Here, have a fandom!
Sep. 12th, 2008 12:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rubberbuttonSo I got a job. Which is to the good, but it doesn't actually start for about a month, so I've had some (a lot of) time to kill -- and god knows I'm not going to use it doing something useful or productive. *eyes room which looks like it has been ransacked by evil four-year-olds -- seriously, I have markers scattered across my floor* I've been kind of drifting in fandom, lately. I'm still happy in my old fandoms, but I'm been looking for something new, something exciting, something to put on heels and lipstick for.
And I think I've found it, and must share it with you.
The BBC's Robin Hood.
I'd like to say that this show is well-written, tightly plotted, brilliantly acted and insightful ... but it is none of those things, and I shant deceive you. The plots are simplistic and predictable good-vs-evil, the dialogue is frequently laughable and ... well, the acting isn't really that bad. Richard Armitage does a lot with what he's got, as does everyone else, really. The show's creators have embraced jarringly modern sensibilities in fashion and language and brought anachronisms to Xena-type levels.
"But RB," I can hear you saying, "if this show is so colossally mediocre, why do you love it so?"
Well, my ducklings, the short answer that it brings both the gorgeous (see below) and the slash. And it does, it really really does. But the longer answer, which I struck upon when asking myself the very same question is this: it comes so close to being good. It alludes to dark histories, but doesn't explore them. It suggests the complexities of the relationships between character, but doesn't illuminate. It presents morally-ambiguous situations, but then shies away into safer territory. I'm intrigued, but not stifled by -- it gives me just enough material to run with.
Looking for a pattern in my fandoms I've written fic for (and with the exception of Arrested Development -- who knows where that came from), they're all like that. Not the sucking part -- the hinting part, I mean. House and due South are procedurals, and SGA functions a lot like one -- the character's personal lives are largely off-screen, with only hints and tantalizing bits of information to be hoarded and extrapolated from. Hard Core Logo is different from any of the above, it's a movie and it's also character-based, but its documentary format keeps the viewer at arm's length and the unreliability of the narrators keep us guessing.
So Robin Hood is actually everything I could want in a fandom: it has hot people, slashy subtext, and plenty of room to play in.
Unfortunately the fandom is small and this fic is mostly Robin/Marian or Marian/Guy (not that there's anything wrong with that, ahem). Which is where you fine people come in. Come with me, cooooooome with me. Here's some candy.
This is Robin Hood:
He's tortured in his soul. Also sometimes his body.
He's pretty good with a bow. And he has tight pants.
He's kind of an asshole, actually. One of those smug gorgeous types who you can't help but want, even if you want to hit him. Especially if you want to hit him. He feels really bad about all those people he killed in the Holy Land. He enjoys self-congratulating, flirting with Marian and watching Much trail after him.
This is Much:
He has abysmal taste in both jumpers and hats.
He likes coming to the rescue.
Much is always ready for action!
Much was formerly Robin's manservant and now ... he pretty much still is. He went to the Holy Land with Robin and is also tortured about it, though I think he mostly watched Robin kill people. He likes cooking and telling Robin that he loves him and double checking that he's still important to Robin. I'm not kidding. He also enjoys staring moodily while Robin flirts with Marian.
This is Marian:
I don't have a caption, but why don't you join me in staring?
Again with the wordlessness of me.
Like Much, she often makes tragic fashion choices.
Marian is almost too beautiful. Really creamy and curvaceous and ... Where was I? Oh yes, she's also head-strong and gutsy. And she really actually kind of is, though most of her plans go awry and Robin has to bail her out. Lame. She enjoys sassing Robin, spying on the Sheriff and wearing some of the ugliest costumes I have ever seen. A knit camo dress? For serious? She still looks good in them though, and things vastly improve in Series 2.
This is Allan-A-Dale:
The knife? Is a metaphor.
Allan is frequently conflicted.
He's also frequently shirtless.
Allan is one of Robin's men (take that as you will). He gets tortured with his shirt off. He enjoys saying "I'm not being funny but ..." And though we don't see it on camera, I surmise he also enjoys working on his six-pack.
This is Will Scarlett:
Will has to put up with a lot.
Will's awesome. Enough said. I do wish he'd shave, though. He likes building improbable techno stuff and being the voice of reason.
This is Djaq.
She rocks out androgynous-style.
She's pretty much good at everything.
She will cut you.
Djaq is also awesome. Except for her faux-Middle Eastern accent, which you do get used to after awhile. She is also gorgeous -- my god, her eyes. She enjoys showing the boys up.
This is Little John:
Do I really have to caption this?
Little John's he spends a lot of time talking about the wife and son he left to run off into the forest. Lame. He does have a staff which is great for endless innuendos. He's also kind of funny. He enjoys reminding everyone about their mission to help the poor. And how he's left his wife. Did I mention the wife?
This is Guy of Gisborne:
HAHAHA. Black leather.
