Sleepy Hollow: The Indispensible Man and Bad Blood

So as season finales go, I thought this was a pretty rewarding finish, with the requisite big twist and agonising cliff-hanger. When I first started watching this show, I was heavily reminded of Pan’s Labyrinth (one of my favourite movies) in regards to its atmosphere and dark fairytale trappings, and for the first time since the show’s inception, that feeling returned.

Okay, so the plot was all over the place for these two episodes. Let’s see if I’ve got this right. It transpires that after his death George Washington was temporarily resurrected, during which time he charted a map to Purgatory (his “in-between” state making this possible). Knowing that our Witnesses are growing closer to discovering the existence of this map, Moloch wants to get his hands on it before they do – or so they assume.

With knowledge of the map recorded in George Washington’s Bible (thus explaining why Katrina buried it with Ichabod), Abbie and Ichabod discover that Washington’s resurrection was overseen by Reverend Nap (last seen getting beheaded in the premiere) with the help of some prayer beads. Their plan is to find the beads, get Henry Parish to handle them, and hopefully get some idea of where the map might be hidden.

This he does, getting a vision of Reverend Nap taking Washington’s body to an island grave, though by this point Abbie believes that it might be a better idea to leave the map where it is, arguing that their difficulty in getting past the hex on the prayer beads means that Reverent Nap never meant for it to be found.

This time around, the moral quandary centres on whether or not our Witnesses should bring to light a potentially world-devastating document. For Ichabod, the map means a chance to rescue Katrina, for Abbie, it’s a reminder of the dire prophesy that states the Witnesses might one day turn on each other. She spells it out pretty succinctly: the greater good, or the life of a single loved one? It’s a choice no one likes to make, and she goes on to compare the map to a nuclear bomb – perhaps safe enough when in the keeping of the good guys, but utterly devastating in the wrong ones. Yet as a Parish is quick to point out (rather too quick, as the power of hindsight reveals), in the “right” hands nuclear weapons ended WWII.

There’s an interesting contrast throughout the episode between Andy, who seems to be genuinely trying to help Abbie though he isn’t even remotely trusted, and Henry Parish, who is trusted, but (as it turns out) also secretly working against them. With his last gasp of humanity, Andy begs Abbie to destroy the map, whilst Parish is visibly distraught when Ichabod ranks Abbie’s trust in him over his desire to be with his wife, and destroys the map to Purgatory.

But of course, this desire eventually gets the better of him, and in the episode’s last few moments he uses his photographic memory (I’d almost forgotten about it!) to redraw the map. It’s a moment of weakness on his part, but what makes it frustrating on a Doylist level is that it would be an understandable and interesting failing were it not for the fact that Ichabod/Katrina just ain’t working. We’re told that they have a deep and pure love, usually through Ichabod waxing lyrically to himself, but there’s been nothing in their brief interactions or their flashbacks together that show us this. And that’s a shame, because the moral dilemma and emotional resonance of whether or not to break one’s beloved out of Purgatory could have been an extremely powerful storyline if we’d actually been given a reason to care about the relationship that’s at stake.

In other words, I can understand Ichabod’s pain, but I can’t feel it, and I can’t seriously ponder whether Katrina is worth risking the world for since I have no understanding of who she is. Compare this to – say – Abbie or Jenny or Macey’s life hanging in the balance. Now you’ve got a character whose wellbeing is important enough to risk the possibility of a demon bringing forth the apocalypse.

Meanwhile, the episode’s subplot deals with Captain Irving grappling with the aftermath of Macey’s possession in Vessel. Though I’m pleased that this actually has continuity in regards to there being real-life consequences to the deaths of two people (a lesser show would have forgotten them entirely), it did ring a bit false when Irving decided to take the fall for Macey. Dude, no one is going to pin the brutal murders of two grown men on your wheel-chair bound thirteen year old. Just ride this one out. No need to fall on your sword to that extent.

***

And now we come to the grand finale, and Parish’s master-plan is kicked into gear. Having won the trust of the Witnesses, he rushes to their side with news of a dream he’s just had: of the Horseman of War rising from the earth and riding under a solar eclipse. With a little nudging from Parish, Ichabod and Abbie come to the conclusion that the only way to stop the Horseman is to get a witch to place a binding spell over his grave – thus they need to use the map to get into Purgatory and free Katrina. The good guys get a witch, Ichabod gets his wife. Two birds, one stone. But of course, it’s never that simple.

It’s at this point that the allusions to Pan’s Labyrinth began to kick in, as Ichabod and Abbie’s excursion into Purgatory relied very heavily on the laws of fairytales rather than those of Biblical lore. Filled with eldritch abominations (my favourite was the faceless woman crying in the chair, or maybe the guy dragging the giant key), the two are warned not to eat or drink anything (as Ofelia was told not eat the Pale Man’s banquet) and on reaching Katrina are told that she cannot leave unless someone else remains in her place (a trope that exists absolutely everywhere in fairytales – even Merlin and Once Upon a Time understand that all magic involves equilibrium).

