise the King’s ransom for personal vengeance.
We cut to Nottingham, where Prince John is looking at the castle construction and rubbing his hands together gleefully. He asks Jasper whether he is completely sure their plan will work. He is.
When the gang reach Loughborough, Longchamp and Anselm are taken to private chambers to have their wounds treated by Eleanor’s physician. The gang wait, disheartened by their suspicions about John. Archer sneaks down to see Isabella, and sees her kissing one of the guards, trying to charm her way out, he assumes. He expresses unreserved concern, which is a new experience for her.
Meanwhile, Longchamp is being treated in his chamber. Suddenly, men dressed in black burst in, like Medieval ninjas, and slaughter the physician. One of the attackers is very tall, and is about to kill Longchamp, who cannot fight back. But the gang have heard the commotion and they and Derrick burst in and fight off the assassins. Longchamp is grateful - but the gang are more concerned that they did not trust John. Did they learn nothing from Allan’s death? Leaving Longchamp in Derrick’s care, they go to search for him. And they realise it was Isabella who sent word to Prince John about Longchamp via the guard she charmed.
John is wandering towards Loughborough at his own pace, lost in his own world of grief since Longchamp’s arrival has brought back all those memories of Alice and his son. Then he sees a small consignment of armed men heading towards Lougborough with Prince John and hurries along, only to meet the gang coming the other way. Not realising that they are trying to apologise, nor why they would want to, he urges them to follow the armed men, and they uncover yet another attempt to infiltrate Longchamp’s chambers and kill him. They see off the armed men and return to Loughborough, where Eleanor and Longchamp show their gratitude. But John is not ready to face Longchamp, and keeps away.
[6] I see Longchamp being played by Michael Kitchen, who does a fantastic sinister turn! See here for the Wiki file on Longchamp, a real person. I was reading about him and decided he was perfect for my designs :)
4x10 - Everything is a Choice, Everything We Do
Longchamp has recovered and he intends to squeeze every penny out of England to raise the King’s ransom. When the gang realise just how much this will hurt the country, with massive new taxes and obligatory ‘donations’ from the churches, they are shocked. They speak to Eleanor, and wearily she says she understands - but what else can they do if Richard is to be freed? The gang secretly decide to oversee the collection of the ransom, to try to make it as fair as possible, and so head to different corners of the country. The episode switches back and forth between their tales.
Archer takes pity on his sister and sneaks her away with him. They go to Shrewsbury, which Isabella finds very upsetting - and finally she breaks down and confesses how Thornton treated her. Archer comforts her, and suggests a trip to the grand house where she used to live, to steal from Thornton’s nasty brother who inherited the place. They are nearly caught, but make it away and embrace for the first time. Seeing something she has never had, Isabella clings to her brother and pledges to help with the ransom.
Tuck goes to York, and then to Fountains Abbey, where he trained. His old mentor is still there, and they speak happily of the past. But Longchamp’s men arrive to collect the abbey’s ‘donation’, and begin to be violent when the monks object about items of worship being taken. Tuck tries to fight them, but there are too many. Heartbroken, he apologises, and begins to question the trust he has put in Eleanor’s plan.
Kate and Lukey stay in Nottinghamshire, and witness similar violence in Kirklees Abbey - and yet Jasper and Nicholas have refused to add to the ransom but go unchallenged. Teaming up with Beth from Locksley, they go on a little raid to steal Jasper’s gold and liberate the labourers in Nottingham.
John goes to Oxfordshire, where he has been tasked with getting money from the rich people setting up the university[7]. But when travelling back through the surrounding farming communities he stumbles upon his wife, Alice, and has a tearful reunion with his son. Alice’s second husband, Luke, has recently died from the pestilence and so Alice is struggling to survive. She asks John to stay, and he agrees without hesitation - but soon Longchamp’s men are everywhere taking money from the people and Alice realises he can’t give up his place in Robin’s gang because there is work still to be done. But John swears that as soon as Richard is free he will be back for her.
Much goes down to London, where he speaks to some of Robin’s old friends and secures money from them for the ransom. He stays with Lord Melbury, who trained as a knight at the same time as Robin but was badly wounded in the wars and came back disfigured. Melbury is kind to Much, treating him as an equal - and Much begins to remember that lazy summer when he and Robin were on their way to the Holy Land and stayed at Melbury’s house while they waited for their voyage out. That was when they first became close, away from the social hierarchy imposed on them at home, and they ended up firm friends who could trust each other as comrades. Much weeps, because those memories are so beautiful.
At the end of the episode, the gang return and converge on Loughborough. Their experiences were very different, but they are now of one mind: Longchamp’s vicious attempt to get the ransom money goes against everything they believe in, and everything Robin held dear. They go to the queen and tell her this is not good enough. They will go to Germany themselves and rescue the King.
Then they realise that Kate and Luke have not returned like everyone else, even though they were closer. Jasper has captured them. Tuck wants to go without them, but Much stops him - they are a team, they go together. The gang angrily go to Nottingham and fight more fiercely than they have in a long while to get their remaining members back. Then they set off for Germany.
[7] Oxford University was in its very early days in the 1190s (see here).
4x11 - This is a Rescue!
The episode opens with the gang[8] trekking through a damp German forest, searching for Trifels Castle, where the King is being held. Much has convinced himself that Trifels is the German word for ‘trifle’ and is looking forward to local delicacies. But the trip also brings back memories of his previous journeys through Germany with Robin - some happy, some painful. Finally they reach a great mountain, with three tree-lined peaks jutting up into the sky. The castle looms into sight, foreboding stone walls looking utterly insurmountable in the rain.
Wet and miserable, the gang end up in the nearby village of Annweiler, where they eat German sausage and cheese in a tavern. They don’t even have half a plan yet. Archer suggests getting arrested by some guards sitting at another table - but as Tuck points out, the King won’t be in a normal dungeon. While the others are arguing, Kate sidles over to the guards and tries to chat them up. One of them takes a particular shine to her but speaks no English - and tries to force himself on her. The gang intervene, and soon find themselves outnumbered and arrested.
Somewhere in Trifels castle, King Richard is playing chess. We see his face, but not his opponent’s. He congratulates his opponent on a good move, but then laments that they cannot leave this place. Then the door opens, and a richly dressed man walks in. It is Henry, Richard’s captor, and he is not pleased that still no ransom has been sent. Do his people not love him, he asks?
The gang soon find themselves in the castle dungeon, a dark, damp place full of the groans of forlorn prisoners. Once they are locked in, Archer shouts at Kate while the others look for weak spots in the prison bars... until a dark figure steps out from the shadows. He puts back his hood - and laughs happily. It’s Will. Much and John are delighted to see him, and Lukey is amazed that his brother is suddenly there to embrace after being away so long. Tuck and Kate are proud to meet him. When he hears of Robin and Allan’s deaths he is devastated. But where is Djaq? Will explains: they were in Acre when the English army decided to leave the Holy Land. Richard took them on his boat as personal guests to visit home - but they were shipwrecked and then faced many months overland travel. Leopold captured them in Austira, and handed them over to Henry VI, and they ended up here. When Richard was allowed to have one of his retinue with him as a servant, he chose Djaq because she is learned and plays chess well, so Will hasn’t seen her for over a month.
