Monday , March 18 2024

‘Sleepy Hollow’: Fans Weigh in on Season Two

SH GroupLast season Sleepy Hollow  was FOX’s hit of the year, garnering staggering ratings in its freshman year, as 24 had in 2001.  It was such a success, that the network immediately gave the green light for season two after only airing three episodes!

A story of two witnesses coming together to stop the Apocalypse kept the audience captivated, in a frenzy, and eager to see the mystery unfold.  Every week Ichabod (Tom Mison) and Abbie’s (Nichole Beharie) journey continued to intensify until the mind-blowing season finale! Henry Parrish (John Noble) was not only revealed as the Horseman of War, but also Ichabod and Katrina’s (Katia Winter) son!  The plot explosion rocked Twitter like never before, and fans quickly uploaded videos of themselves watching the epic moment on YouTube.  I’d say it was the best kept secret in television history!  Such fun for Sleepyheads who proudly donned their label with pride.  I am one of those Sleepyheads! Since the first episode, I have been riveted by Sleepy Hollow, a show that gives fans a chance to learn more about American history and embrace a mythology driven series.

The series premise is intriguing: A man, Ichabod Crane,  awakens 250 years after his Wiccan wife casts a spell on him, tied to the Horseman of Death after Ichabod beheads the Hessian soldier on orders of General George SH-Pilot-Banner_128Washington, during the Revolutionary War. Who would buy into such malarky right? But the talents of the cast makes us believe anything is possible!

I was glued to the television from the first episode, which is rare for me as I tend to multi-task while “watching” television.  This one had me from the first gun shot in the 1781 Hudson Bay battle between British and American soldiers. The instant I laid eyes on the horseman that would find himself headless at the hands of Ichabod Crane, I was hooked!  Of course I must admit that seeing Tom Mison as Ichabod didn’t hurt either! LOL

So, what exactly has happened to the show heard ’round the world?  Since season two began, ratings have continued to decline, while passionate fans clamor about missing the Sleepy Hollow from season one!  What exactly is it about season one that is so vastly different than season two?  How could the powers that be have miscalculated the next part of the story so much, that a Twitter campaign designed to express disdain at the direction of our female characters was necessary?  Can it be fixed or will FOX abandon the beloved series before the producers have a chance?

For my part, I can only describe what I see and hear via social media platforms during, as well as after each episode airs.  This is my assessment of the situation…

In my opinion, “And the Abyss Gazes Back,” “Weeping Lady,” “Heartless” and “Mama” represent exactly what the show was in season one. All four episodes have great character development, a clear back story, answers questions and raises important new ones.

The premise of Sleepy Hollow: The arrival of the four horsemen signals the start of the Apocalypse as foretold in the bible.  In Revelations, it speaks of two witnesses brought forth for a period of seven years, sent to stop the “End of Days”.  The Horseman of Death, whom we later learn is Ichabod’s ex-bestie Abraham Van Brundt (Neil Jackson), has risen.  In the pilot episode Ichabod and Abbie realize they are the two witnesses prophesied.

SH Pilot4

In episode two of season one, “Blood Moon,” Katrina appears to Ichabod in a dream and tells him the Horseman of Death has risen.  “But now he’s returned to gather the others and together, they will unleash the Apocalypse.  Before the four horsemen can ride, an army of evil will make way for their arrival.”

What does this mean?  I took it to mean that our witnesses would have to battle otherworldly supernatural creatures to ensure the horsemen’s inability to enter our world.  Henry has brought forth many evil beings the witnesses have defeated this season, including the Pied Piper, Wendigo, Succubus, Weeping Lady.

So who is Moloch (Derek Mears) and what’s his deal?  Abbie and her sister Jenny (Lyndie Greenwood) were walking through the woods after school and came across four white trees, then actually observed Moloch rise the Horseman of War out of the ground.  Though Abbie is a Witness, she was too young to stop Moloch.

Obviously as the Guardian of Purgatory Moloch’s plan is to rise on earth and release all his evil minions to take over set the world on fire–literally. It is my understanding that Moloch could not rise until the four horsemen arrived, nor would the Apocalypse begin until all four horsemen were on earth.  In Revelations it clearly states the four horsemen signal the End of Days.  Am I wrong on this?  In “Deliverance,” Abbie found an entry that spoke of the Horrid King, who turns out to be Moloch.  “Who first, who last, who used the blood of sacrifice of parent’s tears” to make his entry into this world.  So my question becomes, are the other two horsemen, the Horseman of Pestilence and Horseman of Famine already here, allowing Moloch’s entry via Katrina? Is the Horrid King also one of the Horsemen Akeda3of the Apocalypse?  This hasn’t been made clear at this point and it kind of contradicts the original plot.  I’m a little stumped by this.

