Sleepy Hollow “Pittura Infamante” — Jan. 19, 2015
Okay, Sleepyheads, we’ve all had a lot to say about our show’s creative direction and are sick with worry that Sleepy Hollow won’t get renewed. (Well, maybe that’s just me.) This week I’m breaking from the usual recap format so we can discuss last night’s episode.
- One of the elements that made Sleepy Hollow stand out in Season One was the refreshingly diverse cast. Let’s face it, Olivia Pope doesn’t see this many people of color. The first half of Season Two veered away from that but “Pittura Infamante” delivered. The Mills sisters worked together, Captain Frank Irving’s return from the dead was a major plot point and we got some much needed follow-up with the appearance of his ex, Cynthia Irving, who had been MIA during the period that he was incarcerated, institutionalized and presumed dead. We even got to see Sheriff Reyes who hasn’t gotten much airtime since taking over the police department. Not to be greedy, but isn’t it time to spring Andy Brooks from Purgatory and mention the disappearance of Luke Morales? (Did anyone question him about the death of Officer Devon Jones?)
- The show honored its own quirky mythology with the introduction of another colonial figure, Abigail Adams, and the return of Reverend Alfred Knapp. I always get a kick out of seeing the non-nonsense reverend and I hope the show uses him more.
- Now here’s where it gets really interesting. Abbie and Jennie were busy unraveling the Irving mystery so Ichabod and Katrina got to work alone. Katrina to put it mildly, is a polarizing figure. I’m told there are legions of fans who are swept away by the Crane love story and see great chemistry between Ichabod and Katrina. Here are my questions: Did Katrina prove herself to be a real badass? Did the Crane chemistry sizzle? In the end, Katrina’s incantation defeated the demon. Oh wait, Abbie bolted in, shot him and dropped the mic. But did Katrina redeem herself? Is it just me or does the series actively throw shade at Mrs. Crane? Upon meeting her, Sheriff Reyes remarked: “Ichabod has a wife? He never mentioned you.”
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Bios for the characters introduced tonight are coming soon.
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Once again Katrina lied to Crane as Abagail Adams brought to light. Katrina knew she was pregnant before Crane buried. She lied when she told him she didn’t know until she went to Europe after he was buried. That’s a big reveal, and I hope we hear more about that big whopper soon. Is there something in Abagail Adams’ papers that reference it? Wonder if Abbie will discover this.
Probably not, continuity doesn’t seem to be a theme anymore in Sleepy Hollow.
Katrina had a chance to prove herself useful- or at the very least interesting in this episode, but she just failed on every level. Sure she got them into the painting…and then proceeded to sympathize with the psycho who had already killed a guy and was IN THE PROCESS of killing another. WHY is she still here? What is her function other than to be the ‘hot red headed wifey’? They could have left her in purgatory for all that.
You speak the truth. I felt so bad for poor Tom Mison. He could see the unemployment check coming every time he had to drag that dead weight through a scene.
Lmao! Love that comment. Hate the Katrina character. She’s better suited for Once Upon a Time or some other show where whiney, whispering, damsels in distress are favored.
What bothers me the most is that the writers are apparently completely aware of how useless Katrina is in every aspect. But instead of putting her on the sidelines or getting rid of her permanently, they continue to shove her in our faces!! All the while reminding us through every character on the show about how ridiculous she is.
I keep trying to think it’s part of some brilliant plan to end network meddling or something. I don’t know what to think. The show keeps shading her.
Seriously, what if the Show Heads really are quite brilliant (yeahicallBS) and all of this is laying the groundwork for some massive OH!DAMN! reveals and we’re all left feeling shamefaced because we had so little faith…
Well, one can dream…
It’s a little like Charlie Brown and the football.
Soooo, basically we’re going to be left dazed and on our backsides, left wondering what the heck just happened, and cursing ourselves because we really really believed that time and how did we NOT see that coming… Yeah. Yeah I can see that happening.
