Recap / Robin Hood S 01 E 13 A Clue No

Having recovered from her wounds received in the previous episode, Marian comes very close to following through on her halfhearted promise to marry Guy of Gisborne, but after Much breaks into the wedding to protest, Marian punches Gisborne at the altar and escapes with Robin instead. While this is occurring, Sheriff Vaisey has hired an impostor of King Richard and stages a mock trial of himself to weed out disloyal nobles, almost resulting in the death of Marian's father. This plan is barely thwarted by Robin's band after Much recognizes the king as a fraud.

Tropes

• Aborted Arc: After this episode, the season-long plot about discovering that Guy was behind the assassination attempt on King Richard and Robin trying to gather evidence to prove it is dropped. Partly justified in that with Pitts's death and Guy's tattoo destroyed, there's no evidence left to gather.
• Achilles in His Tent: Robin passes on the outlaw mission to sneak into Nottingham to secretly oversee King Richard's return, too depressed with the thought of Marian going through with her marriage to Guy.
• Actor Allusion: During the wedding, Guy's middle name is given as "Crispin." This is also Richard Armitage's middle name.
• Bad Habits: The outlaws disguise themselves as monks to sneak into Castle Nottingham with King Richard's retinue.
• Batman Grabs a Gun: The episode begins with Robin believing Marian has succumbed to Guy's stab wound from the previous episode. When he hears the Sheriff taunting him from outside their hideout, he sprints outside with his bow and - breaking his no-killing rule - begins mowing down the Sheriff's soldiers.
  Sheriff: What is this?! Hood does not kill!
• Being Good Sucks: As Robin says after Edward tells him to let Marian go: "I am tired of doing the right thing!"
• The Big Damn Kiss: Robin and Marian's first on-screen kiss occurs in this episode, after Robin has dramatically whisked her away from her aborted wedding. He drops her off at the castle, and she's rushing away when he calls her back again. As their love theme swells, he leans down in the saddle, she stands on her tippy-toes, and...awww.
• Blatant Lies: On realizing that her father is in danger, Marian tries to flee the wedding. Guy tells her that as his father-in-law, Edward will be under his protection, knowing full-well that this isn't the case.
• Changed My Mind, Kid: Allan and Will eventually return to help the outlaws fight.
• Cheated Death, Died Anyway: Both Edward and Marian escape the jaws of death in this episode, only to be Killed Off for Real in the second season.
• Closet Shuffle: After returning Marian to her home, the outlaws end up trapped when Gisborne arrives, and hurriedly scramble for hiding places all around her room; Robin in the canopy above her bed, Little John under the bed, Will in the chimney, Allan out the window (and presumably onto the ledge most prominently seen in "Brothers in Arms"), Djaq in a trunk, and Much behind the door just as Gisborne opens it.
• Continuity Nod: The character of Lord Merton reappears, having previously appeared in A Thing Or Two About Loyalty.
• Did You Actually Believe...?: Invoked by the Sheriff as he explains his imposter king plan to Guy.
  Sheriff: Think about it. Is the real King, who's spent God knows how long off fighting in the Holy Land, going to stop off in Nottingham on his way home for a chat? A clue: no.
• Easy Impersonation: Played with. As becomes clear when we see the real Richard Lionheart next season, the man who impersonates him here looks nothing like him. However, the Sheriff justifies this by stating that no one in Nottingham has ever seen Richard in-person, and the moment Much (who has seen the king) lays eyes on him, he realizes that it's all a ruse.
• Evil Plan: The Sheriff wants to root out dissenters, and so spreads the rumor that King Richard is back from the Crusades. The intent is to have the Sheriff "arrested" by the fake King Richard, who then calls upon the nobles to give testimony against him. Of course, anyone who agrees to this will immediately be killed when they step into the private room to give evidence.
• Fairytale Wedding Dress: Marian wears a beautiful golden gown on her wedding day.
• He Knows Too Much: Realizing that the outlaws plan to use Pitts to testify against him, Guy has him shot In the Back as he runs away.
• Major Injury Underreaction: A mere day after a stab wound that almost killed her and a potion of hemlock that did kill her, Marian is back on her feet and running around without any trouble at all.
• Not Quite Dead: The physician's medicine contained hemlock, causing Marian to appear to stop breathing. He then gave a Mistaken Death Confirmation.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Robin has just been told that Marian has died after being stabbed by Guy. The Sheriff, his men, and Guy arrive moments later.
• Runaway Bride: Marian punches Guy in the face at the altar, flees the church, and leaps up onto the back of Robin's horse, throwing her veil away for good measure as they ride off.
• Sad Battle Music: The outlaws' suicide run against the Sheriff's men is accompanied by the devastating "I Never Told Her I Loved Her".
• Single Tear: Will has one of these when he pays his respects to Marian.
• Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Unconscious bodies are heavy, and so in transporting Marian from the forest back to her house, the outlaws construct a stretcher and regularly switch-out who's carrying it in order to save their strength. In a show with Super-Strength and Improbable Aiming Skills and Physics-Defying Stunts, it's surprising that something as simple as this would be portrayed realistically.
• Visual Pun: When the outlaws hide from Guy in Marian's room, Djaq slips into a trunk, making her a literal Jack-in-the-Box.
• Wedding Smashers: In the middle of Marian's wedding to Guy, Much starts ringing the chapel bell and shouting out reasons why she can't go through with it — he's a traitor to the crown, King Richard hasn't returned after all, and her heart belongs to another.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: The last we see of the fake King Richard, he's sitting on the throne in Nottingham Hall. Impersonating the king is a huge crime, but none of the outlaws seem interested in detaining him. Who was this guy, and where did he go afterwards?
• White Flag: Pitts runs out of the cave waving a white bandage, clearly hoping that this will serve as a "don't shoot!" surrender. (It doesn't work).
• You Have Outlived Your Usefulness:
  Physician: Sir Guy! I have always served you well!
  Guy: You've served your purpose. Kill him!