Sleepy Hollow Season 2 Half-Time: Great Game! Why Do I Want To Change the Channel?

Remember these two?

"The world moves for love. It kneels before it in awe.”

--Edward Walker, The Village

“Didn't you guys ever watch the show?”

--Guy Fleegman, Galaxy Quest

Despite a disappointing beginning, Season 2 of Sleepy Hollow has proven a tremendous amount of fun, and as I have raved (and will continue to rave, once I get caught up) here, the writing for many of these individual episodes has just been an absolute delight. The acting has been first-rate, the effects, wardrobe, make-up, lighting and sound teams all working a lot of overtime—it shows on screen—such that I continue to be awed and humbled by the quality of production you've maintained, creating what is essentially the equivalent of 9 full-length movies in less than one year.

That said, as you well know, from the decrease in ratings and the complaints of many other fans and writers before me, there have been some fundamental problems with the season thus far. It has taken me a long time to figure out exactly what's not working for me, why—despite my coming away each week feeling entertained—I also feel so empty. I struggle to understand why my husband, who used to be a Sleepy Hollow fan, now only watches it out of solidarity with me, why a good friend who used to love the show has largely checked out this season. This morning it finally began to coalesce in my brain. What's not working for me is the only thing that has to work in this show: Ichabod and Abbie, individually, and, sadly, as a team.

Ichabod and Abbie

If you watch some of the fan videos about Ichabod and Abbie (I recommend a few at the bottom of this entry), something quickly becomes abundantly clear: to the fans, perhaps even those who ship Ichatrina, Ichabod and Abbie spent the whole of Season 1 very sweetly, very gently, rather hilariously, and completely believably, falling in love.

I don't care if you say they're not meant to be a couple. Anyone with two brain cells to rub together can see that, rightly or wrongly, these two characters fell in love with each other in Season 1. Back when Crane's wife was confined to purgatory-and-plot-device, Abbie was Crane's only partner, and their partnership glowed—with charm, equality, tenderness and humor. Katrina served her purpose in keeping the two characters out of bed, but otherwise never really came between them. We watched a professional partnership, a friendship, and ultimately a very sexy sexless love affair develop between two very different people we grew to admire and love. It was awesome.

Alas, this season Mrs Crane has made it back to earth, and—little by painstakingly little—Fleshed-Out-Character Land.

Oh, sure, you had everyone from the credit card pusher at the bank to Headless Abraham shipping them, and you gave us some nice Ichabbie feels, and a LOT more overt (but ultimately meaningless) flirtation on Ichabod's part. You showed us very well and believably Abbie's jealousy of Katrina getting involved in hers and Ichabod's working partnership. But what you did not show us was the very real conflict and tension that Ichabod would absolutely feel in light of the fact that he is a) a married man and b) he is in love/denial-about-being-in-love with Abbie Mills.

Similarly, while as a feminist I very much appreciate that Abbie has been so focused on her work, and not on The Boy, that her identity as a powerful woman exists independent of The Boy, and that she will (largely) refuse to allow The Boy to come between her and another strong woman, the complicated and conflict-drenched reality that Abbie is in love with Ichabod despite his being married is an absolutely fabulous well of emotional depth and story-driving that has just about been abandoned this season in exchange for Everybody Being Noble and Mature and Doing Right by the Sanctity of Marriage and the Severity of the Struggle.

If you're going to have Ichabod doing such ignoble things as checking out women in bars (in front of Jenny, a lady, no less!), why not do something really interesting (and fan-tastic) by having him begin to own and recognize that his conflict with Katrina perhaps has less to do with her lying than with him needing to justify his own conflicted feelings about Katrina in light of his unexpressed, unacknowledged, but (at least last season) seriously complicated feelings for Abbie?

None of this has to be explicit—in fact, the more surreptitiously it's delivered, the sexier--and I completely understand why (and agree that) Ichabod and Abbie can't become a couple until you're ready to kiss the show good-bye. But that doesn't mean that awkward truths and awarenesses can't occasionally slip out, or at the very least fuel the Witnesses' interactions a great deal more than they currently do.

