After the corrupt Normans conquer their homeland, Saxon outlaws Locksley, his men, and his son Robert, strive for justice against their oppressors.
The story of Robin Hood, the outlaw fable who robbed from the arrogant rich and gave to the poor, famous for his almost otherworldly skill with a longbow, and of course his love story for the ages with Maid Marian, has been told and retold for more than a hundred years. This fresh take on the beloved character delves deep into politics, religion, and the aftermath of war from both the winning and losing side, so make sure you have plenty of backup arrows and lets dive into this!
So, it’s already happened. The Normans came in roaring like a lion and more or less completely conquered the Saxons, stealing their land and giving it to the Norman nobility for stewardship in the Kings name, which is exactly what happened to Locksley castle. The freshly minted for his service Lord Huntingdon (Steve Waddington) and his children, including the Norman noblewoman Marian (Lauren McQueen), have taken over the castle and the surrounding grounds, while Locksley and his family and all his men are forced to take refuge in the Saxon settlement on the edges of Sherwood forest. The King is rumored to be shrewd when it comes to matters of resettling the conquered Saxons, for mass slaughter is just a bad business model if nothing else, and so Lord Locksley (Tom Mison) and his men go from their proud, honorable lives as free pagan Lords managing vast lands between the northern and southern trades of England, to mere foresters, men who oversee Sherwood and answer to the Sheriff of Nottingham.
And what about the Sheriff of Nottingham (Sean Bean)? He is a warrior weary from constant battle, having served with the King in the crusades previously, and if he had his druthers, there would be no more war, either abroad or at home. But in order to accomplish this, one has to rule with an iron fist, adhering to Law and Order like it was practically his religion. The Sheriff is a man who expects obedience and will not shy away from violence in order to get it, but that’s not his personal preference. And when open defiance begins erupting from the foresters in Sherwood, the Sheriff has no choice but to follow through with consequences from the law, despite being well aware how such actions are likely to be received.
The Sheriff of Nottingham sports one single weakness, one that ironically defies him on a regular basis, his haughty Noble daughter, Priscilla (Lydia Peckham). The girl has affairs with Nottingham guard captains, relishing her purported power over her fathers men, eyes the life of the Court of England with envy, and oh yes, has the occasional prophetic dream as well. Despite her many flaws, Priscilla’s father gives her plenty of rope, listens to her as she gushes on about her dream-visions, and even arranges for her to go for reeducation at a nearby convent, escorted by the Bishop of Hereford (Richard Lintern) himself, when word of her misdeeds finally gets a bit too much.
Rob’s mother Joan (Anastasia Griffith) and father tried, oh how they tried, to live in the Saxon settlement and serve the King as foresters, to quietly have their Pagan rituals and weddings and such in Sherwood away from prying eyes, just to exist in relative harmony with the Norman oppressors. But rarely do conquerors just stop after one major victory, and despite the promise of peace if they but followed Norman law, Lord Locksley and his men are being goaded by the Normans, most especially Lord Huntingdon, into acts of defiance and desperation. And sure enough, when Locksley Sr. had enough and went to protest his innocence of various accused crimes to the Sheriff himself, he was met with treachery to the point of a hangmans noose.
Thus is Saxon fury at their freedom of life being stripped away reborn in the Goddess-favored son of Locksley Sr., as the seeds of Robin Hood (Jack Patten) are born, watered by blood and rage. After his poor grief-stricken mother follows her husband far too soon into the afterlife, despite Rob’s uncle Gamewell’s (Ian Pirie) pleas to stay in the settlement and contain his wrath, Rob takes off for the deeper parts of Sherwood, only to, you guessed it, find himself in yet more trouble with Normans. “They started it!” won’t stop the Sheriff from sending Rob after his father too.
On the flip side of all that, the great romance between Rob and Marian has begun in earnest, despite her father being a hated Norman Lord who now occupies Locksley castle with his family. The young lovers meet in the literal line between their two worlds, the forest line that marks one of many entrances to Sherwood, which also happens to be Locksley castles’ backyard. Rob escorts Marian to a Saxon wedding out in Sherwood forest, and their young forbidden love blossoms amongst the free, happy Pagans. But as the legend of Robin Hood the outlaw grows, and the duties of Marian at the Royal Court are looming, their star-crossed romance seems doomed.
Now that Rob’s finally made it to more or less permanent residence in Sherwood, it’s time to start assembling our favorite band of merry men! We begin by making friends with the three Miller kids, most notably the cross-dressing Ralph (Erica Ford). Next is the hulking giant lion of a man, who began his journey as a man hunting the bounty on Robin Hoods’ head, aided by his faithful dog, the warrior with battle and loyalty constantly at the forefront of his mind, Robin Hood’s right-hand man, known almost ironically as Little John (Marcus Fraser). Then comes the conscience of the band, a man of the cloth but a man nonetheless, clever and reliable and kind, full of belief in the best of all men and women, is Friar Tuck (Angus Castle-Doughty). Rob’s uncle Gamewell’s son, his cousin Will Scarlett (Henry Rowley), has already been sent abroad to the Royal Court of England, which leads us onward to …
Over at the Royal Court, one might as well call it the Court of Eleanor of Aquitaine (Connie Nielsen), as the Queen holds the power while her husband the King is still off fighting infidels in the holy lands, or whatever else crusaders do. Eleanor takes a fancy to Marian, creating her Maid Marian of the Queens Chamber, much to the resentment of the Ladies in waiting who had been here long before Marian. And when the Queen’s overly ambitious son Prince John (Graeme Thomas King), the one she doesn’t want to take the throne after the demise of the King, takes a fancy to Marian, the Queen decides to employ our Maiden as her Court spy, much to her detriment. The Queen’s other favored person, the Earl Marshal (Oscar Salem), is a consummate courtier but walks a very fine line doubling as her spy. Almost inevitably, when the Sheriff’s daughter Priscilla finally makes it to Court, she and Marshal end up together in a most unexpected and surprisingly genuine romance. Which makes everything harder when word of Robin Hood’s deeds reach the Court and the people in power begin plotting how to use, or crush, or both, his by-now full blown rebellion.
Each and every character, whether brand new, taken from history, or familiar and beloved, gets at least a moment or two of the shows spotlight, a brief insight into the motivations behind their actions. The introduction of Saxon versus Norman politics, the war on faiths and religious beliefs, and the machinations behind the scenes of Courtly doings, all serve to give new life and depth to this version of Robin Hood.
Raise your hood and join the merry band of righteous outlaws in Robin Hood 2025 on the MGM+ channel now!
Reviewed by Alicia Glass