The Sheriff hires a group of con-artists to catch Robin Hood for him. Under the guise of being a tax inspector, Flaxton and his son Cedric are stopped by the outlaws, who use them to devise a plan to steal the Sheriff's tax money. Elsewhere, the Abbess of Rufford collapses at the castle gates and is given sanctuary by the Sheriff and Gisborne.
At Knighton Hall, Marian and her father argue; having learnt she is the Nightwatchman, Edward insists she "could do worse" than marrying Gisborne, but she says she should be proud of the daughter he has rather than the one he thinks he ought to. Meeting with the Abbess at the castle, Marian decides to become a nun. Flaxton and Cedric spring their trap, and Robin and the outlaws are locked in an empty room; however, they escape because of Will's knowledge of locks. Too late, the Sheriff realizes that the Abbess was working with the con-artists, and that she has made off with the tax money, which was hidden in the castle chapel.
Back in the forest, Robin and the outlaws ambush the conmen, who were planning to escape to Holland, and make off with the tax money. Marian informs Edward that she will not be leaving after all, as the Abbess was a fraud; he says he realized he was proud of the daughter he had all along.
Tropes
- Battle of Wits: This is what's going on between the outlaws, the con-artists and the Sheriff across the course of the episode, though it takes a while for some parties to catch on.
- Bitch Slap: The Abbess gives one of these to the Sheriff when he starts making sexual innuendos.
- Bookends: The start of the episode has Robin confront a corrupt butcher who has been selling putrid meat disguised as fresh with the help of beetroot juice. The premise of this cold opening is then entirely abandoned until the final scene, in which Robin approaches various livestock owners in the area and pays them to distribute any meat directly to the people who need it.
- Captain Obvious: On entering the trashed chapel to see the chests emptied of their contents, Guy needlessly comments: "she was not the Abbess of Rufford."
- The Con: Though the viewer may twig as to Flaxton and Cedric's true identities as con-artists (as they're first seen being commissioned by the Sheriff for a job in The Teaser) there's no indication that the Abbess of Rufford is in league with them until the end of the episode. Their entire scheme was to get the outlaws out of the way, the Sheriff and his cronies distracted, and the fake Abbess into the castle chapel so she could lower the tax money out the window and escape with the fortune.
- Continuity Nod: Allan is reluctant to return to the castle, since the last time he was there "I was dangled by a rope."
- Contrived Coincidence: It's unclear how the outlaws planned to get past the Nottingham guards if Marian hadn't turned up at that precise moment to provide a distraction.
- Dramatic Dislocation: Downplayed, but this is how Cedric escapes his bonds from the tree the outlaws have tied him to.
- Escape Artist: Cedric dislocates his own shoulder to free himself from the ropes tying him from the tree, and it's clearly not the first time he's done such a thing.
- Foil: The con-artists are collectively this to the outlaws. They successfully outwit our heroes in the theft of the tax money, but are clearly out for themselves instead of sharing their ill-gotten gains with people who actually need it.
- Hostage Situation: To escape the castle courtyard, Robin holds his scimitar to the Sheriff's throat until they're safely beyond the walls and the portcullis has been lowered.
- No Name Given: The Abbess's true name (or even a fake name during her time as Abbess) is never revealed, and she's even credited as "The Abbess".
- One Dialogue, Two Conversations: In a sense. When Marian approaches the Abbess with her request to become a novice, the Abbess (who we later find out is a con-artist) plays along. Toward the end of the conversation, the woman becomes more interested in Marian's boldness, commenting "I could use someone like you." At this point, it's obvious in hindsight that she's actually sizing her up as a potential recruit.
- One-Shot Character: The fake Abbess and her cohorts only appear in this single episode.
- Out-Gambitted: The Sheriff and the outlaws are thoroughly outsmarted by the team of Flaxton, Cedric and the fake Abbess. Only by following Cedric are the outlaws able to reclaim the tax money.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Invoked by Flaxton and Cedric when the outlaws block their way in the forest. They're disguised as farmers going to sell goat milk in Nottingham, a ploy that the outlaws are meant to see through (not least because their goat is a male) in order to identify them as tax collectors instead. Of course, they're not that either, and after the outlaws use Flaxton to gain entrance to the castle, he promptly locks them in the dungeons.
- Rewatch Bonus: In hindsight, the role that the fake Abbess plays is masterful, with only a few glimpses (usually with Marian) of who she really is. In particular, she allows the Sheriff to believe he's got the upper hand, when all the while she's subtly manipulating him into giving her access to the chapel.
- Shout-Out: When scolding Marian about her role as the Nightwatchman, Edward accidentally calls her alter ego the "Knight Rider".
- Spear Carrier: The corrupt butcher in the cold open, who appears only in that scene in order to be confronted by Robin, then quietly give away his hiding place when the castle guards come to fetch the Sheriff's meat.
- Stalker with a Crush: Guy keeps bringing unwelcome gifts to Marian, even though she makes it very clear she's not interested. Nevertheless, he tells her he's going to keep trying to win her over.
- Status Quo Is God: Obviously there's no way Marian is going to become a novice at Rufford Abbey, as the story needs her to be in close proximity to Nottingham.
- Taking the Veil: Marian doesn't actually want to become a nun — in fact, she tells the Abbess she only plans to stay in the convent for a year — but she has no problem with Guy thinking that this is her plan.
- Threat Backfire: Annoyed with Marian's insistence on defying the Sheriff, Edward tells her she can't live under his roof any longer. She promptly makes plans to move to the Abbey of Rufford and become a novice.
- Title Drop: The Sheriff mutters: "the taxman cometh" on seeing Flaxton return to the castle with the outlaws in tow.
- The Unfought: Robin and the Abbess are the leaders of their respective band of outlaws, and operate as foils to one another across the course of the episode. However, they don't interact with each other until almost the very last scene.
- We Need a Distraction: On seeing Robin and the other outlaws hiding among the homeless beggars at the castle gates, Marian gets off her horse and starts handing out alms, letting herself get swamped by the desperate people. When the guards attend to her cries for help, the outlaws sneak in behind them.
- What You Are in the Dark: Edward is told before Marian that the Abbess of Rufford is a fraud, but decides not to tell her in order to spare her feelings. When Marian finds out, she's moved that he agreed to her conditions to stay at Knighton even though he knew that her leaving with the Abbess was no longer an option.
- We Can Rule Together: The Abbess invites Robin to leave his men, just as she plans to leave hers, so they can run off together to Holland and live the high-life.
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: To get herself into the castle, the Abbess faints at the gates of Nottingham Castle, claiming that her pilgrimage has been attacked by outlaws, and correcting assuming that a woman of her status will be tended to within the castle walls.
- Your Tomcat Is Pregnant: When Flaxton claims to be on his way to Nottingham to sell goat's milk, Djaq is quick to point out that their goat is male.