Also...would it really be asking so much for some kind of accidental, overt acknowledgment of these feelings? Obviously, our noble, sensible witnesses aren't going to be silly enough to get fully romantically involved when there's an apocalypse to stop and a witch of a wife in the 'hood, but that doesn't mean we can't have more pregnant moments, stares that last a few beats too long, Ichabod appreciating Abbie being dressed up with his eyes (and feeling terribly conflicted about that), perhaps a dance between the two here or there, or, God-forbid, an evening of vulnerable admissions and boozy pass-making?

At first I was really impressed that you did such a good job making Abbie and Ichabod still really believable as friends, despite the fact that Katrina's suddenly Very Real Existence seemed to cool off everything else between them. But the more time goes on, the more I realize that cooling things off between Ichabod and Abbie works against the show. The heat between them, whether conflict-driven, desperate, or tender, is the beating, pulsing, exciting heart of the show.

You can have them say flirtatious things to each other all you want. You can have Abbie smile and laugh at Ichabod's anachronisms. But the heat ain't there. Get it back. Stat.

Abbie

It's one thing to have Abbie feel like a third wheel around Ichabod and Katrina. That makes sense, and was perfectly played by Beharie. But it's quite another to make her a third wheel in the show. That is totally unacceptable. This show is fully half Abbie's, and despite some of the great scenes and moments Abbie has had this season, she is at times being made into a third wheel by the Ichatrina story line.

Nevertheless, everything Nicole Beharie has given us this season as Abbie is gold. Her character's strength, vulnerability, groundedness and struggles have been gorgeously developed and perfectly played. Beharie's consistency and range as an actress have been an absolute joy to behold.

Can this woman get any more awesome? 

No more relegating Abbie to the relationship sidelines. No more “whereas, I belong somewhere else.” No. You belong right here, front and center, woman. There's a reason the camera left the Cranes and followed Abbie. Nobody puts Abbie in a corner.

Ichabod

Tom Mison has been equally consistent and entrancing with his portrayal of Ichabod this season, despite his occasional unfortunate visits to the Land of the Flouncing Tart. The thing about Mison is, he is so goddamned talented that when he shines, he radiates like a blue star. When he's good, he's so very, very, very good, that when he's bad, or even not-so-good, it's painfully noticeable, a cold-water-on-a-cat shock.

Mison's huge talent and enchanting performance aside, I take real issue with some of Ichabod's character development this season.

As someone in American history, said, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Ichabod Crane was perfect just the way he was in Season 1. He did not need more deeply cut shirts (but, you know, thanks Wardrobe). He did not need his hair in perpetual Harlequin Romance cover mode (not that I'm really complaining about that one either, Hair and Makeup).  Nor did he need his beautiful muscles defined in yoga clothes (though, seriously, Wardrobe, the fandom owes you).

What he absolutely did not need more of is the Tao of Steve.

More of this.

You guys seem to have completely lost track of what makes Ichabod fascinating as a character and attractive as a man in the first place, namely that he is not now, nor will he ever be, a 21^st century American man. He is an 18^th century Englishman trying to find his way in a completely alien world. He is a nobleman's son. He is a soldier. He is ridiculously well-educated, and that does more than give him whatever obscure talent or piece of knowledge got hit with a dart in the writer's room this week. It shapes his entire outlook on the world. The man has buried the majority of his friends and comrades in actual face-to-bloody-face war, he's been disowned by his family, he saw his best friend killed in front of his eyes, and all that trauma and maturing life experience took place before we even met him.

He's not a Guy. He's not a Dude. He's not a Boy, and he is definitely, absolutely, positively Not A Bro. He's a Man. And we like him that way.

Less--make that none--of this.

Obviously, he's going to adapt. He's human. But he doesn't have to adapt so quickly, and he doesn't have to adapt in such god-awful ways as playing video games and ogling women in bars just to make him seem relatable to the 25-39 year-old-male demographic that you think buys all the stuff advertised on the show. If we want to see a 21^st century dude on TV, we can watch literally almost anything else. Or we'll lobby for Hawley to get more air time. (You may have noticed the latter has not been happening. There's a reason for that, and there's a reason women to this day worship Fitzwilliam Darcy. He may be an asshole, to quote the charming Mr. Mison, but he's a very romantic, chivalrous, well-educated, well-mannered, proper, interesting, and exotic asshole).

