Episode 2 of the MGM adventure drama series, Robin Hood, has the protagonist reeling from the sudden death of his father, while another mishap in the family leaves him completely doomed. Although Marian Huntingdon tries her best to be by the young man’s side, as she has already fallen in love with him, things are not so easy because of her father, who absolutely hates Robin and all the Locksleys. Finally, Robin Hood episode 2 deals with one last sudden development with regards to the protagonist, which is now certain to change his life forever and force him into living as an outlaw.
Spoiler Alert
How does Hugh’s death affect his family?
After the execution of Hugh Locksley, life goes on as usual at the castle of Nottingham, where Alwin Locksley is a bit skeptical about whether he will be receiving the lands and wealth that Robert Huntingdon had promised him only some time earlier. Alwin had been told that he would receive property and money for his contribution in getting Hugh arrested and executed, and as an extra step, he now goes through baptism as well, becoming a Christian just to be accepted into Norman society. Huntingdon has other, more pressing matters to be concerned about, though, as a letter has just arrived from the royal court to Nottingham Castle, which announces that he has been officially made an earl by King Henry II. With this new title, and with Hugh Locksley now forever removed from the world, Huntingdon’s position in society and in the region is now fully secure, as the sheriff assures him.
It is unclear how exactly the man is given the new title by the royal court, and it raises suspicions in his daughter, Marian’s mind as well. Although the official letter mentions that Robert has been made an earl because of his financial contributions to the Church, which was indeed a common way of climbing the social ladder at the time, Marian knows her father too well to believe that he had given money to anyone. She suspects, and it is suggested in the episode as well, that the king had awarded her father with the title of earl only because he had orchestrated the arrest and execution of a forest-dweller who was believed to be a rebel against the Norman rulers. Therefore, Marian is almost fully convinced that her father had something to do with Hugh’s death, but there is no way for her to prove it just yet.
Meanwhile, Robin is left stunned and aggrieved by his father’s sudden death, as he is seen groveling and crying his eyes out at the burial pits just outside Nottingham, where the dead bodies of executed prisoners are interred. He has to be calmed and comforted by his uncle, Gamewell, and his cousin, Will, who arrive some time later, clearly to check on Robin since he had not returned or contacted the family. They take the young man back to their home, where Joan has been waiting for news of her husband since the previous night, and she too is absolutely heartbroken and devastated to learn of his death. Over the next few days, Robin is a mere shadow of his usual self, and although he does pick up his bow and arrow at times to honor the teachings of his father, he cannot keep his mind off his extreme grief and pain for long.
A far worse tragedy strikes the protagonist when he learns that his mother has fallen terribly sick as well, and is now completely bedridden. Totally consumed by grief and despair, Joan is now on her deathbed, mere days after her husband’s death, and her last piece of advice to her son is very clear. She begs Robin to not live with anger and contempt, but to learn to let go of matters, just so that he can move forward in his life instead of being stuck with his losses. Just a few minutes later, Joan passes away peacefully, leaving Robin alone in the world, without either of his beloved parents. The deaths in quick succession naturally hurt and disturb him terribly, and the teenager is unable to contain his emotions at times. This even leads to a brutal fight with his cousin, Will, in which Robin ends up slashing his Uncle Gamewell’s hand with a kitchen knife, and it marks his detachment from Will. Aside from these negatives, though, Robin also seemingly develops a faint ability to sense nature and the wild forests better, which is evident from a hunting outing with his uncle and cousin some time before his mother’s death.
During the hunt, the trio manages to get close to a deer deep inside the forest, and Robin is given the responsibility of killing the animal so that it can be harvested for meat. But just as Robin is about to shoot his bow, he hears some strange whispers from the trees and seemingly even the deer, which he immediately takes to be a message from Drogo and Godda, the divine spirits ruling the forest. He interprets the whispers to be an order to not kill the deer, and so he does not shoot, much to the frustration of Will, who takes charge. Since hunting game is considered an unlawful act according to Norman laws, Will considers this to be a great chance to harvest meat since they are so deep in the forest and nobody would ever find out about their hunt. However, Robin stops him, rather forcibly, and this ability to hear the whispers of the trees and understand orders from the forest itself will surely become a mystical ability that will guide Robin in his future endeavors.
Why does Robin refuse to go to London?
After Robin starts living with his uncle, Gamewell suggests that the young man go to London for a fresh start in life, especially since he knows the Norman language and is more or less aware of their customs. Will is about to travel to the capital city and receive training to become a page there, which is why his father suggests that Robin accompany him and engage in similar training. With the ever-expanding control of the Normans, there are way too many jobs and empty positions to be filled in London, and with the proper training, Robin would also surely get such a job and start earning his own livelihood. When Gamewell had suggested this idea to his sister, Joan Locksley shortly before her death, she too had agreed with it, as she had always wanted Robin to work in the royal court because she wanted him to have a safe and secure life, where he would not be persecuted by the Normans for being different.
But as Joan passes away, and Robin is even more engulfed by guilt and rage, he rejects the idea and informs his uncle that he has no intention of moving away from Sherwood. Firstly, he does not want to be a page or hold any such lowly position in the royal court, for he has grown up believing that he is destined to do something much more significant in life. Having spent his entire life in the forest and amidst nature, he also cannot imagine living surrounded by mortar and stone. Secondly, and more importantly, Robin has no desire to serve the Norman masters in any way, and becoming a page or working in the court would be the equivalent of doing so. While he was always taught to see the Normans as the cruel invaders who had robbed families like his own of their wealth and dignity, he currently considers the Normans to be even more villainous after his father’s execution.
