Robin Hood Season 3
January 30, 2010
Director:
Matthew Evans,
Starring:
Jonas Armstrong, Gordon Kennedy, Sam Troughton, Joe Armstrong, Richard Armitage, Keith Allen, David Harewood, Joanne Frogatt, Lara Pulver, Clive Standen, Toby Stephens,
DVD Review
Darren Jamieson+It’s always difficult for a TV series to fill the slot of a more popular one, which is why when Robin Hood launched in 2006, replacing Doctor Who, it wasn’t met with the excitement it perhaps deserved.
The first season of Robin Hood was good clean fun, where nobody really suffered or died. The second season went down something of a dark road, before it’s very dark conclusion – which is where the third season kicks off. Pitched as being much darker than the previous seasons, they weren’t wrong.
Robin Hood season three begins with Robin wanting revenge of Guy for what happened in the Holy Land, and Robin seemingly prepared to give up on his duties to the people of Nottingham, and England.
The arrival of Friar Tuck (we wondered he wasn’t in the first two series) managed to convince Robin that his place was defending Nottingham and his king, so the third series could get underway.
What makes this series different is that relationships are constantly changing, and characters are descending into darkness. Where Alan a Dale had betrayed Robin and his men in series two, only to make amends, in this third series some characters were finding nothing at all worth fighting for and are prepared to betray everyone, family included. Guy of Gisborne for example has become a shell of a man, not forgiving himself for killing Marion and losing any respect, or fear, for the Sheriff.
Allies of Robin’s become his mortal enemies, and his mortal enemies become his most trusted friends. The conclusion of the series is both suitably climactic and harrowing at the same time, as it even threatens to go all ‘Wild Bunch’ at one point.
Is this version of Robin Hood the best TV version? Well, there is the excellent Robin of Sherwood (1984-86) which also ran for three series to contend with, but this third series of Robin Hood is perhaps on a par with that. It’s certainly the best of the three series, even without the delectable charms of Lucy Griffiths.
As ever, the storyline has been left open, and perhaps following the latest big screen outing for the legend that is Robin Hood, with Russell Crowe, we may get another Robin Hood series before too long.
Rating: 92%
Website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/robinhood/
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