One of the most important things for me when I invest in a show as much as I have Sleepy Hollow, is how the season unfolds episode to episode.  If there isn’t a clear, concise direction, mythology driven shows sort of fall apart.  Fans who love the show really dissect each episode- the meaning behind different symbols or stories, how it all connects, the lore, speculate where it’s going, etc… For me, a few important elements that are paramount in a mythology based series are character development, knowing characters inside and out, their back stories, etc… Without these a show like Sleepy Hollow just crumbles. The reason season one was so successful, in my opinion, is because it was very detailed from episode one to episode thirteen and took viewers on an epic journey, with a big reveal that rocked television! It was very well-thought out, planned and executed!

As an example of what I’m talking about, I actually went back and read one of my reviews, “Vessel” from season one: the famous skinny jeans episode. That episode specifically tied everything back to the witnesses- Washington’s Bible, Moloch’s fight to get it at all costs, our heroes doing whatever it took to save Irving’s daughter Macy. It was a very powerful, well-written and crafted episode that clearly tied back to the apocalyptic mythology.

In my opinion, the first two episodes of this season were fantastic and had everything fans love- suspense, humor, mixed with horror.  So at what point did things change?

Where is “Team Ichabbie”?

I feel that the variation in the dynamic of the original team ie: Ichabod, Abbie, Jenny and Irving (Orlando Jones), affected the show.   Ichabbie have a rhythm, a way of working together that adding Katrina into the mix disrupted. Also adding new character Nick Hawley (Matt Barr) into the group has Mills1marginalized Jenny’s role this season.  The audience loves the Mills sisters, clearly evidenced by the rejoice that arose across social media platforms after “Mama” aired.

Another issue of contention among the fans is Irving being sideline the first half of the season, stuck at Tarrytown Psychiatric. There is a chemistry so-to-speak with the combination of Abbie, Ichabod, Jenny and Irving that, while Hawley is nice to look at, he just doesn’t quite fit.  In contrast, if there is a need for another character on “Team Ichabbie,” it makes more sense to bring Joe Corbin (Zach Appleman) back because he was Sheriff Corbin’s (Clancy Brown) son, so is connected to Sleepy Hollow as well as his father’s legacy.

Last season, the show was historically driven by the presence of Washington’s Bible, yet we haven’t seen many episodes referring to it this season, nor have we seen Ichabod and Abbie following the cases Sheriff Corbin was tracking. I thought they would go that route having found his files and it would lead our witnesses to the dark Coven mentioned, other cases with biblical references to the Apocalypse, uncover more about Abbie and Jenny’s family connection, etc… Maybe this is something that is coming for the second half of the season.  Now that Ichabbie is armed with Ben Franklin’s journal, Grace Dixon’s journal, as well as George Washington’s Bible, hopefully we’ll see roads leading back to some of Corbin’s old cases.

The Hawley Factor

One thing I like this season is some of the character development , which they’ve been able to do thanks SH Heartless3to the extra episodes. However, bringing on Hawley, who is clearly supposed to be a love interest for Abbie, has yet to give up anything about his background other than he’s an armament dealer.

My problem with Hawley is that the character has no real ties to Sleepy Hollow, so for me it is just kind of irrelevant.  Where did he come from? How exactly did Jenny meet him? What was the nature and length of their relationship? Why did he latch on to her? What adventures did they have together? Can he be trusted? Who has he worked for in the past? Why is he suddenly glued to the witnesses? These are all questions yet to be answered or even proposed! With how closed off Abbie is where her heart is concerned, the only reason to have Hawley even remotely intertwined with her is so Crane can realize he may have feelings for her. Other than this, while he’s definitely eye candy for the ladies, I feel hooking him up with Abbie would be too dangerous for her and mission as a witness. “Trust no one Mr. Mulder.” I think she needs to remember that!

The Witch, the Spy and the Liar

And then there’s Ichabod’s wife, Katrina, who has lied to him about several major things, including being a witch, working as a spy for George Washington, having their son Henry and being present for, if not outright killing, his ex-girlfriend Mary Wells (Heather Lind).