Damn.
The odd thing is that I’ve only seen the chemistry between Tom and Katia in period clothing (ie back in the 1700s). And quite frankly, that’s more Ichabod longing to be with her and not having her. Here in modern times, their relationship is just…flat. There was more feeling, spark, chemistry, bond between Abbie and Ichabod in those final scenes at the museum than on display between Ichabod and Katrina the whole night.
I have a theory about this: it’s really Tom Mison’s fault and how he channels the two Ichabods. 1700s Ichabod was essentially finding himself: a scholar leaving England against his dad’s wishes to go to America with Abraham; switching sides to fight a more noble cause; getting bowled over by Katrina and loving her from afar, and then up close; fighting a war of Independence. This Ichabod hasn’t really actively made many choices; the choices have found him. He is a protector, a fighter by default and a duty-bound, loyal husband who happens to have stolen the hot girl from his best friend.
2000s Ichabod is also rediscovering himself in a new time. What manner of man is he now that his props (all the above) have been removed? He takes on a new role and fight foisted on him: Witness and has been paired with a type of woman never met before. She brings out the best in him (rails against modern society notwithstanding) and challenges, inspires, encourages and occasionally bests him. She is the best type of friend he could ever have and he has chosen to forge his fate with her. The conflict comes with Katrina and to an extent Henry. They represent in Katrina’s case ties to the old, familiar role of 1700s Ichabod, and in Henry’s case, nostalgia for the life and family he could have had, and to be the kind of dad his wasn’t. He is duty bound to his wife and he does love her, but this is in direct opposition to his bond with Abbie as a witness and friend.
This kind of conflict should have made for compelling TV if the character of Katrina was: 1. not so blatantly manipulative and dishonest and 2. had better screen chemistry with Tom Mison. If Katia Winters had at least half the pull of Nicole Beharie (even Lyndie Greenwood) and Katrina’s character not so damsel-in-distress inclined, we could have had a better story arc for her. Instead we’re left with this convoluted mess.
And the powerful witch thing is really just a big joke now isn’t it? Ichabod had to keep reminding her to repeat the spell when demon painter was approaching them. And I haven’t forgotten about the rats and maggots in the Succubus episode. Once again, for the millionth time, Abbie has to save the day.
The thing that had me smdh from the start with Date Nite was that it wasn’t like they were taking time out from the middle of a hectic work week. Like, “Bah, I’ve had so many meetings this week and my boss is really riding my ass…Honey let’s us two try to get some alone time and reconnect…” (lol, trying to imagine either Crane saying that and they just wouldn’t, but I’m feeling cranky so I’m letting it stand)
No, they go swanning off to admire the crystal while Purgatory escapees are flocking to Headless for “Apocalypse, the B-Side.” They all actually KNOW that this is actively happening. Dinner be damned, if the Cranes need to get their whatnot together then they can sit down and hash it out. There they are all coiffed and waxed? Ain’t nobody got time for that!
Oops, I hit “Post Comment” too soon.
Bottom line, I can see why Abbie was like, “You don’t have to go.”
Because, um, there’s more important things to do. Like, right then at that very moment there were more important things to do.
And I must say, date night aside, I do appreciate the way her reaction to Irving was written. She doesn’t trust him. Because she’s Abbie. He has to earn that trust. See, she’s not hating on Katrina, she just doesn’t trust her. Because she’s Abbie. Trust has to be earned. Katrina pulled some hinkty mess and needs to come along way to redeem herself. Although Irving hasn’t done anything to prove himself to be a wrong’un, Abbie’s experience of people with sold soul’s (ahem, Andy) pencils Irving onto the guilty-until-proven-innocent side of the roster. So, I can imagine the idea of having Katrina (who she doesn’t entirely trust) work magic to determine if Irving (who she doesn’t entirely trust) is good or bad doesn’t sit so well with Abbie. Because she’s Abbie.
That’s what I meant to say.