TVRD’s 5 Favorite Sleepy Hollow Episodes & Poll
We here at TVRD, spend a lot of time thinking about, watching, Tweeting about and talking about Sleepy Hollow. We spent most of Season 2 freaking out that there might not be a Season 3. And by “we” I mean Mrs. TV Recaps because Mr. TV Recaps is neither obsessive nor an alarmist. In any case, “we” are super excited about the show’s return on October 1 and will celebrate with Sleepy Hollow features over the next seven days. To kick things off, “we’re” listing favorite episodes. Note that “we” didn’t say “top episodes” or “best episodes” because “we” give severe side-eye to that sort of know-it-all list, so we (both of us this time) really hope you’ll submit elaborate comments on your faves and take our poll.
1. “Pilot” I was hooked when that damn sexy hobo wandered onto the road, and performed a bendy move to avoid getting mowed down by a big truck and then limp-ran into the Village of Sleepy Hollow over a “Sympathy for The Devil” track. Doe-eyed Lieutenant Abbie “I’m going to Quantico” Mills charmed me as she stole french fries and displayed her father/daughter relationship with Sheriff Corbin, which got me so invested that I was a little misty-eyed when the Horseman killed Corbin within minutes. The leading lady right away demonstrated her action girl bona fides and the Witnesses started delivering some of the wittiest lines on one of the wittiest TV series.
“First I shot him. But he rose back up. Beheading him seemed the next logical step.”— Ichabod is not getting that it’s good to lawyer up before speaking with the police
2. “Bad Blood” There was a payoff — Katrina’s rescue from Purgatory. Since this was Ichabod Crane’s raison d’être. How trifling would it be if the leading man couldn’t achieve his goal by the season finale? Mrs. Crane provided a handy-dandy trope so that he could be viewed as a stand-up guy who can commit to a romantic relationship. (Hero fodder usually doesn’t stick around as long. 24‘s Teri Bauer and White Collar’s Kate Moreau skedaddled) For a hardcore Ichabbie fan, the ep. was full of shipper fuel: A lingering slo-mo shot of hand-holding and the most suspect good-bye a pair of “buddies” can give each other, especially when one buddy’s wife is still in the room as the low-talking and hair-petting ensue. Jenny Mills was the one who figured out that Henry — of all people — was the season’s true big bad. The final moments provided plenty of gasps such as: “Wait, what? OMG, Henry, really?! Their son? But I thought you were good? The hell? Are you going to do that to your own mother? Is she in trouble already? FML!”
“I swear to you, for as long as I can draw breath…. Remember our bond” — Ichabod promising to return to Purgatory for Abbie
3. This is War” After a long wait, the second season got off to a blue-chip start, serving up everything I love about this show. We got to see Abbie’s doe eyes and her endless generosity and thoughtfulness when she went to the bother of finding Crane a red, white and blue birthday cupcake and playing some Stevie Wonder. (That was technically an illusion, but still, it’s something Abbie would do.) A buried-alive Ichabod pulled a MacGyver to get out of the situation and immediately teamed up with “Miss Jenny,” who had managed to single-handedly overtake Henry’s thugs, who made the poor life choice of holding her against her will. We even got to see John Cho’s Andy Brooks one more time, and he was in his uniform with his head on straight, which is always nice. There was more shipping fuel with a “friendly” hug when Ichabod lived up to his promise to find his leftenant in Purgatory. It was one my favorite eps of the season.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t find a cupcake big enough for 251 candles.” — Abbie wisecracking on Ichabod’s birthday
4. “Awakening” In possibly my all-time favorite non-hugging scene, Abbie wandered through the woods onto a road, was nearly run over by a buggy, a bird fluttered onto a sign and we got an orchestral version of “Sympathy for the Devil.” It was a delightful callback to the pilot episode. There was also the satisfaction of Ichabod finally re-evaluating his troubled marriage. I loved Ichabod strutting down the street, arms outstretched calling Henry with that “Come at me, Bro” attitude? I like enraged Ichabod.
“You… be wary. What you’re saying now cannot be unsaid.”— Ichabod so done with Katrina
5.“Tempus Fugit” Lieutenant Grace Abigail Mills took her badassery to the next level. She was a woman transported back to 1781. She was a black woman transported back to 1781, and she handled it with more calm than a Christmas Eve shopper. I mean, seriously. Some thug colonel thought that cornering a tiny unarmed woman alone in a cell was going to be a cakewalk. Some people have to learn the hard way not to screw around with Abbie. We got to see what Ichabod was like in his own time period, far more severe than I expected; he doesn’t come off nearly that stern in flashbacks. Miss Mills got to meet her namesake, Grace Dixon and prevent Katrina from letting Ichabod die, which would foul up the fate of mankind. Back in the present, Ichabod performed a mercy killing and Team Witness went off to save the world.
“Ichabod, everything we’re striving for here, fighting with our dying breath to create for this country a free land of opportunity for all Miss Abigail Mills represents. She is the American dream.” — Benjamin Franklin
Honorable mentions to “The Weeping Lady” and “Mama.” Okay, thoughts?