Relationships have their ups and downs, maybe minor fibs such as “Did you take out the trash,” “Yes I did”; however really didn’t. The lies Katrina told were life-changing moments that shaped who she is and now, Ichabod feels he doesn’t know her anymore! Her faith that Henry is only being controlled by Moloch and belief he can be saved has Crane-s-Dilema-Banner_128caused major tension among the two Witnesses, namely because he is the Horseman of War!  Ichabod is clearly torn between his duties as a Witness and as Henry’s father, not wanting to have to choose a side.  This has become an obstacle, as Ichabod’s focus has been compromised during the first half of the season.  The duo, now working as a trio with Katrina, has been another item of contention among fans who are split between “Ichatrina” or “Ichabbie”.

However, the Sleepyhead fandom really blew up after “Deliverance” aired, an episode written by new additions to the writing team, Sam Chalsen and Nelson Greaves. Mostly fans felt that Abbie’s opinion as one of the Witnesses, was disregarded after Ichabod sided with Katrina against her, wanting to ask their son Henry for help. Then as the episode unfolded, Abbie seemed to be sidelined a little bit as Ichabod sort of took the reigns and saved Katrina via CPR, (which he apparently immediately learned right after almost losing Abbie in “Weeping Lady”). Fans felt she was written as a stereotypical “helper.”

For Beharie’s part regarding this issue, in a recent, interview she she noted that she was surprised at the outpouring of suppoSH Mamma9rt and had this to say, “Well, I’m highly aware of that just because I’m an actress and I’m African-American, so I’m aware of that kind of thing, those stereotypes.”  She further added, “I think it’s just- we have amazing fans, they’re so passionate, and I think they want to see the females characters on the show be developed totally in the way that some shows haven’t done, in the way that everyone has expected from a show like this. One part of me is like “why does it have to be political or weird about who’s doing what?” But I just think it’s people caring about each character so much, and that’s definitely a testament to the other actors work and the writers and the whole upheaval, it’s really entertaining from this end.  It’s almost like you guys are entertaining us after we attempt to give you your jollies.”

 

The Fan’s Voice

Fans have been tweeting me their feelings about season two and this is just an example of a few from both sides of the debate:

 · Nov 21 “ To me I felt they strayed from the story line, and I felt they were forcing us to accept K a little too much.”
 · Nov 21 “ basically, to answer your question, don’t believe the “dynamic” threw things off. Challenged it? Definitely.”
 · Nov 20 “ Ichabod&Abbie been dumbed-down their own ways to make Katrina work. Abbie’s been reduced to support for Crane Family Drama & Frank &Jennie sidelined for Katrina/Henry/Cranes. Hawley basically replaced Jennie. In all the PoC pushed back for white characters, including our Leading Lady.   Ichabod looks silly w/the idea Henry whom the show already convinced us was War is redeemable – where’d THAT come from? It is an insult to the audience and in the process has made Ichabod unlikable.”
 · Nov 21   Enjoyed all surprising plots. Great ride. Don’t no y all the fuss. Don’t like, don’t watch. rock.”

The Verdict

Ultimately, I feel the reason for the decline in viewership is the change in the dynamic of “Team Witness”: Ichabod’s lack of focus, Katrina’s feelings about Henry, addition of Hawley, lack of Jenny and Irving.  Would The XFiles have been the same if the journey wasn’t Mulder and Scully’s alone?  Yes they had their “team,” comprising of their boss Skinner (Mitch Pileggi), The Lone Gunmen (Tom Braidwood, Bruce Hardwood,  Dean Haglund), then later Agents Doggett (Robert Patrick) and Reyes (Annabeth Gish).  Much like Mulder and Scully, our Witnesses are the only ones that can complete their mission together. Changing the dynamics muddies the original plot and vibe of the show.

What’s Next?  (SPOILERS AHEAD)

The original formula implemented throughout season one appears to be what we will see in the mid-season finale episodes- can I just say hallelujah!  Now that Irving has escaped Tarrytown Psychiatric, Katrina may possibly go dark side and Jenny is back, I think the second half of the season is going to remind Sleepyheads why we fell in love with the show.

So what now? Word is, producers are keenly aware of the fan’s growing concerns about the show.  They’ve planned an incredible two-part Fall Finale that begins on Monday, November 24, with “Magnum Opus.” I’m told it’s what fan’s have been waiting for, with our two witnesses stronger than ever, and searching for the “Sword of Methuselah,” which might stop Moloch.  Irving and Jenny are both back front and center, scrambling for the Canadian border in hopes of staying ahead of the law.  In addition we’ll see a flashback of Ichabod and Abraham before they left for the Colonies. (Watch sneak peeks below)

“Akeda,” part two of the Fall Finale, will SH-Akeda-Banner_128mark Ichabod’s first motorcycle ride with Abbie!  I’m very excited to see our dynamic duo buzzing down the street on a Harley! Additionally, looks like Katrina is back in the mix, away from Henry and a now fully grown Moloch! However, seems like our witch may have feelings for Abraham after all.  Additionally, sounds like she and Ichabod will have decisions to make regarding their son Henry, that will cause a rift between Ichabod and Abbie.   The time has come for him to choose his family or duties as a Witness.  Which choice will he make and how will it affect Ichabbie’s future?  These episodes will change everything, with surprise twists we won’t expect! I have a feeling we’re in for one hell of a cliffhanger!

