Wasn't there already a Sleepy Hollow episode about a golem? That was even entitled "The Golem"?
Don't get me wrong. I'm interested in episodes about eleven-year-old Molly, since she was semi-ignored during the first half of the season, and it was past time for Bring Your Daughter to the Vault Day, too. Good for Diana, who even made herself leave Molly with Ichabod. Small steps, Diana.
But then Ichabod explained to Molly how monsters are created, just as Molly did exactly that — created a golem out of her imaginary baby blanket friend, Mr. Stitch. And then Ichabod and Molly got locked down in the Vault together, leaving the rest of the Agency to deal with the golem on their own. And the thing is, Molly's power as a Witness inadvertently brought the Barghast to town two episodes ago, causing death and destruction. Yes, I understand adolescent angst and how we can feel violently angry with our parents over things like overprotectiveness and white lies and not really mean it, and yes, the transformation of the imaginary Mr. Stitch happened because Dreyfuss surreptitiously put a Wiccan hex in Molly's e-reader, but it's starting to feel like Molly is more of a monster magnet than an effective future warrior in the fight against evil, isn't it?
But I'll say again that Oona Yaffe is a talented young actress, and it's not her fault that she isn't Nicole Beharie. I did enjoy Ichabod and Molly getting to know each other better in not so great circumstances, as he told her in a beautifully descriptive way about Pygmalion and Galatea, and Molly climbed down the claustrophobic shaft inside the wall to unsuccessfully manipulate the Vault's antiquated controls while Jake was trying to figure out the runes on the outside. (Anyone else thinking about Locke and the blast door in the bunker?)
Molly managed to get outside alone, only to encounter Malcolm Dreyfuss in the alley, waiting to creep her out with his desire to be her... surrogate father. Seriously, people, pedo vibes all over the place. And that was after the cringeworthy sledgehammer and bed of nails scene, which ranked pretty high on the ick scale, too. Dreyfuss is currently trying to increase the power and reach of his visions, and he was all excited about future Molly as his guest at the little tea party on the White House lawn in the future, but I'm not understanding why he's obsessed with her already. Is it because he gets to harness, or possibly suppress, her power as a Witness? Does he want her to be his child bride or something?
This coming-of-age story about Mr. Stitch ended with a burned baby blanket in a deserted amusement park, a couple of big honking metaphors for Molly growing up and leaving her childhood behind. Are there a lot of deserted amusement parks in the United States? They always seem to show up in horror movies and shows like Sleepy Hollow; there was a carnival this past season on The Walking Dead.
The Scooby story didn't exactly end pleasantly, either, as Jake and Alex went in search of answers from their immediate Vault predecessors, Claudia and Michael, only to discover a near lethal booby trap and Claudia's withered body looking very much like Mommy Bates. I hope this isn't foreshadowing. I like Jake and Alex. Even though I still miss Orlando Jones.
So maybe not the most successful episode, if I'm speaking wistfully of former cast members. It was way too light on the Ichabod, too. No Sleepy Hollow episode should be light on the Ichabod.
Bits:
-- Dreyfuss has shut down his tech company. He's decluttering, and building a team. Anti-Scoobies, I suppose.
-- Loved Jake's adorableness while showing the Vault to Molly. I also loved him shouting into the door while Alex used the intercom.
-- Molly's favorite subject in school is art, not a surprise. I'm glad her art teacher wasn't killed by Mr. Stitch. It would have made the rest of the semester uncomfortable.
-- Davy Crockett's hat was made of wendigo? Like Joe?
-- Come on, Claudia Russell. What if a meter reader or a letter carrier had come to that door?
Quotes:
Jenny: "Sneaky's kind of my default mode."
Molly: "Didn't you say that we should rescue ourselves? (mimicking Ichabod) That's what we must always do?"
Ichabod: "Your mother is going to have my guts for garters."
Jake: "Those are valuable documents regarding the history of the Vault."
Alex: "And a tale of sadness and woe. Soon to be our tale."
Jake: "Whoa. That is dark, even for you."
Ichabod: (upon finally being released from the Vault) "Thank you. Quiet contemplation had grown quite contemptuous."
Loved the alliteration. And the Chinese take-out.
But I did not love this episode. Two out of four baby blankets,
Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
Not enough Ichabod is one of the 8 deadly sins. :)
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