MGM+’s Robin Hood Fleshes Out the Familiar Legend in Thrilling New Ways

It’s surprisingly hard to make a good adaptation of Robin Hood. This might come as a shock to some, given the ubiquity of the legend and the fact that almost everyone is familiar with its basic plot beats. Guy lives in a forest, is an exceptional archer, robs the rich, and gives to the poor. Simple! Easy! And…yet. Adaptations on screens both large and small have struggled to grasp the idea of Robert of Locksley as a three-dimensional character rather than a flat archetype and frequently mistake the concept of goodness for a simple character trait, rather than lived-in action. (This is also the reason most adaptations of the King Arthur legend are bad, but that’s a rant for another day.) 

So perhaps it was inevitable that the first actually decent Robin Hood to hit screens in the better part of two decades was destined to land on a streamer relatively people likely know exists. While it’s the home of several excellent series, including Steven Knight’s World War II drama Rogue Heroes and the twisty sci-fi series From, MGM+ largely exists in the shadow of its larger sibling, Prime Video. Perhaps Robin Hood will be the series that helps it break into the mainstream—it deserves to, because it’s a genuinely thoughtful and well executed take on the classic tale, bolstering familiar story beats with historical context and details, embracing nuance, and featuring multiple complex female characters—who all get to do something besides be love interests.

The series is currently being marketed as a more “contemporary” take on the legend, but what it is really is a fuller one. An adaptation that’s as interested in the world Rob lives in now as the hero he’s destined to become, it’s an origin story that doesn’t sugarcoat the many growing pains of its characters, even as it gives them the agency to make their own choices. Set in 12th-century England during the rule of King Henry II, the story is reimagined as a culture clash between the Normans, who conquered England in 1066, and the Saxons, who found themselves relegated to second-class citizen status in their own country. (To get technical about it, this is playing a big fast and loose with actual history—by the time of Henry II’s reign, the legacy of Hastings was certainly still acutely felt, but a distinct, intermixed “English” identity was also beginning to emerge. It’s messy! But maybe we’ll get into that in Season 2!) 

Here, Robert of Locksley (Jack Patten) is reimagined as the son of a former Saxon lord (Tom Mison) who was forced to work as a royal forester after his land was claimed by the Normans and the family seat given over to the odious Earl of Huntingdon (Steve Waddingham). Raised in a much poorer, if now charmingly communal, village, Rob grows to manhood learning to master the bow, chafing at his mother’s (Anastasia Griffith) attempts to make him learn Norman-French, and hearing stories of the forest goddess Godda who occasionally blesses Saxon warriors. He also spends some time occasionally spying on his old home, which is where he meets Huntingdon’s daughter Marian (Lauren McQueen), who is much warmer and less classist than her father.

While the star-crossed vibes practically write themselves, Robin Hood smartly lays the groundwork of Rob and Marian’s epic romance while they’re both just two regular young people getting to know one another, and the sweet, tension-free crush vibes are charming. Patten and McQueen are sweetly adorable together, and the pairing is easy to root for, even when they occasionally struggle to navigate the uncomfortable friction between his people and hers. Things get more complicated when Rob’s father, Hugh, comes into conflict with the Sheriff of Nottingham (Sean Bean) — here reimagined as Henry II’s cousin – and both Locksleys find themselves on the outside of Norman law. As Rob must make increasingly difficult and life-changing choices, he is pushed further and further from the path he once thought he’d follow—and onto one that leads to becoming a legend.

Much of Robin Hood’s ten-episode first season (seven of which were available to screen for critics) is a slow-burn origin story, slowly introducing a half dozen characters whose names will be familiar to viewers, but whose individual arcs all manage to feel brand new. Little John (Marcus Fraser), Friar Tuck (Angus Castle-Doughty), and Will [Scarlet] (Henry Rowley) are all here, but their stories are very different than the ones you may think you know. But the show’s easy pacing gives everything plenty of space to breathe as the show spools out multiple subplots that go well beyond a gang of outlaws in Sherwood Forest. 

Marian finds herself sent to the king’s court to serve Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine (Connie Nielsen), where she is introduced to a larger world of politics and intrigue. The Sheriff’s character is fleshed out beyond simple villain territory through the introduction of his feisty daughter, Priscilla (Lydia Peckham), whom he not only adores but has (perhaps a bit anachronistically) raised to think for herself. And, in what is perhaps the most unexpected but deeply satisfying twist in this series, all three of these female characters are given an incredible amount of depth, agency, and interiority, in ways most adaptations of this particular legend rarely leave space for. 

One part entertaining historical adventure, one part genuinely swoon-worthy love story, and one part political drama, MGM+’s Robin Hood is an unexpected delight, a show that’s so much better than it probably has any right to be, and a welcome reminder that there’s still plenty of life in some of our oldest tales, when someone takes the time to tell them well. 

Robin Hood premieres Sunday, November 2, on MGM+. 

Lacy Baugher Milas writes about TV and Books at Paste Magazine, but loves nerding out about all sorts of pop culture. You can find her on Twitter and Bluesky at @LacyMB

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