SLEEPY HOLLOW Full Of "Indispensable" "Blood"

Article first published as SLEEPY HOLLOW Full Of "Indispensable" "Blood" on TheTVKing.

FOX's Sleepy Hollow has been an action-packed drama full of twists and turns throughout the course of its thirteen-episode freshman run. Abandoning the police procedural concept entirely, which is a surprise considering the set up of the pilot, instead it focuses on mythology and belief, bringing witches, Revolutionary soldiers, George Washington, the Masons, the Bible, including the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse and Revelations, and more together in a thrilling messy war.

The two-part season finale, "Indispensable Man" and "Bad Blood," tie a lot of the threads from past episodes into a neat bow. Little elements that didn't seem related suddenly are, and both of the main characters, also known as the Witnesses, are forced to confront their pasts. It's terrific character development, but also really cool storytelling that proves the writers had a plan going in for this tale.

Abbie (Nichole Beharie) realizes she's forgotten some of her past with the demon, Moloch (Derek Mears). Trapped in Purgatory, a fulfillment of a prophecy she tried to avoid, she wanders into a dollhouse, a safe haven where she finds her missing childhood experiences. It's clear why Moloch stole that part of Abbie, as it would have ruined one of Moloch's plots. But it's also a lot about Abbie, who turned her back on her sister, Jenny (Lyndie Greenwood), in the woods, and now faces her sins.

Abbie is a hero, one who is willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good. "Bad Blood" is the culmination of this, at least in regards to serving as redemption for the mistakes she has struggled with throughout this freshman year. Abbie will surely survive and emerge back into the real world, but this should make her a much more confident, tough person, helping to erase the self-doubt and regret that plagues her. Which is not to say she hasn't shown strength, but she does have vulnerabilities that this should help heal.

While in Purgatory, Abbie also runs into Andy (John Cho) and Sheriff Corbin (Clancy Brown). For two characters who died in the first part, they sure have been well-used in the past few months, returning again and again. It seems fitting that Abbie confronts them again now, probably the last time we'll see them (assuming Andy is crushed completely in Washington's tomb), at least for awhile. They are likely part of the first chapter, not the whole epic journey.

Ichabod (Tom Milson) also stares down his past in Purgatory when reunited with his father (the amazing Victor Garber, Alias). This is someone that Ichabod is estranged from, but someone whose approval the soldier desperately craves. Ichabod made some tough choices in his life, and when offered the chance to change things, even if it's not real, Ichabod reaffirms his stance, proving his mettle.

It is a tad too easy how Ichabod and Abbie overcome their various obstacles. They are quickly tricked, and just as quickly break the spell. But there's a lot to get through in these two hours, and it's more important that they are shown grappling with a crucial element of their past than exploring a full story on how to escape said element. So it works for the story structure laid out, and it's a minor complaint in an otherwise stellar ending.

Abbie stays stuck in Purgatory, but this allows Ichabod to bring Katrina (Katia Winter) home. The lovers are reunited, and it seems like a happy ending for Ichabod, at least in the romantic department. After all, once Katrina's out, surely they can find some way to keep her out, even while saving Abbie.

There is a scene between Ichabod and Abbie in Purgatory that makes me think Katrina may not be long for this world, despite appearing in the show's opening credits. After all, she's always been a side part. Abbie and Ichabod have a bond that could easily be developed into something more, and even Katrina looks uncomfortable at their long goodbye hug. Might Sleepy Hollow be heading for a hook-up between the unlikely partners? I can't say I saw it coming until now, but it might be a good idea, given their excellent chemistry and total opposites attract mojo.

Ichabod and Katrina's bliss is cut short when Henry Parish (Fringe's John Noble) is revealed to be their lost son, Jeremy, and a servant of Moloch and the second Horseman. It's a deep betrayal, both from Henry, who has become a fast friend and assistant to the Witnesses, and from Jeremy, who will not hear his parents' explanations. It seems especially unfair that Jeremy buried Ichabod in the ground, since Ichabod never even knew of his existence, though it makes total sense when Jeremy hands Katrina over to the Headless Horseman (Richard Cetrone), whom loved her.

Leaving all of these players in a cliffhanger in not exactly welcome, but certainly makes for a tense, exciting ending. Ichabod is buried, Abbie is trapped, Katrina is captive, and Moloch and Jeremy / Henry are free to do their evil, a seal broken. Oh, and supporting player Jenny appears like she might be dead and Captain Irving (Orlando Jones) is arrested protecting his daughter, so there is really no one left to save the day. How will they come back from this?

