Robin Hood 109: "A Thing or Two About Loyalty"

In which Robin must foil the Sheriff's plans to get his hands on a weapon of mass destruction.

This one's pretty straightforward: a friend of Gisbourne's has invented a black explosive powder (gunpowder!), which everyone is calling "Greek Fire" (because at the time gunpowder was still exclusive to the far East, and the only scary explosive Western man had witnessed was the Byzantines Greek Fire in the Eastern Mediterranean).

Boom!

Spoilers below!

Back to the story. He thinks his invention is for mining, to help get better results and reduce risks to miners. Ha! Another naive scientist who invents something potentially massively deadly but did it for (a) the science and (b) the greater good. Of course he puts this as a condition to making more of the powder and selling it to the Sheriff...

"Black powder must never be used as a weapon..."

Does the Sheriff accept? A clue... no! So prison, torture, ladidadida... trying to get him to reveal the whereabouts of the ledger he recorder his discoveries in. Of course Robin intervenes, gets the ledger first, but - despite a good plan from Marian who almost convinces Sir Guy to help his friend escape - can't save Lambert who is tortured to death.

Advancing the story/characters:

• Gisbourne almost goes against the Sheriff's interests and is willing to save his friend (until the Sheriff provides him with some extra info). Character growth? Shades of grey in our villain? Marian's influence on him?
• Nice tender moment between Robin and Marian as he consoles her after she tells him Lambert's dead.
• At his men's insistence, Robin goes back on his word to Lambert to "protect his work" and instead throws the ledger in the fire so know one will be able to get their hands on the black powder. But while the others are celebrating Djaq retrieves it from the flames, which Robin sees with an interesting look in his eye. Portent for some future explosive episode?

On the comedic side of the episode, Much gets made a noble by the Sheriff ("Earl of Bonchurch"), in an attempt to undermine Robin, and much hilarity ensues for the short time he is "Robin's noble on the inside" before it's back to Sherwood..

Lord Much! 😁

Straight from Sherwood (or not!)

• Not much! Can't see any relation to any previous legend or versions...
• From the History books: Greek Fire was an actual thing feared in Europe (NOT gunpowder at that time), a type of liquid explosive fire developed by the Byzantines in the Middle Ages, the secret of which was carefully guarded (to this day no one knows the formula). You couldn't put it out with water, only spread it farther! Oh, and is clearly the inspiration for Game of Thrones Wildfire. 😉

Note: The notes for this post were taken when I started the series rewatch last summer, but got carried away with the episodes and never stopped and looked back to finish polishing the posts and adding photos, so posting them now. 😅