Made stronger by their reunion, Much comes up with a plan, which involves Will and Luke giving insight into castle architecture, John and Archer providing some muscle, Tuck using the small amount of Byzantine Fire he made up and brought with them, and Kate not charming any guards. Soon they are out of the dungeon and searching the corridors, looking for the King’s chambers - but they run straight into Henry himself, who calls the guards. The gang are chased but beyond all odds manage to outrun most of the incompetent but sadistic Germans, and fight off the rest. They head for the nearest door - only to find Djaq holding it open.
Djaq has a tearful reunion with her old friends, and like Will is shocked and upset to hear about Robin and Allan. But she leads them through to the King, where Much is able to announce: ‘This is a rescue!’ Richard is amazed and relieved, but also deeply saddened about Robin’s death. The gang get him out, as Henry watches from his tower and shouts frustrated commands at his guards.
Once outside in the German forest, Richard expresses his gratitude more fully - and directs it at Much, whom he knows well as Robin’s faithful servant, and sees as the gang leader. He knights him there and then. A stunned Much is congratulated wholeheartedly by the other members of the gang, and only Archer looks a little envious.
[8] The gang currently comprises: Much, John, Kate, Archer, Tuck and Lukey. Derrick and Isabella remain back home and don’t get any screentime for this one. For this episode, you may also want to know about Trifels Castle. And how wrong is it to envisage Henry VI being played by Stephen Fry with a German accent?
4x12 - The Siege of Nottingham
King Richard arrives back in England with the gang, landing on the south coast. They go to London, where Richard has many supporters. The people greet him in the streets, rejoicing and praying that this means the downfall of Prince John. From London they head directly to Loughborough, where Derrick is overjoyed to see his master and kneels humbly before him. Then Richard is reunited with his mother, and his old friend Longchamp (who has remained faithful to him, whatever his attitude to morality).
Richard holds court at Loughborough, hearing reports from Longchamp and Derrick about the state of the nation. In the two months since the gang set off to free him, Sir Nicholas has rebuilt the Great Hall of Nottingham Castle, and Prince John has taken up his seat there. Even the women of surrounding villages are now being held within the walls of Nottingham to work on the furnishings and fittings. Isabella, unexpectedly, has remained in Loughborough and has been helping Derrick by revealing everything she knows about the plans for the new castle - which Archer is pleased to discover.
Richard sends an envoy to Prince John, who is utterly horrified, having already heard of his brother’s parade in London. The prince becomes more and more paranoid, screaming at Jasper and Nicholas to do something to help him. But they have no idea how they can uphold Prince John’s position now that his brother is home. Secretly, they even think it might be better for them to change their allegiance... Meanwhile, Prince John flies into a rage and kills the King’s messenger with a dagger, then sends his body back to Loughborough.
Richard is shocked that his brother is making a stand against him - but he knows he must defeat and humiliate John, and reinstate his own authority[9]. He asks Derrick how many soldiers he can have at his disposal by the next day - and although there will not be more than six hundred, Richard decides this is enough, as long as reinforcements are on their way. The trebuchets have seen better days, but Will sets to work and soon has them working and good as new. Longchamp proudly announces that he has raised a great deal of money, and now that it does not need to be used for a ransom it can go to paying soldiers and buying supplies. The gang look angry about the atrocities Longchamp has committed, especially John, but they bite their tongues for now because Richard seems happy.
And so a small army is assembled. Richard asks Derrick to be his second-in-command, and Much his third-in-command. Much is shocked and initially thinks he is not good enough to command the King’s troops, but the gang encourage him and he accepts. The rest of the gang pledge to fight alongside the soldiers, and Richard gives them a special task - to infiltrate a weak spot at the back of the Great Hall, which Isabella has alerted them to, and to undermine Prince John’s resistance from the inside.
The army sets out across a bleak, deserted Nottinghamshire, raising dust as it goes. Finally they reach the west gate of Nottingham, and while the army is causing a distraction, the gang (apart from Much) and Isabella go round to a small north gate and enter the city covertly. Prince John comes with Jasper and Nicholas to the rampart over the west gate, shouting that he has enough soldiers and food to hold out for months. ‘We will see,’ Richard sighs grimly. He turns to Derrick and Much, and begins to give them orders.
Meanwhile, the other gang members are distrustful of Isabella, and only Archer defends her. Kate in particular finds it hard to be near her - Isabella may have saved Maggie’s life, but she still killed Robin and effectively Allan too. Isabella insists she is loyal to them now - but everything is thrown into doubt when they are ambushed by Jasper and a troop of guards. The gang split, running desperately in different directions...
At the west gate, suddenly a horn sounds from the castle walls. Everyone turns to look up. Much’s eyes widen...
[9] Richard really did lay siege to Nottingham when he returned and found it held by PJ’s supporters: see here (but ignore everything else it says about the siege because the one in my version of season 4 is a bit different!). You may also want to check out this section of the Wiki article on Richard I for information about the King’s ransom and return, which are major themes of my season 4.
4x13 - We Were Robin Hood!
Archer and Isabella are running through Nottingham’s streets. They duck into a tent near the building works and find the women from Locksley shackled there. Beth is among them, and is telling the others that Robin Hood will save them.
John, Will, Djaq and Lukey run into a dead end, but a number of soldiers are right behind them. They turn to make a stand.
Tuck outruns his pursuers and finds himself alone round the back of the Great Hall, but does not know whether to go back for his friends or complete the mission alone.
At the west gate, Much is staring, forlorn, at the ramparts. His eyes are wide and tears are showing. Slowly, the camera pans round, past the army and the trebuchets, to show what he is looking at. Kate’s dead body has been hauled up on a wooden frame over the gate. Knowing Much’s feelings, the King puts a hand on his shoulder in sympathy. But Much shakes him off, raises his hand, and screams an order to the army to open fire. The trebuchets begin to pitch flaming balls of hay over the battlements, and archers pick off the guards. Richard allows Much to take the lead, knowing his passion will hearten the men.
In the city, things are looking grim for the outlaws. Will John, Djaq, Will and Lukey be able to fight their way out? Will Tuck go back to save them? Will John survive to go back to his family as he promised? Will Archer reveal to Beth that Robin is dead and the hooded hero has been him all along? And if he does, will Beth warm to him, or be repulsed? Will Isabella stab the gang in the back?
Outside, the siege is going well, and the barricades are broken. But as the attackers pour in, will they be ambushed? Will Much be able to stop himself taking revenge on Kate’s killers? Will Richard be able to stop Much from killing Prince John, or will he even want to?
And even if they come through this alive, what state will England be left in, and what will be left for Robin Hood’s old gang?[10]
[10] I leave these questions hanging by way of a... well, cliffhanger. Needless to say, the recurring themes of my season 4 have been, in no particular order: the issue of gang leadership; truth and lies about Robin’s death; Much’s place in the gang; John’s past and future; Isabella’s potential for redemption; how the King doesn’t necessarily do the country good. I had some issues with season 3 characters that I resolved by having Tuck question his own actions more, having Archer care for people other than himself, and putting Kate through the emotional mill before killing her off (I didn’t just do that for laughs, I really wanted to push the character through bad experiences to make her grow a little more!). Obviously these are synopses and so lacking in the little touches that make the show great, but I’ve tried to hint at them where I can. In a full version, I hope there would be more references to Allan, for example, and memories might take the form of flashbacks. I’ve commented on who might play incidental and long-running characters where I had space to, and needless to say we would have all characters known from previous series played by the same actors (I think even I think of Lukey as Christian Cooke now). I hope you enjoyed it!
