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Sleepy Hollow: Heartless

This is not the Colonial couple of which I speak.
"I've learned that love can be a very dangerous weapon."

With the world going to hell, is there hope for our Colonial couple?

Despite the utter adorableness of Ichabod and Katrina sitting on a bed together watching The Bachelor (or something very like it), and the exceptional witchy talent Katrina showed while backing up the team, something is way off about Katrina. There was a lot of discussion in this episode about relationships changing, about secrets and secret desires, about Ichabod having doubts about his wife. And what was the A-plot? Henry released a succubus who gave her victims their heart's desire before sucking the life force out of them. If that isn't a strong hint that Katrina is hiding something big time, I mean, come on. (And I still think she may have murdered Mary Wells.)

It's quite possible that I'm being unfair to Katrina. Maybe she is indeed selflessly hanging out with scary monsters purely to defeat evil and save her son, which would make her pretty darned cool. But continuing to return to Abraham, even to save Henry, is dangerous, and weirdly creepy. There is something else going on over at the Henry and Headless show that is attracting Katrina. She wants something, and I don't believe it's just Henry's redemption. I have confidence that this show isn't showing its poker hand yet.

Poor Abbie was left alone ordering Pizza for One. She's having a difficult time dealing with Katrina's influence on Ichabod, and his tendency to take his wife's side in every argument. Some fans don't want an Ichabbie romance, and really, I get that. It's nice to have such a strong connection between a man and a woman with no romantic vibes. But part of me can't help shipping them, sorry about that. So when they set up that succubus heart's desire thingy, I was waiting to see if Ichabod would see an Abbie clone when he finally caught a glimpse of the succubus. But no. He saw a woman who looked like Katrina. Ichabod is not lying that Katrina is still his beloved.

But when Hawley looked at the succubus, he did see Abbie. When Ichabod wasn't there for her, Abbie went to Hawley for help. Ichabod looked a bit uncomfortable when Hawley was shirtless in front of Abbie, and of course, there was the delightful bit where Ichabod asked Hawley if his intentions toward Abbie were "honorable." It feels like Hawley was introduced specifically to make Ichabod see Abbie differently. And there was that little "I have to punch you in the throat" hint that Abbie is finding Hawley attractive. Even if Hawley turns out to be a good person, I do not want him to be a love interest for Abbie. She deserves better.

Because the thing is, just like Katrina, it's impossible to guess what is in Hawley's heart. Is he really just a fun adventurer type who is slowly and reluctantly joining the battle against evil, or is he capable of betraying Abbie the moment some irresistible antiquarian bauble turns up? It feels like the third Horseman might just turn out to be Hawley or Katrina. Doesn't it?

And you know, if Abbie believes Henry isn't retrievable, maybe it's time for Ichabod to take that seriously. Maybe that's what this whole "changing and growing relationships" episode was about. Especially now that there's a baby. Destroying the comically throbbing heart wasn't enough.

Is Moloch a human baby now? Or is Katrina just under a perception spell, like the heart in the jar that looked like maggots and rats? Looks like a sweet, normal infant, but in reality, it's a twisted evil Moloch Rosemary's baby-like demon? I just watched the episode again, and Katrina's necklace glowed in that last shot, just like it does with Bram. That has to be it.

Bits and pieces:

-- The tension between Henry and Abraham continued. They're setting something up there.

-- The equal opportunity succubus went after a lesbian. Poor thing.

-- So Ichabod and Katrina used to go dancing. Gavotte, allemand, even the Viennese waltz.

-- Katrina is still wearing that goth outfit. I bet Bram is going to love it. Either that, or he'll demand that she wear something more proper. Like what? I can't quite see a Headless Horseman stopping by J.C.Penneys to pick up a new outfit for his honey.

Quotes:

Katrina: "Marco has clearly chosen Courtney as his favorite. Their romance was meant to be."
Ichabod: "Romance? This is not romance. This is shameless groundling kabuki. These people wouldn't know true love if the Bard himself wrote them a sonnet. And clearly Amber's his favorite."

Katrina: "Tell me, Miss Mills, is there more television of reality than this one program?"
Abbie: "As much as I would love to introduce you to the joys of housewives and duck dynasties, we have work to do."

