Post by Dennis of Ravenscar on May 23, 2014 17:14:33 GMT
Robin of Sherwood: Series 2, Episode 1
The Prophecy
Original Transmission Date - 9th March 1985
by Richard Carpenter
Story
Herne is in a trance, sitting by a fire with Robin next to him. He mentions “the Lion” and Robin wonders if he means King Richard. He then mentions “Lackland” and “Softswood”, which Robin takes to mean Prince John. Herne says that he is coming, then speaks of a prisoner, “..close to you...back from the dead...must save him..”. Robin is puzzled and asks “Who is he?”
We then see Little John in Nottingham Castle dungeon with the old man, complaining about Arthur the rat using his beard as bedding. The guards throw a cocky young man into the dungeon, who complains that the floor hasn’t been swept for weeks. When the old man approaches him with Arthur he asks John, “What’s he in for?”
“The old man?”
“No, the rat”
They introduce themselves. He is called Mark, and describes himself as a poacher, pedlar and sailor, who got caught carrying a bow. He recognises Little John as being one of Robin Hood’s men and asks if Robin will try and get him out. “I know he will,” John says confidently.
In Sherwood, Robin is announcing his plan to rescue John to the others. He thinks they should go into Nottingham the following day, rather than that night when they will be expected. The next day is market day, when the town will be crowded. Robin assumes that John is the prisoner that Herne spoke of.
In the castle Gisburne is dictating a letter for the Sheriff, telling him of Little John’s capture. He is interrupted by a well-dressed man who states that his master is coming to Nottingham and commands that Gisburne prepares for his arrival. Gisburne is about to protest when the man tells him that he is Peter de Leon, Seneschal to Prince John.
Gisburne panics; the Sheriff is away and he sees himself as “a soldier, not a courtier”. De Leon reassures him that the Prince is a soldier also, and that he will sort out the details. John’s cook travels with him, and tastes his food for him. He doesn’t like music; he has other diversions, who are travelling with him.
De Leon: “Oh, he takes a bath twice a week.”
Gisburne: “Whatever for?”
De Leon: “It’s his custom.”
Gisburne: “How extraordinary!”
De Leon: “He is an extraordinary man.”
De Leon then warns Gisburne that if the Prince should become “irritated”, he should just bow and leave, as, he states, “it’s safer”. He then advises him to begin repairs on the castle walls, which appear to be crumbling away.
The work is started and everyone in the castle is needed to help, including the prisoners. The old man doesn’t want to leave Arthur, but he has to go.
As the prisoners are being escorted out of the castle, Prince John arrives, while Guy is still trying desperately to get into his good armour. John orders a hooded prisoner to be taken to the west tower and de Leon announces the Prince in the main hall. A herald trumpets his arrival (very badly) but John is not impressed: “We expected you would greet us upon our arrival.” He goes to sit on the dais, confusing Gisburne as to whether he should be kneeling or not. The Prince then beckons him to his side and tells him to summon Abbot Hugo. He tells him he has a prisoner with him, then whispers the prisoner’s name. Gisburne is clearly surprised and exclaims, “But he’s dead!” before he is silenced by the Prince. He states that no one must speak to the prisoner and then goes to eat by himself, stopping only to get de Leon to pick him some female company from among the castle women.
In the forest a young boy tells the outlaws that he has seen Little John working in Sedgeham quarry with the other prisoners. They thank him and set off for the quarry, where they threaten to shoot the guards if the prisoners are not released. The captain refuses to surrender so they start firing, while John attacks one of the soldiers and Mark prevents another one from shooting him.
Robin, “Sometimes you’re more trouble than you’re worth.”
John, “Aye, but not often.”
John introduces Mark, who wants to join them. They release the prisoners, but the old man refuses to leave; he wants to get back to Arthur.
Prince John is furious at the loss of the prisoners and orders Gisburne to be put in the dungeon. Guy protests, mentioning “..the plan...my plan...”, but John ignores him and appoints de Leon in his place until they leave Nottingham.
Abbot Hugo arrives at the castle and wonders where Gisburne is. He is concerned to hear he has been “removed” until the Prince reassures him, “Not from this world, Abbot, though I confess I was tempted.”
