'Robin Hood' Episode 7 Recap: Are The Sheriff And Huntingdon Enemies Now?

The MGM+ action-adventure series based on the English legend, Robin Hood, presents another neat and intriguing episode this week, as Robert of Locksley is almost pushed into executing another daring heist, this time targeting a local Norman ruler. There are significant developments in the protagonist’s personal life as well, as his beloved Marian now reacts to what she had learned at the end of the previous episode. Robin Hood episode 7 also features a major new development at the royal court at Westminster, where Queen Eleanor once again seeks help from her new recruit, Marian.

Spoiler Alert

How does Marian react to learning the real truth?

As Marian had come to Nottingham in the previous episode as part of the queen’s convoy, she had once again met with her beloved Robert and had even brokered a deal between him and Eleanor, without yet knowing that he himself was the leader of the outlaws. It was only at the end of the episode that Marian was told by her father, the Earl of Huntingdon, that her brother, Aronne, had been killed by Robert and his men. Therefore, Robin Hood episode 7 begins with Marian trying to cope with the realization, having now immediately figured out that Robert must also be the notorious outlaw being hunted by the authorities. Soon, she meets with the protagonist in the forest and confronts him with clear pain and discomfort in her eyes. Although Robert had almost impulsively hidden his secret identity from Marian earlier, he has no intention to lie to her specifically about it, and so he comes clean about his criminal acts. 

Marian is absolutely stunned, especially in light of the death of her brother, and when Robert truthfully states that it was an accident and that Aronne was never meant to die, she is not convinced at all. She brings up all the other acts of violence, like the attack on the Bishop of Hereford and him almost killing Priscilla of Nottingham, suggesting that Robert had suddenly turned cruel and violent and not all his acts were so accidental after all. In turn, he tries his best to explain how he had been categorically targeted after his first few mistakes, and how her father and his men had come hunting for him, because of which Aronne ultimately died, also mentioning how it was never his intention to have caused so much physical and emotional pain to so many people. But despite his best efforts, the waning love and respect is very evident in Marian’s face, and she soon expresses the same through her words.

Marian remarks that Robert has now changed from his original self, whom she had fallen in love with instantly, because of his decision to leave a trail of blood behind him, only for the sake of avenging his father’s wrongful death. She clearly states that although Robert might be right in his path, and he might have plenty of reasons behind his actions, she cannot support him in his violent acts. Thus, Marian tells Robert that their relationship is now absolutely over, and that this is going to be the very last time that they meet. By now, the signs of pain and discomfort in her have slightly made way for her to come to a strong resolution to stick to her morals, and so after bidding Robert goodbye one last time, Marian rides away, most likely permanently, from his life.

Back at Nottingham, Queen Eleanor also prepares to travel back to Westminster, and when Marian approaches her, it is evident to her from the young woman’s face that something’s on her mind. When Marian tells Eleanor how his lover had been keeping his identity secret from her, the queen extends her support to her in her own way, advising Marian to move on from the pain by accepting that Robert had never been honest to her and telling her to get used to such betrayals from men. As Marian asks to be excused so that she can spend some time alone in the nearby fields, Eleanor immediately grants her wish and does not make any rigorous demand of the chambermaid having to travel with her. It is during this time, in the desolate fields, that a new man enters Marian’s life and quite simply takes her breath away. Before that, two vagrants, seemingly foresters themselves, attack Marian, believing her to be an ordinary woman traveling through the place alone. But before they can do her any harm, an attractive man riding in the distance intervenes and scares the vagrants off, even pulling his sword out to threaten them.

This man happens to be Prince John, who has come to England on a sudden visit without even having informed his mother. John is extremely charming, not just in shooing off the vagrants but also in his conversation with Marian, who does not even realize that it is the prince she is speaking to. John evidently takes an immediate liking towards Marian, and she too is attracted to him because of both his charm and his looks, meaning that a romantic relationship between them might be very likely in the near future. As of now, Marian cannot think of relationships, as the mere mention of any unfortunate lovers or unfulfilled romances immediately reminds her of Robert. But with Prince John around, this might not be the case for too long, especially since he starts making efforts to get to know Marian better right away, inviting her to a close party with his friends in order to celebrate his unplanned return to England from France.

What is Queen Eleanor’s fresh new mission for Marian?

Within just a day of her son’s arrival, Queen Eleanor grows wary of John’s intentions and also senses his growing closeness with Marian, for which she sets a new personal mission for her. Before that, Marian is given a quick promotion from her position as a chambermaid, as she is now made a lady-in-waiting at Eleanor’s court. It is quite evident to everyone that this promotion has come at the request of Prince John himself, for which Marian later thanks him as well, but Eleanor also indirectly benefits from it. If Marian was not already totally loyal to her, she now grows even closer to the queen, which is precisely why Eleanor is later able to share her opinions with her. John’s sudden arrival in England, and then his direct statement about how he is a more deserving candidate than his elder brother, Richard, makes it obvious to Eleanor that he is already preparing to ascend the throne after his father’s death.

Eleanor grows cautious once more, as it is finally revealed why she prefers Richard over John when it comes to the question of succession. From back when the princes were young boys, Richard always followed orders and carried them out in a more level-headed and composed manner, while John had serious problems acting upon someone else’s words, even his own parents. According to Eleanor’s understanding, John has always tried to do things his own way, even if that meant causing problems for himself and those around him, and he continues to be the same. She is sure that such an egoistic king will do no good to the country, and also will be very difficult for her to control, which she self-admittedly wants to do. Therefore, she wants Richard to be the next king and so wants more information about John’s exact plans.

