At Treeton Mine, the workers are refusing to go down in the dangerous conditions any more; when Gisborne arrives, he murders the foreman Dunn in front of his son, Rowan, as punishment for Dunn's refusal to keep working. The Sheriff plots to capture Robin by organising an archery competition as part of Nottingham Fair with first prize of a silver arrow, knowing he will be unable to resist. The outlaws, however, are concentrating on the mine, and ambush a slave trader, Brooker, taking a group of Saracen slaves to the mine.
Robin learns that people fear the "turk flu" they believe they can catch from the Saracens; he also finds one of the Saracens, Djaq, speaks English. After freeing the slaves Robin bargains with them: if they help with his latest plan, he'll make sure that they can get back to their home-land safely. Djaq agrees on behalf on the others, but while he is washing himself for prayer, Will Scarlett inadvertently realizes that "he" is a "she."
Allan is smuggled in amongst the slaves as they are taken to the mine, and when he exhibits the effects of the "turk flu" the Sheriff's guards run, giving the outlaws the opportunity to burn down the mine. Before they can do so, though, Little John falls through a hidden hole into the mine. Rowan, angry that they are not taking revenge on Gisborne, slips off as Djaq prepares to rescue John. Brooker arrives at the fair to tell the Sheriff about the outlaws at the mine.
Djaq enters the mine and revives John before he is pulled to safety, just as the Sheriff's men arrive; Robin sets fire to the mine and escapes in the nick of time. Robin learns from Djaq that Rowan is now planning to take revenge on Gisborne by "killing his woman" - that is, Marian. Marian, however, talks him out of killing her just before Robin arrives. Robin ensures that Rowan wins the silver arrow (by way of dressing as Rowan, firing the arrow, running for it and then switching places with Rowan). Back at the outlaws' camp, Djaq is invited by Robin to join the outlaws.
Tropes
- Accidental Pervert: Will comes to tell Djaq the outlaws' plan while she's cleaning herself for prayer, and gets an eye-full on realizing that she's actually a woman.
- But for Me, It Was Tuesday: The concept is Played With in this episode, if not directly enforced. At the beginning of the episode, Guy kills Rowan's father when he refuses to go down into the mines, and gives the matter no further thought. He never interacts with Rowan again, has no inkling that the boy is plotting revenge, and never finds out that Marian was nearly murdered in his Revenge by Proxy scheme.
- Continuity Nod: Marian's hair is still cut short, and Gisborne assumes she doesn't want to go to the festival because she's ashamed of it.
- Damsel out of Distress: Although Robin and the other outlaws race to Nottingham to save her from Rowan's vengeance, Marian is caught alone with him. However, she manages to talk him down from going through with killing her.
- Easily Forgiven: Sure he was distraught and grieving, but Rowan was still about to murder Marian in cold blood before she talks him down. Despite that, Robin goes on to help him win the archery contest.
- Murder Is the Best Solution: After his father's death, Rowan immediately leaps to trying to kill Gisborne, and when that falls through, to killing Marian instead.
- Oh, Crap!: "Robin Hood - mine - fire - SOLDIERS! SOLDIERS!" Also a
Funny Moment.- And then later, after the mine has burnt down:
Sheriff: This place is done for! You should have expected him. It was obvious this was a target!Gisborne: With respect, my lord, he was supposed to be in Nottingham, trying to win the silver arrow.[Beat, during which they realize what has happened, and then race off to Nottingham]. - One-Shot Character: Rowan, the son of miner killed by Gisborne, who then decides to kill Marian in return.
- Plot-Triggering Death: Rowan's father refuses to go back down into the dangerous mines, which leads to Guy promptly killing him. This triggers Rowan's Roaring Rampage of Revenge.
- Redundant Rescue: A young boy tries to kill Marian in order to make Guy suffer. Robin rushes to her rescue, but by the time he gets there, Marian has already talked the boy out of going through with it and is walking away. She tells Robin: "Better late than never," as she leaves.
- Revealing Injury: Averted between Guy and Marian. Whilst she's dressed as the Night Watchman, Guy slashes her arm with his sword; later he notices that Marian has a similar cut. She passes it off as an accident with the knife she's currently using to slice up an apple, and although Guy looks mildly suspicious, he lets it go and never mentions it again.
- Revenge Before Reason: Rowan wants to avenge his father at all costs, even if it means killing Marian, an innocent woman. She saves her own life by pointing out that Rowan himself will be put to death, leaving his mother bereft of both a husband and a son.
- Revenge by Proxy: Gisborne killed Rowan's father, so on discovering that he's wooing the Lady Marian, Rowan decides to kill her as retribution.
- Samus Is a Girl: Djaq proves herself to be a capable fighter with a specialized skill-set in chemistry before the other outlaws realize she's a woman.
- Ship Tease: There's already a little bit between Will and Djaq. They share an intense Held Gaze while she's held captive, he's the first to realize Samus Is a Girl when he accidentally sees her naked, she helps him light the fire that sets off the explosions at the mine, and he has a little smile on his face when Robin invites her to join the gang.
- Shout-Out: This episode heavily revolves around an archery tournament, staged as a trap to lure in Robin Hood. This is the premise of one of the most famous stories in the body of Robin Hood legends, and turns up in almost every retelling.
- Spanner in the Works: Rowan is this to the outlaws, several times.
- Stuff Blowing Up: The outlaws successfully blow up Treeton Mine, to prevent any further injuries or death.
- Sweet Polly Oliver: Djaq, whose gender is disguised for most of the episode.
- Targeted to Hurt the Hero: Subverted. Marian is targeted in order to hurt Gisborne, the villain, by the son of the man he casually kills at the start of the episode.
- Tempting Fate: "They claim they would rather die than go back down!"
- Later Robin declares that it's been a successful day... and John immediately falls into a covered mine shaft.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Narrowly averted, but it's Robin's mocking comment about Guy trying to woo Marian that tips off Rowan as to her importance to him, resulting in him deciding to target her instead.
- The Voiceless: Rowan's mother never speaks a single on-screen word, which is almost certainly down to the fact the extra was Hungarian.
- Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?: The reasons as to why Robin doesn't do this to Gisborne or the Sheriff are tweaked in this episode, from having lost his taste for bloodshed to (when Rowan asks why he can't kill them) deciding it wouldn't make a difference in the long run.
- You Don't Want to Catch This: Turk Flu, which gives the episode its name.
