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© Companions of the Longbow
Robin Hood Goofs - Episode 3
Episode 3 "Who Shot The Sheriff?"
With the people of Nottingham being attacked by a mysterious archer, Robin finds himself blamed.
How Not To Do Public Relations
Okay, so Robin promises the Millers that he’ll help sort out their tax bill with the bailiff. He then goes to the bailiff and pays the Miller’s tax bill. That’s fine. However he tells the bailiff not to tell anyone that he’s helped pay the Miller’s bill. So for all intents and purposes to the outside world it’d look like Robin has promised to help, and then done jack all. No wonder he’s so unpopular in this episode. Robin needs some basic lessons in public relations.
Marian Not Being Allowed To Learn To Shoot
In this episode we find out that despite her father forbidding it, Marian has secretly learned to shoot a bow an arrow. Yay to Girl Power! Only the reason for her father forbidding her to learn to shoot are that he’s afraid she might go off and fight. Not only would historically most noble women have hunted with a bow and arrow for sport, but it’s no different from her father forbidding his daughter from learning to ride a horse in case she wanted to go off jousting. She only gets to shoot a couple of arrows during the entire series anyway as she spends most of the series fighting hand-to-hand under the pseudonym of The Night Watchman.
The Village of Clum Part 1
The villagers at Clum have been quarantined after an outbreak of disease but the threat appears to be over. The sheriff has plans for the village as a garrison and starving the villagers will free the village for his use. Marian goes in secret to Clum where with the aid of Robin she gets food to the starving people. What’s wrong with this? Firstly this is the only village we’ll ever see that has it’s own palisade around it, obviously built, despite the threat of disease, to keep the villagers in right? It is in no way there to help the story by creating a physical barrier that stops Marian and Robin from just sneaking food straight in. Secondly, villages aren’t nice places where people live because it’s quaint. They generate money for the lord who owns it. And judging by the fact that the sheriff has power of quarantine over Clum it’s his village. Garrisons by contrast don’t generate money, they take money to run. So it’s financially beneficial to keep the village going. Thirdly, lords didn’t need excuses to clear out a village. They just did it and the villagers, who were pretty much the property of the lord, just had to live with the change. So all in all the situation at the village of Clum looks perfectly straight forward when it’s not.
The Village of Clum Part 2
So Marian brings a cart load of food to the village and Robin and his pal Roy stick some of the food on the end of arrows and start shooting them over the palisade. Marian quite rightly gets annoyed saying it’s a stupid thing to do as they could just throw the food over. But she’s annoyed because it’s a waste of arrows rather than the fact that it’s a tad dangerous. “Thanks ever so much for the pork pie Robin. Do you want your arrow back? Come on over and pull it out of my head then.”
Robin, He’s Not Very Bright Is He?
You’re in Nottingham because there’s been a series of murders where a lone archer has shot some people. People are nervous and angry. Robin Hood is suspect number one. So how do you attract the attention of Marian in a crowded square? That’s right. You, as Robin Hood, nock an arrow, sneak through the crowds and finesse shoot her in backside. It’s like someone during the height of the Beltway Sniper Attacks of 2002 sneaking through a crowd in Washington to tap their friend on the shoulder with the business end of a sniper rifle. What an idiot.