Sleepy Hollow - Separated at Death?
Anyone else shout in protest when Ichabod Crane was spiritually separated from the Headless Horseman?
This strikes me as a, well, not a missed opportunity, but a dropped one. Shouldn't these two be linked and therefore indestructible? Can't you see the Horesman riding to the rescue of an endangered Ichabod because he knows it would mean his own demise?
Or how about the Sleepy Hollow Scooby gang having the Horseman in their clutches only to have to let him go because it would put Ichabod in jeopardy?
There are endless opportunities here for a Danse Macabre pas de deux and now it is gone. I can only hope the two lay bleeding together again some day.
Does anyone else feel this way?
So let's talk John Noble's entry into the Sleepy Hollow universe. I think it is a definite plus although I was a bit underwhelmed by his initial storyline. Just a bit and it's because of high expectations I'm sure. It looks as though they were going to sell us Henry Parrish's timidity but then he found the strength to aid Ichabod at the end. (Another too easy Sleepy Hollow close.)
We don't know too much about the Parrish character except that he removed himself from the "Sin-eating" business over a lack of faith. Fortunately for Ichy he found it in time.
Oh, we were so close to having Walter, I mean Henry, back in Boston. I guess Hartford will have to do. If only they had his character hiding out in Salem, Ma. That would have been "wicked".
Sleepy Hollow came dangerously close to NBC's Grimm last night. First of all we have James Frain doing double duty from Grimm and now Sleepy Hollow. Add to that, the reveal that Banastre Tarleton is a demon and he can be seen as such by the gifted. That is real "Grimm" territory and I think Sleepy should steer clear of such similarities.
I do like that Frain plays a Rutledge from Declaration of Independence fame. To have the Masons as a shadowy group deepens the mystery and mythology of the show.
I wonder what significance the discovery of Crane's "burial" site by the Horseman is. A way of getting those two crazy kids back together? I hope so!
Oh wait! I almost forgot to show off my cynical side. I'm 100% sure Fox had a baseball tie in just after the World Series with their little exercise with the national past time to start the show.
One last act of cynicism. I didn't buy Abbie's tears when Ichabod was nearing death. I don't think she's earned that emotionality yet. I know they tried to get through it with some exposition with her sister Jenny but it didn't ring true for me.
And yes we had another eagle sighting! Go birds! (And I don't mean Cardinals or Orioles.)
I agree with most everything you've said here, Dave. My "just along for the ride" opinions"
ReplyDeleteThe bad - With all due respect, I really dislike the Sunday School bible plot line. It's been done. Good god (pun intended), but it's been done already. And it felt particularly heavy-handed in this episode, and not original. And John Noble's character does not feel comfortable in his spot as a savior (with revolting eating habits). Oh and yes, shades of Grimm, will there be a cross-over? And did I hear mention of a Revolution?
The good - All that said above, there is an undeniable appeal to (with all due respect) the mythological aspects of religion, and the power it has. Strangely, this was one of my favorite episodes of this series so far, because of the lush and appealing settings, and I still like all the characters, and Icabod has depth to him. The actor is doing a wonderful job. (never mind that he is quite easy on the eyes.... never mind at all...)
My summary - I'll stick around, I get the distinct impression that sumpthin's goin' on in this here l'il town/story. There is something there, dunno what, but it's there. I hope they don't bury it. Of course, I'm desperately waiting to read the Abrams/Durst book "S", and I have shamelessly been reading spoiler-free reviews, and already I cannot look, read, or watch something without thinking, "uummm, now wait a minute.... didn't I see... wasn't there something...." in EVERYTHING.
Even my cooking utensils are suspect. :-D
Hello there Ingrid, is it hockey night tonight?
DeleteYou don't mind if I start with point number two do you? Tom Mison is the real steal of this show. A true gem. His expressions are priceless. When he has righteous indignation (like during the baseball scene) it looks like he has righteous indigestion! That's how passionate his character is. (It's a good thing I have a crush on Jenny or Mison might be getting all my fan mail.)
There is definitely something going on in that town. I can hardly wait to see what Captain Irving's role in all of this is. Sometimes he is just too easy. He's getting an estranged wife and son added to the show so I figure the reason for their split is for their protection. (A back story awaits.)
Speaking of Bible analogies, when you eat bread it is the body of Christ so when you eat a sin whose body is it? Yuck!
We've gotten spoiled with shows like Fringe and Revolution, where anything and everything can mean something, and character development is very good. I can't think that John Noble would accept doing a show that had only superficial intentions... I keep hope for Sleepy Hollow. :-)
DeleteHi Dave,
ReplyDeleteThis episode bugged me and it’s taking a while for me to figure it out.
The baseball scene was fun, but I think would have worked better in an episode before the break for WS coverage. The episode certainly needed some humor as the rest of it was pretty dark.
Katrina – I find her completely aggravating. She was a lot less cryptic with Abby than with Ich, but did she really have to nearly get Abby run over by a semi? She clearly has been keeping secrets from Ich since they first met. Maybe that is why he finds her so bewitching (snicker), she’s a perpetual mystery.
Aside: What was up with that weird (voo doo?) doll in the baby carriage?! Is Claire trapped there with Squirrel Baby? Did the Cranes lose a child?
Henry Parrish – well we didn’t find out a whole lot about him, I guess that is for the future. The sopping up blood with bread thing was rather communion-esque. Now that a little bit of death resides in Henry are they ultimately going to have to destroy him too? Will Death possess Henry if his headless body is destroyed? To borrow a Harry Potter analogy is Henry Parrish a horcrux now?
Unlinking Ich from Death - I think you are right, this should have taken longer. It would have been a good season finale development. Let’s hope whatever they have planned is better. While the Death is out of Ichabod, there is still Ichabod blood in the horseman. If the Headless horseman is destroyed will Ichabod suffer any ill effects? Does the horseman feel the broken link?
I’m not a Grimm watcher so the parallels didn’t annoy me. Sleepy Hollow seems to pull motifs from a lot of Sci-fi sources into it’s crazy.
While I like Jenny, I didn't like the way she was used in this episode. I don't want her to just be a clue repository that they check in and out of the mental ward when they need help. Get her out of there and on the team full time already.
Lynne