After all the ups and downs that we have seen, it is now the end of Sleepy Hollow‘s second season. If this is it for Sleepy Hollow, whose lowered ratings this season make its future somewhat questionable, then this is a wonderful way to end things. Bookending the pilot gracefully by having our favorite Witnesses become best friends all over again, with the twist that this time, Abbie is the one who is being transported through time. The show takes full advantage of the marvelous chemistry that Nicole Beharie and Tom Mison have always displayed on the set, and I’m sincerely hoping that this isn’t the series finale; but clearly those who are involved knew that it might be and, as a result, all the battles and quiet moments of the episode felt a bit more suspenseful than normal.
The episode began with Abbie still stuck in jail in 1781, wondering how she was going to get out of the cell. The scene then shifted to the battlefield where we saw Captain Ichabod Crane take down the Redcoats with his masterful skills in combat. The close-up and slow motion shots were really well done as they showcased Ichabod’s strategic fighting. You rule, Ichabod Crane! I enjoyed watching Ichabod in battle and the part where a fellow soldier threw him that rifle was very spot-on, though I wondered what would happen if there was no rifle; what gun would Ichabod have used then?
The decision to throw Abbie back in time was obvious, because the newly evil Katrina wanted to make things right and get her son back while killing Ichabod and Abbie once and for all, given that her mind is clouded with anger, revenge, and grief. I understand that she was mourning the loss of her and Ichabod’s son, but that was no reason to take that anger out on her husband and his best friend. Maybe she should just hug it out like Abbie and Ichabod did when the Headless Horseman came to Frederick’s Manor with her in tow while Ichabod and Abbie were working on reversing the time travel spell with Abbie’s ancestor Grace Dixon.
The cat-and-mouse scene at the Crane residence (which was so very Ichabod, though the wallpaper could use some work) was nothing short of nerve-wrecking. I loved the way Ichabod was starting to put the pieces of Katrina’s eventual pregnancy together when he saw the assortment of herbs on the table, given that Abbie told him that piece of information as he left her in her cell while Katrina, unbeknownst to her husband, pointed a levitating knife at his back. Talk about being stabbed in the back!
I also loved the way that the same tension started to escalate as Ichabod fumbled with Abbie’s phone, which was hilarious to watch because when Ichabod saw the words “Slide to unlock,” he actually slid the entire phone across the table in an attempt to unlock it. I was doubled over with laughter as I watched him do so while Abbie struggled to free herself from her cell before Colonel Sutton came to pay her a “visit.” The carriage ride to Benjamin Franklin’s house was very chuckle-worthy as well, because Abbie was used to driving a car, not sitting in a rocking carriage. Another funny moment in the episode was when Ichabod asked Abbie as they rode in the carriage just how they were going to prevent “screwing up history forever,” and also when Past Ichabod saw the video of Present Ichabod and Abbie attempting to take a selfie, with Present Ichabod complaining every step of the way. I will certainly miss Ichabod’s own brand of humor should this season be the last, but hopefully it’s not, because, even though the battle is won, the war is not over.
The scene at Franklin’s house was light as Franklin asked Abbie a million questions about what happens in the future, like if libraries are still around as well as the post office. I laughed to myself when Abbie told Franklin that his face is on the hundred-dollar bill and when he asked what bill Thomas Jefferson was on and Abbie said the two-dollar bill and Franklin’s face just lit up like a kid at Christmas. It was like an “In your face!” moment for Franklin to know that his face is on a larger amount of money than the third President of the United States. As Franklin told Abbie that there was a way to undo the time travel spell, I immediately thought Back to the Future, which was also referenced somewhat heavily in last week’s episode. I also applauded Abbie for not saying the name of the witch that had allied with the Headless Horseman because she didn’t want Past Ichabod to know that his beloved wife was an evil witch. She is a very good friend who doesn’t stab someone in the back.
I was shocked that the Headless Horseman knew where Ichabod and Abbie were and somehow found his way to Franklin’s house, chopping the latter’s head off in the process. I had a feeling that it was Katrina who told them where Ichabod and Abbie were, but I can’t be sure since the only time that we saw Katrina use her powers to find our favorite Witnesses was when she was healing Colonel Sutton, who later died by her hand when he asked her how she knew that Ichabod and Abbie were headed toward Frederick’s Manor.
When Abbie finally managed to get herself and Katrina back to the present, I loved the whole time-freeze sequence as the reverse time travel spell took effect. Katrina was enraged that now she would never get her son back and make things right. The grief and anger-driven witch then levitated Abbie into the air, strangling her with her powers. It almost looked like the end for Abbie if it weren’t for Ichabod coming to his friend’s rescue.
He tried to grab the same knife that Katrina was going to stab him with, and the two of them struggled to gain the upper hand. It was a sad moment when Ichabod stabbed Katrina in their struggle and to see Ichabod mourn the loss of his beloved wife. As Katrina laid dying in Ichabod’s arms, we saw Henry/Jeremy appear in spirit form, his hand reaching out as if silently telling his mother to take it.
Katrina then whispered “Jeremy” as if to say “Mommy’s here now, everything is going to be alright.” It was a tender moment for mother and son before Katrina disintegrated into ash. Abbie tried to comfort her best friend, saying that he didn’t have a choice, but Ichabod surprisingly replied that he did have a choice. I have to agree with him, because before his wife was all loving and good but after seeing her turn towards the dark side, he had to make sure that she didn’t succeed in her evil plans.
Whether or not the show comes back in the near future, it was nice to get a quick glimpse of Jenny and Captain Irving, whose soul was fully restored after the death of Henry/Jeremy, at the end of last week’s episode. Their reunion with Abbie and Ichabod was a bit rushed, but I’m glad it happened. Sleepy Hollow has become about more than just its two leads over the course of two seasons, and putting them in the spotlight for the season finale, it almost looked like we wouldn’t see anyone else at all except the two of them.
That’s where things stand for the time being; the gang is back in business, ready for whatever’s next, with no hint of what that would be if the show returns. The second half of this second season has been as uneven as the carriage ride in this episode, as the writers of Sleepy Hollow struggled with the larger episode order from the network, but the finale showed no signs of that difficulty. Whatever chapter this episode winds up being in the series, it’s definitely one of the many high points in its run.
What do you think, Sleepy Hollow fans, will the show be back for Season 3 or is this truly the end?
[Photo via FOX]
Follow Us