So naturally it’s Abbie that decides to stay, leading to the controversial sticking-point of the episode. Doylistically, it is unfortunate that Abbie was made to sacrifice herself for the sake of Katrina (all the more so since she ended up being entirely useless), though on a Watsonian level, it’s made very clear by her dialogue throughout this episode and the previous one that her decision had less to do with saving the white damsel in distress as it did her desire to face Moloch on her own terms. She specifically tells Jenny that she wants to head into Purgatory and confront Moloch “for me.” And in her outburst to Ichabod in the church, she reiterates her argument of the previous episode: that the fate of humanity is greater than either of them. It wasn’t Katrina she was there to free, it was what Katrina was capable of (Katrina’s failure notwithstanding, but more on this in a bit).

It was also a nice twist on the “one Witness will betray the other/Ichabod will deliver Abbie’s soul to Moloch” prophecy, in which Abbie ultimately takes those words and OWNS them, making them come true through her own free will. I actually really love this. The golden rule of prophecy-making in fiction is that once uttered, they HAVE to come true, otherwise the reader feels cheated (*cough*Merlin*cough) and the show handled this one in a creative way that exemplifies Abbie’s bravery and resolve. Ironically (or perhaps purposefully), it was Parish who put this idea into her head, telling her that “prophesies have a nasty way of fulfilling themselves, if you let them.”

But as it turns out, our good guys were being played the whole time. They were tricked into trying to prevent something that had already happened, and in doing so fell into Moloch’s trap.

I had foreseen that Jeremy would end up being one of the Horsemen, but I was genuinely shocked that he also turned out to be Henry Parish. And rather saddened too, to tell the truth, as I liked this character and his rapport with Ichabod/Abbie. I didn’t realize how much until he revealed himself to his gobsmacked parents, though I suppose my feelings on the matter only prove that the show did its job right in setting us all up for the Big Twist. It’ll be interesting to go back and watch previous episodes with the power of hindsight, particularly the shared dream between Katrina/Abbie where we first heard of the Sin-Eater and glimpsed things like the golem and the coven. It all seems rife with foreshadowing now.

It also sheds some interesting light on Abbie and Jenny’s experience in the forest. After stumbling upon a doll’s house in Purgatory (another creepy fairytale-esque touch) Abbie meets the embodiment of the memory that was extracted from her mind on that fateful day. Turns out that Moloch wasn’t actually hunting her specifically, nor even talking to her when he said “come and see.” He was resurrecting Jeremy as the Horseman of War, and Abbie’s presence in the forest wasn’t part of his plan at all – apparently God made sure she was there in the hopes that she would prevent the Horseman from rising, though I’m not entirely sure what the Almighty intended a terrified teenage girl to do.

So it made for a disheartening finish, not only because of Parish’s betrayal, but because Abbie’s sacrifice was in vain – and in fact, exactly what Moloch was counting on. Abbie is stuck in Purgatory, Jenny is badly injured, Irving has been arrested, Katrina has been taken by the Headless Horseman, and Ichabod has been buried alive. All of them were played utterly (except maybe Jenny, but her intelligence didn’t reach Abbie in time) and evil well-and-truly has the upper hand. After a relatively light (comparatively speaking) series, in which various demons and witches are sent packing by the end of the forty-five minute mark, this was a decidedly bleak conclusion.

And yet I don’t feel depressed or upset by it – I’m excited that the stakes were raised and eager to watch our heroes break free and start fighting back. My theories? That Abbie’s cell-phone (that she gave Ichabod at the start of the episode) will assist him in calling for help, that the Headless Horseman (a.k.a. Abraham) actually has no idea that Katrina is a witch, thus giving her an edge in defeating him, and that Abbie’s escape from Purgatory will somehow rely on her being forgiven for her sins (the usual method of escaping Purgatory that Katrina originally mentioned).

Miscellaneous Observations:

So where’s Luke Morales? I’m assuming he’s still alive, but his fate remains ambiguous.

I thought we were promised some background regarding how Andy became Moloch’s servant? I was rather disappointed not to get it, as the character straddled an interesting line. I can’t help but suspect that some sort of inferiority complex is partly to blame, given his self-pitying demeanour, demands to be taken seriously, and desire for raw power, but he also seems legitimate in his affection for Abbie. Who thankfully is having NONE of his bullshit, while also maintaining a certain amount of pity for him.

Yolanda reference!

The fusion of Catholicism and witchcraft continues to be very strange. Let me get this straight... we have a warlock who is also a reverent, who uses prayer beads to resurrect the dead, resulting in said prayer beads becoming imbued with the sin of defying God. That also have a hex laid over them. That’s...a really weird bit of world-building.

Irving: “You might want to get a witness.” Heh. Cute.

That was beautifully foreboding music when Ichabod redrew the map.

I loved the shot of Reverent Nap transporting Washington’s body to the island. What with all the misty lakes and the autumnal New England atmosphere, it really is a beautiful show.

In time I’d like to learn how exactly George Washington knew about all this supernatural stuff; but wow – Zombie George Washington. That really takes the cake.

That was cute a cute interlude with the historical re-enactment, a funny little mashing of dreams/reality, and also rather poignant in portraying the way Katrina is always just out of Ichabod’s reach.

