Tag: Fox

Sleepy Hollow: Freedom – Highway to Hell (Review)

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The season four finale of Sleepy Hollow (titled “Freedom”) could have been called “Highway to Hell” with its connection to the devil and the bartering of souls as its centerpiece. It was a wrapping up of all the new characters introduced in this season and the possibility of a return of the grown up Molly if the series returns.

Sleepy Hollow saw the death of Crane’s fellow witness at the end of last season and this year Ichabod moved from his old stomping grounds to the country’s capital. Lt. Abbie Mills bid the show adieu and a new witness was introduced; Molly Thomas.

The change of partner and locale did not bode overly well for the series as its viewing figures dropped from just over 3 million to 1.92 million. The season average for the show’s targeted demographic also dropped from .83 to .50 this year.

Once again, the show’s overall storyline dealt with an impending apocalyptic event, referred to as “the Apocalypse” which implies that the end of the world really applies only to America and the United States. (Or at  the very least that the end of days will start there.) This gives the US a rather imperious significance in the world of the supernatural.

Since the script for Sleepy Hollow was written before the advent of November 8 and the election of the newest POTUS, it seems almost prophetic that this season’s storyline deals with an egotistical madman who becomes the newest leader of the “free world.”

(All the season four bogeyman lacks is a bad orange hairdo and the advanced age of the current POTUS.)

The season has faltered however. Despite bringing back the brilliant John Noble, who never really had the chance to chew up great bits of the scenery as he did in earlier seasons, and introducing the delightfully talented Seychelle Gabriel as the grown up Molly, Sleepy Hollow has lost its spark.

SLEEPY HOLLOW: L-R: Guest star Seychelle Gabriel and Tom Mison in the ÒFreedomÓ episode of SLEEPY HOLLOW airing Friday, March 31 (9:01-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2017 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Tina Rowden/FOX

The last episode of season four has Malcolm Dreyfuss (a rather impressive baddie who manages to cheat the devil out of his due) taking over the White House and holding the real president hostage.  He has raised the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and is ready to bring things to a nasty end.

Henry Parrish is the God of War and he is persuaded by his father, Ichabod to lay down his fiery sword. Crane reminds his son that freedom, the title of the episode, is more important than revenge or selling one’s soul to a tyrant. This, more than anything else, helps to save the day and allows the rest of Team Crane to stop the Horsemen.

Crane and Diana defeat Malcolm, much to the satisfaction of Jobe who immediately collects the megalomaniac’s soul. Ichabod defeats Dreyfuss because he placed a “lien” on his soul in exchange for the Philosopher’s Stone. This made Malcolm’s immortality vulnerable for a moment, long enough for the two to kill him.

By the end of the episode, Alex shows Jake just how much she cares for him, Lara/Molly decides to go walkabout and get her head straight and Crane has gotten a new partner in Agent Thomas. Jenny and Ichabod are also made part of Thomas’ new team.

The move to bring things to full circle, having a supernatural task force that reports directly to the president (just as George Washington had his own task force) was a nice touch. (Although it does feel a bit “Agent X.”)

Sleepy Hollow finishes with a kraken and a new bond between Thomas and Crane. It also sees the present day Molly released from her role as witness. If the show does somehow manage to be given another season it will be interesting to see what direction it takes.

With such low viewing figures, however, it seems that another season may not be in the cards. If you missed the season four finale head over to Hulu to catch up on all the episodes.

Cast:

Guest starring Seychelle Gabriel as Lara/Molly, Edwin Hodge as Benjamin Banneker and Terrence Mann as the Devil and John Noble as Henry Parrish.

Rosewood: Fairy Tales & Frozen Truths – Family (Review)

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Rosewood “Fairy Tales & Frozen Truths” re-addresses family and how we never really know everything about those in our bloodline.  Villa has to face issues that her brother Marcos has and Rosie finally accepts that the newest member of his familial world should be allowed to give up a kidney.

