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Don’t tell Amazon, but my heart sank when I first heard that yet another Robin Hood adaptation was coming to MGM+. But after watching it, I’ve mostly been won over. As it turns out, you can teach an old dog new tricks.
I’ve always been of the firm belief that the 2010 Robin Hood movie starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett is the best we’ve had (I didn’t grow up watching the animated Disney movie from 1973, so I’m discounting that). However, newcomer Jack Patten in the titular role and Lauren McQueen as Marian are a breath of fresh air.
Robin Hood is the perfect example of good storytelling done well with unknown faces
Instead of a distant rogue who takes from the rich and gives to the poor (though we do see this a little bit as the series progresses), the notion of who we know Robin Hood to be is instantly called into question. This version of Rob has a nickname, complicated relationships with his home and family and a lot of love for their way of living that is constantly being threatened.
Our opening episodes deftly use their time to flesh Rob out into the 3D character he’s never truly been before, and this is our starting point for seeing his story in a completely new light. Though he maintains an intimately close bond with Marian (Patten and McQueen’s chemistry feels as natural as breathing), it’s never explicit, and we’re nurturing a beautiful Romeo and Juliet-style connection right along with them.
I can’t give all the credit to our leads for the narrative satisfaction, though. It’s incredible how many movies and TV shows these days don’t get the basics right – I’m aware I sound about 87 saying this, but as a trained scriptwriter, it annoys me endlessly.
English and Glenn know exactly what they’re doing here, and uprooting the story of Robin Hood from its very beginnings allows the overall plot to stay tight and on message. Yes, there are definitely episodes that are more boring than others (there’s a lot of Rob and his ‘merry men’ sitting around despairing in the woods), but each episode cliffhanger is an absolute blinder.
Without fail, a curveball is swiftly delivered in each episode’s last 30 seconds, turning what we’ve learned so far on its head. This means you can’t do anything else with your time other than immediately watch next episode, and I love the feeling of investment those moments give me. Frankly, I’d say it’s the best part of the whole series.
Amazingly, we don’t need to see every time somebody gets it on
While physical scenes between Rob and Marian are wholesome and harmless, I couldn’t believe my eyes at how unnecessarily explicit the rest of Robin Hood is. This falls particularly on Priscilla of Nottingham (Lydia Peckham), who gets back at her dad by trying to hold physical power of the chief of the guards.
Add Rob’s mates getting it on in the serving chambers of Eleanor’s castle, and it all feels a bit icky. Entire scenes of dialogue are acted out in questionable positions, and you already know that the women are near naked while the men remain mostly clothed.
It’s 2025, and we can get across the point that women are using their ‘feminine wiles’ as power without including graphic sex scenes that don’t serve to drive the plot forward. It’s certainly not a feminist move by any stretch of the imagination – even though there will be an intimacy coordinator on set, these are creative decisions being made by men, at the end of the day.
These scenes also weirdly undermine Connie Nielsen’s Eleanor of Aquitaine, who is undoubtedly the best written character in the entirety of Robin Hood. Every word that leaves Nielsen’s mouth is a piece of sage wisdom, using her own wiles to coordinate attacks and alliances through international correspondence.
It’s a masterclass in the continued underestimation of women throughout history, having their stories rewritten while in fact making their own in a man’s world. Clearly, Nielsen has cornered the market for playing royalty, taking everything we love about Lucilla in Gladiator and expanding it in all the best ways. If Amazon gave us a spinoff focussed entirely on her, I wouldn’t be mad about it.
I might be nitpicking here, but overall, I’m impressed. I won’t be lobbying for more takes on the Robin Hood legend any time soon, but MGM+ has proved what is possible in the tired-out realm of adaptations.
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