S3 Episode Guide - The Betrayal (Episode 8)

The episode starts with an unprovoked attack on a Sherwood village by five "outlaws" who look remarkably like Robin Hood, Little John, Will Scarlet, Nasir and Friar Tuck. Some villagers are murdered and their huts are burnt down. The apparent outlaws leave carrying a roasted pig. Marion and Much arrive as the attackers leave: a surviving village woman tells Marion it was Robin Hood and curses him and his band of outlaws. We then see the real Merries feasting on a roasted pig! 

In Nottingham Castle the Sheriff is enjoying pouring gold coins into a strongbox. The value is "sixty thousand marks", and  is the tax money that King John is coming personally to collect, since the last two shipments were intercepted by Robin Hood and the other outlaws. The money is kept in a metal cage and he orders the guards to lock it and let no one in until the king comes to collect the money. (The mark at this time was a unit of currency, rather than an individual coin, worth 2/3 of a pound. Hence this was worth forty thousand pounds!). In the main hall the Sheriff and Gisburne quarrel about how the preparations are going for the king's coming. The Sheriff tells Gisburne that Roger de Carnac is coming with the king and adds that "de Carnage" would be a better name for him. The enmity between the Sheriff and Gisburne seems worse in this episode.



We then see King John arrives in Nottingham with his entourage, including de Carnac. As a public relations exercise de Carnac scatters some coins to the crowd who scrabble for them, and the king motions to a woman to let him bless and even kiss a baby. King John surreptitiously wipes his mouth afterwards. 



Back in Sherwood, the outlaws (except Marion and Much who aren't there) are lying back after enjoying a "nice bit of pig" though John says he prefers beef and Tuck prefers mutton being sick of venison. Robin (Robert) explains that he didn't eat venison before as it is reserved for the king not earls. The king, now mounted, arrives at the castle and is welcomed at the entrance by the Sheriff. A sumptuous feast has been laid on but the king rejects it and orders it to be given to "the poor" much to Gisburne's incredulity. The king "requests" that the Sheriff and Gisburne meet him in his (the king's) chambers.



With the war in Normandy going badly, King John is angry about the loss of the tax money from Nottingham. Questioning the Sheriff's competence the king orders de Rainault onto his knees and de Carnac gives Gisburne a prompting shove to do likewise. De Rainault admits that the last two shipments were stolen but says this one is safe. De Rainault shifts the blame onto Gisburne who can only bluster in defence. At the same time we see Marion and Much discussing the village massacre they have witnessed and agreeing that it couldn't be Robin and the others.



In a beautiful snowy scene, Will Scarlet and Little John are confronted at the same village by Tom and two other villagers who tell them they aren't welcome. In Nottingham the king explains that there will be a new era of tolerance and justice, even charity ("for a time"), towards the people in order to undermine their support for Robin Hood. The king says he will now dine with suitable "diverting" company.



John and Scarlet return to the outlaws' camp with the news they have been driven out of the village. Robin now knows about the massacre and that they are suspected. We next see the fake outlaws (led by de Carnac) attack three monks - two of which escape so they can tell the abbot they were attacked by Robin Hood and the merries. The real outlaws find the one injured monk and Tuck pulls the arrow out. The arrow comes from a longbow. Nasir finds the trail of "maybe six men". Robin orders Scarlet and Tuck to take the wounded monk to the monastery while Robin, Nasir and John track the real villains and see them crossing a river. They follow them and see them changing into the uniform of the king's guard. Robin realises this means King John is in Nottingham. Unbeknown to Will and Tuck, Marion and Much see them handling the valuable items the monks were carrying and get the wrong idea.

In the hall of Nottingham Castle, the king tells Gisburne to address the "scum" which Gisburne took all too literally. The king addresses the people and bewails the "evil crimes" of the Merries and says he will not leave Nottingham until Robin's head adorns the city walls. He then asks de Rainault to offer a reward for information on the outlaws: there is a monk scribe to note down what is said. The king then asks de Carnac to mount another outrage by the Merries. 