Abbie: "Crane. You like to dance?"
Ichabod: "Wouldn't you like to see?"
Now, come on. Didn't that exchange look flirtatious?

Abbie: "Can I get you something? An aspirin?"
Ichabod: "Indeed. The modern world has many remarkable tonics and restoratives, some of which are chewable."

Hawley: "No, thanks. Last time I donated my services, I nearly got mauled by a wendigo. Okay, not mauled, but claws and teeth were involved."

Abbie: "Who gets in the back seat of their own car? Someone who thinks he's going to get lucky... umm. Get lucky. Score. Get some..."
Ichabod: "Ah. Macking. Macking on a lady. Amber said the same thing about Marco."

Ichabod: "... who immortalized the priest as Saint Valentine. Hence the custom of giving hearts on Valentine's Day."
Abbie: "Now single people everywhere have to drown their sorrows with tubs of Rocky Road."
It's something of a shame that they couldn't run this episode on Valentine's Day.

Ichabod: "Are the incessantly flashing lights why no one seems able to find their dance partner?"

Abbie: "Where's Crane?"
Hawley: "He's inside looking for balms and salves. There was even some talk of a poultice."

Another good episode. Three out of four apothecaries in mirrored cabinets,

Billie
---
Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.

4 comments:

  1. I really really really want Katrina to be out of the picture. Let her be the woman who got away, the woman who is lying, the woman who has gone over to the dark side.
    Whatever.
    The three some with Katrina, Crane and Abby was so awkward and just plain awful.
    No, I do not trust you Ms. Witch, Indeed I do not.

    Icabod needs another wake up call, as painful as it will be.
    That being said, the opening scenes with them bickering over "The Batchelor" or one of those reality shows was so darling.

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  2. Well, I wasn't a big fan of this one on the whole, but I'm glad we aren't done exploring the serious trust problem with Katrina. I'm glad to know that despite his seeming willingness to just let the lies be bygones, Ichabod has doubts. Because he should. She is a good operative, which means it is damn difficult to tell when she's being honest. I think Katrina loves Ichabod and her son, and her intentions here really are to thwart evil and possibly redeem Henry. But I've still got my doubts, because she's such a smooth liar. (And she does seem to be under the influence of dark magic at the moment.) I'm still not rooting for Crane and Abbie to be a couple, but I'm very troubled by the Katrina situation. Crane deserves better. He deserves honesty.

    I agree with Patrick (from last week) that they've seriously damaged the Headless Horseman as an effective nemesis. He was so scary and badass last season, and now he just seems weak and foolish. They need to dispense with this Katrina business, take away his head, and give him back his horse, his axe, and an automatic weapon. I'm sure the current setup is easier from a production standpoint, but it is weakening the story. Let Henry be the weird, nebbishy enemy and restore Death!

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  3. I'm not rooting for Ichabod and Abbie to be a couple (although on a forum, I did see the BEST portmanteau couple name for them--Crabbie). But Katrina has got to go.

    Make her evil. I think that would rock. But, serious, go. Tom Mison has chemistry with literally everyone on the cast except for her.

    I was very glad that Abbie called Katrina on her naivete. No, Henry has not earned her love. She could make an argument with the fact that she's his mother and always will believe that there's still something of her baby inside of him. But "earned" her love? No. Just because he's biologically her son doesn't mean she has to automatically love him above everything else. Above saving the world. The Power of Love is going to be meaningless to him, because he never experienced her love before.

    (Oh, and I think Crane has come around to agreeing with Abbie about that. Because just because he's biologically Henry's father doesn't mean that he should automatically love him. He didn't even know he even had a son!)

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  4. This was among Abbie's strongest episodes. I love the way she respects Crane and, therefore, his wife. It's easy to sense how frustrated she is becoming with all the "Henry is my son and, therefore, worthy of the benefit of the doubt" talk, yet she manages to keep a relatively even head about the whole thing.

    I agree with you all that Katrina needs to (a) become the Big Bad or (b) exit. Her chemistry with Crane is nil and I usually love moments when women bond. The scene in the graveyard with Abbie and her did not have much chemistry either.

    ReplyDelete

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