Robin Hood: What to Expect from the Return of the Archer of Sherwood?

Set at the end of the twelfth century, when Henry II Plantagenet still sat on the throne, the series transports us to an England dominated by the Normans who oppressed the Saxon population, which in any case remained fiercely anchored to its origins and to that pagan religion that governed life in the woods. Among the victims of this situation marked by injustice and abuse is Hugh Loxley, whose lands were confiscated by the cunning Earl of Huntingdon, forcing him to live with his family in a hut in the Sherwood Forest.

There, through the interference of the Sheriff of Nottingham and to avoid much worse consequences for his beloved wife and young son Robin, Loxley puts on a brave face and accepts the position of royal forester. Years pass, Robin becomes a strapping young man and a prodigy with the bow, attracting the interest, which is reciprocated, of the beautiful Marian, daughter of his father's enemy count. It will be the latter, through deception, who will push the sheriff first to arrest the parent and then condemn him to hanging for having killed a man in an act of self-defense. It will be then that Rob will swear revenge and for the people of Sherwood nothing will ever be the same again.

Captivating gaze, mischievous eyes, sparkling heart

The first question that spontaneously arises is: was there really a need for another reinterpretation of Robin Hood? The archer of Sherwood has been brought to the small and big screen so many times that every new adaptation risks appearing superfluous, also having to contend with the main benchmarks that have approached the popular hero of British literature. To date, we cannot yet give a clear answer, as only two of the ten episodes that will make up the first season have been released, but it is still possible to get an idea from these first two hours of viewing, distributed exclusively on MGM+.

Only purists will notice that the filming was shot in Serbia and not in the England that would have served as the real backdrop to the events of this symbol of the oppressed. In any case, the mix of forts, castles, and forests guarantees the correct thematic setting, where the challenge between Saxons and Normans and the eternal antipathy between Robin and the Sheriff of Nottingham, played on this occasion by Sean Bean, who always gives his best when he takes on chivalrous roles, can be staged. The historical background is introduced by some on-screen text at the beginning of the first episode, a choice perhaps too easy but necessary to avoid verbose explanations that would have taken away the breath from the opening episodes, which have the task of setting the coordinates of what is to come and intriguing the public in this regard.

Robin Hood, a hero for all seasons

For now, little has been seen in terms of battles and skirmishes, and it is therefore too early to express a judgment, but costumes and set designs, including the numerous sequences shot in the heart of nature, seem to guarantee a decent aesthetic impact, also hinting at excellent potential from a stylistic point of view. Behind the camera for half of the episodes, we find Jonathan English, author of the underrated epic b-movie Ironclad (2011), which we recommend you (re)discover.

Where the operation might pay for some ambition, however, is in the narrative management of the main characters, which seems to be based on a certain schematic rigidity. The Sheriff of Nottingham here seems more subservient to the cruel count than the actual villain of the story, while the female figures - not only Lady Marian, but also her friend and daughter of the sheriff, Lydia - could fall victim to various clichés, with the anticipation of discovering how the other guest-star of the series, Connie Nielsen as Eleanor of Aquitaine, will be utilized.

We can therefore observe that there is plenty of meat on the bone, certainly nothing that seems capable of renewing a legend loved and known by all, but with the potential to attract the favor of an audience always on the hunt for epic stories and heroes to support in the eternal struggle against evil.