A female children’s entertainer is found frozen solid in a freezer. Mitchie realizes that the dead woman is dressed in a Cinderella outfit, right down to the glass slippers, and it is clear that she did not die of hypothermia. It is also obvious that the young woman was murdered.

Mitchie takes a personal interest in the case as the dead woman also lost her parents at an early age. Team Rosie learn that the victim had been hit with a heavy object and it was this that killed her, not the intense cold.

The suspect list includes:  A father suspected of abusing his child, another children’s performer, the dead woman’s legal guardian and the woman’s boss. At the end of the episode it turns out that the murdered “Disney Princess” was killed by an evil “step sibling.”

Rosie and Slade argue throughout the episode about that kidney and Donna Rosewood steps in to help out Daisie Villa when her son Marcos refuses to see her. We find out that Marcos has been taking pictures of Annalise’s friends and family to facilitate getting to know them.

Hornstock also intercedes on Annalise’s behalf when he finds out that Marcos is avoiding Daisie. They find out about all those photographs and Villa tells her brother off. At the end of the episode, Marcos explains what is happening in his life and why he was avoiding his mother.

Slade and  Rosie have a talk about family and the captain putting himself at risk. Rosie also explains that since the condition was self inflicted he feels that Slade’s risk is unacceptable.

This was a good episode. It took a long time to find out who the killer was and when the reveal came it was the sister who not only killed the princess but she was also poisoning her mother.  It was a Disney-esque twist based on sibling rivalry  and greed.

Rosewood has always been about the charismatic Rosie, the relationship between he and Villa and the family he has built around himself. Villa’s family also figure into this equation and everyone in the circle is a part of Dr. Beaumont Rosewood Jr’s extended family.

It looks like next week will see the transplant take place and it will be interesting to see the outcome. Slade, who revealed to Rosie this week that he is more sinner than saint, has a doomed air about him that does not bode well.

While it took some time for the new captain to fit into Rosewood’s verse, he has finally become a fixture that works well in this Miami based crime show. Hopefully he will not expire “mid operation.”

Rosewood airs Fridays on FOX. Tune in to watch the dynamic duo of Morris Chestnut and Jaina Lee Ortiz. They are the hottest “non” couple on television at the moment. Do not miss out on their splendid chemistry.

Cast:

Guest starring Manny Montana as Marcos Villa, Ginifer King as Veronica Collins, Gina Hecht as Paula Benjamin, Ellen Wroe as Gretchen Benjamin, Kim Matula as Leanne Forrest and T.J. Linnard as Vince Hanna.

Sleepy Hollow: The Way of the Gun – War (Review)

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Perhaps one of the best episodes of Sleepy Hollow this season, “The Way of the Gun” offers a lot in terms of time travel and there is a slight nod to “The Terminator” with a plot twist that surprised and entertained.  This season of the show has made mention of time manipulation before and it has been used to good effect in this episode.

An earlier episode featured witches who had lived for centuries and made themselves appear younger, which is a sort of allusion to time travel as well. Another “repeat” feature was Crane’s old buddy Benjamin Banneker who appeared with more magical items in his goody bag.

Dreyfuss is raising the four horsemen and not only are Crane and his team trying to stop the immortal but a mysterious young woman who wears Malcolm’s symbol is also working against Dreyfuss. She retrieves the “gun of war” (which will be used to summon the last horseman) and the young woman attempts to destroy the powerful totem.

This episode begins with Molly, Diana and Crane all interacting after the youngest witness’ Valley Forge play. It is a precursor, or a portent, of the show’s end scene.  The stranger, who tricks Ichabod and Diana by stealing the gun, turns out to be the grown up Molly.

She is now a young woman who carries and uses powerful magic. Molly  returns from the future with the aid of “a very different Ichabod Crane” to save Diana. Her mother is meant to be the horseman of war and she tries to keep Agent Thomas from dying “again.”

