NuWho Review: Series 8 Episode 3 "Robots of Sherwood"

By: Mark Gatiss

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

           *squees and faints* Well, okay, so maybe it isn't QUITE deserving of that reaction...but the offerings of tonight's episode were still pretty awesome. I, like Clara, have a huge weakness for the stories of the rogue from Sherwood Forest. Still...I don't quite know what to make of this episode. I really, really loved it, but I really, really hated it too. It was campy, ridiculous, glorious, and also stupid, shoddily-constructed, and downright annoying in places. I just don't know what to think!

Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:

- I loved the use of Clara's childhood theme while she's talking about her deepest desire to meet Robin Hood. Nice touch.

- Some people have complained about the coincidence of The Doctor landing right next to Robin Hood right away. I roll my eyes and kindly remind them that the TARDIS is really in control and she always takes him to exactly where he needs to be. Besides. It was funny whenever the arrow of irony flunks into the door a la Disney.

- I am SO jealous of Clara's dress. I've always wanted one like that with the long sleeves and stitched bodice. Reckon it would look rubbish on me, but a girl can always dream, right?

- The fight The Doctor and Robin have on the narrow bridge is stolen right out of the legends. Little John and Robin have a similar confrontation upon their first meeting. Except they didn't both end up in the drink.

- I do, however, feel that The Doctor bringing a spoon to a sword fight was a little bit much. Yes he's quirky and strange and alien, but you don't have to ram it down our throats. Besides...that was a distinctly Matt Smith move. Gatiss, have you forgotten which regeneration you're writing for?!

- The Doctor mentions that he's sparred with Errol Flynn. It's funny because Flynn played a version of Robin Hood.

- I think they stole the marauding knights' helmets from the Merlin wardrobe, as they look suspiciously like a few characters from there.

- And this episode, for all its fluff, is quite dark. A gutting? Granted there was no blood on the sword (and the beheading scene was removed from the episode in respect for the families of the men murdered by ISIS) but am I the only one that found the Sheriff dragging that girl away in chains more than slightly disturbing? What was he planning on doing to her?

- I miss Alan Rickman as the slimy Sheriff. Really I do...

- The scene where Robin introduces Clara to his men was hilarious to watch. I totally fangirled right along with Clara as each famous figure was introduced and I laughed so hard as The Doctor messed up each introduction with his desperate analysis'. 

- The Doctor is against banter now. Ha! I beg to differ!

- Want to know what probably my BIGGEST issue is with this episode? No it isn't the sometimes clichéd and goofy writing. No it isn't the fact that Gatiss seems to sometimes for get which Doctor he's writing for. No....it's WHY ON EARTH DIDN'T ROBIN HOOD WEAR A DISGUISE FOR THE ARCHERY CONTEST?! Oh sure he put on that dinky hat, but we could all clearly see his face. The Disney Cartoon did a better job at representing the Prince of Thieves right there!

There's the blind beggar disguise...

The gypsy disguise...

The archer stork disguise...

And the BBC disguise...WHAT?!
WHAT THE WHAT?! WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?!

- I am disappointed in you, BBC. I am disappointed!

- In fact the whole archery contest, which should have been the highlight of the episode for me, just felt rather stilted and 'act-y'. As in, I was very much aware that I was watching men strut around in period dress and fire off fake arrows. Felt like someone you'd see on Muppet Classic Theater. And then The Doctor made it worse by butting in and showing off! That was just out of character for this more mature and serious Doctor and only added to the off-kilter feeling of the scene, culminating in the moment when he shoots an arrow the guard to show off. Good job the guard had thick enough armor and was a robot! Oh wait...The Doctor didn't know that whenever he started shooting.

- I'm surprised that they didn't try to burn The Doctor at the stake for his little stunt with the exploding target. Wouldn't that put him under suspicion of witchcraft?

- The effects when the robot heads opened was pretty cool, though. And I liked Capaldi's karate chop to make Robin drop his sword. Guess The Doctor has lost none of Three's fondness for martial arts...

- "Quickest way to find out anyone's plans...get yourself captured."

- The tone of the episode does an abrupt turn whenever it cuts to the slaves working themselves to the bone in salt mine conditions. This just doesn't mesh with the goofy tone of the rest of the episode and, rather than providing nice contrast, merely works against its self to ruin the atmosphere and flow.

- I feel like I've said a lot of bad things about this episode, but a fun part was Robin and The Doctor arguing like a couple of babies while Nanny Clara glares at them and scolds them both for their stupidity. "It is not a competition as to who will die slower." Yeah! Go Clara!

- Clara reminds The Doctor that he has to come up with a plan of escape that doesn't involve the screwdriver. For all this episode's other faults, I like that bit. We need more stories where he looses the infernal thing. It's become too much of a crutch.

- I did question to myself at one point, though, if The Doctor was drunk during the dungeon scene. Some of his lines certainly sounded like it. And that had nothing to do with his accent (honestly I don't know why people are complaining...he's not THAT hard to understand) and everything to do with the fact that he seemed more genius-idiot and off the walls than usual.

- It's just a brief clip, but I think my favorite part of this episode is whenever we see the robots creating their gold monstrosity backed by the lute and singing of Allen-a-Dale. If the whole episode had just been that, I would be giving it a higher rating.

- Why did they never do anything with the Sheriff investigating The Doctor's 'wand of awesome power'? That set-up was PERFECT! Why not have it create cosmic problems in time whenever it falls into medieval hands? That would have been interesting and would have validated this episode. But nooo. They never went anywhere with it.

- The scene with the Sheriff 'seducing' Clara would have been so much better if it had been Alan Rickman in the role. He managed to embody the perfect blend of slime and charisma to make such a scene work for the character. This Sheriff just feels creepy. And cartoon-y. And Clara's dialogue was so painfully obvious, I feel bad for the Sheriff if he didn't get that she was playing him. How dumb can you get?!

- I do like that Clara was given plenty to go again, though. Whether it was keeping The Doctor and Robin of Locksley in line or tricking the bad guys into giving up information, Clara proved this week that she's more than just a pretty face...no matter how hard this season is working to put her in all kinds of period dress.

- The question of stories and heroes was brought up again after the explosion-filled climax. That was interesting.

           I just don't know what to say about this episode. The fangirl in me really wants to give it a 5/5 simply because it's ROBIN HOOD, but the same fangirl points out the botching of the archery contest (the most important part of any Robin Hood adaptation) and the painful lack of any Men in Tights references and refuses to go with it. This episode was a shoddy mess. Not quite melodramatic enough to make the campiness work and not quite serious enough to warrant me sitting up and paying attention. Honestly, if it hadn't involved Robin Hood, I probably would have yawned my way through this episode just as much as I did any of the scripts in Series 7b. It wasn't a rollicking adventure and I feel like I should hate it. But...but it's ROBIN! I dunno about a rating. What do you all think?

No. Seriously. What do you think? What should be the rating?