[SPOILERS] There are some good themes and ideas swirling around "The Dangerous Game" from writer Michael Chaplin, but none of its really coalesces into anything exciting or terribly complex. It achieves minor development in a few relationships in the end, but ultimately this was bottom-drawer filler...Isabella (Lara Pulver) is now the Sheriff of Nottingham and, despite the concerns of Robin (Jonas Armstrong), whom Isabella is still treating as a dangerous outlaw, she's preferable to the old regime. Obama to the Bush era, you might say. Of primary importance to Isabella's character is a streak of feminism a mile wide, which she sees reflected in a boisterous prisoner called Meg (Holliday Grainger), whom she releases from custody as a token of her goodwill to Nottingham's citizens. Sadly, seconds later Isabella's husband Thornton (Nicholas Gleaves) descends on the castle, intending to steal power from her. His wife may have the blessing of Prince John in her new appointment, but the prince doesn't know about her "sinful" behaviour in running away from darlin' hubbie...
As Thornton starts to takeover, Meg is spared only because she knows the location of treasure buried in a mound of earth in the forest – a fortune in gold that Thornton intends to steal, despite concerns from his men that the loot is cursed. A little later, Meg winds up in a dungeon with Guy (Richard Armitage) as her next-cell neighbour, both being detained until execution in the morning. This was the worst element of the episode, as Meg's forthright personality clashes with Guy, but she eventually gives him perspective on the terrible things he's done in his life.
Sadly, the writing wasn't really up to task in making these talkative scenes fly, not helped by the fact we've only known Meg for just one episode and actress Holliday Grainger basically reprises her annoying Demons character to Olde England. By the time Meg's been stabbed during their escape and is being rested against a tree with Guy leaning over her in the style of a romantic tragedy, it's just not very convincing. Still, I had to feel sorry for Guy when Meg breathed her final words: "I always quite liked you." Quite?
There are moments in "The Dangerous Game" that touch on sexism, feminism, and gender politics in general, but nothing compelling really comes of it. However, I did like the fleshing out of Isabella's character here -- clearly a victim of domestic abuse who ran away to escape that nightmare, becoming someone with a strong opinion that the world would improved if women ruled. Lara Pulver is clearly one of Robin Hood's more talented actors, and she does well with the material, even if her talent can't make a leather purse out of a sow's ear. But, at least her character is interesting, conflicted, and more three-dimensional than most.
We also get some overdue development in the Sherwood Forest love-triangle nobody's talking about -- between Robin, Kate (Joanne Froggatt) and Much (Sam Troughton). It appears that Kate loves Robin, but Robin isn't quite so keen on a relationship because he knows his best-friend fancies Kate (although his guilt doesn't stop a few smooches!), while Kate appears unaware of Much's feelings and wants him to persuade Robin to give them a chance. Alan (Joe Armstrong) appears to have been entirely forgotten about, despite the fact he was the fourth-wheel in this romantic entanglement a few episodes ago. Anyway, as much as I'm sure the ladies are swooning over Robin and Much is a sympathetic unlucky-in-love type, it's all very bland and unsubstantial. Things aren't helped by the fact the story is following the obvious direction everyone predicted when Kate first arrived.
The rest of the episode was the usual Asterix-style violence (knocking guard's heads together, the loudest arrows this side of Tex Avery), overdone music cues, and stupidity. I particularly liked how one guard failed to spot Robin and Kate crouched literally a metre away from him in the forest, and of course there was yet another beheading for Robin and his gang to prevent at Nottingham castle. Security really needs to tighten whenever capital punishment is going on, don't you think?
30 May 2009
BBC1, 7.20pm
written by: Michael Chaplin directed by: Graeme Harper starring: Jonas Armstrong (Robin), Richard Armitage (Guy), David Harewood (Tuck), Gordon Kennedy (Little John), Sam Troughton (Much), Joe Armstrong (Allan), Lara Pulver (Isabella), Joanne Froggatt (Kate), Nicholas Gleaves (Squire Thornton), Holliday Grainger (Meg) & Denes Bernath (Godfrey)