John then speaks to the nobles he has assembled, saying that the security of the kingdom and its Crown has brought him from the wars in Normandy. He mentions that each province of the Angevin empire has different laws in regard to the succession and he is concerned that if his brother should die without naming his successor there would be another civil war that would split the empire. He tells Hugo that he has summoned him because the Church has considerable influence with the barons. Hugo is not entirely sure of this so John seeks to convince him by showing him his prisoner. He tells Hugo that he is someone who will ensure his support in persuading the barons that he is heir to the throne. He pulls the prisoner’s mask off and it is clear that he knows Hugo and that the Abbot is shocked to see him.
In Sherwood, John is telling them about the prisoner, and Marion is wondering why he was masked. Robin wants to rescue him, realising that he, rather than Little John, must be the prisoner in Herne’s prophecy. The others are less keen, when they don’t even know who he is.
Scarlet: “He’s mad, I’m telling you he’s mad.”
Robin is trying to figure out how to get into the castle when Mark comes up with an idea: he will betray them. He will lead Gisburne and his men out to the forest so that the outlaws can get into the castle. Mark assures them that he will be able to slip away once he’s led the soldiers into the forest. They all agree to the plan, and Mark says that he’ll come back at dawn the following morning if Gisburne takes the bait.
A banquet is in progress at Nottingham Castle and Prince John is telling Hugo to ‘enlighten’ the dissident barons: David, Earl of Huntingdon, the Earls of Derby and Warwick, and William de Mowbray. De Leon appears to tell John that one of the escaped prisoners has arrived wanting to see Gisburne, so the Prince tells him to lock him up with him.
When Mark sees Guy in the dungeon he suddenly loses his peasant accent, stating, “It’s all gone wrong!”. Guy calls him Henry and asks if he learned anything from Little John. ‘Mark’ tells him he has joined the outlaws and that they are planning to free the prisoner, even though they don’t know who he is. Gisburne is surprised at this, but tells Henry that if they rescue the prisoner, they will rescue him as well. He is to go with them and kill the prisoner when he gets the chance. He says that John will reward them both for this, as he can’t afford to have the prisoner reach the King in Normandy.
Hugo leaves the castle, cursing Prince John, and travels through Sherwood. He is easily captured by the outlaws, who are concerned about Mark, and so they try to get some information from the Abbot. He inadvertantly lets slip that Gisburne has been dismissed and is now in the dungeon, which they all find very amusing. Robin then asks about Prince John’s prisoner. Hugo pretends not to know about him, but after Robin lets Scarlet ‘persuade’ him, he reveals that the prisoner is Marion’s father, Sir Richard of Leaford.
Marion can barely believe this, convinced he is dead. She accuses Hugo of having always known that he was alive but he tells her that the Saracens captured her father and that he only found out the day before. He was released when Saladin died, but by then King Richard was a hostage in Austria, and John had him captured when he returned to England. Robin comforts the distraught Marion, and tells her that they’ll free her father.
A lone soldier gallops up to Nottingham Castle, collapses at the gates and is carried inside. After speaking to him de Leon tells John that he is one of Abbot Hugo’s guards who was ambushed by Robin Hood, and that Hugo is now his prisoner. The Prince flies into a rage, so de Leon tries to leave, but he is called back and told to get Robin Hood. He protests that it is night time but Prince John insists that this is the best time to attack, when they least expect it, and orders him to kill or capture the outlaws. De Leon speaks again to the badly injured soldier who tells him that the ambush was at Darkmere. The Captain of the Guard knows where this is, although he is reluctant to go there at night. Unfortunately, de Leon has no choice. He orders the soldier to be taken to the monks to have his wounds seen to then leaves with a squad of soldiers.
Meanwhile, it has now become apparent that the soldier is in fact Robin, who removes the padding from his cheeks and threatens the monk tending him with a knife.
Outside, the other outlaws are making their way up the castle walls, using the handy scaffolding. Nasir and Will are dressed as soldiers, and once inside the courtyard they lead John along as their prisoner. As the real guards help them, John knocks one down into the dungeon, then attacks another while Will and Nasir do the old ‘one, two, three’ on the remaining guard. John tells ‘Mark’ to lay Gisburne out, which he has to do.