Producers promise that the second half of the season will be packed with lots of magic from Katrina, a possible new ally in the form of a mysterious man named Orion (Max Brown). They teas that a fun Karaoke outing is coming in episode 14, and Ichabbie will have to work out their differences to once again focus on their mission!

For this Sleepyhead, I’m “all in,” anxiously awaiting to see how the rest of the season unfolds.  I have confidence that if Sleepyheads can hang in there, the powers that be will right some of the issues and Sleepy Hollow will once again be on top!

Don’t miss television’s thrill-ride, Monday November 24 at 9p on FOX!

 

SNEAK PEEKS “MAGNUM OPUS”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5y1HIYmMkY

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMuma_qU4kI

*Watching online?  Be sure your viewership is counted by using these platforms: FOX, FOX On Demand, FOX Now App, HuluPlus and check in on TV Tag.  All of these platforms collect analytics, which are sent to the network so they can determine how their shows are being watched.

*Listen to “Official” Sleepy Cast Podcast on Nerdiest Tuesday, November 25 when host Clarke Wolfe chats with some of the cast and crew!

*Don’t miss our fan post-mortem on Spreecast, Monday immediately following east coast airing of “Magnum Opus,” November 24 at 10p ET.

What do you think of season two?  Post your comments here to be used in an upcoming episode of Sleepy Hollow Addicts.

[amazon template=iframe image&asin=B00KC57IWG,0553419005]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Chrissy Piccolo

Chrissy Piccolo the founder of RHeart Network, the Fan's Voice, the #1 Fan Connection Destination, supporting daytime, prime-time and online scripted digital content. Currently the host of RHeart Radio, the Fan's Voice, as well as Storytellers On The Net, and Sleepy Hollow Addicts on Blogtalk radio. In addition to writing for Blogcritics, she is also an author on Examiner.com. Web Series Today and currently co-hosts with Barbara Barnett and Jerome Wetzel on 'Let's Talk TV' on Blogtalk. She is also working on adapting her her first novel in The Kirsten Kelly Chronicles series into a webseries. Passionate about keeping scripted content alive, she continues to be an advocate for all forms. When she’s not working managing several websites or writing, one of her hobbies is investigating the paranormal with other enthusiasts and searching out possible cases through historic sites in the Northwest. Chrissy believes in being a positive influence in such a vast medium as the Internet.

Check Also

Film Review: The Intriguing ‘Go/Don’t Go’

An intriguing feature debut by a young filmmaker.

4 comments

  1. Hmm…an interesting article. Some I agree with, some I disagree with. For example “Then as the episode unfolded, Abbie seemed to be sidelined a little bit
    as Ichabod sort of took the reigns and saved Katrina via CPR” People really have an issue with a husband performing CPR on his wife?! That in no way sidelined Abbie. For goodness sake, if your spouse is dying then you do all you can to save him or her. Katrina was literally not breathing. Why would Abbie perform mouth to mouth resuscitation on Katrina when clearly her husband was right there? Abbie is probably the one who taught him how to do it after Weeping Lady. “Mostly fans felt that Abbie’s opinion as one of the Witnesses, was
    disregarded after Ichabod sided with Katrina against her, wanting to ask
    their son Henry for help.” Ichabod didn’t disregard Abbie’s opinion. He was clearly conflicted over what she was saying and struggling to do the right thing. To say he disregarded her opinion is a gross misrepresentation of what happened. I get fans having issues but taking it to a ridiculous level makes it hard to take legit concerns seriously. Abbie has and always will be front and center in this show. I think fear and sensitivity have led people to overreact.

