Reply To: Little Green Hood (Zelena is Pregnant)

[Slurpeez]

Robin did pick up that something was off with “Marian” when she told him to let Gold die in Heart of Gold. Regina telling him that Marian was really Zelena should’ve made him think of that and realise Regina was telling the truth. At the very least, Robin should’ve been confused and puzzled by what Regina was telling him, not accusing her of lying and trying to break him and “Marian” up. Regina’s actions in 4A do not add up with what Robin is accusing her of. Robin just comes across as an idiot.

While I’m not going to defend the poor way in which Robin’s character has been written, what you wrote about him comes across to me as victim blaming. Robin’s reaction was one of disbelief, but then again, the situation is almost beyond belief. Zelena was magically impersonating Robin’s deceased wife, and she is reportedly carrying his child. None of that is normal, even for someone from the Enchanted Forest. Robin’s reaction may not have been the reaction Regina had been hoping for, but Robin was certainly the victim of Zelena raping him. Pointing the finger at Robin for not knowing better isn’t helpful. Even men can be victims of rape (something which isn’t really acknowledged in the wider culture or media). Regina herself is a rapist of Graham, so it seems like Regina has failed to understand that what Robin is experiencing now may be the equivalent of the type of post-traumatic shock that many rape victims experience. (And don’t count on A&E ever to acknowledge that both Graham and Robin were sexually victimized by Regina and Zelena, respectively).

Maybe Regina was hoping for a more immediate response of disgust from Robin in reaction to what Zelena did, but that is not necessarily how victims of sexual abuse react. Robin not knowing how to react, and even refusing to believe the seemingly impossible that he could’ve been so duped, doesn’t seem so unreasonable. Robin even coming to the defense of his rapist, whom he believes is carrying his child, doesn’t sound so crazy when you read about reports of Stockholm Syndrome. Robin was tricked and violated in the worst possible way by the most manipulatively shrewd villain yet, and he believed this woman was his wife. Plus, Robin knew something Regina didn’t (i.e. the pregnancy, whether real or not). Even if Robin sensed something was off (which he did), he probably never suspected Marian was really Zelena. It probably just never occurred to him, and pointing the finger at him and saying he should’ve known better just comes across like blaming a rape victim for allowing himself or herself to be taken advantage of, when really, Zelena is the only one to blame.

See above. Robin throws out his code when it suits him not to have it. Example: Crypt-sex with Regina whilst his wife was freezing to death. Why does it matter to him so much right now? Sometimes I actually wonder if he wants to commit to Regina. He wants all the sexy fun times with her but when it actually comes to leaving someone to be with her, he uses his code as an excuse not to.

While Robin may not always listen to his code of honor, he does have one. He went against his better judgement when he committed what he believed was an extra-marital affair with Regina (which it turned out not to be), but he seems to have been very conflicted both before and after having sex with Regina. I think Robin really would’ve committed to Regina had it not been for “Marian” nearly dying from the Snow Queen’s curse. (If Robin hadn’t gone with “Marian” people would’ve decried Robin as a wife-killer, so it was a no-win situation). Yet, just because he violated his code before does not mean he would be willing to do so when it comes to fate of one of his children. He was not willing to let “Marian” die, and he certainly wouldn’t want his unborn child to suffer. His code matters now more than ever, because Robin believes Zelena is carrying HIS CHILD, who is an innocent here. I don’t think Robin was choosing Zelena over Regina so much as he was putting his child first (something a good parent should do). Robin believes that he owes it to his child not to abandon him or her, no matter the chilling circumstances surrounding the conception. The only way to ensure his unborn child survives is to take care of Zelena until she gives birth. So Robin not immediately abandoning the mother of his child makes sense when one realizes Robin is not the sort of man to abandon his child, which is exactly what Zelena was counting on. Robin may not make great decisions when it comes to choosing a partner, but he is a good father to Roland, and now, this second (real?) child.