This is why Eleanor appoints Marian to feign closeness to him and try and get any significant information about his plan or his movements, while also advising her to be careful around him, as John apparently has a number of dark traits that are not visible at first glance. Despite her growing romantic interest in John, Marian does continue to serve Eleanor, and on the night of the private party, she sneaks into his office and finds a document that reveals that John has been meeting with the Archbishop of Lille. She manages to wiggle out of the situation when John suspects her to be up to something and is then able to report the matter to Eleanor. This information is crucial to Eleanor, as it confirms her suspicions about John trying to rally support to make a bid for the throne. Having befriended the Archbishop of Lille already, he must have now come to Westminster to make similar allies, to ensure that he would get support from the religious institutions of both France and England when the time comes.

Are The Sheriff And Huntingdon Enemies Now?

As the Sheriff of Nottingham continues his search for Robin Hood and his band of outlaws, he is told by his advisors that it is quite possible that the criminal has left the region, and even the country, since there have been no new attacks recently. However, the Sheriff is confident that this is not the case, for he has figured out the real intention of Robin Hood by now. With no doubt that Robert Locksley is indeed the leader of the outlaws, he knows that the young man will definitely come to kill him in order to take revenge for his father’s execution. The Sheriff therefore continues to devise new strategies to find the criminal first, even though it comes at great daily expense, while the Earl of Huntingdon secretly starts trying to lead a rebellion, of sorts, against him.

Ever since the death of his son, Huntingdon has been extremely critical of the Sheriff and his efficiency, having raised questions even in front of the queen. Now, Huntingdon tries to rally the other earls and barons into taking some action against the Sheriff of Nottingham for not being able to maintain peace and prosperity in the Midlands after failing to deal with the situation with the outlaws. Unfortunately for him, the sheriff learns of this development and decides to take matters into his own hands, quite literally. Riding to the Locksley Estate, he beats up Huntingdon right in front of everyone for having questioned his position and also to send a message to anyone who might be thinking of doing the same. Before leaving, the Sheriff even threatens to kill Huntingdon if he continues with his acts of rebellion, meaning that the latter might actually turn on the Sheriff more directly from now on, and might even help Robert get to his main enemy.

Is Priscilla and William Marshal’s relationship serious?

Although Priscilla’s sudden intimate acts with William Marshal had seemed like a temporary affair in the previous episode, it now seems to be growing into a whirlwind romance with genuine emotions. To begin with, the matter is unknown to the Sheriff, which means that Priscilla had not engaged with the Earl of Pembroke only to help her father spy on the royal court at Westminster. While she might have had such intentions at first, she now seems to be quite attached to the man and wants to be with him. William is also extremely serious about the relationship, despite him having had numerous such brief affairs in the past, as he directly approaches the Sheriff and asks for his permission to court his daughter. Although the sheriff is quick to remind him of the times he had let other women down in the past, he does allow for the relationship to proceed before warning him against hurting his daughter. When Priscilla hears of this development, she initially questions why William had to take her father’s permission before directly asking her about it, but she is ultimately happy about the burgeoning romance. We can definitely expect to see this relationship develop further in the episodes to come, and Priscilla and William Marshal might even turn political allies if need be.

Why does Robin Hood attack Lord Warwick?

Meanwhile, Robin Hood and the Merry Men have been holed up in the cave in the forest that he had found following the stories that his father used to tell him. With word about the group’s brave and rebellious acts now spreading rapidly across the region, many Saxon foresters who are fed up with the Norman leaders have been showing up at the cave to join the group. As increasingly more people are growing dependent on Robert and his friends, there is naturally a need for more money, since the protagonist knows that even the gold stolen from the Bishop’s convoy will run dry at this rate. Therefore, he starts planning their next attack, to be carried out at the castle of Lord Warwick, a cruel Norman leader who is known to exploit and torture poor Saxons.

Robin Hood episode 7 takes a lot of pains to paint Lord Warwick as a deplorable villain, first by showing him calling Saxons inhuman and animalistic, calling for them to be treated in a manner akin to beasts, and then by showing him sexually exploit a Saxon woman at his castle at night. As this second matter is ongoing, Robin Hood and his Merry Men strike the place, despite Friar Tuck initially objecting to it, both because of the violence and also because of the sheer scale of the attack. Numerous soldiers and guards are killed, with Lord Warwick soon cornered and beaten up. He is then forced to give up all the wealth at his castle, and Robert even leaves with a stab on his arm as a reminder to the other figures in authority that he is soon coming for them. This attack has quick consequences, as the Sheriff of Nottingham personally travels to Sherwood after learning of it to arrest Robert’s uncle, Gamewell, as he is the representative of the Saxons living in the forest. 

Does Robert finally give in to Rosemary’s approaches?

How Robert would react to his uncle and many other innocent Saxons getting arrested will be interesting to watch, as we will have to wait till the next episode to find out. But for now, he seems to have secured a second romantic relationship quite soon after Marian breaks up with him. Ralph Miller, whose real name was earlier revealed to be Rosemary, had been growing interested in Robert for quite some time now, and she had expressed her emotions through a passionate kiss after the protagonist had saved her and her brothers from being executed at Nottingham. Since then, she has continued to romantically approach Robert, but to no avail, as he remained loyal to Marian. But now that Marian is seemingly out of the picture, and also since Rosemary finally gets rid of her fake appearance as a male and wears a dress that Milange makes her, Robert changes his mind. At the end of Robin Hood episode 7, the two are seen kissing, and this might mean that Robert and Rosemary might be the next new couple in the show. 

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