4x01 - Exodus
The opening shot pans over the smoking ruins of Nottingham Castle and the city, where a few bedraggled peasants are picking through the debris for their old belongings or weeping for what is lost. Then the scene changes to graveyard of Kirklees Abbey (introduced by arrow!text, of course!), a green place with the shelter of trees, where Much, John, Tuck, Kate and Archer are standing sadly over Robin’s fresh grave.
Tuck encourages the gang to leave Robin behind and Kate asks what happens now, which sparks an argument as raw emotions spiral out of control. Tuck wants to breathe new life into the Robin Hood ideology, fixing his gaze on Archer. Kate, and gradually Archer, are taken with the idea of going to Loughborough for help from the King’s loyal troops. Much and John, however, are adamant that there is only one thing to do now, and that is to help everyone who has been devastated by the siege and destruction of Nottingham.
The gang split up, and variously we see each of them going about different tasks, with the scenes cutting between one and another. Tuck takes it upon himself to visit the villages and reassure the people, but he ends up lying when asked outright whether Robin Hood is dead. Kate and Archer head to Loughborough while Much and John head to Nottingham.
Kate has already been to Loughborough, and the Captain of the Guard, Derrick[1] greets her and Archer wearily, and declares that he can do nothing until the King returns. Derrick is obviously disillusioned by recent events and his master’s capture, but he is so disheartened that he cannot bring himself to take any action. Kate and Archer are disappointed, and leave Loughborough with heavy hearts.
Meanwhile, just as Much and John reach Nottingham, they find a steady stream of people leaving by the main gate, carrying what little they have managed to salvage. People are weeping, or injured, or absolutely ruined by the fall of the city. The camera pans over their heads, showing the massive column of bereft townsfolk heading towards the woods. Much and John wade in, and tearfully try to help them, but there is little they can do.
Tuck heads towards Nottingham, disheartened by his encounters and wondering whether he has done the wrong thing by lying to the people. Kate and Archer also return to Nottingham, knowing that that is where Much and John will be. Reunited, the gang share their news, and further arguments ensue.
But as they argue, a squadron of soldiers, uniforms shiny and new, comes towards the city. The soldiers are beginning to round up the people fleeing Nottingham, and John is first to see red and charge at them. The gang follow, and for a while it looks as though they are in dire trouble, miserable and outnumbered. But as they fight together, their spirit is finally renewed, and a little of Archer’s eastern weaponry, coupled with Much’s ability to lead and John’s strength, allows them to win the day and send the soldiers packing. The people of Nottingham cheer them, and, buoyed by their small victory, they finally see how they can help the townsfolk and go about finding people for them to stay with in the villages, as a temporary solution.
For now, it seems as though the gang still have some purpose. But when they have time to reflect on it, they finally wonder where those soldiers came from...
[1] I can see Derrick being played by someone like Philip Glenister. He’s strong, not so young, and begins the series being very dour. Then we don’t see him for a few episodes, but he’s coming back!
4x02 - A Lucrative Contract
In the opening scene, a troop of soldiers, much larger than the last one, can be seen marching along the forest road, every footfall perfectly in step as their armour clangs and clatters in unison. At their head travels a carriage, with royal insignia. The gang, who have been rebuilding their lives and those of the people of Nottingham, are roused from the camp when one of their alarms is sounded by the army marching past. They go out to watch the road, and are horrified at the spectacle. They cannot make out who is in the carriage, except for a sleeve of rich cloth draped over an arm resting on the sill, and a red gloved hand.
Once the troops have gone past, the gang follow, shocked. The army stops outside Nottingham, and the carriage pulls up at the gate. Two men climb down. One is Sir Jasper, Prince John’s loyal servant, and the other the gang do not recognise - it is Jasper’s cousin, Sir Nicholas[2]. Nicholas has been given the contract to rebuild Nottingham after its destruction, and Jasper has been relieved of his other duties and granted the project of restoring the city and its trade to Prince John’s satisfaction.
The gang continue to watch, and see that soldiers are being sent out in different directions in small groups. The gang split up, at Tuck’s suggestion, and each follows a different squadron to find out what is happening. Kate is left to watch what is going on in the city. Much follows a squadron to Locksley, John to Clun, Archer to Nettlestone and Tuck to Knighton. They all witness the same phenomenon - young, strong men are taken from the villages and rounded up, then marched back towards Nottingham. Much puzzles aloud, watching from the Locksley hillside, wondering what they want the men for if not for soldiers, since they have so many already...
Back at Nottingham, Kate cannot bear straining to see what is going on from the treeline, and so she dares to creep closer, using whatever natural cover she can and eventually making it to the moat that surrounds the city. She jumps in, and secretes herself beneath the walkway, in earshot of Jasper and Nicholas. There, she hears their plans for Nottingham - a great new city, much better than before, with the harshest possible taxes and a better class of people living there. Disgusted, she can barely keep herself from saying something. Then, as some soldiers scouting the perimeter of the city complete the circle, she is seen...
When the rest of the gang get back to Nottingham, they meet up and swap stories, and wonder where Kate is. After a while, however, they see Jasper come out to the city gate, with Kate tied up and badly beaten, kneeling by his feet. Much immediately wants to go down there and do something to rescue her, but has to admit that he has no plan. Not even half a plan. Robin would have known what to do... Tuck wants them to hold off, and maybe go down and speak to Jasper - after all, they have not met before, and he might listen to them. But as they argue, Archer holds up a bag in which he has the very last bit of Byzantine Fire left over from the city, and gives one of those smiles, just like Robin used to when he had his heart set on a dangerous plan.
Choosing their moment carefully, the gang head towards the gate with a white flag, and Tuck insists that they begin by trying to talk to Sir Jasper. But when hidden soldiers are sprung on them, the gang fight them off and Archer uses the Byzantine Fire to keep them at bay while Much punches Jasper in the face and rescues Kate, picking her up and carrying her because she cannot walk on her own. They are pursued, but manage to lose the soldiers and make it back to the camp. Their world has been turned upside down just when they thought they had the chance of making it better...
[2] Sir Jasper appeared in 2x10 (Wakabout), where he told of what would happen if Nottingham were destroyed (which is what has happened now!), and was also seen in 3x01 (Total Eclipse). He’s a nasty piece of work - once a lackey of Prince John, now let loose with megalomaniacal tendencies. I envisage Sir Nicholas, who is less openly nasty but more sadistic, being played by someone like Tim McInnerny.
4x03 - Team Hood
The episode opens with a crack of thunder, and a view of the downtrodden men of Nottinghamshire forced to continue clearing the rubble from the city even under heavy rain. As one man lifts a large stone in the area that was once the castle, he is shocked to find a hand lying limp between the stones. Then it moves, and he calls others to help him dig...
