Robin Hood Episode 8 recap: The Sheriff’s cruel ultimatum pushes Robert to the edge

Robin Hood Episode 8 is titled The True Price of Defiance. The episode has a premiere date of Sunday, December 14, 2025.

It airs at 9 p.m. ET in the United States. It will stream on MGM+. The episode will also be available on MGM+ platforms. The first season has ten episodes. New episodes release every Sunday. The season began on November 2, 2025. It started with a double-episode premiere.

In Robin Hood Episode 8, Rob plans a dangerous rescue mission. He tries to save his uncle, Gamewell. He also tries to save a group of Saxon elders. The Sheriff of Nottingham arrests them. This is revenge for Rob attacking Lord Warwick.

The rescue mission is actually a trap. One of the outlaws is killed. This pushes Rob toward a darker and more vengeful path. At the same time, the story shifts to Westminster. Marian grows closer to Prince John. Her undercover mission for Eleanor becomes more dangerous than ever.

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Robin Hood Episode 8 recap: The True Price of Defiance

Robin Hood Episode 8 is the darkest so far. It mixes castle politics. It shows moral struggles in the forest. It reveals a painful personal truth for Robert of Locksley. The story moves between locations. These include Nottingham Castle. It also includes Sherwood Forest. The royal court at Westminster is shown too.

Tension builds across the episode. Everything leads to one brutal decision. The Sheriff of Nottingham forces this decision on the Saxons.

The episode begins in Nottingham Castle. Five Saxon elders are dragged from their cell. One of them is Gamewell, Robert’s uncle. They are brought before the Sheriff. The Sheriff offers a deal. Robin Hood has one week to surrender. If he does not, the hostages will be killed.

This offer is not as simple as it seems. The Sheriff has a hidden plan. He turns the threat into a public show. It is dramatic and meant to scare people. The timing is unclear on purpose. His goal is to frighten the Saxon community. He releases one hostage. That person is sent to Sherwood with the message.

In private, the Sheriff admits the truth. He does not expect Robin to surrender. He wants Robin to try a rescue. However, the rescue is a trap. The Sheriff plans to capture and kill Robin.

Later, Gamewell speaks to the Sheriff. He challenges the injustice against the Saxons. He even offers his own life to save the others. The Sheriff refuses the offer. He claims he is enforcing the “law.” This shows his need for control. It shows he does not care about fairness.

The freed hostage, in Robin Hood Episode 8, reaches the forest camp. He shares the Sheriff’s ultimatum. The news splits the Saxon community. Families of the captured elders beg Robert to surrender. They want to save innocent lives. Others strongly disagree. They say surrender will lead to more hostages. They believe it will destroy the rebellion’s cause.

Robert is deeply torn. If he surrenders, the rebellion will fall. If he refuses, innocent Saxons may die because of him. The Sheriff designs this as a moral trap. The episode focuses on this painful tension. It asks a hard question. How can you lead a rebellion when the enemy targets civilians first?

Marian at court: Stuck between politics and loyalty

Westminster is a snake pit. Marian is just trying to keep her head on her shoulders while everyone around her is scheming. And she still has feelings for Robert, but she is also not blind. There has been too much blood on his hands lately. And for her, love and violence don’t mix well.

Robert sneaks in wearing a disguise and shows up in Robin Hood Episode 8 with a coin for Queen Eleanor. Instead of just dropping it off and leaving, he corners Marian. He wants to talk about their relationship, digging for answers: Does she still love him, after everything?

Marian doesn’t sugarcoat it. She tells him that she is not signing up to be with someone who keeps turning the world red, even if you think you are the hero. And then, just to make it sting, she chucks his old marigold into the fire.

Meanwhile, she is out there dancing with Prince John at some royal shindig. Priscilla is hyping her up on the sidelines since she has her own ambitions, climbing the ladder thanks to William Marshal. And Marian is finally stepping into her own power. It’s not just about Robert anymore. She wants her place at court, and that means leaving him behind.

Planning the rescue

Back in Sherwood, Robert chooses action in Robin Hood Episode 8. He refuses to surrender. With his allies’ help, he finds new information. There are secret Saxon-made passages in Nottingham Castle. The Normans do not know about these paths. Older foresters know them. Milange also knows them since he once served the Sheriff.

The Merry Men build a bold rescue plan. They time it to coincide with the Sheriff’s planned execution. Their goal is clear. They want to save the hostages. They do not want to reward the Sheriff’s fear tactics.

At night, Robert’s group enters the castle. They move quietly. They knock out guards and unlock the prison cells. For a short time, the plan seems successful. But the Sheriff is ready. He expected the rescue. Mistakes in the plan, or a betrayal, help his soldiers.

The soldiers surround the escape route. Chaos breaks out inside the castle: Swords clash, arrows fly, and the Merry Men fight to survive. The cost is severe. Henry Miller is stabbed and killed. His siblings escape without his body. Rosemary, once called Ralph, is devastated. The loss feels cruel and unfair.

On the rooftop, Robert fights the Sheriff. The duel is brutal. Robert almost loses. But Rosemary shoots an arrow. The arrow wounds the Sheriff. But he retreats. Even then, the Sheriff smiles. He reveals a truth: a spy is already among the freed hostages. The rebellion escapes. But it has been secretly infiltrated.

Sherwood holds a quiet funeral for Henry in Robin Hood Episode 8. The mood is heavy and sad. Rosemary fully accepts her true identity. She promises to support Robert’s cause. Her grief reflects Robert’s past losses. This brings them closer. But the victory is not complete. One freed elder watches the camp in silence. He plans to send information back to Nottingham.

The Sheriff has changed his approach. He moves from open violence to mental control. He now has spies inside the rebellion.

At court, Queen Eleanor writes a letter. She urges Prince Richard to return to England. She fears Prince John’s growing power. The fight between the brothers grows closer. The future of the crown remains uncertain as of Robin Hood Episode 8.

The truth about Alwin

Robin Hood Episode 8 ends with a deeply personal moment as Gamewell shares new information. He reveals what the Sheriff told him. Years ago, Robert’s father, Hugh Locksley, was betrayed. The betrayal came from a Saxon forester named Alwin, who gave false testimony. This led to Hugh’s arrest and execution.

Robert is filled with rage. He goes into Sherwood to face Alwin. Alwin admits what he did. He shows no regret. He falsely claims he was forced. Meanwhile, Robert is shaking with anger. He almost kills Alwin right away. But the elders stop him. They warn him that killing a Saxon elder in cold blood would break their unity. It would destroy what Robert has worked to build.

And hence, Robert steps back. He turns to leave. Suddenly, Alwin grabs an axe and attacks Robert. He hopes killing Robert will earn Norman's favor. But Robert reacts instantly and shoots an arrow. The arrow hits Alwin in the chest, and he dies. The betrayal is punished.

Robert says Alwin earned his fate. He says it was for past betrayal. He also says it was for the attack just been attempted. But a question remains. If Robert starts killing Saxons for betrayal, even when it feels justified, how long before he becomes the kind of leader he stands against?