Total Eclipse, and Much's Heart
Well, my whole review of Total Eclipse, the first episode of the long-awaited new series, is here, so please feel free to go and read the whole version.
For purposes of Muchlove, however, I've distilled the Much-related comments and posted them below. I'm especially interested to hear what you have to say about point 2 - do we have a new era of a stronger Much beginning?
2) Robin is being such an annoying so-and-so again. I mean, it's not that I don't understand why. What's awesome is that Much isn't upset about the way he treated him - the insults (leech??? poor Much!), the punch, the being left behind. He accepts it because he gets why Robin is behaving that way. In a way, seeing Much tell Robin that it's OK at the end made me think that we've reached a new era of treatmuchright. It's not that Robin is being any nicer, but seeing Much able to cope with him, being stronger for both of them, is utterly heartwarming. Is it because of Robin's confession at the end of the last series? Or because Much feels reinstated as Robin's primary support since Marian died? Or just because he's come to believe in himself more? Well, whatever the reason, I hope it continues!
3) But of course, I do want Robin to be nicer to Much as well. Come on Robin, Treat Much Right!
4) And while I'm talking about Much, I have to say how heartbreaking it was to see him crying like that when he was tied up in the dungeon. That was the only true grief we got to see following Robin's 'death', and it's interesting how he kept it all to himself. I don't think he would have done that before - he would have broken down when he was with the others too. But here he kept the pain to himself, and when he was alone he was completely broken, but he could still learn to be stronger for it.
5) And poor Much getting tortured! OK, we got to see him topless, which was new. But this was nothing like Allan's torture scene from the last series (which I found a total turn-on, I admit!). I just felt so sorry for Much, for his physical pain as well as the mental anguish.
6) One nice thing in this episode was Allan's new-found caring for Much. That really is something new, because they've never really got on before. Maybe something happened in the months they spent travelling back from the Holy Land? He had to be restrained from charging in to rescue him from Guy. Now that isn't what I was expecting at all - I was after some torturous latent feelings for Guy, actually. Come on, can we see just a little bit of Guy/Allan please??
7) Before I stop talking about Much, just one more thing. His cunning plans are as Much-like as ever. I loved his bluff about finding Robin's 'stash'. He was right first time, of course - Robin wouldn't dream of having a stash, and the Sheriff just doesn't get it. It's lovely to see the way his mind works though - the first bit of pain and he decides it's best to lead them on a wild goose chase for a bit. Later on we get to see the same sort of spirit when he decides not to fight Tuck. Aww!
For purposes of Muchlove, however, I've distilled the Much-related comments and posted them below. I'm especially interested to hear what you have to say about point 2 - do we have a new era of a stronger Much beginning?
2) Robin is being such an annoying so-and-so again. I mean, it's not that I don't understand why. What's awesome is that Much isn't upset about the way he treated him - the insults (leech??? poor Much!), the punch, the being left behind. He accepts it because he gets why Robin is behaving that way. In a way, seeing Much tell Robin that it's OK at the end made me think that we've reached a new era of treatmuchright. It's not that Robin is being any nicer, but seeing Much able to cope with him, being stronger for both of them, is utterly heartwarming. Is it because of Robin's confession at the end of the last series? Or because Much feels reinstated as Robin's primary support since Marian died? Or just because he's come to believe in himself more? Well, whatever the reason, I hope it continues!
3) But of course, I do want Robin to be nicer to Much as well. Come on Robin, Treat Much Right!
4) And while I'm talking about Much, I have to say how heartbreaking it was to see him crying like that when he was tied up in the dungeon. That was the only true grief we got to see following Robin's 'death', and it's interesting how he kept it all to himself. I don't think he would have done that before - he would have broken down when he was with the others too. But here he kept the pain to himself, and when he was alone he was completely broken, but he could still learn to be stronger for it.
5) And poor Much getting tortured! OK, we got to see him topless, which was new. But this was nothing like Allan's torture scene from the last series (which I found a total turn-on, I admit!). I just felt so sorry for Much, for his physical pain as well as the mental anguish.
6) One nice thing in this episode was Allan's new-found caring for Much. That really is something new, because they've never really got on before. Maybe something happened in the months they spent travelling back from the Holy Land? He had to be restrained from charging in to rescue him from Guy. Now that isn't what I was expecting at all - I was after some torturous latent feelings for Guy, actually. Come on, can we see just a little bit of Guy/Allan please??
7) Before I stop talking about Much, just one more thing. His cunning plans are as Much-like as ever. I loved his bluff about finding Robin's 'stash'. He was right first time, of course - Robin wouldn't dream of having a stash, and the Sheriff just doesn't get it. It's lovely to see the way his mind works though - the first bit of pain and he decides it's best to lead them on a wild goose chase for a bit. Later on we get to see the same sort of spirit when he decides not to fight Tuck. Aww!