Back at the camp, the gang are miserable as the rain beats down on the roof. Kate is badly wounded, Nottingham is being rebuilt by men who seem even worse than the old Sheriff, and the King remains in the hands of Leopold of Austria. They can see no hope and they have no plan. Yet again the gang are divided: Tuck wants to rally the men working in Nottingham and make them rebel; John wants to protect the villagers; Much wants to go and rescue the King. This time the argument becomes much more heated, and the question of leadership arises. Tuck and Archer are quick to lay claim to leadership, but John argues that he has experience, while Kate says that there is no reason a woman should not lead the gang. Only Much remains quiet.
Back in Nottingham, Nicholas goes to see what all the workers are so excited about - and finds that they have recovered someone alive in the rubble, a woman. It is Isabella, and she is angry, and weak. When he sees her rich clothes, Nicholas realises she is a noblewoman and takes her to Jasper’s tent for food and water. Meanwhile Jasper is sending a local mercenary woodsman, a stern and burly man named Arthur[3], to try to find the gang’s camp.
At the camp, Tuck, Archer and John have stormed off in different directions, leaving Much alone with Kate, who still can barely walk. Calmer now, they talk at length, and Kate gets Much to tell her what it was like being with Robin in the Holy Land, and knowing the King. Meanwhile, John goes to Locksley, where he talks to the women left behind while their menfolk are in Sir Nicholas’ labour camps. There, he discovers that the people really did believe Tuck’s lie that Robin is still alive, and he cannot bring himself to tell them the truth.
In Nottingham, Isabella is resting in the tent when Jasper and Nicholas enter and press her to tell them what happened. Now that she is cleaned up, they can see that she bears terrible scars down her left cheek and arm. She tells the tale of the Battle of Nottingham, how Robin Hood had destroyed everything with Byzantine Fire, and she had narrowly escaped death by flinging herself into the tunnel system just before the barrels blew up.
At the camp, Much and Kate are shocked when the alarm sounds. Someone is nearby - Arthur the woodsman and a troop of soldiers. Kate cannot leave, and Much pledges to protect her or die trying. The soldiers come so close that they walk over the top of the camp. The roof is not so sturdy as it used to be, over two years after it was built and with nobody to maintain it, and the beams creak heavily. Much and Kate hold their breaths...
John is just returning from Locksley, and meets Tuck, whom he begins to berate for lying to the people. Just then Archer finds them, and reports breathlessly that he has seen a troop of soldiers by the camp. They run to help Much and Kate, and when they see how close they are to danger, Archer runs out and begins to shoot at the soldiers. Tuck and John follow, and the three of them run in different directions, splitting the force. Much goes out to see what is happening and finds Arthur, who attacks him fiercely. At the last moment Much delivers a fatal blow, and Kate cries and hugs him. The others return, and they agree that they work best as a team. They join hands and declare: ‘We are Robin Hood!’
[3] A sinister figure. Not sure about an actor, but maybe someone with a croaky whispery voice. I’d say Michael Wincott (who played Guy in RH:PoT) if I thought he’d do it!
4x04 - An Inch of Truth
Kate has been recovering from her beating, and has taken to walking into Locksley regularly to build up her strength. She speaks to her mother, and confides in her about Robin’s death and how it’s affected her, not realising that her little sister, Maggie, has overheard everything. Soon Maggie mentions it to another child, and before they know it everyone in the village knows about Robin and the news is spreading.
Kate returns to the camp and tells the others what has happened, and Tuck declares that they have two choices: to admit the truth but tell them that Robin Hood’s legacy lives on, or to deny it and have Archer dress up as Robin. Archer is keen on the second plan, but Kate, Much and John insist that telling the truth is the only option. And so they head to Locksley.
When they arrive at Locksley, however, they see that there are soldiers in the village, and they watch, horrified, from the treeline as the soldiers start to round up pretty young women with the clear intention of marching them off to Nottingham for their pleasure. The gang want to help, but are greatly outnumbered. They do not notice that Archer has gone missing...
Suddenly, a hooded figure on horseback rides into Locksley and spectacularly fights off the soldiers, using exotic throwing weapons as well as a bow. He kills several, and the rest retreat. The villagers are delighted and cheer for the hooded stranger. One girl in particular, an especially beautiful young villager called Beth[4], tries to make him stay so that they can celebrate his bravery. But the figure gallops away without revealing his face. The villagers decide it was Robin, who must not be dead after all; when the rest of the gang go down to make sure everything is alright, they cannot bear to break the villagers’ hearts by revealing that Robin really is dead.
Back at the camp, John is angry with Archer for being so careless and unthinking and they very nearly come to blows. But Tuck breaks it up and declares that the decision has been made for them: as long as Archer does not reveal his face, it is in everyone’s best interests to continue pretending he is Robin. The thought of anyone pretending to be Robin upsets Much, who slips away quietly and leaves the others arguing.
Much walks through the forest in the direction of Kirklees Abbey, intending to visit Robin’s grave. When he arrives, he sees a man in dark clothing dismount from his horse and enter the abbey, and so Much follows, curious.
Meanwhile, the gang are interrupted by a commotion in the forest, and they go out to the Great North Road to see what is happening. A few soldiers are pushing a group of peasant girls along, and so Archer pulls his hood low over his face and dons his mask again, and they go to the girls’ rescue. But suddenly a larger troop of soldiers comes up behind them - it is a trap. And leading the soldiers is a figure with a familiar voice - a woman with long dark hair tied back severely, and her face half-covered with a silver mask. Isabella.
A fight breaks out, but the gang have a few advantages that Isabella doesn’t know about, including a couple of the traps that are rigged in various parts of the forest near the camp. After a hard fight, and some cunning moves, they manage to escape deep into the trees and Isabella is left frustrated and has to return to Jasper and Nicholas a failure. They berate her, but she insists: she knows Robin is dead because she killed him herself, and it won’t be long before the remnants of his gang are rounded up and despatched.
As the gang celebrate their minor victory, Much returns. And he has good news: the stranger at Kirklees had come to announce that Queen Eleanor is returning.
[4] I’m envisaging Beth as being played by someone like Roxanne Pallett.
4x05 - Better the Devil
A plague has come to Locksley. The gang go to help, but as Tuck inspects the dying he declares: this is not the ordinary pestilence, but something worse. Kate goes to her mother’s house - only to discover that her mother (Rebecca) and sister (Maggie) have the plague. Devastated, Kate shouts at Tuck that he has to find a cure, but Much and John have to restrain her as Tuck explains that, for now, there is no cure. Kate weeps while Tuck and the gang manage the afflicted, moving them to separate houses and marking the doors with crosses. Everyone who is not sick is sent to the church, where they grieve together for dying loved ones.
In Nottingham, Nicholas is overseeing the rebuilding of the Great Hall, but he begins to notice that some of the labourers are sick. One comes towards him, and the man’s skin is becoming black and foetid. Nicholas shrinks away, disgusted at the sight.
Back in Locksley, the gang are working desperately to try to stop the disease spreading without catching it themselves. Tuck has made them cover their whole bodies and their faces. But Tuck is finding this harder than anything he has done before. On the banks of Locksley Lake, he sinks to his knees in tears, begging God to help him. Much and John find him like this and try to encourage him to go on. Right now, they are all the people of Locksley have.
