Tattoo? What Tattoo?

Infobox Television episode
Title = Tattoo? What Tattoo?
Series = Robin Hood


Caption = Robin and Gisborne fight in the forest.
Season = 1
Episode = 8
Airdate = November 25 2006
Production =
Writer = Julian Mitchell
Director = Declan O'Dwyer
Guests =
Prev = Brothers in Arms
Next = A Thing Or Two About Loyalty

"Tattoo? What Tattoo?" is the eighth episode of the 2006 "Robin Hood" television series, made by Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC One. It aired on Saturday November 25, 2006 at 7.10pm.

Plot

The episode begins with Robin having a nightmare about his time in the Holy Land, when a band of Saracens attempted to kill the king.Just as he slashes the attempted assassin's arm and sees his tattoo, Robin wakes.

The outlaws then humiliate Guy of Gisborne and his guests at a feast to celebrate King Richard's birthday by stealing their valuables, including an engagement ring he intended for Marian.Gisborne attempts to stop them and Robin pins him to a wall with a dagger, ripping open his sleeve and revealing a tattoo identical to the assassin's, complete with scar.

The Sheriff arrives and the outlaws escape, but inadvertently leave Djaq behind, where she is captured by the Sheriff (who initially fails to realise that she is a girl). Despite Marian's pleas otherwise, Gisborne goes in pursuit of Robin and the stolen ring.

In the Forest, Robin confronts Gisborne, who indicates both that he disapproves of King Richard's efforts to make peace with 'the Turk,' and that he was sent on behalf of elements at home disapproving of Richard's fighting 'the Pope's war.' Despite his vow not to kill, Robin knocks Gisborne down and prepares to cut his throat, but the other outlaws arrive and stop him. He then tries to convince them that Gisborne is a traitor and should be executed, but the outlaws point out there's been no fair trial such as what Robin has always claimed to champion.

At the castle, Djaq manages to escape her cell by using some kind of acid to weaken the bars, but is quickly recaptured. Intrigued by the destructive chemical, which he confiscates, the Sheriff decides to enlist her as his new alchemist and locks her in his former (now deceased) alchemist's laboratory.

Frustrated by the outlaws' insistence on due process, Robin begins beating the bound Gisborne, but is pulled off and knocked unconscious by Little John. Leaving both Robin and Gisborne tied up and guarded by Much, the remaining outlaws sneak into the castle to try to rescue Djaq. She has used her alchemical skills to escape the laboratory, but is unable to escape with them and is once again recaptured.

Meanwhile Robin convinces Much to release him, but Much then departs when Robin insults him and begins threatening to torture Gisborne. Gisborne responds to the threats by mocking Robin about his 'shortage of friends' and points out that Robin is actually, for all he wants to be high-and-mighty, essentially a violent man. Robin unties him and the two men have a fistfight, with Gisborne taunting Robin about winning Marian and living in Robin's old house. The two are at the point of exhaustion; both equally matched, when Guy begins to insuinuate that he will think of Robin and laugh: "-And Marian. You think I won't laugh, every time-". At this, Robin knocks Gisbourne unconscious, but then falls back himself. Much returns with Marian and the rest of the outlaws. They get Robin back under control with Marian's help and try in vain to persuade him to exchange Gisborne for Djaq.

Despite Robin's objections, the outlaws decide to go through with the exchange. Marian carries their proposal to the Sheriff, who initially downplays Gisborne's importance to him but ultimately agrees. Once again leaving Robin tied up and guarded by Much, the outlaws take Gisborne and go to make the exchange. Robin begins trying to get Much to untie him and tell him where it's scheduled to take place, but Much refuses.

On the way to the exchange (which is in an abandoned mine), the Sheriff discovers Djaq is a girl and makes a snide remark about how popular she must be on cold nights in the woods. The outlaws arrive with a bound Gisborne, and are soon joined by Robin, who has apparently either guessed or managed to persuade Much to tell him the location. As the prisoners are exchanged, Robin says he didn't agree to this, but has since had a change of heart. He then shouts that he will get justice on Gisborne when Richard returns, and that all he will need to do is show him Gisborne's tattoo. The Sheriff retorts, "Tattoo? What Tattoo?" and burns it off with the confiscated acid, telling the whimpering Gisbourne it serves him right for "painting his arm like a girl."

The Sheriff then tries a double-cross, calling out men hidden in a nearby secret passage to come capture the outlaws, but Robin and the others are able to escape through another secret entrance. They return, with Djaq, to the forest and, after some more soul-searching, they all share a smile and a meal.

Trivia

* During one of the fight sequences, Gisborne says to Robin "What are you, Locksley? Lord of the Dance?". This is possibly in reference to the "Lord of the Dance" hymn, which was written in 1963 (and is therefore an anachronistic reference). This one of many possible links between Robin and the stories of Jesus.

* The reference to 'fighting the Pope's war' is a reference to British participation in the 2003 Iraq War in the role (according to British anti-war figures) of the USA's junior ally.

* Alchemy is a medieval pseudoscience, some of which, where testable, has been incorporated into modern science. Arabic science was much in advance of European science during this period, hence the jailer's superstitious fear of Djaq's use of chemicals.

* When aired in the US on BBC America, this episode was retitled "The Assassin".

External links

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