    I also think comparing Ichabod and Abbie to Mulder and Scully is problematic. Yes there are some similarities, but not a direct parallel and if you are looking for Mulder and Scully level of intimacy and partnership then it’s no wonder people are disappointed. They aren’t Mulder and Scully, and there will be differences in how their stories develop. “Ichabbie have a rhythm, a way of working together that adding Katrina into the mix disrupted.” I disagree (It should be noted that Katrina has always been working with the Team, only now she’s not in purgatory and is there in a more physical manner). I haven’t seen a disruption in their rhythm. Just because they disagree on how to deal with Henry doesn’t mean the way they work together has changed. I don’t remember any evidence of this. Yes, Ichabod as been distracted with his wife, but how is that any different from last season? Abbie has been, at times, distracted with issues from her own family. And Yes, there will have to be some adjustments, but it’s resisting these adjustments that causes conflict. Just like Abbie said at the end of Heartless. She, more than Katrina, was struggling with the shift, but recognized in the end that they are stronger with Katrina. But Ichabod and Abbie still have chemistry, still have a deep, emotional relationship. We are actually getting to see them explore a deeper part of that relationship as they deal with conflict.

    I definitely agree they should not have pushed Hawley so strongly onto the audience when Jenny and Irving’s characters have been used so little. There is no reason Jenny couldn’t have fulfilled a lot of what Hawley has been asked to do. I like Hawley. He’s a fun addition, but not at the cost of the main cast.

    I love this show, and I love how much you love this show! I hope you don’t mind my disagreeing with you. Also, sadly the numbers for Sleepy Hollow have always been declining. It premiered strong but the numbers have been getting lower and lower since day one, even through out the first season.It began with 10 million viewers and ended the season with 7 million. Season two began with 5.5 million (before anyone eve knew what was really going to be happening in season 2) and has been holding steady between 4.5 and 5. Numbers don’t represent quality. I blame FOX for taking such a huge break between the seasons, and for not promoting the show well enough.

    Love talking about this show! Thank you for your article, again, hopefully you don’t mind my comments.

    • Funny your username is TessEvans – I was a HUGE Roswell fan… but not a Tess fan, lol – thankfully she never became Tess Evans… that was always reserved for Liz. DREAMER for LIFE! Heh. I do think some of the show direction suffers from similar thinking of Roswell S1 vs S2. S1 was more of an ensemble cast, whereas in S2 they definitely were trying to grab a male audience… they also were pushing a certain female actress over the actual show lead (and ratings dropped because of it) and pushing the male lead almost like he was the ONLY lead – lots of similarities there, actually. Sleepy Hollow seems to be traveling down the same path. It will bite them in the behind if they don’t fix it quickly.

      I think the fan outrage over the CPR isn’t as you’ve framed it. No one was upset that he did that for his wife – they were upset that Abbie – a TRAINED COP – was written to just sit there when it’s clear she could have easily given CPR. The writers wrote that to bash Ichabbie fans over the head with the EPIC ROMANTIC moment of their chemically challenged pairing. The music, all of it was designed to shove it in fans faces that – forget Ichabbie – THIS is what we want you to ship. LOL – if you have to do all of that to get fans to like your ship – you have big problems. I think because Ichatrina has zero chemistry, the writers have had to resort to ugly tactics like this to force fans to accept things their way… when fans aren’t a captive audience. They can – and have – tuned out.

      And thanks for mentioning the ratings – if you examine them closely, you’ll notice a precipitous drop right around the time Ichabod gets a son. This was actually when the CFD began and fans noticed it. In fact, if you go back far enough in fandom, fans were complaining about the change in tone then, hoping it wasn’t permanent and that the showrunners weren’t trying to pull a bait and switch with Abbie for Katrina. It’s definitely the case that this season the Katrina focused and CFD focused episodes TANK the ratings… it was more subtle last season, but I think the reason for the ratings drop makes that crystal clear.

      Also – you cannot blame FOX for the drop from the Ichabbie focused episodes to the Katrina-focused ones. The drop there is significant and it’s crystal clear why.

      If the writers really want to woo fans back (especially the 3-4 million that left), they have to kill off Katrina and make it a huge event. They need to make Headless a BAMF again and they need to “kill off” Jeremy from within Henry to make him pure evil again. The show has seriously lost its fear factor because of trying to give Katrina an expanded role on the show.

  2. I love the cast, but Katrina
    is not well placed in the storyline. I love seeing Neil as Abraham and Nick is
    kind ruining the Mills sisters bonding. One thing that makes me sad. Why
    is Ichabod not worried about saving Abraham’s soul? He only worried about
    Katrina and Henry I think she is part of the demon family somehow. Abraham was hurt and
    felt is best friend betrayed him. Demons attack when you are weak. Henry might not
    even be Ichabod’s son. If I were Ichabod, I would get a DNA test.

  3. This line right here: “Producers promise that the second half of the season will be packed with lots of magic from Katrina” proves the writers and showrunners don’t get it. Katrina is one of the MAIN problems this season – we need LESS of her – not more! Gah I can’t with this.