Meanwhile, Nicholas is with Jasper and Isabella in Jasper’s tent. Somehow, Isabella has managed to convince them that she is worth keeping around because she has inside information on Robin’s gang. Once Nicholas and Jasper have gone off to have another look at the afflicted, she goes off to get a horse, persuades some guards to accompany her, and sets off for the forest.
In Locksley, Kate sneaks out of the church, where she was supposed to be checking villagers for symptoms. She goes to sit with her mother and sister. Much realises she is missing, and knows exactly where she will be, so goes to find her. And there she is, weeping over her mother, who is dead.
Archer is helping the gang as himself, rather than pretending to be Robin Hood - all the villagers agree that Robin shouldn’t be put at risk, and so don’t expect to see him there. And so Archer gets talking to Beth, the girl he saved from the soldiers, who is not suffering any symptoms. But she thinks he is much too proud of himself, and spurns his advances. As she walks away from him, it is quite clear that he is smitten.
In the forest, Isabella is angrily waiting to be discovered by the outlaws. She has an idea roughly where the camp must be, but cannot find it precisely. After waiting for a while, she declares to the guards that the best way of finding them will be to go to Locksley and torture some peasants until they show up to defend their miserable innocents. But when she arrives she sees that the plague has come there too.
The gang are weary and do not react well to Isabella’s presence. But then she reveals: she recognises this plague, which once came to Shrewsbury. And there is a way to cure people who are not suffering too badly! She confers with Tuck, who goes to find the relevant herbs, and together they make a potion for the afflicted to drink. Some villagers still die, but some begin to get better - including Kate’s sister, Maggie. As they burn the dead, an uneasy truce with Isabella is declared, with even Kate grateful to her.
Jasper and Nicholas have heard what is happening in Locksley and ride to the village with soldiers. Out of self interest, they ask to work with the gang, and Isabella goes with them to help the men in Nottingham. In the last scene, grief-stricken Kate finds comfort in Much, and tries to kiss him - but he understands she is only upset, and pledges to support her without asking for anything in return.
4x06 - Half a Plan
The gang are trying to get on with their lives, and the episode begins with a few short scenes of their activities - robbing coaches, helping the poor, harrying Jasper’s soldiers when they can. Archer is enjoying pretending to be Robin, though he occasionally sulks that he never gets the gratitude for it, because he can’t show his face. Helping people is the reward, John insists to a pouting Archer, and that should be enough.
Just then, they hear a coach on the Great North Road, and go to see what it is. It is a rich coach with a troop of guards, and they get a perfect view of its occupant: it is Prince John. Since this is the time when Queen Eleanor is supposed to be arriving, the gang are worried that she might fall into her wicked son’s hands, and so they go to Kirklees where Eleanor has a faithful monk friend called Anselm[5]. Anselm tells them that Eleanor is due to arrive the next day, and the gang decide that they are going to need some back-up. Meanwhile, when Prince John arrives at Nottingham, he declares himself delighted with the progress of the rebuilding - but is shocked to see Isabella, who he had heard was dead. Isabella insists that she is on Prince John’s side, and Jasper calls a feast in his honour.
Archer suggests that the gang should go to Loughborough, to ask the King’s faithful soldiers there to come and give Eleanor protection. When they arrive, Derrick, the Captain of the Guard, is heartened to hear about the queen returning and so pledges his full support. But his sergeant, a mean-looking man called Winters, can be seen lurking in the shadows, having listened to all their plans...
The gang go with Derrick and his soldiers to the road where Eleanor will travel from Harwich, and wait. The gang play some games to keep their spirits up, and soon the soldiers are joining in, and even Derrick begins to feel less dour. Finally, they feel as though there is some hope for the future. As they play together boisterously, they almost fail to notice - but Much, who has taken it upon himself to be the lookout, suddenly shouts that there are armed men coming. Derrick gets his men into the trees by the road, and they watch as Prince John and Jasper and Nicholas, Isabella with them and Winters leading the party, arrive at the spot where they are supposed to meet Eleanor.
Tuck has an idea: the gang should go to intercept Eleanor while Derrick and his men hold up the troops from Nottingham. Derrick is reluctant to make the decision, but eventually agrees to fight in Eleanor’s name, and as the gang head off east he sets up an ambush.
Meanwhile, the gang meet Eleanor, who is travelling with only Anselm for protection. Eleanor is very pleased to see her Big Bear, John, again, and remembers Much. She takes to Kate and Archer quickly, but finds Tuck a little serious. But where is Robin? They tell her of Robin’s death with heavy hearts, and then of Prince John’s new bid to capture her, and how the Loughborough guard are risking their lives to keep her safe. But the strong-willed queen rallies them and insists all they can do is fight back - and they cannot leave Derrick’s men to die when she can do something about it.
The gang reluctantly take Eleanor to the battle, which is raging fiercely. Anselm blows a horn, and Prince John turns to look, dismayed that his mother has made it through. He screams at people to stop fighting, and soon men on both sides are relaying his call, and the battle is calmed. Eleanor rides into the centre of the carnage and speaks to everyone: This battle has to stop, before a civil war breaks out. Prince John agrees, in shock at his mother’s appearance. For now, there is peace, and Derrick’s men rejoice with the gang. Eleanor declares she is going to Loughborough with her loyal guards, and nobody dares to stop her. The gang pledge their support, and the episode ends with celebration while Prince John sulks.
[5] Mark Charnock has to play this part, or I quit! (This is a reference to Brother Cadfael, whose assistant in the TV series was played perfectly by Emmerdale’s Marlon Dingle.) While I’m at it, Winters in this episode might be played by someone who does a good young ambitious type. Totally at random, how about Nigel Harman? Or someone of similar age and potential sneeriness.
4x07 - The Queen Must Die
Prince John sits in Jasper’s tent, exasperated that his mother is back and supporting Richard. As Jasper and Nicholas fuss around him, Isabella calmly gives him a plan: use one of Eleanor’s trusted followers to feed her poison. The queen will be dead, and Robin Hood’s gang finished for good.
Eleanor holds court in Lougborough, with the gang there as her guests. They are treated to a feast, pleasing Much, but after the food it is time for serious talk. Tuck explains what Prince John and his lackeys have been doing to the country. Kate complains about the plight of the men forced to rebuild Nottingham. Derrick explains that most of the King’s loyal troops are still out of the country. Eleanor decides that there is only one thing to do: they must collect that massive ransom that Richard’s new captor, the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI, is asking: 150,000 marks. And Eleanor has already sent for William Longchamp, the exiled Bishop of Ely, to collect it.
The gang are worried that the ransom will cripple the country and cause more misery, but Eleanor will not be swayed, and they leave. Little John is in a strange mood, but says nothing. When the gang go to Locksley, where they are making a food drop, they are surprised to find a hooded woman with a basket handing out food - Isabella. They question her, and she says that she feels sorry for the people, and that following her brother’s death she is responsible for his villagers. Archer is inclined to believe his sister, and more so when he sees that Beth seems to like her. The others mumble acceptance and they all go to the run-down Locksley Hall to talk. Isabella pretends to be afraid of Prince John and Jasper and Nicholas, and asks for the gang’s protection.
