Ronja the Robber’s Daughter – Season 1 Episode 2 Recap & Review

The Robber Chief

Episode 2 of Ronja the Robber’s Daughter begins at the fort where Ronja is displeased that Birk and the Borka Bandits have moved into one-half of the fortress.

However, it’s not long before she and the boy start to bond by having a jumping match over the gap that divides the two halves of the fort. When Birk falls through the gap, Ronja uses her leather belt to lift him to safety. When she unties herself from him, he makes a witty comment, causing her to slap him in the face, much to his surprise.

That night, Mattis is in a rage when he learns Borka and his crew have moved into the North Fortress. He is even angrier when he learns Borka has a son. When Lovis scolds him for his behaviour, he leaves in an angry state.

The next morning, Ronja consoles her father and an older member of the crew, Skully-Per,  brings him food. Mattis tells the man to send Borka word that he wants to see him.

Ronja tells her mother that she was happy to meet Birk but is sad that Mattis is in a bad way because of the Borka gang’s arrival. We then cut to Halvert who sells Borka’s valuables to a wandering merchant.

Back at the fort, the two clans confront one another from either side of the fort divide. Mattis wants Borka to leave but his rival refuses. When a battle between them is delayed for another day, the two sides return to their sections of the fort. Ronja questions her father about something Borka said about him taking things but he refuses to reveal his criminal activities to her. 

We cut to the village where a woman on horseback asks for Valdir. We learn the woman’s name is Cappa and the person travelling beside her is her sister Smavis. Cappa tells Halvert that Valdir sent for her to solve the problems that he has failed to address. She is referring to the ‘bandit problem.’

Cappa meets with Valdir and agrees to deal with the criminals. For a moment, she reflects on her past as a child in the village playing with her sister. 

We then return to Ronja who is exploring the woods. She is seemingly upset when she runs into Birk but by the secret smile on her face, we know she is glad to see him. They argue about who owns the forest. She tells Birk she will happily share it with foxes but not him!

Ronja wanders alone and becomes immersed in a mist that has descended on the woods. In the mist, she sees her parents but they are just an illusion. When Birk finds her, he tells her the people she saw are the ‘underearthers,’ beings that live in the mist and take the shape of the person their victims most want to see. 

Back at the fort, Borka is unhappy with Birk as he didn’t bring home any food. When the boy goes to help his mother, Borka meets with one of his men who is carrying something in a bag. This ‘something’ is moving but we don’t see what it is yet.

At the village, Mattis sees Cappa and Smavis. He later relays this information to his men and calls Cappa the new sheriff. He doesn’t think she will pose a problem to him or his crew. 

We then cut to Cappa and Halvert who are in a discussion. She tells him she will be taking charge of the bandit situation from now on. We then see the bag that Borka’s man had earlier which is somehow in Halvert’s possession now. He is afraid to open it because of the creature inside, so he throws it into the fire.

In the woods, Mattis is spying on Borka’s men. In a flashback scene, we see him and Borka as children. They used to be friends. 

That night, Mattis talks with Skully-Per about Borka’s son and compares him to Ronja. They talk about the children’s birthrights and how they will one day take over each clan. At this point, Mattis decides it’s time he took Ronja out on one of his robbing excursions.

Later, Ronja joins her father and his men. She watches as they rob a family who are situated in the back of a carriage. Appalled at what she sees, she later tells Mattis she will never become a bandit like him. It’s up to Skully-Per to console her as she confides in him that she didn’t know what her father did for a living. 

As the episode ends, we see Cappa watching the fort from a distance. 

The Episode Review

This episode is less fantastical than the first. Instead, it focuses on the father-daughter dynamic between Mattis and Ronja, and that age-old scenario of a child realizing their father isn’t quite the man they thought they knew. How many of us have been through that situation?

This episode did have one fantasy element to break up the domestic squabbling and the disputes between the clans. This came in the form of the shape-shifting ‘underearthers.’ I don’t know if they will have a major part to play in the plot going forward but there is potential for a few more scary moments if they do make another appearance. Time will tell.

Ronja the Robber’s Daughter might just be one of Netflix’s biggest hits of the year. It’s not the best show I have seen from the streaming platform but with its strong cast and captivating story, it is certainly memorable.