Robin gets the monk, Brother Cedric, to knock at the door where the prisoner is held, then uses him as a shield while he fights the two guards inside. Robin releases Sir Richard and tells poor Brother Cedric to stay silent.
The others are now making their way along the castle walls, neatly disposing of all the soldiers they come across. They meet up with Robin, then someone sounds the alarm and Will gets shot by a crossbow bolt. John lowers them down in the large basket used for lifting blocks of stone.
A soldier tells Prince John that the prisoner from the west tower has escaped and gets viciously kicked for his troubles, while John berates them all as fools.
The outlaws all arrive back at the camp, and Richard runs to greet his daughter. Marion checks Will’s back, but the wound is not serious and she says it will heal. Her father questions her about living with outlaws, and even being married to one. She introduces him to Robin, and he approves of him and gives them his blessing.
Back in Nottingham, Prince John is still in a rage. He decides to give Gisburne another chance so Guy reveals his plan involving Henry, and tells him that he’s told his man to silence Sir Richard. He blames de Leon for almost ruining the plan when he stuck Henry in the dungeon with him. De Leon tries to protest that it was John who ordered him put there, but he’s in a no win situation, and John sends him off to the dungeon as well.
The outlaws are trying to get Sir Richard to France to warn the King about his brother, and John suggests that ‘Mark’ should go with him, as he’s a sailor. Robin, Marion, Richard, ‘Mark’ and Nasir set off for the coast. Later, Hugo makes a comment, asking when Henry of Skipton was outlawed. John is puzzled, wondering if he’s talking about Mark. “It was Henry when he worked for me”. They realise they’ve been tricked and Scarlet tells Much to go to Fairlight Cove to warn Robin. Much runs off immediately so Will calls him back and tells him to take a horse.
Sir Richard and ‘Mark’ are just leaving in a small boat, after a tearful farewell between Marion and her father, when Much appears and shouts at Robin to stop Mark because he’s a traitor. Richard realises that something’s wrong and tells the captain of the boat to turn about, but Henry stops him and attacks Richard with a knife. Robin rides into the sea, knocks Henry off the boat and they fight in the shallows until Henry is beaten.
In the main hall of Nottingham Castle a messenger arrives with news from Normandy. He gives a scroll to John, calling him “my liege”. John’s eyes light up, he reads the scroll, then announces that his brother has been killed by an arrow and named him as heir. Gisburne quickly starts shouting, “God save the King!”
Marion waves goodbye to her father, unaware that there is no need for him to go to France now.
Finally, we see Herne declare, “The Lion is dead and the prophecy fulfilled”.
Comments
It has to be said that it is not made entirely clear in the episode what the point of Prince John’s plan is. In the novelisation it is stated that John captured Sir Richard because he knew he was against him, and to stop him contacting his family and ‘disloyal’ friends. However, this doesn’t really make any sense, and doesn’t explain why John would expect Hugo to speak to the troublesome barons and persuade them to his cause. If Hugo was supposed to tell them that Sir Richard would be killed if they didn’t support John, why couldn’t John do this himself? It makes more sense to me that Prince John knew that Hugo had effectively stolen Sir Richard’s lands and that he was expecting him to convince the nobles to support John, using his own influence and that of the Church, otherwise John would ensure that Sir Richard got his lands back (with interest?) from Hugo. I think we can assume that if Hugo had succeeded, Sir Richard would have been killed. In the end, the details of John’s plan are glossed over in the realisation that the prisoner is somebody very important to one of the outlaws.
Given Gisburne’s track record, I find it very funny that both he and Robin comment on how easy it will be for them to rescue the prisoner with Guy in the dungeon:-
Robin: “But with Gisburne out of the way we’ll stand a better chance.”
Guy: “If they succeed, which they will with me powerless down here...”