Thirdly, Robin clearly suspects that there was more to his father’s death than what was told to him and his family, for even Marian later confirms that nobody is executed simply for helping poachers live in the forest. Although Robin had been told that Hugh had been executed because he had murdered a royal guard, he does not believe that his father could have committed such a cruel and senseless crime. Hugh was always an honest and just man, even to his enemies, and it is very unconvincing that he would have taken such a rash step for whatever reason. While Robin does not directly express so just yet, he clearly wants to investigate his father’s death further and understand what had gone on behind the scenes, for which he obviously has to stay back in Sherwood. Thus, he absolutely refuses to move to London and chooses to stay on as a forest-dweller, a proud Saxon with a growing desire to avenge his father’s death.
What is up with Priscilla?
The daughter of the Sheriff of Nottingham, Priscilla, continues her wayward affair with the captain of the garrison, Laforce, even though many of the soldiers take notice of how she visits his chamber at odd times. Along with her carnal desires, Priscilla’s intense wish to exert control over people also plays an integral part in this affair, as she enjoys reminding the captain about how she can have him removed or even executed at any time. Laforce also seemingly enjoys the risk of the affair and is thrilled to be a part of it, only because he is aware of the extreme danger that he could land himself in. Towards the end of the episode, Captain Laforce does seem to get into some trouble when the sheriff asks to talk to him about disciplining his soldiers after he returns from the hunt, and he finally decides to no longer get intimate with Priscilla.
Meanwhile, Priscilla welcomes Marian to the castle when the Huntingdons visit the place, and the two women sit down for a chat. Noticing the bruises on Marian’s face, the confident and assertive Priscilla states that she would have never tolerated anybody assaulting her and would have stood up even against her father. Through this conversation, she learns about how Marian had recently attended a Pagan wedding in the forest, and how she had even kissed a young man whom she had started to develop feelings for. When asked about the identity of this man, Marian reveals that it is Robin Locksley that she is talking about, and this has a certain effect on Priscilla. Although she does not say anything, Priscilla might make attempts to ruin this relationship and even cause Robin harm by telling people about their romantic encounters, especially after the events at the end of the episode.
Do Robin and Marian part ways?
When Robin realizes that the only remaining person who truly cares for him, after his parents’ death, is Marian Huntingdon, he bravely goes to the estate with a bagful of money and asks her to run away with him. Robin states that the money is enough to give them a fresh start, and he says that he knows the depths of the forest very well, where they can live in peace and away from any danger. But before Marian can take any decisions, and as they share a brief kiss inside the stable at the estate, the Earl of Huntingdon and his most trusted henchman, Bernard, walk into the place and pull them apart. Huntingdon even comes close to killing the protagonist, only to be stopped by Bernard, and Robin somehow returns to his uncle’s house safely. But the Earl is now extremely harsh on his daughter, having already believed her to be deceitful, and he decides to send her away.
Convinced by the Sheriff of Nottingham, Huntingdon had already made plans of sending Marian to the court of Queen Eleanor so that she could be used to somehow bring the family closer to the royal family through matrimonial ties in the future. Therefore, he now sends the young woman away, who bids her brothers goodbye and leaves Locksley estate on her carriage, accompanied by Bernard. On the long journey towards London, she begs Bernard to let her meet Robin one last time and is eventually allowed to do so. Bernard himself takes her to the Gamewell’s residence, and here she has a final conversation with Robin, at least for the time being. While Robin expresses her anger and hatred towards all Normans, Marian admits to him that she despises her own people with an equal fervor. She wants to create her own identity and agency in the world, which she will aim to do at the queen’s court, but she promises to always keep Robin in her thoughts and prayers. With one final passionate kiss, Robin and Marian do part ways at the end of Robin Hood episode 2.
How does Robin end up committing a murder?
A few weeks after his parents’ death and Marian’s departure, Robin is finally cheered up by a piece of news shared by Uncle Gamewell. An archery competition is to be held in Leicester, and the winner will be given the chance to work as a forester for the royal court. Excited to be posted somewhere close to London so that he can meet both his lover and his cousin, Robin agrees to participate in this tournament, especially when his uncle gifts him a new set of bow and arrows, as he had broken his own. He keeps practicing shots from seemingly impossible distances, which boosts his confidence tremendously, and this is what ultimately lands him in trouble while travelling through the forest alone one day.
During his travel, carrying his bow and arrows, a group of soldiers led by Captain Laforce of Nottingham, who had come on a hunting expedition, stop Robin and almost force him into a bet. Laforce promises to pay Robin 10 pennies, a significant amount, if he can hit any target of his choice with arrows. Confident in his archery skills. Robin accepts the deal but is shocked when Laforce tells him to shoot a deer in the distance. Shooting and killing an animal in the forest is against the Norman law, since all game belongs to the king. But not shooting would lead to Laforce taking away his bow and arrows and sending him back to Sherwood, as per the deal. Therefore, Robin decides to step up and make the shot, instantly killing the deer with a perfectly placed heart shot.
Laforce is stunned now, not only because he had never expected Robin to make such a distant shot, but also because the killing of the animal means that he and his soldiers have just witnessed a crime that they must act against, being the lawmen. Although he lets Robin run away, Laforce does shoot arrows at him, clearly intending to kill him and make it look like he and his soldiers had taken down a poacher. In order to defend himself, Robin turns around and shoots a single arrow at the captain, instantly killing Laforce and committing a heinous murder. He has to flee the scene, but the crime would mean that Robin will now be persecuted by the law and will be forced to eventually take shelter deep in the forest and become an outlaw in the truest sense.
