Sleepy Hollow (2013-Present)

 

I initially narrowed my eyes at this show.  From the promos, I got the impression that it was a supernatural procedural with an out-of-time hook and a bit of literary crossover – and really, now that I see it in print, I don’t know why I wasn’t all over that, but for whatever reason, it didn’t grab me.  It wasn’t until I found out the series featured the always-great John Cho and began hearing tremendous things about its female lead that I decided to give Sleepy Hollow a chance.

 

And boy, am I glad I did.  Its first season isn’t without its growing pains, and it sometimes mistakes “implausibly coincidental” for “mind-blowingly fated,” but overall, it’s a smart, engaging thriller/mystery with fantastic character work and some superb acting.  It has an unexpectedly fun sense of humor, it strikes a good balance between monster-of-the-week plots and more arc-based storytelling, and I like the way the show has one foot in the present while keeping the other firmly rooted in the past.

 

Quick rundown of the premise (be warned, it sounds ridiculous, but it’s actually awesome) – in the 1700s, Ichabod Crane defects from his British brethren and joins the Americans in the Revolution.  However, more than liberty is at stake in the war, and Crane discovers its fantastical undertones when he receives a fatal wound from the Hessian horseman whom he’s just decapitated.  This secret battle continues long after U.S. independence, and Crane’s part in it is far from over; thanks to his wife, a witch fighting for the good guys, he finds himself resurrected in the 21^st century.  His new lease on life goes hand-in-hand with the horseman riding once again in Sleepy Hollow, and Crane sets out to stop his headless foe’s deadly extracurricular activities.

 

As it happens, the horseman is noteworthy not just for his missing head, but for being one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse.  So naturally, he’s keen to do what harbingers do best and usher in the end of days.  All manner of otherworldly beasties are on his side, but luckily for Crane, Lt. Abbie Mills is on his.  Abbie is a young police officer who’s forced to adapt quickly to the idea that demonic forces plague her town, and together, she and Crane constitute the two Witnesses from the book of Revelations.  In other words, it’s up to them to wage war against the horseman and his buddies going bump in the night.  Though neither of them have signed up for this responsibility, they take to it courageously and capably.

 

What can I say?  Crane and Abbie are both wonderfully-written characters played to perfection by Tom Mison and Nicole Beharie.  The relationship between these two strong, intelligent, layered people forms the excellent core of the series.  The show nicely juggles large, earth-shattering plots full of action with deft character interactions and more emotional stories, and the fish-out-of-water comedy arising from Crane’s time displacement is a constant delight that always knows when to defuse the tension.  Plus, there’s the show’s matter-of-fact inclusion:  in addition to Abbie being an amazing black female lead in a genre series(!), Sleepy Hollow features many actors of color, including Orlando Jones and the aforementioned John Cho, and one recurring character has a disability that plays a part in her storyline but doesn’t consume it.

 

Warnings

 

Supernatural violence (including some gore,) swearing, some drinking, and general scariness.