Sir, I Must Protest! I Am NOT A Merry Man!
There have been several versions of the Robin Hood tale. the classic story of the character who stole from the rich and gave to the poor, battled the Sheriff of Nottingham, and wooed Maid Marian. Some of these include the 1938 classic starring Errol Flynn; the 1970s Disney version; the 1991 Kevin Costner movie. Heck even Daffy Duck and Porky Pig starred as the outlaw and his Friar Tuck-esque companion. I think my favorite incarnation took place around the same time as the aforementioned film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
The Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Qpid” sees the evil (yet hilarious) omnipotent being known as Q transport Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his bridge crew to medieval England (as a “gift”) where the adventures of Robin Hood and his merry men are reality. Commander Riker, the android Data, Commander La Forge, the Klingon Worf (who delivers the best line in the episode), Dr. Crusher, and Counselor Troi all assume roles from the tale. The recurring character Vash (an on again/off again love interest for the captain) returns to play the role of Maid Marian. In order to return to the Enterprise, Picard and crew must live out the Robin Hood adventure by rescuing Marian and defeating the evil Sheriff.
My favorite character from the entire series is the villainous Q. Since the premiere episode, John de Lancie played the god-like being with flair, comedic timing, and gusto (very melodramatic). During the course of its run, Q would return at least once a season to mischievously annoy the crew. However, he did introduce Picard and crew to their most formidable opponents: The Borg. I wish the franchise would have used the character in one of the big-screen adventures.
On a tangent yet again (which I so frequently do), Patrick Stewart has another tie to the Robin Hood legacy. He portrayed King Richard in Mel Brooks’ epic: Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
