Robin Hood Season 3
571 minutes
By Chris Zimmerman
Upon its inception, the BBC version of Robin Hood has proven both successful and polarizing to its fan-base. With its tongue planted firmly in cheek, Robin Hood mixed campy action with modern dialogue that was entertaining but not entirely engaging.
Season 3 opens with a much darker and more determined Robin, having returned from the Holy Land. Robin has one thing on his mind and that is to avenge the death of his love Marian at the hands of Guy of Gisborne. Meanwhile, Robin’s merry men are facing the very difficult challenge of keeping Robin from falling into madness.
Season 3 provided a dramatic change of pace for the series. With ratings declining, many of the actors chose to make this season their last, including Robin himself, Jonas Armstrong. This presumably prompted the producers to introduce a group of fresh faces while taking the story into darker territory. The most prominent of which is Tuck whose goal is to turn Robin into a symbol for the people to believe in. Throughout many of the early episodes we see Tuck readily risk not just his life, but his ally’s lives as well in an effort to protect Robin.
After that, we are introduced to a pair of new female faces, Isabella and Kate, both vying for Robin’s affection. Neither one is particularly likeable nor are they able to fill the gap Marian left behind. The most entertaining of the new additions is Prince John, played by Toby Stephens who hams it up with a campy performance that occasionally gives way to reveal something more sinister.
Another major revamp came in the form of the costume designs which up till now were less than spectacular. The costumes on display here are very easy on the eyes with intricate designs woven into the fabric. Guy’s costume is especially a major improvement when considering what he wore previously resembled something out of an S and M club.
Unlike the first two seasons which were largely episodic, season 3 is tight, with each episode building off each other until everything hits the fan in the finale.
Fortunately, season 3 provided the perfect send off for the legendary hero. Rather than watch the series turn into another “Heroes”, it ended on a high note. It wasn’t always clever but its heart made it an enjoyable hour of television that further cemented the legend of Robin Hood.
Robin Hood Season 3 - B
Special Features:
A Legend Reborn (behind the scenes feature)
A New Look (behind the scenes look at costuming)
Trebuchet: Creating Chaos
Character Profiles
Video Diaries
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