Sleepy Hollow Comes Out Ahead

Sleepy Hollow premiered with over 10 million viewers, chopping down the Monday night competition and becoming Fox's highest-rated fall opener in seven seasons.

If you merged Jason Vorhees and Ghost Rider together during the Revolutionary War, I’m pretty sure the result would be Sleepy Hollow’s menacing Headless Horseman. (Especially after you witness the Horseman rise out of the lake and stride over to his horse like a GQ model, sans skull.) The premiere of the new FOX show had me hooked for its witty and charming characters, stellar camera work, and unique, original storyline. Initially, I wasn’t too impressed with the previews and thought the show might be cheesy but chose to watch because, though FOX doesn’t always know how to keep great shows on, the network has had its share of gems that didn’t get the time they deserved to shine: Tru Calling, Dollhouse, Lie to Me, Dark Angel, Night Visions, Millennium, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Firefly, and M.A.N.T.I.S. I was thoroughly entertained with Sleepy Hollow. The fact that there is a diverse cast with a strong, tough, beautiful leading African American lady in the form of Nicole Beharie was just icing on the cake. (She went total Tyson on a thumb.) Ichabod Crane and Abbie have a chemistry that cannot be ignored, highlighted by their tête à tête conversations on slavery emancipation, women wearing trousers, and Starbucks. Ichabod and Abbie also have an inherently deeper connection which will continue to emerge as the season progresses, primarily due to the fact that they are the two witnesses who must face seven years of tribulation in order to save the world. Welp, that’s one way to get to know someone.

Another interesting piece of the puzzle is that Ichabod’s wife, burned at the stake for being a witch after she cast the spell which sent him 200+ years into the future, remains stuck in an alternate plane, reaching out to warn and advise Ichabod through his dreams. Then there is the Headless Horseman who turns out to be one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse; a truly formidable opponent, I’d say. When we first see the Horseman, as he prepares to battle Ichabod pre head loss, he has a mask covering half of his face and eerie, glassy blue eyes. In the present, the Horseman decapitates his victims with a heated broad axe blade, and some color guard style embellishments, leaving no messy cleanup. However, the Horseman quickly and proficiently begins using a shotgun and automatic rifle because…why not? If I could function without a head, I’d be pretty bad-ass, too, using Post-Its as throwing stars.

In a Harry Potter type twist, Ichabob and the Horseman are oddly connected after some icky co-mingling of their blood following their first altercation. Moreover, now that Abbie has discovered a mysterious key in Sheriff Corbin’s office, there is sure to be more evil creatures, bad guys posing as good guys within the police department, and more of Clancy Brown’s notable narration as Abbie uncovers additional secrets and answers from his research into the mysterious town. Because only a town named Sleepy Hollow could have unsolved cases; mysterious, supernatural occurrences; and remain in a perpetual state of autumn. Hopefully the creative juices will continue to flow as writers embark on what looks to be a great first season to a new hit show.