All this work to make Ichabod so confident, so competent, so manly (“guy”-ly) in the present has robbed him of his most unique charm: he's a Man Out of Time. Whatever else he is, he must always, first and foremost, be that. That is one of the coolest aspects of the Sleepy Hollow premise, and much of it is getting lost in The Dudification of Ichabod.

While some of the humor along these lines worked really well this year, and some of it was too schticky, humorous asides regarding his challenges with the present are not enough. Ichabod's time-based insecurity is bone-deep; we need to see more of it across the board. That insecurity, that loneliness, that uncertainty and feeling like one doesn't belong makes him truly, deeply relatable, as those experiences are universal to the human condition.

You might be surprised by how much of your audience also feels out of place in the present day, regardless of our chronological age. Ichabod's wry observations about the idiocy of much of what transpires in the present, combined with a wisdom which informs his sense of honor, propriety, and chivalry, are very attractive, very comforting qualities in an era of speed-of-light change.

In terms of other characters and relationships, the season has been pretty bumpy, and I'm really hoping things will improve on the back-end.

Make You Feel My Love...or Not

Why is Tom Mison suddenly so shy about his chest hair?

I have to give the producers, directors and/or actors credit: the chemistry between Tom Mison and Katia Winter is much better this season. It's still not good, nor palpable, and I still do not believe for one second, despite all Ichabod's protestations to the contrary, that he is actually in love with Katrina in the present day (in the 18^th century flashbacks, when she is still more idea than wife, his infatuation with her is more believable), but I really feel like the actors are trying. Katia Winter has been more believable as a woman in love with Ichabod Crane, but there still seems to be so much more heat between her and Neil Jackson. But then, maybe that's just our Katrina being a good double agent.

The decision in the last episode to have Katrina and Ichabod become comrades-in-arms rather than lovers until they can a) stop the apocalypse and b) find a decent marriage counselor is quite possibly the best thing that ever happened to their marriage, and is definitely the best thing that ever happened to Katrina as a character. It may also be the best thing that could happen for the show at this point.

So many possibilities open up here now. The Cranes' marriage has always been an albatross for this show, serving more cock-blocking than story-telling purpose. There's a reason fairy-tales always end with “and they lived happily ever after.” Because a) that never happens, and b) if it did happen, it would make for a deadly dull story. Having the Cranes begin their relationship in front of us already married, and perfectly, ecstatically, chimerically in love, regardless of the material obstacles between them, made it impossible for us to root for them.

Giving them real, human relationship challenges in the real world makes them a couple possibly a little bit worth rooting for.

There's also the very real fact that a woman who isn't constantly mooning over her husband is more likely to point out when he's wrong, demonstrate independence from him, and in general, be an interesting female heroine. We've been waiting for Katrina to become that woman for a long, long time.

I'm Not Bad, I'm Just Written That Way – Some Thoughts on Our Villains

Moloch.

He's gone. Thank God. Thank Henry. Nuff said.

Henry/Jeremy/War

John Noble is far too good of an actor to be wasted on a character so capable of multi-dimensionality reduced of late to bratty three-year old. Please give that man something useful to do in the acting department besides chewing up every piece of scenery at Screen Gems or let him go.

Headless/Abraham

I may be in the minority here, but I actually like the direction you've gone with Abraham. I'm big on complicated villains, as you've doubtless surmised by now. But I can see how it is a problem that the most badass villain of last season has spent most of this season moping around about his would-be-girlfriend. I have no idea how to fix that problem; sorry. Wish I did.

Weekly Villains

In light of the fact that all three of our Big Regular Bads, Moloch, Headless, and War, are men, it seems very gender-balancing on Sleepy Hollow's part to give us so many female villains of the week, and to give most of them really excellent motivation. Personally, I have to say, I'm getting tired of evil women, but this probably would not have surfaced had it not been for the succubus. 

All our bads, including our villains-of-the-week, have to have motivation. Everyone did this season except our (literal) Man-Eater. She had no motivation whatsoever. Leaving aside the squirming her “talents” engendered in me (like women need that metaphor replayed anymore in fiction, ever?), she was just boring.

