Season 2, Episode 7: “Heartless”
I have never rooted so hard for a succubus in my life.
Readers of these “Sleepy Hollow” recaps will have figured out that I don’t much care for Hawley (Matt Barr), partly for the same reasons Ichabod (Tom Mison) doesn’t like him, and partly because in some episodes he has been used as a sort of crutch to get the lead characters out of a jam.
So in Monday’s episode, when it briefly seemed as if the succubus sent by Henry (John Noble) might really suck the life out of Hawley and presumably end his particular story arc, I was one happy Sleepyhead. Then came the two worst words in the English language, in this case: “I’ll live,” Hawley said.
I enjoyed the episode’s take on the modern dating scene: One wonders how many succubi are trolling Internet dating sites at this very moment. But the way things ended, with Katrina (Katia Winter) returning to Abraham (Neil Jackson) once again, left me feeling as if the series were sort of running in place. It’s no longer clear what constitutes progress for either side or what the end goal is. Killing Hawley would at least have sent a shock wave. Do you feel as if a sameness has settled over “Sleepy Hollow”?
Speaking of end goals, it may be time to broach that most unpleasant of subjects: Are you envisioning an ending for the series? Ratings have not been great, which makes a third season seem a long shot. Do you see any signs that the writers are looking to wind things down? Maybe that baby who turned up in the final scene is the catalyst? How would you end the “Sleepy Hollow” story?
The high point of the episode was that we saw a bit more deeply into Abbie than we usually do. The character and Nicole Beharie, the actress who plays her, are among the most intriguing things about this show. I found myself, during this installment, picturing my fantasy “Sleepy Hollow” episode: one in which Abbie has the hour all to herself. Somehow she gets into a situation where she is isolated from the others and has only her wits to rely on, and we get to see both Abbie’s inner life and Ms. Beharie’s acting range. The show’s ratings aren’t strong enough to support such an experiment, but hey, it’s fun to dream. What’s your fantasy “Sleepy Hollow” episode?