Robin Hood 3x13 - the not as epic review post
This one's not quite as long, since I didn't go through the entire episode over again making notes. This is more just my thoughts after watching the episode twice. But, at least I'm posting earlier than I did last week (yay)!
- I was glad that Allan (or at least his corpse) was in this episode. That way the gang got to put in some lovely dialogue about how much they missed him, that they had misjudged him, etc. This provided some much-needed closure. If they had just ended it where they found his corpse at the end of the last episode, it would have been rather abrupt, but not beyond what we've had to endure this season in terms of plot holes.
- At Allan's funeral though, when Kate looked so shook-up and then snuck away from the gang because she couldn't take it anymore, I was wondering if she was secretly in love with Allan and this whole Robin thing was merely a facade. On peut rêver, n'est pas? (One can dream, right?)
- I was glad Much had a larger role in this ep. 'cause I think he gets shoved off to the side too often. However, I kept expecting him to be killed off, especially when he was so upset about Allan and John practically had to drag him along to retreat. I so expected a stray arrow to come out of nowhere and nail him. It would've been so like the writers of the show to do that.
- They also did a very good job with the characterization in this episode. Much and Robin worked as a team, most likely very similar to how it was in the Holy Land. John got to fulfill his role as "the strong one" and pull the grate out of the way so that they could all escape. Archer got to be surprising whether he was with them or not (although it was somewhat clearer in this ep that he was with them the entire time). Tuck got to be an alchemist, which I'm not sure goes along with the role of "warrior priest", but seems in character for him. Isabella and the Sheriff got to be treacherous. Kate got to be her usual annoying self, although I can see a sort of redemption arc for her. Something to the effect of Robin's death made her stronger and more mature or something. Gisbourne got to be his usual complicated self, trying to care for Isabella, once again declaring loyalty to the gang, talking with Robin about Marian as he died. I would've liked him to continue on and become the Nightwatchman as some have suggested, but I guess it fit that he died, since they were killing everyone off anyway.
- The character of Blamire is rather like the one ugly orc in Return of the King. He's the evil underling that you just want to die, because he's so treacherous and ruthless, and yet, he survives anything.
- Also, my mom pointed out that wouldn't using the Byzantine fire on the gate in the tunnel collapse the whole tunnel? But that wouldn't work well for the plotline, so the writers just decided to throw in that engineering inaccuracy. I'm not an engineer, and if it's obvious to me, then it's probably obvious to a bunch of other people.
- I will admit that the CGI of blowing up the castle was epic. Possibly more epic than this show has been in a long time. But, they just showed the castle blowing up and that was the end of it. More on that later.
- I think the ending was really a cop-out. I was disappointed.
- First, Robin dying of poison. That's just kinda wimpy. He must've wanted to die or something, 'cause in any other episode, they would've conjured up an antidote to it. Tuck was able to discover the components for the Byzantine fire in this episode. He's suddenly become the alchemist, why couldn't he do something about it? Or what about John? He discovered the remedy for the poison in 2x04 and it was a remedy from most all poisons, so I think that would've worked in this case. Poison is much too wimpy of an end for Robin Hood. In a realistic scenario (not the crack ones I've been thinking up), I would've liked to see Robin surrounded by guards and the Sheriff's men and go down fighting. And especially if he yelled "For Marian!" before he starting fighting the lot of them.
- This goes along with the point that when the writers decide they want to kill someone off, all the other characters are suddenly helpless to prevent it, even though they have prevented something very similar if not identical in a previous episode. I guess Marian wasn't going to survive after being run through all the way with a sword, but there have been a large number of characters that died unnecessary deaths. It's like the writers say "You will die now. There is nothing anyone else can do, despite the fact that they've rescued people from the same situation repeatedly. We need you to die, so you will."
- Speaking of Marian, I'm still torn whether to start going "squee" when she returned or to dismiss the whole scene as cheesy. When Robin first starts hearing the angelic music and sees her walking towards him, I inwardly wince at the cheesiness. But from the part where she actually reaches Robin and starts talking, I think it's kinda cute. The joy of their reunion seems so genuine. Mind you, they completely gloss over the fact that Robin's just been all over the place this season. No comment from Marian about "what's this that I hear about Kate?" or anything. Hmm… *has ideas for fic/vid/whatever*
- And then speaking of the castle exploding, we never saw the Sheriff or Isabella or Blamire die. Yes, nobody could logistically survive a castle falling on them. And yes, we know that Keith Allan is leaving the show after this season. But I'm the kind of person who has to see the body, and there has to be a proper funeral on screen, for the person to be dead. (And even then it can be misleading, like the Sheriff in 3x06, minus the finger twitch). So, Isabella or Blamire could just as easily come back next season as the villain. If Blamire is truly like the orc in ROTK, he can survive anything, so we can just assume he's the new Sheriff for next season.
- Archer has definitely grown on me. I think that he could pull off taking over for Robin next season.
- My bets are that Archer, Tuck, or Much will take over Robin's role in helping the poor, etc. It would be extremely awesome if it was Much - I might even be tempted to watch S4, then.
- Not that it matters who does what in S4 because the show is done now for me - they killed off all the good characters who've made the show great from the beginning (with the exception of Much and John). When the credits rolled on this episode, it was blatantly obvious in my mind that the show was over. done. gone.
- I was expecting Much to die because they're essentially killing off all the characters from the beginning of the show. Except John 'cause he's the rock-steady one and kinda invincible. But Much always seems so vulnerable (and perhaps a bit more human) and it seemed like he and Robin would go out at the same time.
- Anyone notice that the theme was slightly different at the end this time? It was more orchestral, not as triumphant as usual. I think it added a sense of finality to it. Robin's dead and gone and so the show is over. Doesn't matter what the producers do with it next season. It has to do with the whole "killing the soul of England" thing that was the reason they had to save King Richard in S2. Robin's dead, it's over. It's very final. Watching the credits, I was almost in tears merely by the fact that it was over. I still don't know what I think about that. Most likely I'll just go on and rewatch the old seasons and find other shows to watch, but I still would like more of Robin Hood as it was in S1 & S2. I'd keep watching it then. Urgh, finality.
Just to clarify exactly which orc I was talking about, lol.