Are you still riding the high from Monday (October 6) night’s “Sleepy Hollow,” Sleepy Heads? Season 2 keeps building momentum as Henry sets Moloch’s plan for world domination into motion. “Root of All Evil” was full of so many savory moments: clever twistory, sisterly love, Mama Mills teasers, fun friction between Ichabod Crane and Nick Hawley, plus Henry’s delicious deviousness. Right off the bat, we have to give Melissa Blake and Donald Todd kudos on writing an excellent episode.
Since Moloch wasn’t able to escape Purgatory, he’s having Henry do his bidding, while Abraham essentially babysits Katrina. As Henry examines a little model of the Tarrytown Psych Hospital, a cool transition transports us into the building where Ichabod and Abbie are trying to visit Irving.
While a psych patient repeatedly greets Crane with a friendly “Hi,” the receptionist hilariously thinks Abbie is there to check Ichabod in. Oh the look on Crane’s face…A great offense, indeed! Abbie says they are there for Irving, so the receptionist checks her list and delivers some distressing news. Irving’s lawyer, Henry Parrish, has banned the pair from visiting his client. Ichabod is appalled that the Horseman of War presents himself “not as a raging colossus, but as an attorney.” So true! Henry’s occupational choice only propels the stereotype. Sorry, lawyers.
Elsewhere, Sheriff Reyes discharges Jenny. Abbie was able to get her out of jail by fulfilling her sentence with community service instead of jail time. Reyes oversteps her boundaries by cautioning Jenny. She doesn’t want Miss Mills to end up like her mother. Ouch! Jenny says she has moved past her Tarrytown days. Reyes wants to see her prove it. Okay, we get that Reyes has history with the mysterious Mama Mills, but back-off, woman. She is stepping on the wrong sister’s toes. Speaking of pushed buttons, Ichabod is ready to give his sinful son a piece of his mind.
Ichabod and Abbie watch Henry walk out of his office and Crane is ready to go at him. Abbie calms him down. If they confront Henry now, they won’t get any of the answers they seek. It is better to let Katrina discover the truth as their mole. Ichabod agrees, “cooler heads” prevail and what not. Suddenly they hear shots fired at a nearby bank.
Abbie runs inside to find Ms. Galloway turning on the bank she’s been devotedly serving for years. A dark shadow sweeps across Galloway’s face as she points her gun at Abbie and justifies her actions, saying, “They owe me.” Reyes enters the scene and shoots Galloway. Abbie is puzzled by Galloway’s behavior, it just doesn’t make sense because she loved working for that bank. Henry is clearly the cause of it and his evil influence is quickly spreading as another innocent bystander succumbs to the mysterious coin’s dark spell. Ichabod and Abbie have some work to do before things get out of hand.
Ichabod has been reduced to sneaking through the tunnels in order avoid “Madame Sheriff” and secretly work with Abbie in the archives. (Crane is too cute!) They review security footage from the bank and see that Henry exchanged coins for cash. His bank teller, Ms. Galloway, pocketed one of them. The Galloway’s unprovoked turn reminds Crane of similar experience he had during the Revolutionary War.
In a flashback, Ichabod follows Washington’s orders and works with Benedict Arnold to uncover a group of “shovers” and retrieve their new batch of counterfeit coins. Arnold was a brave soldier and loyal patriot who loved America, he turned into a ruthless traitor after coming into contact with those cursed coins. Arnold could not fight the darkness that overwhelmed his heart and consumed his soul. If those coins made it into circulation, it would have turned the course of the Revolutionary War. Ichabod fears Henry is trying to use the coins to tilt their apocalyptic war into Moloch’s favor.
Ichabbie is onto to Henry, but he still thinks Evil has gained the upper hand. Henry boasts to Abraham that their strategy has been set into motion. Katrina overhears their conversation and then tries to rattle her son. She is surprised by Henry’s choice of dwelling. Why is he staying in Frederick’s Manor? The very sanctuary where she gave birth to him (refresh your memory on “Sanctuary” HERE). The more Katrina tries to meddle, the harder Henry shuts her down. He tells her not to complicate things for Abraham and promises that he has no sympathy for her.
It is nice to see Katrina using a little psychological warfare in the Evil camp. It looks like Abraham may be taking offense to Henry’s bossy tone and belittlement. Katrina could totally use this to manipulate Abraham and she’s already getting under Henry’s skin by reminding him that she is his mother, no matter what. Can Moloch defeat a determined mother? We shall see…
Jenny joins Ichabbie in the archives. She gets caught up on the case while using Abbie’s log-in to access Reyes’ record. Jenny suggests they consult her old acquaintance, Nick Hawley, for help on identifying the coins. He conducts his unconventional business down by the river. (Which begs the question: does he also live in a van down by the river? Come on, we were all thinking it.) Suddenly, Jenny exclaims as she reads through Reyes’ file.
