Sleepy Hollow “The People v. Ichabod Crane” is centered around a demonic monster whose powers take the guilt of a chosen subject and use it against them. A despair monster created to push their victim’s to kill themselves.
The black substance that attacked Crane in last week’s episode turns out to be the device by which the victim is captured. Crane is found, later in the episode, by Jenny and Diana, in a cocoon. He is held here while the drama plays out in his head.
Diana and Jenny are becoming almost a permanent team, as are Alex and Jake who have a close call with Jobe. The episode’s highpoint was the reappearance of Kiwi actor extraordinaire John Noble as Henry Parrish.
In all honesty, this was a slow paced and somewhat boring episode. Any “courtroom” debate, whether it be of Crane’s own guilt or not, is going to drag. It was Noble’s interaction with Mison’s character that kept the entire thing from slipping into a sleep inducing event.
The further bonding of Jenny and Diana was interesting, but it really only served to solidify their partnership and to reveal Thomas’ Marine background, “Simper Gumby!”
Sleepy Hollow uses this episode to show Crane’s deep guilt over those he cannot save, on top of his guilt at losing Abbie. It also solidifies the bond between Ichabod and Molly, who saves him in the end from the despair monster.
Alex appears to be getting caught up in Jake’s enthusiastic acceptance of Crane and his mission. She may be the more pragmatic of the two but even Jobe’s disintegration of the Smithsonian guard does little to dampen her newfound ardor.
The trial of Crane was easily the most lackluster bit of the episode. Even the saving of Ichabod was anticlimactic. Each episode so far has put Diana in the role of reluctant acceptance of Molly’s fate. Partnering her with Jenny has pretty much guaranteed that Agent Thomas was going to cave in sooner or later.
Little is seen of Dreyfuss, although his personal boogeyman and minion makes his presence very well known in this episode. We do know that Dreyfuss’ plans are on schedule and that things will become very busy for Crane and his little cadre of followers.
The show is not the same without Abbie Mills and that is probably a good thing. Although it would be nice if the former witness was allowed to return sometime in the near future. If the grown cop could be disposed of after three seasons a child surely will not last long at all.
Diana may well step in for Molly, as Jenny has for her sister, but it will not be the same. (To be fair, Thomas feels like a Mills clone sans the witness role.)
Sleepy Hollow airs Fridays on FOX.
Cast:
- Tom Mison – Ichabod Crane
- Janina Gavankar – Diana Thomas
- Lyndie Greenwood – Jenny Mills
- Jerry MacKinnon – Jake Wells
- Rachel Melvin – Alex Norwood
- Oona Yaffe – Molly Thomas
- Jeremy Davies – Malcom Dreyfuss
Guest starring John Noble as Henry Parrish, Kamar de los Reyes as Jobe and Onira Tares as Grace Dixon.
Mikes Film Talk 