There aren't really any hints in "Bad Blood" at a resolution, but that's OK. It feels like everything was poured into this finale, playing all the cards they still held at once, all while seamlessly tying it back to what came before. Now, the writers have months to figure out where to go next, and given the skill they've demonstrated thus far, they leave us with confidence that they can solve the puzzle by the time filming resumes.

Sleepy Hollow has been renewed and will return to FOX next fall.

SLEEPY HOLLOW A Scary Place

Article first published as SLEEPY HOLLOW Review on Seat42F.

As fairy tales have never been a hotter genre for network television, FOX jumps into the game with its take on an American classic, SLEEPY HOLLOW, premiering Monday, September 16^th at 9 p.m. ET. SLEEPY HOLLOW takes the short story by Washington Irving, brings the characters into the modern age, and combines them with biblical mythology and the occult. It’s a fascinating idea, somewhat well executed, with the makings of an intriguing series.

The “Pilot” begins with Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison, Parade’s End) fighting for George Washington in the late eighteenth century. Ichabod chops the head off a soldier, then wakes up in a cave in 2013. Unsure what is going on, he stumbles into Deputy Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie, Shame), whose boss, Sheriff August Corbin (Clancy Brown, The Shawshank Redemption), has recently been slain by Ichabod’s old foe, the solider he killed, the Headless Horseman (Richard Cetrone).

The Headless Horseman is not a lone figure come to haunt us from the past, though. He is one of the Four Horseman of the Apacolypse, which, as foretold in the Bible’s Book of Revelations, seek to end the world. They are said to come during a time of reckoning, when two witnesses will stand against the forces of hell, culminating in much death and destruction. Considering Ichabod’s journey and Abbie’s childhood experiences, they must just be the two.

But why has the time come now? Well, that is up to two factions of occult members, one side good and one side evil. They have been fighting each other for a long time in the inappropriately-named town of Sleepy Hollow, and their battle has come to a turning point. Now is the time to act, and only Ichabod can help Abbie win the war. At least, he can help if he remembers his past and why he was sent, which is fuzzy for the time being.

The premise is a very cool one. It seems natural to tie the biblical story into the American fairy tale in this manner, and adding in witches and the occult are other nice elements. This automatically creates a rich world with many layers and players, giving us historical and fictional context, and promising many seasons before the storytelling grows stale, as well as an expected end point.

I really like the cast, too. Mison is interesting as Crane, a hero who has embraced his destiny, even if he doesn’t quite understand it, and Beharie holds her own against him. Brown’s role is memorable, though small, and others in the “Pilot,” including John Cho (Go On) as a fellow cop and Patrick Gorman (Gettysburg) as a possibly sinister reverend, stand out. Orlando Jones (MADtv) plays wonderfully against type as Captain Irving, the police chief with a homage for a name.

The special effects are great, and the scenery is appropriate. Putting Sleepy Hollow in the traditional New England setting, with dark tones and creepy style works. SLEEPY HOLLOW is akin a bit to NBC’s Grim, but with its own flavor, and it definitely will not be a case-of-the-week procedural, a hole that Grim took awhile to climb out of.

What the show lacks is consistency. This is most glaring in Ichabod himself. He is surprised at a couple of things when awaking in the future, but those are perfunctory. He comments on Abbie’s trousers, but not her dark skin and position of authority. He wonders about things he sees from the moving car, but doesn’t obsess over the computers, electricity, and gadgets around him. Yes, SLEEPY HOLLOW cannot allow itself to get bogged down in such trivial manner for the first ten episodes, but they deserve a little more exploration than what they get, and one wishes the first installment had been designed as a two-parter so it could take its time with the pacing.

The police chief and officers also don’t act as they should, and laws and rules are ignored without consequence. This may be eventually explained away be deeper involvement by certain people in the strange happenings, but it doesn’t satisfy why Abbie doesn’t comment on or worry about it.

There are also holes in how SLEEPY HOLLOW lines up with the source material. I like the appearances of Ichabod’s wife, Katrina Van Tassel Crane (Katia Winter, Dexter), as a connection to the past, and think the SLEEP HOLLOW tale is given its due, mostly, given the set up. But what is said about Revelations only minimally lines up with what is in the Bible, and the prophecies that are supposed to lead up the seven years of trials and tribulations have not come to pass and are not mentioned. This is a sort of disappointing failure.

Despite the plot holes, though, my overall impression is favorable. Who wouldn’t like to see an out-of-his-time Revolutionary War soldier team up with a tough, African-American woman cop as they spend seven years fighting demons near the Hellmouth in a legendary town, especially when it’s not cheesy? This is the recipe for a good show whose flaws will likely seem meaningless half a season in, as long as the writing and acting stays consistently good compared to itself.