Meanwhile in Loughborough a messenger visits Eleanor, announcing that Longchamp will return to England in the fortnight if his queen wishes it. Soon the gang return and meet this news with mixed feelings - in particular, John seems somewhat hostile. Eleanor sees that the gang have brought someone new with them, and is surprised when she finds out that it is Gisborne’s sister. Isabella is held by the guards while the gang speak for her. Although Eleanor is suspicious, knowing that a woman’s wiles are all the more dangerous than a man’s, she accepts the barrel of French wine that she has brought as a gift...
Back in Nottingham, Prince John is planning all the things he’ll do as king. Suddenly he insists that Jasper get him some guards to escort him to Loughborough, because he wants to be nearby to ‘mourn’ when he finds out about Eleanor’s death.
Eleanor orders another feast - again making Much happy - to celebrate that Longchamp is coming. Little John angrily says that she likes her feasting too well, while the poor of England are starving. Publicly, Eleanor pretends outrage at this, and Much and Archer berate John - but he walks out. Meanwhile, Isabella is allowed to attend the feast, and she watches happily as her barrel of wine is brought out for the guests.
John goes for a walk along the battlements to cool off, and Much comes out to make sure he is alright. He is unwilling to talk at first, but he is about to open up when suddenly they see lights out in the town - a small column of soldiers is coming towards them, followed by a grand carriage. John fears an attack, but there are too few soldiers for that. Then they realise: if Prince John is coming, then he must think something is happening to his advantage. They look at each other. Isabella!
Much grabs his bow, runs into the Hall, and shoots an arrow straight at the queen, intending to hit her goblet. But he only just misses her head, and Derrick arrests him. But John comes in and explains everything. Isabella is thrown in the dungeon, while Eleanor goes out to meet her son, who is shocked to see her alive. The gang laugh as they watch him squirm and leave.
4x08 - Family Affairs
A traveller is walking through Sherwood Forest, cloaked and hooded, and when the gang see him they follow - straight to the camp. They ambush him, and he removes his hood. It is Lukey Scarlett, Will’s little brother. Their Auntie Annie has died, and Lukey wants to fight for Robin, like his brother.
In Nottingham, Prince John is becoming increasingly angry, making Jasper and Nicholas nervous. His mother is ruining everything again... and how can he stop her? He decides he needs to meet her, and to make her come out of hiding he goes to Locksley to torture some peasants. When the gang find out, they want to save people - but Tuck holds them back, because there are so many soldiers. So they go to Loughborough, where they have an audience with the queen, whom Lukey is amazed to meet.
Derrick is outraged at the thought of Eleanor putting herself in danger to save Locksley’s peasants - but she insists this is what she must do, and tells Derrick to get his soldiers. When they reach Locksley, the gang stand around to protect Eleanor as she rides into the centre of the village to confront her son. Prince John wants to talk to her in private, and she refuses - unless he comes to Loughborough with her alone. He eventually agrees, but before they set off gives orders to Jasper to hold all the villagers and burn them alive if he has not returned by sunset.
Back at Loughborough, Eleanor and Prince John go to her chambers to talk, and the gang wait nervously. Archer sneaks away to the dungeon, where Isabella is chained up in a cell. She thinks he has come to taunt her - but instead he starts pouring out his heart, confessing his unrequited love for Beth. He has never needed advice in getting a woman, but then he has never been in love before. He can’t talk to Kate, who knows Beth and might tell her. So Isabella listens and advises him, and when he leaves she smiles to herself, knowing she has found a weakness.
The gang talk among themselves as they wait for Eleanor to come out, and they press John about why he is so hostile to the queen’s plan to raise the King’s ransom. He is reluctant to speak, but finally blurts it all out. Longchamp’s family were ambitious landowners, and many years ago John used to work for the young William Longchamp as a thug, intimidating tenants and breaking heads. Eventually John quit the job and met Alice, and they moved away together. But Longchamp’s descent into political scheming soon had his enemies baying for blood, and his old lackeys were outlawed and hunted down. For Alice’s sake, John fled into the forest and didn’t dare contact her - until, ten years later, he learned of his son.
As the outlaws stare at John, shocked by his revelations and worried about Longchamp’s imminent arrival, they hear a loud clatter from Eleanor’s room. Fearing for her life, they burst in - only to see her holding Prince John, who has sunk to the floor sobbing. She waves the gang away, and asks her son to explain what is wrong. She never loved him like Richard, he sobs. They have a heart-to-heart, but she cannot get him to realise the errors of his ways, and so he storms out.
The gang, who have been getting nervous because it is late, escort the prince back to Locksley. Kate has a go at him en route, and Tuck tries to reason with him, and by the time they arrive he is in a terrible mood. As the gang hand him over, he shouts to the soldiers to burn the villagers anyway, and the gang watch in horror as the church, where they have been rounded up, is set aflame.
But nobody had realised that Archer slipped away on the journey back, and he rides in with his Robin Hood disguise, fighting off the soldiers - with the help of the gang - and saving the villagers. He comes close to revealing his identity to Beth, but John pulls him away, and they go back to camp.
4x09 - Kill Bill
The opening scenes shows Harwich, where a rowing boat reaches the shore, and a man in a black cloak steps out - William ‘Bill’ Longchamp[6]. Anselm, Eleanor’s faithful monk, is there to greet him.
The gang are just setting out to intercept Longchamp on the Harwich road, with John in a foul mood. They have gone without troops so as not to attract attention, but as Much reveals his nervousness about the plan, the gang start to irritate each other and bicker. Kate snipes at Archer for trying to replace Robin, and John has a go at Tuck for doing everything Eleanor says. Lukey gets angry that his brother is away.
Tuck tries to calm the outlaws down, and Archer asks about Longchamp’s history to give them some distraction - which upsets John, who goes off on his own to cool down. Tuck tells the others how Longchamp was an ambitious man who had worked his way into power at the end of Henry’s reign, and when Richard took the throne he was so in favour that he became Chancellor, and Bishop of Ely even though he had no church background. When Richard went away to war, he left Longchamp in charge - but Prince John was quick to undermine him and seize power, getting him excommunicated and exiled along the way. The prince will not be happy when he discovers Longchamp is back.
Little John has wandered further up the road, and sees Longchamp heading their way, along with Anselm and a bodyguard. His knuckles whiten as he grips his staff, barely unable to contain himself...
The gang start to wonder why Longchamp is taking so long, and Kate sets off along the road to see whether she can see any sign of them - and comes across Longchamp and Anselm lying beaten in the road, and the bodyguard dying, a knife protruding from his chest, and his last words ‘The big man...’. Kate gets the others, and they escort the injured Longchamp and Anselm to Loughborough, wondering all the while where John is - and whether he would really kill and jeopardise the King’s ransom for personal vengeance.
We cut to Nottingham, where Prince John is looking at the castle construction and rubbing his hands together gleefully. He asks Jasper whether he is completely sure their plan will work. He is.
When the gang reach Loughborough, Longchamp and Anselm are taken to private chambers to have their wounds treated by Eleanor’s physician. The gang wait, disheartened by their suspicions about John. Archer sneaks down to see Isabella, and sees her kissing one of the guards, trying to charm her way out, he assumes. He expresses unreserved concern, which is a new experience for her.
