Robin Hood 102: "Sheriff Got Your Tongue?"

In which the Merry Men come together, get a mission statement, and Robin a new name.

Robin Hood's second episode brings us the Merry Men! Or at least the members of Robin's band who already lived in Sherwood at the start of the series. These include the famous John Little, leader of the Sherwood outlaws. These all consider themselves to be "dead men" (and are believed to be so by the families left behind when they had to flee the local justice).

John Little and Royston White

Of course Robin's group and these don't become instant friends, bonding over their hatred of the Sheriff. Nope. It first involves one or other group tying the other up and stripping them (and then vice versa), possibility of a reward, a self-sacrifice to save some villagers' tongues and a daring rescue.

This will ultimately lead to Robin convincing them to start robbing from the Sheriff and returning the money to the villagers..

"Much: We can't... stop... the Sheriff. Only the Crown can withdraw his license.
Robin: When the King returns, he will have his comeuppance. Until then we will scupper his sadistic punishments. We will stop his insane taxes and give them back to the poor, where they belong!
Roy: Sure.
Robin: We will rob him! And if you dead men had had spines in your backs, that's what you would've been doing for the last five years."

Um... 5 years Robin? Vaisey's only been Sheriff for 3! Whoops!  😛

This is also the episode where Robin gets his moniker, as several of the soldiers jokingly say he's not Robin of Lockley anymore, not Robin of anything except perhaps the Wood. "Robin of the Wood". Then the jailor gets told he's called Robin Wood and mishears it as Robin Hood.

Random note: John seems to be in charge of quite a large band of men, only 3 of whom seem to have any personality (or at least whom we interact with in this episode), and of these only one (other than John) will keep on in the series! Where did the rest of the men go?! Budget cuts? 😏

Straight from Sherwood

• Little John! With the ironic name he has in most versions of the legend: John Little. Definitely a man of few words. "Him I do not like"
• Taking up residence in Sherwood Forest
• Stealing from the Rich to give to the Poor, particularly targeting the taxes collected by the Sheriff.