Dale Smith#RobinOfSherwood last night surprised me with my reaction to John Rhys-Davies unexpectedly popping up: it was like an old friend bumping into you and suggesting you catch up over a pint. I think this might be the first time I've seen him in anything not doing an accent.
He's perfect for the episode, which relies on his ability to charm us and Robin and then carries out a succession of rug pulls. The first being that he's not just some random knight who can beat Little John at wrestling: he's King Richard, returned from the crusades!
That's unsettling, because Richard usually turns up at the end of the Robin Hood story: he's the happy ending you can reach for if the "where this arrow lands" ending is too sad for you. But we've barely the first season here: is this story going to end so soon?