De Carnac and the fake outlaws decide to attack the same village that Little John and Will Scarlet were barred from but are confronted by the real outlaws. (How did they know de Carnac's plan - maybe a spy in Nottingham?). Little John remarks that the fake Scarlet is better looking than the real one! An exciting fight develops in which de Carnac is killed by Robin with the help of the head villager who, seeing the truth of it, tells Robin that the real outlaws will always be welcome in their village. In Nottingham the king is angry that the information given by the people is conflicting and useless.



The king asks loudly whether anyone in this "God forsaken" shire can lead him to Robin Hood and just then Marion appears and says she will. The sheriff warns the king that Marion is not to be trusted and Gisburne says Marion should be "hanged at once". Marion says that she has now seen Robin attack innocent monks and villages. De Rainault says that Marion has always been with Robin but Marion explains that the stolen tax money was given to the poor. Marion says she thought Robin was a good man, chosen by Herne the Hunter, but now she thinks he steals for himself and "kills for pleasure". De Rainault explains to the king that Herne is a forest god, a local superstition. The king approaches Marion (calling her "wench") and fondles her hair: a hint of a smirk from Marion indicates this is a clever plan by the real outlaws. Since de Carnac has not returned, the operation to capture the outlaws will be led by Gisburne.



Marion guides a large contingent of soldiers led by Gisburne to the outlaws in the forest. The sheriff warns her that she had better not be lying or she will die for it. When they find the outlaws Gisburne orders two soldiers to take Marion back to Nottingham for the king's amusement. Marion was not expecting this. When Gisburne discovers that these are the fake outlaws, bound and gagged, with the dead de Carnac, he vows that Marion will die for this.


Some of the villagers capture a soldier and pass on to Much that Marion has already been taken back to Nottingham. Robin and the Merries decide to turn the tables and pass themselves off as de Carnac and the fake outlaws, confident that Gisburne will get lost in the dark in the forest (as before). Back in the castle, King John says that Marion will be bathed and chooses the finest Byzantine silk for her. Meanwhile, Robin and the Merries in disguise enter the castle.



Not knowing that Marion is in the castle, Robin, Scarlet and Little John go to the strong room, overpower the guard and steal the tax money which the king had come to collect. Much is riding to Nottingham to tell them about Marion while the king is losing patience waiting for Marion to be made ready for him.



De Rainault drags Marion to the king who orders him (much to de Rainault's disgust) to pour them some wine. Marion finds it too heavy and the king orders de Rainault to bring them his best claret. The king insists that de Rainault himself does this rather than a servant. While the outlaws are loading the money chests onto a cart, Much is trying unsuccessfully to scale the walls of the castle. To delay things further, Marion tells the king of a game between lovers called Conquest. The woman insults her lover who must reply with gentle words of love.



Much is captured by a soldiers but fortunately, Robin sees this and rescues him: Much tells Robin where Marion is. The game of Conquest has become quite violent with Marion even biting the king's hand. Finally Robin enters their bed chamber, Marion pretends to be conquered and makes her escape with Robin saying "what took you so long?!". They have to jump out of a window but a convenient hay cart breaks their fall. They then hide in the money cart and the Merries make good their escape. De Rainault returns with the claret but discovers that Marion has escaped. In a great little scene the king asks de Rainault to repeat what he said that Marion "was not to be trusted". Robin admires Marion's silk dress and says it matches her eyes. Marion says that is what the king said and teasingly asks whether Robin is jealous. Robin admits that he is and it ends with them kissing.





Cast in order of appearance:

Woman villager........................Deborah Cranston
Marion....................................Judi Trott
Much......................................Peter Llewellyn-Williams
Will Scarlet..............................Ray Winstone
Friar Tuck................................Phil Rose
Little John...............................Clive Mantle
Robin......................................Jason Connery
Nasir.......................................Mark Ryan
The Sheriff of Nottingham..........Nickolas Grace
Sir Guy of Gisburne..................Robert Addie
De Carnac...............................Matt Frewer
King John................................Philip Davis
Tom the villager.......................Ian Redford
Monk.....................................Paul Nicholson

Series created by Richard Carpenter
Executive Producer & Story Consultant Paul Knight
Executive Producer Patrick Dromgoole
Produced by Esta Charkham
Directed by James Allen