Before the climatic end scene, where Crane mutters (in an apt demon voice) “I am become war,” Wells and Alex are captured by Malcolm’s right hand demon Jobe. The entity tortures Jake and kills Alex, except it not real. The exhibition serves to completely un-nerve Wells and he tells Dreyfuss what he needs to know.

We learn, as a result of this almost execution, that Alex Norwood cares much more for Jake than he realizes. Although before she can confess her true feelings, Jenny arrives to save them both.

The final moments of the episode sees Molly succeed in saving her mother but Ichabod takes the bullet meant for Diana and he “dies” instead. While it seems that Crane is now doomed to be the very thing he has been fighting against, it is not too farfetched to think that the very powerful Molly will able to switch things about.

Dreyfuss has indeed started the ball rolling toward his future as a tyrant who tortures Crane on a regular basis. The introduction of the grown Molly, which was  a brilliant touch, has insured that however things turn out, there is at least one very powerful character who has the magic necessary to save the day.

The casting of Seychelle Gabriel as the grown Molly was spot on. She resembles the young Oona Yaffe enough that it is not a stretch to believe that she is the same character as a grown up.

Apart from the whole time travel storyline, there is the parallel plot line of Jenny’s going back into the relic business. It seems certain that both she and Molly, along with the newly saved Agent Thomas, will help to save Ichabod from a fate worse than death.

Sleepy Hollow airs Fridays on FOX.

Cast:

Guest starring Seychelle Gabriel as Lara/Molly and Edwin Hodge as Benjamin Banneker.

Sleepy Hollow: Loco Parentis – Little Red Molly Hood (Review)

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Taking a page from The Brothers Grimm Sleepy Hollow presents the tale of Little Red Riding Hood but with Molly in the starring role. Jenny captures Jobe and keeps him prisoner while trying to figure out how to kill the demon.

Molly father gets a visit from her father; a Marine, and Diana, her mother is somewhat ambiguous about his unannounced appearance. Jenny learns that Jobe believes that Malcolm is alive and she attempts to make him tell her where Dreyfuss is.

Meanwhile a large wolf-like creature is attacking pre-pubescent girls and eating their hearts. It is called, Ichabod informs us helpfully, a Barghest. He also explains that Little Red Riding Hood was inspired by this Germanic wolf beast that takes on the form of those we love. “What big teeth you have, grandma…”

In this instance, it takes on the form of Mitch who is still off fighting in the war, and takes Molly off into the woods. The goal is not to attend a teddy bear picnic but to have a real “heart-to-heart” with the new witness the moment she turns 11.

Luckily, the kid is pretty canny about not only staying away from the monster but she susses out pretty quickly that Mitch is not the real deal. She mentions a bike that her father got her the year before for her birthday and when Mitch responds incorrectly, she tells “daddy” that she needs to pee…now.

Overall the episode was interesting and had a number of things going on. Diana finally admits that she has been attempting to witness for Molly. Jenny proves that while she may be  pretty good demon hunter she is not all knowing and has to work at finding what will kill Jobe.

Apparently Malcolm’s becoming immortal has made him a bit mad and Crane obviously has no idea how to talk to 11 year-old girls. He tells the curly-headed moppets that King George was driven mad by syphilis and then hesitates when they ask for a definition.

Initially, when Diana brings Crane in on the Barghest case, they both believe that Malcolm is the werewolf clone that is attacking young girls in the park. It is only when Ichabod relates the origins of the beast, that Thomas makes the Mitch connection.

According to Crane, the Barghest came from Europe where it terrorized the locals. The creature came over on the Mayflower and its soul purpose in life is to eat the hearts of witnesses. (If one Googles the name “Barghest” it refers to a large black dog with big teeth from the north of England.)

Part of the Mayflower lore espoused by Crane includes the mention that Plymouth Rock was used to trap the original beast. They then use stone crossbow bolts, made from the rock, to kill the nasty thing.

Jobe helps them find Molly and Jenny allows him to leave her circle of salt. The demon gets back with Malcolm and the immortal billionaire tells him demon buddy that he will change the world.