Meanwhile, Longchamp is being treated in his chamber. Suddenly, men dressed in black burst in, like Medieval ninjas, and slaughter the physician. One of the attackers is very tall, and is about to kill Longchamp, who cannot fight back. But the gang have heard the commotion and they and Derrick burst in and fight off the assassins. Longchamp is grateful - but the gang are more concerned that they did not trust John. Did they learn nothing from Allan’s death? Leaving Longchamp in Derrick’s care, they go to search for him. And they realise it was Isabella who sent word to Prince John about Longchamp via the guard she charmed.
John is wandering towards Loughborough at his own pace, lost in his own world of grief since Longchamp’s arrival has brought back all those memories of Alice and his son. Then he sees a small consignment of armed men heading towards Lougborough with Prince John and hurries along, only to meet the gang coming the other way. Not realising that they are trying to apologise, nor why they would want to, he urges them to follow the armed men, and they uncover yet another attempt to infiltrate Longchamp’s chambers and kill him. They see off the armed men and return to Loughborough, where Eleanor and Longchamp show their gratitude. But John is not ready to face Longchamp, and keeps away.
[6] I see Longchamp being played by Michael Kitchen, who does a fantastic sinister turn! See here for the Wiki file on Longchamp, a real person. I was reading about him and decided he was perfect for my designs :)
4x10 - Everything is a Choice, Everything We Do
Longchamp has recovered and he intends to squeeze every penny out of England to raise the King’s ransom. When the gang realise just how much this will hurt the country, with massive new taxes and obligatory ‘donations’ from the churches, they are shocked. They speak to Eleanor, and wearily she says she understands - but what else can they do if Richard is to be freed? The gang secretly decide to oversee the collection of the ransom, to try to make it as fair as possible, and so head to different corners of the country. The episode switches back and forth between their tales.
Archer takes pity on his sister and sneaks her away with him. They go to Shrewsbury, which Isabella finds very upsetting - and finally she breaks down and confesses how Thornton treated her. Archer comforts her, and suggests a trip to the grand house where she used to live, to steal from Thornton’s nasty brother who inherited the place. They are nearly caught, but make it away and embrace for the first time. Seeing something she has never had, Isabella clings to her brother and pledges to help with the ransom.
Tuck goes to York, and then to Fountains Abbey, where he trained. His old mentor is still there, and they speak happily of the past. But Longchamp’s men arrive to collect the abbey’s ‘donation’, and begin to be violent when the monks object about items of worship being taken. Tuck tries to fight them, but there are too many. Heartbroken, he apologises, and begins to question the trust he has put in Eleanor’s plan.
Kate and Lukey stay in Nottinghamshire, and witness similar violence in Kirklees Abbey - and yet Jasper and Nicholas have refused to add to the ransom but go unchallenged. Teaming up with Beth from Locksley, they go on a little raid to steal Jasper’s gold and liberate the labourers in Nottingham.
John goes to Oxfordshire, where he has been tasked with getting money from the rich people setting up the university[7]. But when travelling back through the surrounding farming communities he stumbles upon his wife, Alice, and has a tearful reunion with his son. Alice’s second husband, Luke, has recently died from the pestilence and so Alice is struggling to survive. She asks John to stay, and he agrees without hesitation - but soon Longchamp’s men are everywhere taking money from the people and Alice realises he can’t give up his place in Robin’s gang because there is work still to be done. But John swears that as soon as Richard is free he will be back for her.
Much goes down to London, where he speaks to some of Robin’s old friends and secures money from them for the ransom. He stays with Lord Melbury, who trained as a knight at the same time as Robin but was badly wounded in the wars and came back disfigured. Melbury is kind to Much, treating him as an equal - and Much begins to remember that lazy summer when he and Robin were on their way to the Holy Land and stayed at Melbury’s house while they waited for their voyage out. That was when they first became close, away from the social hierarchy imposed on them at home, and they ended up firm friends who could trust each other as comrades. Much weeps, because those memories are so beautiful.
At the end of the episode, the gang return and converge on Loughborough. Their experiences were very different, but they are now of one mind: Longchamp’s vicious attempt to get the ransom money goes against everything they believe in, and everything Robin held dear. They go to the queen and tell her this is not good enough. They will go to Germany themselves and rescue the King.
Then they realise that Kate and Luke have not returned like everyone else, even though they were closer. Jasper has captured them. Tuck wants to go without them, but Much stops him - they are a team, they go together. The gang angrily go to Nottingham and fight more fiercely than they have in a long while to get their remaining members back. Then they set off for Germany.
[7] Oxford University was in its very early days in the 1190s (see here).
4x11 - This is a Rescue!
The episode opens with the gang[8] trekking through a damp German forest, searching for Trifels Castle, where the King is being held. Much has convinced himself that Trifels is the German word for ‘trifle’ and is looking forward to local delicacies. But the trip also brings back memories of his previous journeys through Germany with Robin - some happy, some painful. Finally they reach a great mountain, with three tree-lined peaks jutting up into the sky. The castle looms into sight, foreboding stone walls looking utterly insurmountable in the rain.
Wet and miserable, the gang end up in the nearby village of Annweiler, where they eat German sausage and cheese in a tavern. They don’t even have half a plan yet. Archer suggests getting arrested by some guards sitting at another table - but as Tuck points out, the King won’t be in a normal dungeon. While the others are arguing, Kate sidles over to the guards and tries to chat them up. One of them takes a particular shine to her but speaks no English - and tries to force himself on her. The gang intervene, and soon find themselves outnumbered and arrested.
Somewhere in Trifels castle, King Richard is playing chess. We see his face, but not his opponent’s. He congratulates his opponent on a good move, but then laments that they cannot leave this place. Then the door opens, and a richly dressed man walks in. It is Henry, Richard’s captor, and he is not pleased that still no ransom has been sent. Do his people not love him, he asks?
The gang soon find themselves in the castle dungeon, a dark, damp place full of the groans of forlorn prisoners. Once they are locked in, Archer shouts at Kate while the others look for weak spots in the prison bars... until a dark figure steps out from the shadows. He puts back his hood - and laughs happily. It’s Will. Much and John are delighted to see him, and Lukey is amazed that his brother is suddenly there to embrace after being away so long. Tuck and Kate are proud to meet him. When he hears of Robin and Allan’s deaths he is devastated. But where is Djaq? Will explains: they were in Acre when the English army decided to leave the Holy Land. Richard took them on his boat as personal guests to visit home - but they were shipwrecked and then faced many months overland travel. Leopold captured them in Austira, and handed them over to Henry VI, and they ended up here. When Richard was allowed to have one of his retinue with him as a servant, he chose Djaq because she is learned and plays chess well, so Will hasn’t seen her for over a month.
Made stronger by their reunion, Much comes up with a plan, which involves Will and Luke giving insight into castle architecture, John and Archer providing some muscle, Tuck using the small amount of Byzantine Fire he made up and brought with them, and Kate not charming any guards. Soon they are out of the dungeon and searching the corridors, looking for the King’s chambers - but they run straight into Henry himself, who calls the guards. The gang are chased but beyond all odds manage to outrun most of the incompetent but sadistic Germans, and fight off the rest. They head for the nearest door - only to find Djaq holding it open.
