I have a fairly solid bullshit detector so the cold open on the Sleepy Hollow premiere made me itch because I knew it was a fakeout. A very well-crafted fakeout, but a fakout, nonetheless.
We begin a year later as Ichabod and Abbie have found their way back to Sleepy Hollow and locked up dear old dad. They’re tracking the Horseman, still, and that leads them to a set of headless bodies. They’re hysterically armed to the teeth–taking a page from the trunk of the Winchesters. Once they go talk to Parrish, the facade falls away, and they find themselves where we left them in the finale–Ichabod underground and Abbie trapped in Purgatory. Jenny survives her accident and is held captive by Parrish and the Hessians.
Ichabod blows his way out of his coffin (which should now be Lesson 101 for vampires) with an improvised gunpowder explosion. Abbie gets help from Deputy Andy, who clues her in on how to talk to Ichabod the same way that Katrina talked to him. She makes her way to Moloch’s lair while Ichabod helps Jenny break out.
Once she’s at the mirror in the lair, she says Ichabod’s name. He’s pulled to her and they have a great reunion hug before launching right into the notion that they need a plan to get her out. She tells him Moloch is gearing up for an escape, too. Separately, in the cold open, Ichabod and Abbie found evidence related to a key, which it turns out is the very same key Benjamin Franklin (a hilarious Timothy Busfield) used in his kite experiment. We also get a little backstory that Ichabod was Franklin’s apprentice (of course), and he didn’t think very highly of him. He’s none-too-amused to find that the “gasbag” is on the $100 bill — especially when Abbie tells him, “it’s all about the Benjamins.”
Later,back in reality, Ichabod and Jenny determine it’s actually the key to Purgatory. Moloch, and therefore, Parrish wants it, so he can walk the earth with his minions. It’ll also allow Ichabod to go fetch Abbie and bring her back out. After a National Treasure style scavenger hunt, they find the key behind a brick in the clock tower. Ichabod goes to get Abbie and she’s frantic enough by then that she almost buys an AlterIchabod’s line until he biffs the pronunciation of lieutenant, and she beheads him. Ichabod is suitably alarmed but they get out and the key disintegrates after the door closes.
Later, Parrish has a mirror chat with Moloch about the failure and what’s next.
Elsewhere in Sleepy Hollow, Katrina is tied up by the Horseman, who puts her necklace back on, which activates a sort of hologram that returns Abraham to his human state so he can converse with her. She’s not interested. I really hope she gets away from him sooner than later because the whole vibe there was highly squicky.
That and the opener were minor nits. It was a strong, strong episode, and it was so great to see them pick back up right where they left off with the same gangbusters, go-for-it whimsy. I worried after such a long break the rhythms would be off, but it was for nothing because they were BACK. The chemistry between Tom Mison and Nicole Beharie is so terrific, and it’s just a ball to watch them play off each other. I missed them, and I love that we have a super-sized season ahead.
Here are a few sneak peeks from this week’s episode, “The Kindred.” Spoilers ahead!
Photo courtesy of FOX