[Editor’s Note: The following interview contains spoilers for the Season 1 finale of MGM+’s Robin Hood]For the last two months, MGM+ has kept audiences on tenterhooks with its fresh take on one of the most iconic folk heroes in history, and tonight, Robin Hood wrapped up its critically acclaimed freshman season with an explosive finale. As we previewed in the lead-up to the episode, the slow-burning conflict between Rob (Jack Patton), the Sheriff of Nottingham (Sean Bean), and the Earl of Huntingdon (Steven Waddington) finally came to a head — which had devastating consequences for both sides of the cause.
Ahead of the Season 1 finale, we caught up with series co-creators John Glenn and Jonathan English, who also penned the episode, to unpack the shocking demises of Huntingdon and Guy of Gisborne (Davor Tomic); Marian’s role in her father’s death; and the almost-love triangle between Rob, Marian (Lauren McQueen), and Ralph (Erica Ford). While Robin Hood has yet to receive an official Season 2 renewal, Glenn and English also previewed plotlines from the potential Season 2, including how Priscilla (Lydia Peckham) will navigate life at the convent, following her unexpected pregnancy; what will happen to the outlaws, now that they have temporarily disbanded; and what’s next for Rob and Marian.
Will ‘Robin Hood’ Season 2 Include a Time Jump?
“What it also allows the characters to do is to have individual growth outside of the group.”
COLLIDER: The way Season 1 ends is that it starts to establish a new status quo for the outlaws. They’re being dispersed and lying low and waiting for the next time they can act. How integral was that to establishing a potential Season 2? Because now you have a new playing field, a new way for all of these characters to be established. How might we see that function?
JOHN GLENN: One of the goals was always to tell our own version of the story. So, at the end of this first piece of narrative, act one of a series, if you will, the thing we wanted to avoid was the outlaws going further into the forest, and they’re going to go to the Great Oak, or build some sort of new community. What we’d never really seen before was the outlaws dispersing and moving back into ordinary lives to hide in plain sight, or into a larger city to stay hidden from the authorities. So, it’s unique in the sense that we haven’t seen it before. What it also allows the characters to do is to have individual growth outside of the group when we come back to meet them again in Season 2, which provides Jonathan and me a lot to do with the characters.
JONATHAN ENGLISH: I think it’s also absolutely about allowing them to return to being individuals rather than just a mass of outlaws. It allows them to go back to being themselves as individual characters, and then to meet them as those individual characters in Season 2 rather than as a group.
Do you think, in Season 2, we would see some of that growth on screen? Or would it be a time jump where we get to see how they’ve established and changed, and then re-meet these characters at a new stage in their life?
GLENN: Both. Definitely both. We’ve, for the most part, designed Season 2, and it begins in that way when we meet them as individuals in Season 2, and in some respects, in different lives. There’s growth that’s already taking place between the seasons, the time, of course, but then there’s a greater growth in the storylines, the characters, individual stories through Season 2. So, it’s a season we’re really excited about.
‘Robin Hood’ Kills Off One of the Legend’s Most Well-Known Characters
“We needed a really great enemy, foe, antagonist to amp up the stakes.”
I’m very excited about it, too. You talked about approaching Robin Hood from a fresh perspective, and one of the character deaths that surprised me the most was Guy of Gisborne because he is such a prominent figure in a lot of other adaptations. How early on did you decide that he was going to be one of the first, most prominent deaths in the show?
ENGLISH: We just wanted to have a new character coming in late in the season who had some notoriety, and Guy of Gisborne, in all of the variations of Robin Hood, always is a notorious character. He was one of the last well-known names in the canvas of Robin Hood. We talked about whether we should hold that name back for another season, but in the end, it was exciting to bring him in and use this character as a threat and as a real challenge to Robin and the outlaws and the sheriff to upset and usurp the sheriff in a way that I think would have been harder to do if it was with a character that we weren’t familiar with.
It somehow seemed more believable that this character with this famous name could usurp the sheriff and Sean Bean. So it was about that. We needed a really great enemy, foe, antagonist to amp up the stakes for the end of the season which I think he does. I mean Steve Waddington’s character Huntingdon provides that all the way but I think inclusion of Guy of Gisborne just amps up those stakes a little bit further as we go into finale.
Since you brought up Huntingdon, I do want to talk about his death.