Madame Sheriff is the one who sent their mother to Tarrytown where she went crazy and committed suicide. Abbie defends the Sheriff because she was only doing her job. Mama Mills kidnapped the girls. What else was Reyes supposed to do? Jenny is legitimately outraged and can’t believe Abbie’s attitude towards this revelation. This is no time to extensively hash out the past. Ichabod and Abbie have souls to save, so the Mills shelve this discussion for later. Abbie and Ichabod take off to meet Nick, while Jenny heads over to her community service gig.
Ichabod and Nick’s first encounter was definitely worth the wait. Crane is completely put-off by Hawley’s cowboy con-man vibe. Ichabod hastily provides Nick with the necessary information and Nick quips at Crane, “Slow down, Shakespeare!” He doesn’t seem to sense the urgency of their situation. He’s more concerned with making some extra cash, but Abbie refuses to pay for his services. It’s a citizen’s duty to help the cops, come on, dude. If they can’t pay, then he wants to at least go along for the ride. Abbie is about to blow him off when he says that they are probably Tyrian shekels. Ichabod confirms Nick’s theory. The Tyrian shekel is also known as the Judas coin, since the infamous apostle turned on Jesus and handed the Messiah over to the Romans for 30 pieces of silver/Tyrian shekels.
Something of note: Ichabod and Abbie are very forthcoming around Nick. They openly speak about all of their secret supernatural stuff in his presence, which feels very strange. We know Hawley will be helpful, but should they spill all the beans in front of him so quickly? Nick seems like a sharp guy, he will retain this information and use it to make himself an essential asset for them in the future. How did you feel about Ichabbie’s openness around Nick? Were you surprised by it too?
Just as Ichabod and Abbie make a break in their case, disaster strikes again. The stranger we spotted earlier is local florist, Dane Webster. He sent a bomb hidden in a box of roses to his own father. Once more, this man’s violent actions make no sense. Dane stayed behind to work with his father and help out. He was an easy-going guy who didn’t hold a grudge. Luckily, the cops have Dane and his belongings in custody. One of the items he had on him was a “quarter.” Before Abbie has a chance to check the evidence room and confirm that Dane was turned by a Judas coin, Reyes wants to speak with her.
She knows Abbie looked into her records and she understands why. Reyes thought her mother would be better off in the psych ward than in prison. She was only trying to help them all. Abbie knows it must have been a difficult situation for Reyes and appreciates her efforts. Meanwhile, Crane has an intense exchange with his son in the police station.
Henry is representing Dane. Oh this evil bastard is good. He taunts Ichabod, saying he should be proud of his son for becoming a lawyer. But Ichabod is not laughing about this severe situation. He tries to reason with Henry. Ichabod admits that he was an “uninvolved father,” but it was neither one’s fault. Henry should not be holding a grudge for something that was out of Ichabod’s control. Nonetheless, War has chosen to adopt Moloch as his surrogate father whom he is more than happy to serve. Henry tells Crane that he isn’t adding evil to the world. The coin merely reveals the darkness that already exists within. If Ichabod thinks this is bad, then he can’t fathom the horrors that will follow. Henry teases, Ichabod hasn’t begun to know true fear and sadness. Now he can witness people’s real nasty nature first hand. Henry also says there is room for family on his client list. So smarmy.
Wow. Bravo, John Noble. He is owning this role. We love hating Henry Parrish. Watching him spar with Tom Mison is mesmerizing. They play so well off of each other. The reversed age-difference only adds to the intensity of their scenes together. You can see how Ichabod aches at the sight of the monster his son has become. You can also feel how much Henry has suffered while he withered away in that pine box. What did he do after Moloch released him from the box? Did he live among regular people and build a life for himself during those 50 years? Did he stay in Purgatory with Moloch for a while? How was he preparing for the moment Ichabod rose from the death and awakened the Headless Horseman? It would be great to get an episode revealing more of Henry’s past. Whatever the details are, he is majorly damaged goods and it will be a miracle if the Cranes can save his soul.
After Henry steps away, Reyes catches Ichabod off-guard. He delivers an articulate diatribe about his rights as an American citizen, rights that he valiantly fought for. Unfortunately, that all means nada to Reyes if he has no form of identification. That little bit throws Ichabod for a loop, but he manages to save his butt and leave without causing more trouble. While Reyes makes Crane squirm, Abbie discovers that Henry already took the Judas coin out of evidence. What is he going to do with it?
