Thursday, 26 October 2023

Robin of Sherwood: Alan a Dale

 "It's a wedding, Gisburne. Not a celebration.."

I rather enjoyed this episode, perhaps the best yet. Nickolas Grace really is growing into the part of a properly moustache-twirningly evil Sheriff, and the script this week particularly sparkles with more than the usual level of humour.

This is based around a fairly straight retelling of the tale of Alan a Dale (is it just me who now has the song from that sketch by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore as an earworm?), although it must be noted that Mildred is sixteen years old, barely legal and, indeed, quite illegal in many other jurisdictions. Not only the Sheriff but also Alan are borderline nonces, and Robin and his Merry Men are all complicit in a marriage that is borderline noncery. But yes, moving very swifty on...

All the characters by this point are fully realised. Gisburne as the Sheriff's bullied dogsbody. John as the good natured randy type who is doing it with Meg. Will cynical as ever. Friar Tuck the merriest of the lot but very astute, being a churchman, as to what's going on politically.

The conclusion, and rescue of Mildred, is clever and entertaining, however jammy it may be that it worked. And yet the Sheriff contrives to be the ultimate winner, a nice touch.

One more episode to go and the first season is already over. We're almost a quarter of the way through already. This is brewing away very nicely indeed.

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