robin hood 3x10 redux; or, yes, it works (maybe even the bow), part 1

[railise]

When I saw so many reactions to "Bad Blood" saying that such a close previous history between Robin and the Gisbornes didn't fit, I was surprised, because I thought it fit very well. But my memory's not always that great, so I've spent the last few days going back and re-watching some key episodes. And after that, I still think that a lot of it

Comments

[mattyroh07]

Just a note on what Isabella says to Guy in French: (Although I kinda cheated because my copy of the subtitles included the French). First she says "Non!" (No, don't kill Robin.) Then she says "Mon frere doux!", meaning "My dear brother" or "My sweet brother" (although it's hard to think of Guy as "sweet"). So, she's acknowledging that they're related, although since she wouldn't understand Robin to understand the French, then she explains "He's my brother". And I agree, with Isabella's attempted independence and probably some of her hate at being sold to Thorton are expressed there with her saying that "he's *my* brother" because saying "I'm his sister" would imply that he had any possession over her.
And now I've sufficiently over-analyzed that scene...

[railise]

AH. Okay, that would invalidate that point, then, since the argument that Robin was reacting to what she said is just as strong as the possibility that he was having an ah-ha-oh-shit moment, lol. Thank you for clarifying that!! :)

I thought that was really interesting that she said, "He's my brother." Not that I've ever had to stop any of my siblings from killing someone (yet...eep), but I know that meeting an acquaintance of theirs leads me to say, "I'm her sister."

[medievalmuse]

Well done! You bring up some most excellent points!!! like Guy's coveting Locksley and hatred of Robin that does seem very personal

[railise]

Thanks! :)

Guy's coveting Locksley and hatred of Robin that does seem very personal.

That one didn't actually occur to me until I was writing the post. Maybe it's because of mentioning how the writers seem to be attacking Robin, that it's starting to feel personal, so that was on my brain. :)

in truth, I still didn't get a sense that Gisborne and Robin knew one another before.

That's funny, because the more I watch it, the more I notice things that seem to suggest it! Granted, I'm looking at it with the intention of finding that stuff, but I really thought it was if not there, at least entirely possible, at the outset.

I think had Robin known him before, he'd have said something to Dan - like "Guy? he's back?" and would have used his first name as he did when they were children.... I'd have thought Robin would react differently to Gisborne's name when Dan first mentions it.Possibly. While his relationship with Dan is obviously fairly close, I don't know that Robin would get into that touchy a subject with him. (That's a bit

[shezan]

You make a lot of good points.

Do we know if the Earldom of Huntingdon has been explained at all? Because it could very well have been recently given by King Richard to Robin for his service in the crusades.

Also, it's likely the difference between very!small!Isabella and today's Isabella is such that Robin couldn't have recognised her.

[railise]

Thank you! :) I'm listening for it now, but I think the earldom was just kind of forgotten altogether. When Robin was outlawed and his lands forfeited, the title would likely have been stripped, as well. I guess my addiction to Regency romance novels was what made me predisposed to thinking that it was inherited, since everybody inherits titles in those books, lol! But yeah, probably Robin was awarded it from King Richard.

I don't think Robin recognized her at all! I think he just thought she was hawt. ;)

[railise]

I think he was just expecting to be lord of Locksley; was there a line mentioning the earldom? (I'm listening for it now, but there are still a lot of episodes I need to re-watch.)

[tigger_01]

Thank you for this analysis! It makes me seem less... bizarred out by the storyline, even if I DID love the episode.
To be honest, I'm left at a loss wondering as to why the Isabella encounter fits worse with the backstory than 1x01, when they probably didn't have any clue about this whole upcoming storyline. It was so much closer in time... my only guess is that they really wanted to make it a *shock*, even though we knew months before there was going to be a flashback episode.

I guess it's just a pity that the writer's didn't have enough faith in themselves to plan ahead for the next few seasons, because I think RH could have really benefited.

[railise]

Agreed, on all points. It really is strange how some of 3x05 seems to negate parts of 3x10, because I was under the impression that major show plots are hammered out mostly all at once, before the episodes are written. I think it just comes down to faulty writing, which is a big shame-- trying to make it a shock, like you suggested, but taking it a little too far.

It would have benefited enormously. Either way, it's still a great show! :)

[dcwash]

Thanks for this! I've assumed all along that Robin knew Guy and Vasey, at least by reputation. But if pressed on why I thought that, the best I could do was mumble, "I dunno. Just felt that way." You've done the heavy lifting of analyzing why it felt that way

[railise]

I'm going to get into the Locksley-Gisborne thing in Part 2 later today-- already have 1x02 notes drawn up and about to work on 3x10. :D