I'm Not Bad, I'm Just Written That Way 2, (or Why Do You Guys Hate Katrina?)

Yay! It took until Episode 5 of Season 2, but finally, Katrina Crane is DOING THINGS!

Boo! Most of what she does falls into one or more of the following categories:

• Needing to be rescued. Again.

• Fucking up her few assignments as part of the Scooby Gang

• Endangering her own life or the lives of others with her soft spot for Henry

• Being disrespectful to Abbie
  
  and, perhaps worst of all, showing shit taste in television.

There were huge improvements in Katrina's character this season, which sadly isn't saying much because after Season 1 she was pretty much starting from zero. So far this year we've twice seen Katrina kick some ass to rescue herself, volunteer for a very risky assignment out of hope she could save her son, stand up to both her previous lover/jealous stalker and her present lover/jealous husband, use magic helpfully, Know Obscure Things, and continue to exhibit absolutely no jealousy whatsoever of her husband's relationship with Abbie, nor indeed, any disloyalty to or distrust of Ichabod whatsoever despite his occasionally treating her like shit.

She also—granted, in only one scene so far--showed a sense of humor!! And she got out of her dress, but alas, not yet out of her corset, which makes less than no sense, really (Seriously, the first thing Abbie would have done for that woman after saving her from birthing Moloch would have been to take her brassiere shopping, screw Ichabod's fondness for watching crap TV in his socks). And in the climactic battle between the A-Team and the Walking Dead, Katrina went all Katniss Everdeen on us, complete with braid and Groovy-Light-Weapon Thingie, bravely leading the Scooby Gang to Irving's doom.

Long live Katniss Crane!

As Ani Di Franco sings, “I am not a pretty girl. That is not what I do.”

Katrina is a VERY pretty girl, but thank God someone finally figured out that in 2014 that isn't a profession.

Ole What's-His Face

I'm not unique in being frustrated with Hawley's character development this season, but I may be unique in not hating him for his mere existence. I can't help but wonder, writers, why did you bring Nick Hawley to Sleepy Hollow if you hate him so? Did we really need another Katrina this season, someone who is more plot device than character? Of course, in Hawley's case he got an indefensibly larger amount of air time than Katrina did in Season 1, but never mind.

You know, because everyone has commented on it, that Hawley's not working. Maybe I have too much Katrina in me, but I don't think the solution is to kill him off. Like Henry and Abraham, I really hope Hawley—as a character—can be redeemed. When he started out, he showed real promise. He could have gone the Han Solo route, but that's tough because he can't have equal air time or Romantic Lead Space with Ichabod. Still, each episode, each script, has got to be developing our guest characters if the air space they take up is to be justified (and keep your audience from throwing rotten fruit at their TVs), and whatever direction you could have gone with Hawley, you didn't. With the exception of his growing, albeit fan-crossed, infatuation with Abbie, his character has been treading water for at least five or six episodes now.

And speaking of Hawley having equal air time with Ichabod, if you're going to put him in a scene, have a reason for him to be there. There was no reason on God's green earth to replace Crane with Hawley in “Mama,” just because Crane was sick. The sisters could have done everything for themselves.

Literally reducing Hawley's character to Headless' babysitter (Abbie enforcing the point with, “this isn't a party,” “you can't have friends over” making it even worse) was just cruel and unusual punishment to a character, and should be actionable under the Geneva Conventions. There wasn't a damned thing he could have done had demons arrived to free Headless, or if Headless had managed to break his chains due to another power outage (likely in an electrical storm). Again, what was his point in being there?

The Biggest, Baddest Crime Committed in Sleepy Hollow This Season

Where the fuck were Jenny and Irving for most of the season? They are awesome characters, and Lyndie Greenwood and Orlando Jones are absolutely two of the very best things about the show. You marginalized both of them. That is criminal, writers.

Mr. BAMF and Ms. BAMF The Younger: You Deserve Better

NEVER AGAIN!

We need a LOT more of Jenny and Irving (dead, alive, or other) in the back-end of Season 2. It's that simple.

Reyes

Does she have a point? Could you please give her one, or release her to go film a pilot with John Noble and Matt Barr? Thanks.


A few fan vids: 
1.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85sIEF1hOTs

2.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXHnJQNmR70