Melissa, thank you for writing! I love this fandom because it’s so eloquent and analytical. You must be psychic — come back in an hour or so for my next piece.

You really hit the nail on the head! Katrina WAS always a plot device and I thought they would execute aforementioned plot immediately following her release from purgatory. I think the Ichatrina lovers would’ve let the issue die a long time ago had they made Katrina evil when it would’ve been most relevant. They dragged this relationship out during season two and it really didn’t have to go that way. Hell, I’m not a Katrina fan at all and dare I state that she likely WOULDN’T have had to be killed off if they just made her evil straight out of purgatory. She could never carry the role of big bad herself, but she likely could’ve stayed on in a SUPPORTING capacity (sorry for the caps. I forgot how to post in italics. Not yelling, merely emphasizing) to assist the next big bad to come along. She and Henry perhaps could’ve made the reveal together. I like John Noble as well, but Henry’s character reached his plateau long ago so maybe he could’ve remained the humble sin eater and also stayed on. So many missteps, but I’m not on the payroll so maybe we as viewers didn’t pick up on what we were supposed to be perceiving out of this mess. In my opinion, that equates to sloppy writing.

On a final note, I must agree with most fans that even if it wasn’t intended a whole lot of whitewashing was taking place during the second season. I’m of the caucasian persuasion (with red hair. not a wig lol) and noticed immediately. It was infuriating that all the stans immediately started saying that all the “black” or “loud” and even “entitled (which to me screams racist) were the ones that were racist! The show changed completely! It’s one thing for a show to evolve, but this was like watching another show entirely. They tried to make it all about color, but they failed to realize that there were MANY infuriated white fans as well, shippers or not. I was drawn to this show because it is PROGRESS. When I saw the premise and previews before the show, I assumed whitewashing would happen because that’s what Hollywood has taught us. When it didn’t in season one and actually expanded on its diversity, I was almost as pleased as when Obama won the presidency. Ok, that’s extreme but it was damn close. It’s important and necessary and we as a human race cannot move forward without this kind of progress. So when I saw the plans for pushing Katrina’s story in the second season, it was more than just what it appeared on the surface. Maybe TPTB didn’t intend for the changes to be perceived as whitewashing. Perhaps they only intended to tell more Katrina so the reveal of her as a bad girl would be more effective. Whatever the case, they didn’t look at the bigger picture. I’m not a POC, but if it was monumental for me I can’t begin to imagine how infuriating it was for others. Then some Ichatrina fans would post hateful Tumblr and tweets stating Ichabbie fans were racist. Wait, what? Yes, because racists go around supporting interracial relationships regularly. I for one am also tired of seeing “matching” couples all over the television. Seriously, do I have to be paired w/someone that looks like my brother? I’ve always found that weird and slightly narcissistic, especially when even the nuances like hair, eye color, and skin tone are exactly the same. It’s nice to see DIFFERENT couples.

Hopefully the new showrunner will take EVERYTHING into consideration when preparing for season three.

Thanks for writing, Sleepy. I agree we were supposed to dislike her and then somehow things spun out of control. I honestly can’t think of a worse television character. I have yet to hear an eloquent argument in her defense. They failed debate class.

Hi, thanks for writing, Sam. I thought the succubus episode reflected wavering feelings. That said, I may have been looking at it through the I-Hate-Katrina filter. I understand that they had to demonstrate Ichabod’s ride-or-die loyalty to Katrina for a while so he wouldn’t look fickle. In any case, I can’t believe any sane writer wanted us to root for her. The words “delusional” and “debacle” sum up the whole mess.

I HAVE BEEN SAYING THAT! Katrina was meant to be disliked and foreshadowed as not the business. It was already poorly received, but a certain sector of fangirls in denial and made the rest of us despise her all the more.

The wheel-spinning, OOC idiot Ichabod and “Katrina was right” BS from Abbie didn’t help. Add the irritating whisper and you have a fandom that despises the show for spending so much time on her.

Let me explain. You mention the succubus telling Ichabod, “I can sense your desire. It burns strong, even though you try so hard to hide it…” That scene had nothing to do with Abbie. The succubus was representing his wife. As dumb as that was, because she was supposed to bring to the surface hidden desires, for some reason Ichabod’s hidden desire was… his wife?! Even if the doubt was there, the succubus made clear to the audience Abbie had no place in Ichabod’s heart. It was all Katrina. That scene told me all I had to know about the direction of the show and I was proven right in the following episodes…

Who did Ichabod side again and again, whenever Katrina opened her mouth to utter the most ridiculous BS about redemption of mass murderers? Not Abbie. Who left Abbie on her own, because he had to attend to her weak fainting wife? His priority became pleasing his wife’s every whim. Abbie reached a point, where she thought Orion was her only ally! And the sad truth is that he was.

For all of Ichabod’s talk about the Witnesses trusting each other and his lack of trust in Katrina, who did he choose to trust every single time? Not Abbie.

Ichabod also said very clearly what he was fighting for and it wasn’t Humanity’s survival or defeating evil. His fight was personal: love and family, which for him at the time was Katrina.

If FOX hadn’t intervened, the reconciliation after Pittura Ifamante would have followed its course into Ichabbie oblivion and Goffman’s mission would have been completed.

What I mean to say is that Goffman fed racist Sarah and her pals, because he’s just like them. He gave them reasons to believe in Ichatrina, although they remain delusional for blaming Ichabbie shippers for the debacle that came from that.

Thank you for writing, Kendra. I agree that the slow burn is the way to go, a good ship requires yearning. It fascinates me that some fans have such eloquent and solid arguments for their opinions while other arguments are paper-thin. Thank you for the compliment about the site, I’m flattered.

I’ve been following the fandom war closely and from what I can tell there’s a broad Ichatrina fan profile I’ve been able to glean: Conservative, religious and non-black. Some even have the nerve to couch criticism in barely veiled racist comments, then get offended if you point it out to them. I’ve found them to be largely tone-deaf with valid criticisms about the direction of the show which makes me wonder why they started watching in the first place.

I’m an Ichabbie shipper, more slow burn to be honest. And at this stage if they never went past this intimate friendship I won’t mind too much (that’s what fanfic is for!) The problems in S2 came when the focus shifted off the Witnesses, and brought an arc front and centre that should have been background fodder and with the use of less episodes.

Hopefully we can put the SS Ichatrina behind us forever and get this show back to where it belongs, and bring back the original fans who jumped ship mid S2.

On another note, I always love to read your recaps and original analyses. Keep up the good work!

Kim, thank you for writing. I’m blushing. I read so much foolishness about “loud,” “stupid fangirls,” that I was forced to write when I could have been sitting around enjoying a House of Cards binge. I hadn’t actually considered a podcast, but it’s certainly an idea.

Thanks again for reading. I will most certainly have a cocktail.

Thank you for writing, Dee. I deeply apologize for bringing up that dress, it has caused nothing but trouble — not unlike this bizarre shift of focus with Sleepy Hollow. I honestly think Katrina was meant to be a spoiler, but it was poorly executed. No sane writer would consider her character to have rooting value.