Jenny is cleaning brick walls when she hears a coin drop behind her. She falls right into Henry’s trap and picks up the coin. Jenny ominously says, “She’s never been on my side. “ She’s going to even the score and take her out. Oh no! Does she mean Abbie!?! Who will warn Ichabbie about this?
Nick calls to meet with Ichabod and Abbie at a bar. He’s ordered a few Samuel Adams beers, which spawns another Crane-tastic history lesson on Sam Adams and Paul Revere. Seriously, how can Revere’s face be on Adams’ beer? Before he takes a sip, a waitress asks to see Ichabod’s ID. Not again! Poor Crane. You can’t blame him for being peeved. He fought for this country’s independence, yet he ironically has none. Again, can’t help but wonder what Nick is thinking about all of this. Crane isn’t hiding the fact that he’s an obvious outsider of sorts. Either Nick thinks he is plain crazy or he’s starting to pick up on all the clues and realizes there is something supernatural about this dynamic duo. After Ichabod’s huff, Nick cuts to the chase.
Jenny stole Nick’s weapons. They are afraid she’s under the coin’s influence and worry she will come after Abbie. They need to get the coin, but how can they keep the coin from turning them too? Nick says consecrated stained glass will protect them from the coin’s evil influence. Ichabod says that makes sense since the Tyrian coins and stained glass were made in the same place. Nick and Ichabod go to get the glass, while Abbie tracks the location of Jenny’s car.
In another awesome Ichabod moment, he chastises Nick for wanting to barbarically shatter the beautifully crafted stained glass. Unfortunately, they don’t have time for a more elegant approach. Ichabod distracts a priest by confessing (awesome!). He admits that he doesn’t like the idea of his wife living with another man and he can’t stand Nick. Before he embellishes any further, Crane hears Nick shatter the window and the two of them bolt out of the church.
Abbie realizes that Jenny has gone after Reyes who is currently out hunting in the woods. She regroups with Nick and Crane and they all head to woods. Nick continues pushing Crane’s buttons, but Abbie manages to keep her partner calm. They split up to cover more ground. Once Nick steps away, Abbie takes the opportunity to keep it real with Crane.
They could use another ally in the war against Evil. Nick can help them out, so Crane should be patient. It’s just the two of them…um, awkward. Ichabod’s like…yeah, and my wife, Katrina, who I decided to leave with the enemy in order to help us. This prompts Miss Mills to give Ichabod a rude awakening: 1. Katrina is a grow-ass woman. 2. She is a witch. 3. She’s a redhead. Katrina is a strong woman with a mind of her own. Ichabod couldn’t have stopped her if he tried. Sorry, Cranikins. Then Abbie tries planting a seed of doubt into his mind: would Katrina be willing to ignore her maternal instincts and turn on her son? Abbie doesn’t think so. And she may have a point. Cut to Katrina.
Mrs. Crane chats with Abraham and he tells her not to bother with Henry. He is the Horseman of War and her son no more. Katrina does not think her son is beyond reach. Why else would he have moved into Frederick’s Manor? He is living in the place where she gave him life. Henry will always be connected to her. Is this something we need to worry about, Sleepy Heads? Will Katrina forsake their cause to save her son’s soul? Can Henry’s soul even be saved? Maybe Henry is a lost cause, but there’s still hope for Jenny.
Nick, Abbie and Ichabod all split-up and slowly strategize a way to stop Jenny from making a huge mistake. Ichabod distracts Reyes with a pine cone and Abbie steps out in front of Jenny’s rifle. As the sisters fight, Jenny even takes aim at Abbie for a second, so Ichabod steps in with an impassioned plea. He begs Jenny to stop, but it’s not good enough. Abbie asks to take the shot instead. She’s just as mad as Jenny, she just buries her feelings. Then Abbie makes a bold confession: she hates Mama Mills for leaving them and taking the coward’s way out. Then she thinks Mama Mills suddenly going crazy could be part of a cover up. Henry is trying to use their rage towards their mother to distract them from defeating Moloch. They can’t let Moloch and Henry win. Even under the coin’s influence, a lot of this rings true for Jenny, true enough to make her pause for a moment. That’s when Ichabod tackles her to the ground. The coin drops on the floor and in a brilliant soccer star maneuver, Crane kicks the coin in Nick’s direction. He smoothly catches the coin between two plates of consecrated stained glass. Phew!
Abbie says she will always be on Jenny’s side. As the sisters strengthen their bond, the creepy dark eagles that have been hovering over them in the forest all fly away. Ichabod thanks Nick for sticking around and helping them out. Perhaps he missed judged the bounty hunter…or not. Ichabod turns around and Nick has vanished with the coin. With one disaster averted, they return to town in hopes of preventing another.