Some days, Guy just can't catch a break.
Guy isn't evil, he just wants to be love. But he can't get love, so he'll settle for being evil. He hates Robin (but secretly wants to be him). He enjoys wearing black leather and both being tortured and torturing. Plus, he's Richard Armitage, and what more could you possibly want?
This is the Sheriff:
Chillin' like a villain.
The Sheriff just wants to take over England, which I suppose isn't too shabby, as goals go. He has a rather ambiguous relationhip with Guy and spends a lot of time up in Guy's personal space. The Sheriff enjoys trying to execute Robin Hood -- when's he going to learn that you should never keep Robin in the dungeon while waiting to do the execution up proper? Just slit his damn throat as soon as you have him in custody, jesus. The Sheriff also enjoys being rather campy.
Aren't they just great? They're so easy to mix and match!
I like Robin/Much quite a bit. The camaraderie, the shared pain, the power inequity, and Much's uncertainty and jealousy. So fucking great.
But there's also of Robin/Guy -- all the gorgeous hate!sex.
Marian/Djaq -- in all that testosterone, girls have got to stick together.
Much/Allan -- Sure, Allan's not who Much really wants, but if you can't have the one you really want, having one who's convenient ain't bad either.
And many more!
So yes. Have I recruited you yet? Yes?
And I think I've found it, and must share it with you.
The BBC's Robin Hood.
I'd like to say that this show is well-written, tightly plotted, brilliantly acted and insightful ... but it is none of those things, and I shant deceive you. The plots are simplistic and predictable good-vs-evil, the dialogue is frequently laughable and ... well, the acting isn't really that bad. Richard Armitage does a lot with what he's got, as does everyone else, really. The show's creators have embraced jarringly modern sensibilities in fashion and language and brought anachronisms to Xena-type levels.
"But RB," I can hear you saying, "if this show is so colossally mediocre, why do you love it so?"
Well, my ducklings, the short answer that it brings both the gorgeous (see below) and the slash. And it does, it really really does. But the longer answer, which I struck upon when asking myself the very same question is this: it comes so close to being good. It alludes to dark histories, but doesn't explore them. It suggests the complexities of the relationships between character, but doesn't illuminate. It presents morally-ambiguous situations, but then shies away into safer territory. I'm intrigued, but not stifled by -- it gives me just enough material to run with.
Looking for a pattern in my fandoms I've written fic for (and with the exception of Arrested Development -- who knows where that came from), they're all like that. Not the sucking part -- the hinting part, I mean. House and due South are procedurals, and SGA functions a lot like one -- the character's personal lives are largely off-screen, with only hints and tantalizing bits of information to be hoarded and extrapolated from. Hard Core Logo is different from any of the above, it's a movie and it's also character-based, but its documentary format keeps the viewer at arm's length and the unreliability of the narrators keep us guessing.
So Robin Hood is actually everything I could want in a fandom: it has hot people, slashy subtext, and plenty of room to play in.
Unfortunately the fandom is small and this fic is mostly Robin/Marian or Marian/Guy (not that there's anything wrong with that, ahem). Which is where you fine people come in. Come with me, cooooooome with me. Here's some candy.
This is Robin Hood:
He's tortured in his soul. Also sometimes his body.
He's pretty good with a bow. And he has tight pants.
He's kind of an asshole, actually. One of those smug gorgeous types who you can't help but want, even if you want to hit him. Especially if you want to hit him. He feels really bad about all those people he killed in the Holy Land. He enjoys self-congratulating, flirting with Marian and watching Much trail after him.
This is Much:
He has abysmal taste in both jumpers and hats.
He likes coming to the rescue.
Much is always ready for action!
Much was formerly Robin's manservant and now ... he pretty much still is. He went to the Holy Land with Robin and is also tortured about it, though I think he mostly watched Robin kill people. He likes cooking and telling Robin that he loves him and double checking that he's still important to Robin. I'm not kidding. He also enjoys staring moodily while Robin flirts with Marian.
This is Marian:
I don't have a caption, but why don't you join me in staring?
Again with the wordlessness of me.
Like Much, she often makes tragic fashion choices.
Marian is almost too beautiful. Really creamy and curvaceous and ... Where was I? Oh yes, she's also head-strong and gutsy. And she really actually kind of is, though most of her plans go awry and Robin has to bail her out. Lame. She enjoys sassing Robin, spying on the Sheriff and wearing some of the ugliest costumes I have ever seen. A knit camo dress? For serious? She still looks good in them though, and things vastly improve in Series 2.
This is Allan-A-Dale:
The knife? Is a metaphor.
Allan is frequently conflicted.
He's also frequently shirtless.
Allan is one of Robin's men (take that as you will). He gets tortured with his shirt off. He enjoys saying "I'm not being funny but ..." And though we don't see it on camera, I surmise he also enjoys working on his six-pack.
This is Will Scarlett:
Will has to put up with a lot.