ENGLISH: Let’s talk about Huntingdon’s death.
Yes, let’s talk about that death! Marian gets to be an active participant in her father’s death even if we get that turn there of Rob keeping her from being the final blow. How crucial is that to where things might go with Marian? Because I would imagine her mental state going forward. She played a part in her father’s death. She’s also now free from that burden. What are some dynamics you’re most excited about playing with her? Because I love what you’ve done with Marian in this adaptation.
GLENN: One of the most important things that we wanted to accomplish from very beginning was that we didn’t want to tell story of standard Sheriff of Nottingham who’s just obsessed for no reason. You don’t even understand why he’s really all that crazed about Robin Hood other than he should be because that’s what legend says. But with Marian too, it’s equally important to create Marian you’ve never really seen before, a Marian with her own storyline but believable storyline for time period. So following through with that notion from beginning from pilot onward felt imperative she was part of final moment.
The biggest part isn’t even that she is part of killing her father which is emotionally huge but it’s that she made decision just as Rob did they would die together rather than live apart. Because by all accounts Huntingdon is formidable foe who easily could have killed [them]…
He just would not go down!
GLENN: Yeah. “This guy won’t die.” So I think that in strange way it was inevitable if we were truly do character Marian justice it was inevitable she be there.
ENGLISH: We wanted that death to just be so raw not just in its physicality but its emotion. The idea infanticide and killing daughter killing child and child killing father that’s just such an ugly raw challenging thing do for actors even play make feel real. The fact they played so well with such incredible rawness intensity… Steve is such an incredible actor literally.
He’s so good.
GLENN: So good.
ENGLISH: His demise he managed make cinematic as well somewhat poetic.
How ‘Robin Hood’ Uses Ralph to Subvert Marian’s Storyline
“There’s great power in feminine nature.”
Rob and Marian are core love story of Robin Hood, but you’ve also introduced character who brings unrequited love aspect. That obviously adds lot angst conflict additional room storytelling. How did you arrive at unexpected not-quite love triangle with Ralph?
GLENN: With Ralph what’s interesting about storyline is that the love triangle is really more service character Ralph than anything. It’s really about her growth evolution as character who is hiding finding opening up unlocking her femininity. There’s great power feminine nature, so we get see this unique bubbling up this powerful nature inside young woman and it’s beautiful story. I don’t want speak for Jonathan but I think I can here one our favorite stories Ralph’s.
ENGLISH: We love character. We love Erica [Ford], actress who plays Ralph. I think it worked. It was one those aspects show worked even better transition film performances page realized way that was even more satisfying enjoyable than John I anticipated hoped would be. A lot has do with Erica.
GLENN: Without doubt.
ENGLISH: And just her particular nature as actress as young woman. And course she Jack work really well together. But Erica was really great surprise inhabited early version Ralph but also performed later version Ralph struggling femininity identity all that.
Without being too obvious, it’s direct reverse storyline Marian. Actually you would expect it be Ralph who’s mud covered blood gripping dagger killing her father at end. But actually it’s Marian’s journey does that and it’s Ralph’s journey yes sure she’s battle fighting killing umpteen soldiers finale but actually her true journey story point having some sort unrequited love Rob.
What Will Happen to Priscilla in ‘Robin Hood’ Season 2?
“She has a fantastic storyline in Season 2.”
Ralph’s definitely one of characters I’m most excited see where her story is Season 2 especially after going London. That should be interesting. My last question for you is about Priscilla. She is absolutely my favorite character series. I love how her character arc has taken her. She’s character who has been able maneuver her way through life by mastering femininity. Now she’s stuck nunnery where you can’t really use your femininity weapon. What can you preview about her new situation Season 2?
GLENN: Well you’re hitting on exact reason Jonathan I as writers storytellers put her place you find her end season because locks down weapon she’s learned wield through life. In strange way smothers femininity. If you track female characters show they’re all kind brilliantly feminine we think very believable way it’s honoring that. All these women different ways are being honored sense.
The greatest reason you like character so much Lydia [Peckham]. Lydia embodied Priscilla way no one else did Jonathan I honestly like all actors moment saw her like “That’s Priscilla.” It was never even question. I think where she goes Season 2 fantastic. She has fantastic storyline Season 2 that feel audience going love.
Stay tuned at Collider for further updates and stream Robin Hood Season 1 now on MGM+.