Djaq has a tearful reunion with her old friends, and like Will is shocked and upset to hear about Robin and Allan. But she leads them through to the King, where Much is able to announce: ‘This is a rescue!’ Richard is amazed and relieved, but also deeply saddened about Robin’s death. The gang get him out, as Henry watches from his tower and shouts frustrated commands at his guards.
Once outside in the German forest, Richard expresses his gratitude more fully - and directs it at Much, whom he knows well as Robin’s faithful servant, and sees as the gang leader. He knights him there and then. A stunned Much is congratulated wholeheartedly by the other members of the gang, and only Archer looks a little envious.
[8] The gang currently comprises: Much, John, Kate, Archer, Tuck and Lukey. Derrick and Isabella remain back home and don’t get any screentime for this one. For this episode, you may also want to know about Trifels Castle. And how wrong is it to envisage Henry VI being played by Stephen Fry with a German accent?
4x12 - The Siege of Nottingham
King Richard arrives back in England with the gang, landing on the south coast. They go to London, where Richard has many supporters. The people greet him in the streets, rejoicing and praying that this means the downfall of Prince John. From London they head directly to Loughborough, where Derrick is overjoyed to see his master and kneels humbly before him. Then Richard is reunited with his mother, and his old friend Longchamp (who has remained faithful to him, whatever his attitude to morality).
Richard holds court at Loughborough, hearing reports from Longchamp and Derrick about the state of the nation. In the two months since the gang set off to free him, Sir Nicholas has rebuilt the Great Hall of Nottingham Castle, and Prince John has taken up his seat there. Even the women of surrounding villages are now being held within the walls of Nottingham to work on the furnishings and fittings. Isabella, unexpectedly, has remained in Loughborough and has been helping Derrick by revealing everything she knows about the plans for the new castle - which Archer is pleased to discover.
Richard sends an envoy to Prince John, who is utterly horrified, having already heard of his brother’s parade in London. The prince becomes more and more paranoid, screaming at Jasper and Nicholas to do something to help him. But they have no idea how they can uphold Prince John’s position now that his brother is home. Secretly, they even think it might be better for them to change their allegiance... Meanwhile, Prince John flies into a rage and kills the King’s messenger with a dagger, then sends his body back to Loughborough.
Richard is shocked that his brother is making a stand against him - but he knows he must defeat and humiliate John, and reinstate his own authority[9]. He asks Derrick how many soldiers he can have at his disposal by the next day - and although there will not be more than six hundred, Richard decides this is enough, as long as reinforcements are on their way. The trebuchets have seen better days, but Will sets to work and soon has them working and good as new. Longchamp proudly announces that he has raised a great deal of money, and now that it does not need to be used for a ransom it can go to paying soldiers and buying supplies. The gang look angry about the atrocities Longchamp has committed, especially John, but they bite their tongues for now because Richard seems happy.
And so a small army is assembled. Richard asks Derrick to be his second-in-command, and Much his third-in-command. Much is shocked and initially thinks he is not good enough to command the King’s troops, but the gang encourage him and he accepts. The rest of the gang pledge to fight alongside the soldiers, and Richard gives them a special task - to infiltrate a weak spot at the back of the Great Hall, which Isabella has alerted them to, and to undermine Prince John’s resistance from the inside.
The army sets out across a bleak, deserted Nottinghamshire, raising dust as it goes. Finally they reach the west gate of Nottingham, and while the army is causing a distraction, the gang (apart from Much) and Isabella go round to a small north gate and enter the city covertly. Prince John comes with Jasper and Nicholas to the rampart over the west gate, shouting that he has enough soldiers and food to hold out for months. ‘We will see,’ Richard sighs grimly. He turns to Derrick and Much, and begins to give them orders.
Meanwhile, the other gang members are distrustful of Isabella, and only Archer defends her. Kate in particular finds it hard to be near her - Isabella may have saved Maggie’s life, but she still killed Robin and effectively Allan too. Isabella insists she is loyal to them now - but everything is thrown into doubt when they are ambushed by Jasper and a troop of guards. The gang split, running desperately in different directions...
At the west gate, suddenly a horn sounds from the castle walls. Everyone turns to look up. Much’s eyes widen...
[9] Richard really did lay siege to Nottingham when he returned and found it held by PJ’s supporters: see here (but ignore everything else it says about the siege because the one in my version of season 4 is a bit different!). You may also want to check out this section of the Wiki article on Richard I for information about the King’s ransom and return, which are major themes of my season 4.
4x13 - We Were Robin Hood!
Archer and Isabella are running through Nottingham’s streets. They duck into a tent near the building works and find the women from Locksley shackled there. Beth is among them, and is telling the others that Robin Hood will save them.
John, Will, Djaq and Lukey run into a dead end, but a number of soldiers are right behind them. They turn to make a stand.
Tuck outruns his pursuers and finds himself alone round the back of the Great Hall, but does not know whether to go back for his friends or complete the mission alone.
At the west gate, Much is staring, forlorn, at the ramparts. His eyes are wide and tears are showing. Slowly, the camera pans round, past the army and the trebuchets, to show what he is looking at. Kate’s dead body has been hauled up on a wooden frame over the gate. Knowing Much’s feelings, the King puts a hand on his shoulder in sympathy. But Much shakes him off, raises his hand, and screams an order to the army to open fire. The trebuchets begin to pitch flaming balls of hay over the battlements, and archers pick off the guards. Richard allows Much to take the lead, knowing his passion will hearten the men.
In the city, things are looking grim for the outlaws. Will John, Djaq, Will and Lukey be able to fight their way out? Will Tuck go back to save them? Will John survive to go back to his family as he promised? Will Archer reveal to Beth that Robin is dead and the hooded hero has been him all along? And if he does, will Beth warm to him, or be repulsed? Will Isabella stab the gang in the back?
Outside, the siege is going well, and the barricades are broken. But as the attackers pour in, will they be ambushed? Will Much be able to stop himself taking revenge on Kate’s killers? Will Richard be able to stop Much from killing Prince John, or will he even want to?
And even if they come through this alive, what state will England be left in, and what will be left for Robin Hood’s old gang?[10]
[10] I leave these questions hanging by way of a... well, cliffhanger. Needless to say, the recurring themes of my season 4 have been, in no particular order: the issue of gang leadership; truth and lies about Robin’s death; Much’s place in the gang; John’s past and future; Isabella’s potential for redemption; how the King doesn’t necessarily do the country good. I had some issues with season 3 characters that I resolved by having Tuck question his own actions more, having Archer care for people other than himself, and putting Kate through the emotional mill before killing her off (I didn’t just do that for laughs, I really wanted to push the character through bad experiences to make her grow a little more!). Obviously these are synopses and so lacking in the little touches that make the show great, but I’ve tried to hint at them where I can. In a full version, I hope there would be more references to Allan, for example, and memories might take the form of flashbacks. I’ve commented on who might play incidental and long-running characters where I had space to, and needless to say we would have all characters known from previous series played by the same actors (I think even I think of Lukey as Christian Cooke now). I hope you enjoyed it!