Since his untimely death at the end of season 5, Once Upon a Time fans have clamored for Robin Hood to return to the show. Though the original Robin is still very much dead, Robin of Locksley is alive, well and just a tad bit of a jerk. The Robin that Regina brought back from the Wish Land in “Tougher than the Rest” is a drastic departure from the (second) love of her life but this is only a good thing. In what was a very risky situation, Once Upon a Time managed to revive Robin Hood in the best way imaginable.
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A Beginning and an End
Robin, as he was originally, should never be brought back to Once Upon a Time. While Robin’s death was a terribly executed move by the show it should still have some weight. Robin’s death led to a fair number of developments in Regina’s story. It is really quite easily argued that if Robin never died Regina never would have separated herself from the Evil Queen. Regina would not be the same character without Robin’s death. To bring Robin back would really make Regina’s story after his death meaningless. The new Robin not only doesn’t erase Regina’s story for the past half season but it fits perfectly with where she has been going all along.
With the original Robin and Regina, he was the one who was always able to see her pure heart underneath her callous shell. Robin Hood was the ultimate thief with a heart of gold. It was his sense of honor and his love for her that really helped Regina become the person she is in season 6. The new Robin, Robin of Locksley, has almost none of those traits. He is really just a scoundrel and while he is not a villain, he certainly doesn’t have that sense of honor and duty like the original Robin.
Regina and Robin’s roles should be reversed now. It will be Regina helping Robin become a better person and maybe not think so selfishly all the time. Now that she has separated herself from the Evil Queen, Regina has fully made the transition from villain to hero. With the exception of getting a happy ending with someone she loves, Regina’s story has basically come to an end. Regina helping Robin of Locksley redeem himself in the same way that Robin Hood did for her is the perfect little epilogue on her story. It’s an epilogue that can last as many seasons as necessary or, if the rumors are true about Once Upon a Time ending soon, it can become Regina’s actual happy ending.
Going in a Different Direction
While things finally look like they are coming up Regina Mills, there is uncertainty. The smartest thing that Once Upon a Time did with Robin’s return is make it clear that things with Regina and him won’t necessarily turn romantic or even go well. Regina’s feelings of attraction to Robin of Locksley are quite clear. The reason Regina invites him to Storybrooke is try to give herself the happy ending she never got with the original Robin. Yet the show did take the time out of the moment to explain that there is a possibility this might not work. There is something very compelling, albeit very weird and kind of depressing, about that idea.
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There are echoes of the original Robin in the Wish Land’s Robin. As previously mentioned though he is very different. There should be a lot of story fodder from Regina expecting this Robin to be like her Robin, only to be disappointed over and over. Robin and Regina will probably always be one of the best romances in Once Upon a Time history but this inherent conflict that will undoubtedly develop between the new Robin and Regina should make for something different but equally compelling.
This is not even to mention how Robin will interact with the other characters. While Robin Hood was primarily in scenes with Regina, he did have other relationships. The most notable of these was with Zelena who tricked Robin into impregnating her just to get back at Regina. Once Upon a Time should, and likely will, explore how the new Robin approaches his doppelganger’s daughter and “ex-wife.”
This new Robin should also form new relationships and friendships that the other didn’t really have in his life. Robin should get along swimmingly with Killian because this Robin is basically Hook before the latter fell in love with Emma. Bringing Robin back could have made for a boring and expected story but there are enough differences with Wish Robin that things should become very exciting.
So what do you hope happens with Robin? Were you happy how they brought him back? Are you upset that the new Robin is so different than the old? Can Regina find her happy ending with this Robin? Should she find it with him?
Once Upon a Time season 6 airs Sundays at 8/7c on ABC. Want more news? Like our OUAT Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of ABC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Derek is a Philadelphia based writer and unabashed TV and comic book junkie. The time he doesn’t spend over analyzing all things nerdy he is working on his resume to be the liaison to the Justice League.
