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© Companions of the Longbow
Robin Hood Goofs - Episode 9
Episode 9 "A Thing Or Two About Loyalty"
Castle scientist Lambert has invented explosive black powder. Realising that it could become a lethal weapon in the wrong hands, he hides his ledger detailing the secret formula.
Quick! Behind the Safety Barrier
Sir Guy and his business partner Lambert wish to demonstrate the power of this new stuff called “black powder” to the sheriff and Marian. Lambert sets up a barrel of the stuff and sets the fuse. They then go and take cover behind a little purpose built palisade about the size of a door. It even has a little viewing slot cut into it. The thing is there’s a massive explosion that leaves a crater big enough to park a Fiat Punto in without scratching the car’s paint work and yet everyone steps out safe from behind this garden gate of a wooden palisade.
Black Powder & Greek Fire Are The Same Thing Aren’t They?
During the show the terms “black powder” and “Greek Fire” are used freely and easily for the same substance. This appears to be purely so that the writers could shoe horn a line in from Djaq that “it’s typical that the Saracens have been experimenting with Greek Fire for centuries and you call it Greek”. The trouble is “black powder” is an early form of gunpowder, invented by the Chinese and which eventually found it’s way through to Western Europe through contact with the Muslim world. “Greek Fire” was Byzantine weapon consisting of an unknown mixture of chemicals similar to Napalm that could not be extinguished by water and which was used against the Muslim fleets who attacked Constantinople. So if the Saracens had been experimenting with “Greek Fire” for centuries it was in the form of getting burnt to death by it then? These two substances are two totally separate compounds, different in fit, form and function and it takes 0.005 seconds worth of searching on Google to find this out. And yet they gabble about “Greek Fire” and “Black Powder” like they are the same thing.
The Mystery of the Water Barrels
Lambert kept his secret journal hidden in one of the castle water barrels. This seems a perfectly acceptable place to hide a book … as long as the ink doesn’t run or the pages dissolve that it. But that’s not the problem. Why have the castle got barrels full of water? No one drank the water as it was seen to be unfit to safely drink; everyone routinely drank beer or wine. Aha! So they had the water for beer making. Except why store water when it’ll go stagnant? So perhaps they had the water stored to fight fires? But then why have all the water barrels stored in one place and not have them dotted around the castle where they might be needed. And even if the water was used for drinking, pretty quickly someone would notice a big book shaped lump in their cup of Adams Ale. The mystery of the water barrels continues …
Scorched Earth
Robin shoots a fire arrow into the cave holding the stash of only remaining black powder. Sir Guy, who was standing outside the entrance throws himself down on the ground as the cave explodes behind him and belches out a huge rolling fire ball. When Sir Guy gets up all the grass is scorched black including the patch he was laying flat on. When he got up there should have been a little Sir Guy shaped green patch left. They missed a golden Tom & Jerry comedy moment there.