Molly survives to celebrate her birthday with friends and cake and Diana realizes that she needs to let her witness daughter carry on with little interference.

Tom Mison got the funniest line of the entire episode with his heartfelt tale of a wooden hoop and a stick (apparently it was a woeful event if that stick broke…).

While the episode was a nice riff on the old Little Red Riding Hood tale it also lacked a little in the humor department. Mison did all the comedic bits in this one, the birthday party, the shopping for gifts and the hiding of presents made for some chuckle-worthy moments.

Sleepy Hollow airs Fridays on FOX. Tune in and see just how season four of this fantasy series plays out.

Cast:

Guest starring Bill Heck as Mitch Talbot

Rosewood: Benzodiazepine & the Benjamins – Team Work (Review)

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Something is happening on Rosewood and it is not helping the series out. At all. “Benzodiazepine & the Benjamins” may have ultimately been about team work, or “family” but, once again, the show tipped its hand right off the bat.

The villain of the piece, a woman, was clearly seen in the first scene. Despite the balaclava, aka “mask” being worn by the silent shooter, the murderer was obviously a woman. Later, when Erin turns out to be Marcellus Vega, there should be no surprise.

Since those curves were female until Erin was tricked into revealing her identity, the female FBI agent; Harrows, looked pretty good for a time.  She was unpleasant and had a long backstory that she eventually trotted out to explain some of that hostility towards the precinct and the criminal she was after.

Perhaps more surprising was the plot line where stolen black market maple syrup was being bought and sold down at the dockside warehouses. This exact same plot device was used on “Elementary“although to be fair, on the CBS show the stuff was being moved by the barrel and someone died to keep the crime a secret.

In Rosewood the product was being transported in gallon jugs and was merely a red herring, as the real crime being committed had to do with counterfeiting $100 bills, aka “Benjamins.”

Despite the villain being all too easy to spot, if one paid attention at the start of the episode, there were some nice touches throughout.

Ira seemingly killing Pete Harmon (an old classmate of Villa’s),  the fake Marcellus an this shyster lawyer being shot on the steps outside the police precinct and the animosity between Villa and Harrows were all well played, entertaining and each helped the episode lead up to the big payoff.

Just as satisfactory was the Dirty Harriet vibe that Harrows emitted. The agent sticking her thumb into the shady lawyer’s bullet wound, a’la Dirty Harry to get him to talk was spot on.

The move to have Rosie act the tough guy was yet another excuse for Morris Chestnut to flex his muscle and act like Villa’s enforcer.

Stepping away from the main storyline of Pete Harmon and his tragic high school years and tendency to be a wannabe bad guy, there was the continued worry about Rosewood’s health. After destroying his kidney’s during that Tawnya binge partying episode, the pathologist is in dire need of a new one.

All the team members, aka Annalise, Pippi, TMI, et al, have been tested, voluntarily, to see if they could be a donor. Rosie gets a call and learns that a match has been found.

Viewers who stuck around to see the previews of coming attractions already know that Captain Slade is the match and he will not be taking no for an answer.

The numbers for Rosewood have been consistently dropping. Whether this is down to the new yellow hued look of the show, or the current tendency to make the mysteries all too easy to solve is not clear. It could even be down to the move from Thursday to Friday.

With MacGyver being a solid hit for CBS and airing at the same time as Rosewood, it seems that FOX have doomed their own cop/pathologist show on purpose.

The series is still airing on Fridays and fans of the show should enjoy it while they can. This move by the network to put Rosewood up against a strong series may have doomed Chestnut and co to a quick death.

 

 

Cast:

Guest starring Dawn Olivieri as Agent Harrows, Felisha Terrell as Erin Given, Aaron Himelstein as Pete Harmon, Thom Rivera as Mayer Monteverde, Jean Paul San Pedro as Jude Manifort and Andy Milder as Howard Godfrey. 

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