Robot of Sherwood

I have a confession to make. Before last weekend (when I started watching Capaldi's first season), I had only ever seen one episode of Doctor Who! Shameful I know. It wasn't that I had no idea what Doctor Who was or what it represented, I did. And being the geeky sci-fi fan that I am, I knew an incredible amount about a series I'd never seen! Of course some people understand when I tell them it was the first episode of "modern Who" with Christopher Eccleston, then they tell me to try again with David Tennant or Matt Smith. And I always said "sure, one of these days". How many years has it been?

What finally got me to give it another go (other than the fact that I LOVED Capaldi as Richelieu in the BBC's Musketeers last year), was the title of this episode and the obvious subject matter. "Robot of Sherwood"?! Was the time-travelling Doctor going to visit one of my favourite swashbuckling heroes?! How could I not watch this?! (of course to be rigorous I did start with the previous two "season 8" episodes... and will definitely continue watching from here on out)

In the Tardis at the beginning of the episode:

The Doctor: "Your choice. Wherever. Whenever. Anywhere in time and space."
Clara: "Well, there is something, someone that I've always wanted to meet. But I know what you'll say.
- Try me
- You'll say that he's made up, that there's no such thing.
- Go on.
- It's... it's Robin Hood!
(...)
- The outlaw who robs from the rich and gives to the poor. He's made up, there's no such thing." :o)

 Stepping outside the Tardis and into Sherwood:

The Doctor: "No damsels in distress. No pretty castles. No such thing as Robin Hood."
And then an arrow gets shot into the Tardis right next to his head! By Robin Hood himself.
"You called?!" :D

So basically for most of the episode the Doctor refuses to believe Robin and his men are real and keeps trying to prove otherwise until forced to accept the obvious. Oh and the Sheriff of Nottingham is in cahoots with evil black knight robots! They're stealing gold to repair their ship.

A bickering Robin and the Doctor, Clara in period garb, and alien robot black knights. Brilliant!

With this whole refusal to believe thing, the Doctor appears to be quite cynical. Clara asks him when he stopped believing anything was possible and in turn he asks her when she started believing in impossible heroes. Well when she met him of course! It seems this season the Doctor is having an identity crisis and has trouble with the concept of heroism and with seeing himself as a hero (in a previous episode he asked Clara if he was a "good man"). 

"- You're her hero. (Robin to the Doctor referring to Clara)"
 - I'm not a hero.
 - Well neither am I. But if we both keep pretending to be... perhaps others will be heroes in our name. Perhaps we will both be stories. And may those stories never end."

Anyhow, a bickering Doctor and Robin was lots of fun! Even better with Clara the school teacher trying to keep the peace between the two schoolboys Robin and the Doctor! :p

Oh, and Robin Hood never stops laughing. Which is really weird.

All in all a very silly episode (that nevertheless made the Doctor stop and think), which is simply a lot of fun to watch. Smiles guaranteed! :D

Plus, great final line!

"Remember Doctor. I'm just as real as you are."  

Good one! :D 

Straight from Sherwood: 

• Fun moments:
• Robin and the Doctor fighting over the Tardis at the river crossing (à la Robin vs Little John). The Doctor is armed with... a spoon!!! :p

"No swords. I don't need a sword. Because I am the Doctor, and this is my... spoon!"

• Contest for the best archer to win the Golden Arrow.

• Denizens of Sherwood:

Merry Men!

• Robert Earl of Locksley a.k.a. Robin Hood and his "Merry Men" (Will Scarlet, Friar Tuck, Alan'a'Dale, John Little a.k.a. Little John, Marian)
• Sheriff of Nottingham
• Prince John and King Richard get mentioned