This is the last episode of “Sleepy Hollow” that we will get until the show returns in just over a month for two more episodes, including a now-two hour season finale. Of course, the creators weren’t going to just let us off easy as the plot is escalating and it seems there is a lot of ground to cover in the final three hours of this first season!
After the events of the last episode two weeks ago, “Sanctuary”, Ichabod Crane is struggling with the discovery that he fathered a child with witch-wife, Katrina, and that she kept it a secret from him. Wanting answers leads Ichabod and Abbie to once again call upon Henry Parrish, the Sin Eater, to help Ichabod reach Katrina to find some answers. Parrish is able to “help” Ichabod reach Purgatory by choking him out and Ichabod is able to get a few answers; Katrina kept the baby a secret to protect him from her own coven, and of course Moloch; Ichabod’s son, Jeremy, inherited his mother’s powers (and accidently killed Abbie Mills’ ancestors as we find out later) and inadvertently created a Golem from a doll to serve as his champion to protect him as he went through the world alone and without a father. This all within the first ten minutes of the episode . . .
Of course, traveling between worlds has its consequences and Jeremy’s Golem followed Ichabod back to the land of the living and begins to cause havok. It’s up to Ichabod, Abbie, and Henry to find out what the creature is and how to kill it. Ultimately, the gang is led to the four witches who speak as one who provide Ichabod with even more information about his son – including the fact that they cast a spell on him to stop his heart and bury him in order to stop the Golem hundreds of years ago. The only way to stop the Golem is with Jeremy’s blood, which is also Ichabods blood. Ichabod is able to dispatch of the Golem, but not without a tearful goodbye. As the episode ends, Ichabod is confronted by Moloch who tells him that he will have Abbie’s soul, and Ichabod will deliver it to him.
One of the things I love about this show is how much they are able to cram in each week without any particular point feeling too rushed, or the episode feeling like it is not expanding enough on the multiple plots going on. Not only did we get a ton of information about Ichabod’s son, Jeremy, and what happened to him, but we also got more background on Katrina and her coven, additional lore that continues to build an interesting world around our characters, and even some time spent with Captain Irving who, while spending time with his daughter, is harrassed by a demon who can switch bodies – a plot point only briefly touched upon, but one I’m sure will come up again in the last two episodes of the season.
I am really enjoying the character of Henry Parrish, the Sin Eater, played by John Noble. He’s a fragile character with great powers, but also is becoming increasingly important to Ichabod and Abbie as they continue down their path of being Witnesses to the Apocalypse. Noble is just fantastic as this character and I am hoping we continue to see much more of him going forward. Orlando Jones also continues to be a strong supporting character, even when only in episodes briefly. His character, Captain Irving, is really struggling with this new world he’s been plunged into, and Jones does a great job conveying this.
The plot revolving around Ichabod finding out about his son had a lot of great twists and turns. Running into a modern day witch from Katrina’s coven, confronting the four witches who speak as one and Jeremy’s Golem, finding out Jeremy accidently killed Abbie’s ancestors and Ichabod’s struggle with how he could have helped his son had he been there – all just fantastic stuff and Mison does an amazing job at conveying the pain and guilt Ichabod has about this. I do have a theory however – I am thinking that perhaps Jeremy isn’t dead. The witches were very specific in saying that Jeremy could not be killed because his power was to great, so instead they cast a spell to stop his heart. Could this be the same spell cast upon Ichabod that kept him in stasis only to wake up hundreds of years later? It wouldn’t surprise me is this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Jeremy, and may even be seeing him along side dear ol’ dad in the future.
“Sleepy Hollow” is two episodes away from having a homerun of a first season. There hasn’t been a single bad episode yet, perhaps only one that was not quite as strong as the others, but nothing that by any means stands out as just a bad episode. The creators, writers, and directors have kept a steady pace while giving us so much information in each episode, how they’ve managed not to trip once this far into the race is a great feat as I can’t remember the last television series that I watched that had such a strong freshman season.
If how this season has gone thus far is any indication, “Sleepy Hollow” is gearing up to end its first season with a huge bang, and in all likelyhood, a huge cliffhanger. Which will mean a long wait to season two in the Fall of 2014! But I’m buckled in and ready for the ride!