Tuesday, October 14, 2014

In Which I Review Sleepy Hollow (2x4)

Choices and curses. That's what you got on this show: choices and curses. This weeks episode, "Go Where I Send Thee," was like taking Sophie's choice and mixing it with a not-German mythology. It wasn't a bad episode, not by any means. It was a bit slower than the last few; honestly, the biggest hindrance was the almost total lack of John Noble as the Horseman of War. Despite this being his first full season and only appearing as a guest star last year, his absence was deeply felt this time around. The one scene where he finally emerged and got to perform his delicious devily self, he shone. The monster this week, the Pied Piper--but not the one from Hamlin--was creepy but his terror was severely lessened by his fast movements and whiz bang effects. It's hard to fear a creature that won't stand still long enough for you to see. But Ichabod drove a car, so that was cool. It was once again a monster-of-the-week type situation but unlike last week, it felt disconnected from the larger mythology and while the mythology of this show takes a back seat to the campy nature of Ichabod and Abby, you can't leave it out wholly.

Told you Hawlie would be back. I think one of the biggest problems this week--apart from the lack of Noble--was that the individual mythology of the Pied Piper (who is not Rumple's father here, just for your information) was explained in such a quick manner that it left me confused and dazed, shaking my head and wondering what I had missed. In essence, back during the Revolution, the Red Coats visited the Lancaster family where they were not well behaved gentleman. The head of the family, angry over the treatment of his daughters, hired a mercenary who had a magical gift for flute playing. The mercenary had sold his soul to a demon and gotten a bone in return that played enchanting music. It's the Pied Piper but not the Pied Piper, savvy? The Pied Piper killed all the Red Coats after luring them outdoors only to be betrayed by the Lancaster head of household. Naturally, revenge is a dish best served cold. Or over the course of a few centuries, whatever floats your demon boat. The demon swore revenge by taking one daughter every generation on her tenth birthday to make himself a new bone flute. Lovely.

The family, a lovely couple, have two adopted boys but then had an oops baby girl. Do you see where I'm going with this? If the daughter isn't handed over for the Pied Piper to to do with as he pleases, then the Curse will take all the children. Sophie's Choice: lose all your kids, or lose just the one. Ichabod and Abby do manage to find the girl only for the mother to march her back out there. Eesh. This little girl will need therapy forever. First she's abducted by a flute playing demon and then her mother decides that she simply must die for the sake of the family. Resentment issues, this girl will have them. It's interesting that Abby can hear the music, but Ichabod isn't affected. I'm assuming it's because Abby is a woman, but she's also not ten years old. Is this part of Moloch's curse on Abby? That she'll be affected by demon's magic like this forever? Rather sucks. Hawlie is there...honestly, I'm not sure why except to ruffle Ichabod's feathers. Hawlie wants the flute bone, but Abby snaps it into two before forking it over--that a girl. Right now Hawlie is just there to create tension and jealousy for Ichabod who isn't fond of the reprobate (his words, not mine). The Pied Piper is eventually stopped by Abby and her gun, which I found a bit too unbelievable. Ichabod sword fighting with The Piper was cool, but why exactly did a gun take him down? Dunno. So, overall, slow, outside of mythology episode but still good because of the Abby and Ichabod interactions. Ichabod drinking a latte. That's gold right there.

Miscellaneous Notes on Go Where I Send Thee

--"We shall be victorious or defeated together." Don't touch me.

--Ichabod was quite adept at driving a car, no?

--Captain Irving finally realized that he sold his soul to the Horseman of War and had quite an interesting little vision of that foretells. Fire. Blood. Death. Woo hoo!

--"Yo, Pride and Prejudice!"

--The bone flute halves were eventually delivered to Jeremy who mashed them up and then proceeded to taste the dust. His report, "that's good." Okay then. 

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