Will's awesome. Enough said. I do wish he'd shave, though. He likes building improbable techno stuff and being the voice of reason.
This is Djaq.
She rocks out androgynous-style.
She's pretty much good at everything.
She will cut you.
Djaq is also awesome. Except for her faux-Middle Eastern accent, which you do get used to after awhile. She is also gorgeous -- my god, her eyes. She enjoys showing the boys up.
This is Little John:
Do I really have to caption this?
Little John's he spends a lot of time talking about the wife and son he left to run off into the forest. Lame. He does have a staff which is great for endless innuendos. He's also kind of funny. He enjoys reminding everyone about their mission to help the poor. And how he's left his wife. Did I mention the wife?
This is Guy of Gisborne:
HAHAHA. Black leather.
Some days, Guy just can't catch a break.
Guy isn't evil, he just wants to be love. But he can't get love, so he'll settle for being evil. He hates Robin (but secretly wants to be him). He enjoys wearing black leather and both being tortured and torturing. Plus, he's Richard Armitage, and what more could you possibly want?
This is the Sheriff:
Chillin' like a villain.
The Sheriff just wants to take over England, which I suppose isn't too shabby, as goals go. He has a rather ambiguous relationhip with Guy and spends a lot of time up in Guy's personal space. The Sheriff enjoys trying to execute Robin Hood -- when's he going to learn that you should never keep Robin in the dungeon while waiting to do the execution up proper? Just slit his damn throat as soon as you have him in custody, jesus. The Sheriff also enjoys being rather campy.
Aren't they just great? They're so easy to mix and match!
I like Robin/Much quite a bit. The camaraderie, the shared pain, the power inequity, and Much's uncertainty and jealousy. So fucking great.
But there's also of Robin/Guy -- all the gorgeous hate!sex.
Marian/Djaq -- in all that testosterone, girls have got to stick together.
Much/Allan -- Sure, Allan's not who Much really wants, but if you can't have the one you really want, having one who's convenient ain't bad either.
And many more!
So yes. Have I recruited you yet? Yes?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-12 03:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-12 06:02 pm (UTC)I will have to check RoS out; I've heard of it, but never seen it. But if you say there's slash to be had, I'm so there.
I must admit that it has a sexier Guy of Gisborne, though!
Hee! Yes -- would it sway you if I just mentioned that he spends time with his shirt off? Hmmmm ...?
*whistles innocently*
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-12 07:45 pm (UTC)One thing RoS definitely has in its favor is a sexy young Ray Winstone playing Will Scarlet:
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-12 07:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-12 07:06 pm (UTC)We'll just have to make our own angsty fandom of it. Some fandoms whose canon is a bit silly -- such as Thunderbirds and Hogan's Heroes -- have amazing well-written, dramatic, angsty, awesome fanfic. I think Robin Hood has great potential.
We can rebuild it! We have the technology!
*I will warn you, I'm still madly obsessed with Batman.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-12 07:06 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-12 07:57 pm (UTC)YAYAYAY! WELCOME!
I'll even dl eps so I can catch up. You'll have to suggest good 'uns.
Hm, I don't know where you are exactly, but 1.13, 2.5, 2.8, 2.12 & 2.13 all have particularly dishy moments. Come to think of it, just about all the eps do. Heh.
*I will warn you, I'm still madly obsessed with Batman.
What particular canon are you following -- comic books, movies, cartoons ...? I like Batman a lot, but there's so many options.
Are you going to be around tonight sometime?
Sure thing, sweets.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-12 08:07 pm (UTC)What particular [Batman] canon are you following?
Two different ones, which don't overlap (so I have to compartmentalize my already tiny brain.)
#1 - the "Nolanverse" (Batman Begins and The Dark Knight)
#2 - the comics (esp. the last 5-6 years)
It's great, angsty stuff. The writers clearly sit around the boardroom table and write on a whiteboard different ways to emotionally torture poor Bruce. ("Nobody's goin' home until we have at least 20 new ways to try to break him!") Because physical wounds can heal, but emotional ones have repercussions for everyone. *orders the writers lots of coffee*
I shall IM you tonight -- except that I have to make a quick trip to "Voldemart" (aka Walmart -- tm
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-12 08:41 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-12 09:00 pm (UTC)You won't regret it! Well, actually, there's a good chance you will, but the hot is totally worth it.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-14 03:43 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-14 05:15 am (UTC)And here is all of Series 2. (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=749342C1D78D56B3)
You don't mind watching in low quality, ten-minute increments, right? :/
Here, just watch this clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldBHk0FOBtU) and let the slashiness wash over you. Unfortunately it's a ten minute clip and the gay doesn't really flow until 7:25, but IT IS TOTALLY WORTH IT. You'll see why I like Robin/Much so, er, much. I made Purridot watch it, she was impressed -- both with the bad dialogue *and* the extreme slashiness.