Johnathon Schaech popped in last week’s Sleepy Hollow as a big bad warlock with historical ties to the Van Tassel family tree, and while he unlocked something potentially dangerous in Katrina, the big reveal came at the end of the hour.
We begin in an auction house as the staff prep historical artifacts for auction, until a cloaked figure saunters in, boils their blood, and steal a Grimoire.
Meanwhile, Ichabod is mulling domesticity at an open house until Abbie comes to get him. They hilariously debate modern marketing techniques, which he denounces as modern-day hucksterism (he’s not wrong, and I really want to update my LinkedIn profile with that), until she brings up the murder from the cold open. Once they’re back at the lair, facial recognition reveals the figure as Solomon Kent, and Katrina dials us back to his origins.
Once upon a time, back in Katrina’s grandmother’s day, Kent was a stalwart member of society and secret warlock of the light magic. When his advances toward one of the women were spurned, he went really dark and killed her, and then couched more ill deeds in the Salem witch trials, during which he also killed the elder Van Tassel (played by Katia Winter). Now he’s after the Grimoire so he can go back and fetch his love.
When Ichabod, Katrina, and Abbie confront him, he taunts Katrina, activating her darker impulses. She begs off confronting Kent again, so Ichabod and Abbie enlist Frank, who’s still making the case that he can be trusted. Together, they defeat Kent. But then Frank goes one step beyond, snapping his neck and stealing the Grimoire … which he then hands off to Henry. The two reunite like formal, congenial old business partners as Frank reports that the Witnesses believe him and all is on track. Shit. That cannot be good.
Earlier, we knew something was off because when Henry finally resurfaces (as we knew he would), he’s ensconced in a no-tell motel where he’s all sweet and kind with the woman and her son (nod to Bates Motel, maybe, even though son doesn’t give off any vibes) who run the place until some redneck probably-drug dealers threaten them and he vanquishes them with magic. So, he’s not dormant after all.
Back home, Ichabod and Abbie head out for celebratory beers when Katrina emerges from her room and practices her dark magic on a flower, which she shatters into dust.
We go into tonight’s new episode — Helix‘s Steven Weber guests as Thomas Jefferson — with only three episodes left. I worry about the state they’re going to leave us in, especially with no surety of a third season. Here’s a sneak peek of “What Lies Beneath.”
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