Ichabod goes back to Tarrytown and visits his friendly new acquaintance, who shall always be known as “Hi”-guy. Finally Irving shows up in the commons area, so he has a covert chat with Crane. In one sweeping statement, Ichabod fills Irving in on who Henry really is. The look on Orlando Jones’ face says it all. Yeah, this really sucks, but at least Irving knows the truth now. Although it still doesn’t change the fact that he signed a contract in blood. When will Irving put that together? Will Crane eventually deduce it after Irving reveals the details of his meeting with Henry?
Irving is rightfully unnerved by all of this. He needs to there for his family, he can’t just wait this catastrophe out. But Ichabod argues, if Henry wants Irving out of Tarrytown, then Frank will be safer inside. Poor Irving. Let’s hope Tarrytown and the demonic influences don’t turn him into Mama Mills. Speaking of which, Abbie may finally get some of the answers she’s been searching for regarding her mother.
Even though she’s not supposed to disclose confidential information, Reyes gives Abbie her mother’s records from Tarrytown. Well, that’s a big gesture from Reyes. Maybe she really is watching out for the Mills sisters. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Abbie takes the file and starts reading over it with Ichabod. It is so sweet to see how vulnerable these two are with each other. The files reveal that Mama Mills was tormented by demons. Abbie realizes that Moloch pushed her mother into darkness and she paid the ultimate price to protect her children. Is there really no way to come out of darkness that is fueled by pure evil? Ichabod believes there’s still hope.
In another moving flashback, Ichabod recalls confronting Arnold in battle after the traitor had been fighting as a Redcoat for a year. As Crane looked into Benedict’s eyes, he could see remorse for his misguided actions. Instead of capturing or killing Ichabod, he lets his old comrade escape. In that moment, Ichabod knew, Arnold would’ve changed his decision to turn on his country in a heartbeat. In the middle of Icabbie’s moment of bonding, Nick shows up at the bar.
The bounty hunter decided not to sell the Judas coin. He is keeping it safe and waiting to collect all thirty pieces. The complete set would be more valuable than just one. So maybe Ichabod’s instincts were right. Nick feels bad that Ichabbie got nothing out of their little adventure, so he wanted to give Crane something to balance things out a bit.
Nick has created a fake ID for Crane, so now he properly exists. After this gesture, Abbie insists they can count on him. Ichabod admits that war magnifies allegiances. Only time can tell if Nick will be loyal to Ichabod and Abbie. But for now he seems like one of the good guys and he’s really fun to have on the show, so we’re hoping Abbie is right. Nick aside, Ichabod tells Abbie that they must remain true to each other. “Trust is the only currency of value,” especially in times of war. Aww. Another sweet Ichabbie moment. Their partnership really is one of the best pairings on TV.
Nicole Beharie has been phenomenal on “Sleepy Hollow” and she really has the chance to shine in this episode. We see a whole new side to Abbie when she opens up to Jenny and Crane about her feelings towards Mama Mills. She usually is the steady one of the bunch, holding down the fort and keeping a level head. She’s learned how to bottle up her emotions, but that doesn’t mean Abbe isn’t hurting deep down. Beharie delivers a beautiful and moving performance. She plays so well with Lyndie Greenwood and Tom Mison. Both conversations are so different and convey a broad spectrum of Abbie’s emotions. It will be wonderful to see more of Abbie’s vulnerability as this season continues to reveal more about Mama Mills.
As the episode closes, we are taken back to Henry’s model display of Sleepy Hollow in Frederick Manor. The battle lines have been drawn and Henry still thinks he has the upper hand. But we realize this wounded boy still has some major mommy issues. He enters the bedroom in which Katrina gave birth to baby Jeremy. Henry sets the dilapidated bed on fire. Perhaps Katrina’s maternal instincts are wrong in this case. It doesn’t look there can be much redemption for Henry. He really is ready to raise hell.
“Root of All Evil” was a loaded episode, Sleepy Heads. There were so many great moments. Including this gem with Gleekabod. It is hilarious to see the contrast in Crane’s progressiveness. The public hand-holding he’s cool with, that’s nothing new. But to wear a cap indoors whilst dining, inconceivable!
What were your favorite moments in “Root of All Evil”? Did you like Nick Hawley’s debut? Did you expect to see some flirtation between Abbie and Nick from the start? Do you think Nick can be a trusted ally to Ichabbie?
The war has only begun. Judging by the promo for Monday’s new episode, things are only going to get creepier.
Share your thoughts in the comments below and stay tuned for more scoop!
“Sleepy Hollow” airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on FOX.
