As the first season barrels toward its close, Robin Hood Episode 9 raises the stakes to a breaking point. Titled “I Choose You,” the episode sees alliances torn apart, new villains arrive, and long-held secrets come to light. With Marian’s dramatic return to Sherwood Forest and a shocking act of violence from the crown, Robin and his Merry Men find themselves cornered with a brutal fight for survival on the horizon.
The High Cost of Revenge
The episode begins in the aftermath of Henry Miller’s death, with Robin and his crew fueled by rage. They storm Warwick Castle and capture Lord Warwick, the Norman nobleman responsible for the cruelty against Saxons. The group takes him to their forest camp, where a tense debate unfolds on what justice looks like.
Friar Tuck, a Norman and a Christian, stands alone in pleading for mercy. He argues that cold-blooded killing is against God’s teachings and will only lead to more suffering. This creates a clear divide with the Saxon outlaws, especially Little John, who believes they deserve vengeance for years of oppression. Rosemary Miller, who initially demanded revenge for her brother, freezes when given the chance to execute Warwick. Ultimately, Drew Miller steps forward and kills the lord, declaring it justice for Henry. This act of violence proves too much for Tuck, who decides he can no longer be part of a group driven by vengeance and walks away from the camp.
A Spy in the Camp and a Fractured Brotherhood
The danger to Robin becomes more direct. The Sheriff of Nottingham reveals he planted a spy among the prisoners Robin rescued in the previous episode. The spy returns to the outlaw hideout with one mission: assassinate Robin Hood. His attempt almost succeeds, but Friar Tuck, who had been lingering nearby, intervenes at the last second to save Robin’s life.
After the scuffle, a shaken Tuck tells Robin, “If you are just out for payback, you are never going to be the hero they need. The Sheriff has to go, plain and simple, or nothing is ever going to change.”
This moment forces Tuck, who had just killed a man for the first time, to return to the group. He reconciles with Robin but warns him that their fight must be for a larger purpose than simple revenge.
Marian’s Escape from Westminster
Meanwhile, at Westminster Palace, Marian’s role as Queen Eleanor’s spy is exposed. After she provides the queen with evidence that Prince John is scheming to win the Pope’s support for his claim to the throne, John realizes Marian betrayed him. He confronts her, and his charming facade drops completely, leading to a violent attack. This shatters any illusion Marian had about the safety and nobility of court life.
Fearing for her life and realizing where she truly belongs, Marian decides to flee. With crucial help from Priscilla, who provides directions to the outlaw camp, Marian escapes the palace and rides for Sherwood Forest. Her departure coincides with another royal upheaval, as Queen Eleanor orders William Marshal to travel to Rome and stop Prince John “by any means necessary,” a command that forces William to make a painful personal sacrifice.
A New and More Dangerous Enemy Arrives
The power dynamic in Nottingham shifts dramatically. The Sheriff, confident he has found Robin’s hideout, goes to Queen Eleanor to request soldiers for a final attack. Instead, she delivers crushing news: King Henry II has already sent his own man to handle the problem.
That man is Guy of Gisborne, described as one of the king’s “most brutal and violent knights”. Gisborne immediately allies with Marian’s father, the Earl of Huntingdon. To force Robin out of hiding, they devise a horrifying plan: slaughter an entire, defenseless Saxon village in the forest. Even the ruthless Sheriff is taken aback by the brutality of the tactic, but Gisborne shows no remorse. Queen Eleanor warns the Sheriff that Gisborne’s success would mean the end of his own position, setting up a potential three-way conflict.
Choosing Each Other Amid the Chaos
Marian finally reaches the outlaw camp and delivers her urgent warning to Robin: his location is known, and Guy of Gisborne is coming for him. In this moment of crisis, she confesses that she still loves him and reveals that she learned Robin once bargained with Queen Eleanor for Marian’s freedom, not his own pardon.
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Robin, initially skeptical, verifies the threat by scouting Nottingham Castle and seeing the army preparing for war. With the net closing in, he and Marian decide to ride out of the forest together. However, their escape is short-lived. They soon stumble upon the smoldering ruins of the Saxon village massacred by Gisborne. Standing hand-in-hand amid the ashes, the grim reality stops them cold. Their personal choice to be together is instantly overshadowed by the larger fight they cannot abandon.
The episode ends on this somber note, with Robin and Marian united but trapped, and a formidable new enemy having raised the stakes with unimaginable cruelty. All paths now lead to an unavoidable and explosive confrontation in the season finale.
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