Jenny had an interesting line when she described: “Mum talking to the silverware.” Does that mean Mrs Mills had a mental illness, or was she also affected by the supernatural in some way?

Seeing all the insects swarm over Andy was a cool special-effect, though the alien larvae creature that he emerged as was a bit daft.

It was a sweet moment when Katrina gave Abbie the necklace to protect her, and though she failed epically when it came to binding a Horseman who wasn’t even there, the necklace did do its job in helping Abbie to escape by burning Moloch’s flesh.

I like that Sheriff Corbin and his amassing of information is still an integral part of Abbie and Jenny’s lives.

Hai, Victor Garber!

So what was the deal with Parish’s role as a Sin-Eater? Before Abbie and Ichabod met him, he was apparently going around helping convicts on death row. Doesn’t that constitute do-gooding? And what was Moloch thinking when he told the good guys about “the saint’s name is the sign”? If they’d figured that out in time, Parish’s plan would have been completely ruined. And c'mon, Headless! You ride off without even checking that Jenny is dead. You're the Horseman of DEATH for goodness sake! And what was the deal with Parish breaking the seal at the end? I know that it’s in Revelation, but it hasn’t been mentioned before and I can’t help but feel that there were more than a few confused viewers out there.

All in all, my favourite sequence would have to be when Ichabod and Abbie entered Purgatory. As said earlier, the whole thing harkened back to what I first liked about this show; the atmosphere of a dark modern fairytale in the vein of Pan’s Labyrinth or Sandman, which got a bit forgotten in the midst of all the Biblical lore and American history. I loved all of it: describing Purgatory as “a maze of temptation” where one cannot take food or drink, that the doorway between worlds was a shattering mirror, that Sleepy Hollow is hallowed ground set upon ley-lines that make it fertile ground for a good versus evil conflict, the hand-holding and the fist-bump, the memories stored in the doll’s house, and the fabricated “dream sequences” in which Abbie and Ichabod are tested.

It was interesting that both of them were tempted by the promise of a father-figure’s love, one who fuelled their egos (Abbie is top of her class, Ichabod is an Oxford don) as well as plied them with love and food/drink. That their test was shaped by the need to find each other again was a great touch, though I was disappointed that there seemed to be no real reason behind why they snapped out of their separate illusions so abruptly. There should have been some tangible reminder of the other before they rejected what was before them. Ah well.

Despite everything, the bad guys were one step ahead all along, but as George Washington said: “Good will always rise, like Lazarus from his grave.” It’s going to be a long wait until season two.

In Hindsight:

That "long wait" is over considering season two premieres tomorrow night! My hopes and wishes for season two are as follows...

Emphasis on Ichabod and Abbie as Witnesses and Tom and Nicole as co-stars. Regardless of recent publications that have described Abbie as a "side-kick", there's no doubt that the strength of this show lies in the characters' bond and the actors' chemistry. To stray too far from that would be a disaster.

At the same time, there is still plenty of room for the show to explore other characters and their subplots. Namely, Katrina. This character has been given such a battering by the writing that it's difficult to muster up much investment in her, but given the choice - I want to see an improvement. On realizing that a character is unpopular, too many other shows simply take the easy route and write them out, but I genuinely want to see Katrina improve.

Now that she's out of Purgatory and able to exist beyond the boundaries of any given flashback, there's a chance to see her develop as a character on her own terms. Exploring her witchy powers seems the most promising route to take, and I have fingers and toes crossed that her current predicament with Headless will be resolved using her own initiative.

Seriously, what the heck happened to Luke? I know Jenny's fine since the actress has been upgraded to regular for season two, but there's been no word on Luke's fate. Granted, I've been avoiding spoilers, but I think I would have heard by now on whether or not the actor has been reinstated for season two. And if he's simply dead, then pretty much every second spent on him over the course of the first season has been a waste of time.

Considering John Cho has moved on to other projects, there's a chance that Andy Brooks won't be returning either. If so, at least he was given something that resembled a decent send-off, though I'll regret never finding out what exactly drove Andy into a contract with Moloch.

As for Team Apocalypse Now, it's clear that they've been given the upper hand, so it'll be interesting to see how the show re-establishes a sense of equilibrium in order to continue the weekly procedural of last season (if that's what they intend to do).

This finale ended with Icabod and Abbie exactly where they started when we first met them: Ichabod buried under the earth and Abbie trapped in the memories of her encounter in the woods. I don't know how the writers plan to get them out of this mess, but somehow it will have to relate back to their bond with each other - it's the focal point of this show and it's the only thing that Moloch has seemed truly threatened by. Otherwise why separate them?

And on a final note, stories that deal with the forces of evil often focus on the villains to the detriment of supernatural good. So far the hand of God has done nothing but put Abbie and Jenny in a position to intervene in the resurrection of the Horseman of War without any warning, instructions or assistance. While they were teenagers. I don't know what's going on Upstairs, but it would be nice to get a greater understanding of how exactly this war is going to be waged, and by who exactly. We need to see more from the angels.