My New Period Obsession

Many of us are familiar with the recent film adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South. Mostly because of Richard Armitage, and the glorious train scene.

*sigh*

How do I fall into these female traps? Armitage does an excellent job as Mr. Thornton. When others hear I have liked him in that, they often suggest "You should watch [insert movie/show here]." Lately, whether it is Richard Armitage's name or not, I feel I've had a lot of people recommend watching "Robin Hood." I'd been hearing enough about it, but had never looked into it. I guess at some point I must have seen it recommended on my Netflix account, because apparently I added it.

I didn't realize I had until last Monday. Well, I was in between actual DVDs, and having just watched a version of Ivanhoe (eh, it was so-so), I was in a Medieval mood. So I thought "What can it hurt?" Somehow I didn't realize that "Robin Hood" was a TV show. But lo and behold, Season 1 and 2 were available Watch Instantly. (Gotta tell you--Watch Instantly is worth every penny I pay from my monthly Entertainment budget.)

So there I went. I started watching Season 1, Episode 1.

Various thoughts, of course:

-That's Robin Hood? You'd think they'd fine someone a little better looking.

(Oh all right--he did grow on me eventually. But I still don't faint at the site of him. I don't even flutter.)

-What's with the clothes? They look like clothes from our day that have been stretched, discolored, made raggedy and passed off for the time period. That is so obviously a plain T-shirt!

-Oh no. What's with the making out with the not-Marian girl? Is this going to be one of those kinds of shows? I knew there were many reasons besides commercials that I don't watch TV.

However, I was still intrigued. Who played which character? (Armitage, by the way, is one of the bad guys. Some times he looks and acts it, and you despise him. Other times...well... See for yourself.)

How was the acting? What were the sets like? How does a story I am fairly familiar with get adapted into a 3-season TV series?

Well, the first episode ended. If not for the last 5 minutes or so, I probably would have passed it off as all right but not worth my time. With time to kill, I thought Why not? and went ahead with episode 2. I don't know what happened in those 43 minutes, but by the end...

I was completely hooked!

It's hilarious, because when I tell people I've gotten hooked onto the TV show "Robin Hood," they ask "It's good?" And my immediate reply is "No!" For its obvious modernified nature (think Keira Knightley P&P), its costuming and the one-liners so obviously not time appropriate, and so much more if I really wanted to pick it apart. But I don't. I somehow came to love it in only 2 episodes.

I was worried that it would take a raunchy turn, but it hasn't. Not yet. Called family friendly and by some standards, yes. I wouldn't have my under 10 year old watch it, but it's considerably and surprisingly clean.

I kept watching when I had any spare minute, and loved it more and more. To the point that I finished Season 1's 13 episodes at *ahem* 1:20 am this morning. Yes. It's that good. Or, at least what I've been wanting right now. Great characters and decent acting from them.

Love the episode story lines. Love the development. It can be light while still being deep. I just...I love it! Embarrassingly so!

And if I didn't already love it by episode 3, episodes 12 and 13 made me absolutely adore it.

Oh. My. Word.

My other DVD has come and it's being put on hold. Season 2 starts tonight! Let's just hope it doesn't get worse (like Beauty and the Beast series did).