Best lines and moments
Pretty much all the bits with Prince John, because he’s powerful enough to say and do what he wants, and because of the way other people behave around him. The scene when he arrives at the castle is hilarious, with Gisburne desperately trying to get ready, the dreadful trumpet player, and the look on Guy’s face when he gets up from kneeling, then realises that no one else has. All of John’s temper tantrums are amusing, and these are some of my favourite lines:
To Gisburne: “I’m really not interested in your personal feud. And the fact that you’re de Rainault’s protege, if that’s all you are, means nothing to me. Nothing. But because of your incompetence you’ve lost prisoners from the dungeons of a royal castle and he is the only survivor of the men supposed to guard them. Now you may think your position protects you from the consequences of this fiasco, but I am the King’s brother, and one day... one day who knows what I may be. So, learn this: I forgive nothing. I pardon no man. Guards! Take him to the dungeons he so successfully emptied.”
To de Leon (whilst kicking the furniture): “God’s teeth! I’ve heard nothing but Robin Hood since I came to Nottingham! What’s wrong with everyone in this miserable county? Are they all sheep?”
To de Leon (after he has failed): “This would never have happened in my father’s time, de Leon. Where’s Abbot Hugo? With Robin Hood! With Robin Hood! Robin Hood! He is laughing at me! The whole of Nottingham is laughing! I should never have sent you, de Leon, you’re a talker.”
The scene where Marion finds out that her father is alive is very well played, moving but also amusing. Take a look at Little John’s face while she’s hitting Hugo!
One of the funniest moments in the whole series is when Gisburne has just been put in the dungeon and he’s shouting at the guards. They get up and pour a horribly realistic-looking bucket of slops over his head, the old man looks up and says, “Look Arthur, it’s raining!”
A lot of the humour in this episode is rather black, with people being killed and threatened, but in funny ways, such as Robin’s fight with Sir Richard’s guards with Brother Cedric in the middle of it. It also includes Scarlet threatening Hugo with comic menace:
Scarlet: “Now I’m gonna ask you a question. Which is your favourite ear? Is it your left ear, or is it your right?”
Hugo: “Keep away from me, you villain!”
Scarlet: “Don’t call me a villain, you swivel-eyed old hypocrite!”
A lot of the violence at the castle is amusingly done, as well.
Guard: “Who goes there?”
Scarlet: “Friend.” (hits guard and knocks him off wall) “Not your friend.”
Review
This is a great episode, with a fairly complex plot, superb characterisation and some very funny lines. The mystery surrounding the identity of the prisoner engages your interest right from the start and nothing is revealed too quickly. There are plans within plans, which are constantly being foiled, either by design or accident, until at the end, as King John says, “Nothing matters now, yes?”.
This is the first episode not to feature the Sheriff, and Gisburne is really trying to do his best, even coming up with a halfway decent plan to get the outlaws, but as usual he is thwarted. At least he eventually ends up on the right side of Prince John, who is probably the best thing about this episode. He is played brilliantly by Philip Davis, and he has some superb lines. He comes across as shrewd, cruel, capricious and frequently (unintentionally) funny, with his irrational temper being a fatal flaw. As the smooth and oily de Leon discovers, he can be rather too dangerous an employer to work for.
Apart from a lot of humourous moments, a great deal of the enjoyment in this episode comes from the continual surprises. Discovering that the prisoner is Marion’s father, discovering that Mark is a plant and (in my case at least) discovering every time I watch it that the injured soldier is, in fact, Robin!
Cast in order of appearance
Herne the Hunter...John Abineri
Robin Hood...Michael Praed
Old Prisoner...Stuart Linden
Little John...Clive Mantle
Mark...Simon Dutton
Marion...Judi Trott
Nasir...Mark Ryan
Will Scarlet...Ray Winstone
Much...Peter Llewellyn Williams
Friar Tuck...Phil Rose
Guy of Gisburne...Robert Addie
De Leon...John Nettles
Captain...Philip York
Guard...Michael Loney
Prince John...Philip Davis
Little Boy...David Bartlett
Abbot Hugo...Philip Jackson
Sir Richard...George Baker
Brother Cedric...David Silvier
Messenger...Jamie Ripman
Executive Producer...Patrick Dromgoole
Assistant Producer...Esta Charkham
Producer...Paul Knight
Director...Robert Young
Episode Guide written by Lucy of Ravenscar
First appeared in Nothing's Forgotten newsletter issue 6, April 1997