'Sleepy Hollow' Season 1 Finale Review

Fox

The surprise hit Sleepy Hollow closed out its first season last night with a healthy dose of adventure, sacrifice, and betrayal as Ichabod Crane and Lt. Abbie Mills reached a major milestone in the impending ultimate showdown between good and evil--their first major loss. The second Horseman, War, revealed himself when Katrina Crane was (briefly) rescued from Purgatory. Ally and enemy both suffered for their respective causes in a two hour blast of everything that's great about this show. Plus Crane got a new outfit. Technically.

Fox

One of the best things about Sleepy Hollow is the fact that everything isn't already so neatly laid out in a way that fans believe themselves capable of predicting everything to come. This makes guessing and second-guessing what will happen as the episode goes along a satisfying activity to engage in during, whether on Twitter or out loud to yourself. The specifics of those vague prophesied warnings about future betrayals couldn't be fully predicted until the right situation presented itself and it's nice to have a mythology-laden show on where it's clear the writers are very much in control of how their vision is executed. It's also a series where even supporting characters are nicely fleshed out. Events like the ultimate fate of Andy Brooks for example were made all the more tragic with something like a quick shot to his beloved yearbook splattered with blood during his nasty forced metamorphosis. The relationships between these characters have come a long way since the pilot and both episodes allowed every character their part to play as Sleepy Hollow became a battleground once more.

Fox

The first hour, 'Indispensable Man', let the talents of both Witnesses come front and center as a quest to find George Washington's true burial site led Abbie and Ichabod to a hidden tomb laden with booby traps. I love watching Ichabod use his knowledge to help solve their current puzzle--it's what perfectly balances his man out of time comedic situations. Abbie too had her moment to shine when she dropped a Latin class history lesson when prompted with the mention of a historical figure's name. Crane might have an eidetic memory but being able to flawlessly remember a story from back in high school isn't shabby either. It was also interesting to see them at odds and I imagine it won't be the first time either considering their dynamic will certainly be different when they both get free again.

The sought after map was a means to an end as Purgatory proved to be a weak test during 'Bad Blood', but

Fox

it became a far more effective as a prison as last night evil took its most dangerous form--a trusted ally. Henry Parish guided our capital 'W' witnesses exactly where they needed to be to wind up the most helpless as Moloch made his next major move. And like all proper first season finales, questions were answered while every major character wound up in some level of peril. Someone's gotta save Leftenant Mills now that she's chosen to take Katrina's place in purgatory. A very well-played action which I'm sure left viewers casting a wary eye on the ever-mysterious Katrina Crane--the perfect distraction for suspicion--until the true threat revealed themselves nearly the minute she and Ichabod made it back out of Purgatory.

Fox

That instant questioning of Katrina's possible motives is a symptom of a larger issue that Sleepy Hollow unfortunately has with her character. I really hate being that person to bust out tired tropes when shows make creative decisions but it's kinda hard to ignore the fact that Katrina went from being 'fridged' all season long as both the spirit guide figure and source of man-pain to...a possible future of the same. Let's hope that nearly the moment we pick up with her in season two that the once very powerful witch is able to wrest herself free from the clutches of Headless without needing anyone else to assist. I know it's a very real concern these days when it comes to alienating the very valuable shipper fans but we should be able to get to know Katrina outside of being just Mrs. Crane.

Fox

At least we'll hopefully learn more about her personality next season now that she's been reunited, albeit far from happily, with her son. The Jeremy reveal was one of those things that after it happened you sit back and facepalm--should have known better. You don't hire someone of the acting caliber of John Noble without giving him something especially juicy to sink his teeth into, and his tirade against his parents when 'Henry Parish' revealed himself to be their long-lost but never truly gone son was absolutely delightful to behold. The man does bitter and vindictive in such a compelling way that seeing more of him in this mode is definitely something to anticipate about season two.

Getting to see what fate holds for Captain Irving now that he's fallen on his sword to protect his daughter by copping to a double homicide rap is also a cliffhanger for season two to address. I can appreciate that in order to keep focus on the Witnesses going to Purgatory in the second hour of the finale that Irving's story had to be put into pause mode. His being incarcerated will likely play a major role in season two considering how Frank's already on Moloch's shit-list and jail is an especially dangerous place when evil itself is after you. I appreciate that there wasn't just a lack of consequence for the deaths in last week's episode, or worse that it was easily brushed off in favor of some sort of excuse that the higher ups went for immediately. Having real world consequences is part of what grounds this show and keeps it from veering into being just completely silly. Irving's arrest was a nice way to foreshadow how protecting family is going to require not only sacrifice but pain as well. I know I'm not the only person hoping that Abbie's sister Jenny will somehow survive that horrific car accident that Headless caused.

Fox

Even though it was a fairly dark and harrowing finale, Sleepy Hollow never lost touch with its humor as Crane was given the chance to come up against learning his flip phone was obsolete, Siri is nowhere as comforting as Yolanda was, and that we reenact various wartime battles just for kicks. That last one in particular was a great way to toy with perception as the way in which it opened the second hour made one wonder if Crane took the map he made from memory to enter Purgatory all on his own. Purgatory as a concept is usually played one of two ways, like it was on Supernatural just a vast forest of endless horrors or how it played on Sleepy Hollow where it gave Abbie and Ichabod a taste of what they felt their lives could have (and should have) been like. Abbie is training at Quantico and enjoying apple pie ala mode with a very not-dead Corbin and Andy. While Ichabod is on his way to a professorship and his father hadn't shunned him for his betrayal of the English. When presented with the ultimate temptation to leave the fight and remain in a fantasy world both decided to sacrifice the illusion and continue to embrace the horrors to come. These characters have forged the bonds necessary to be considered a family and as the world crumbles around them, this version of family is what they'll need most to make it through. If they can.