Well, Sleepy Heads, the more we learn about Season 3, the clearer it becomes that FOX and new show-runner, Clifton Campbell, are rebooting the series and setting the stage for more action, drama, suspense, and Ichabbie goodness.
Over the past couple of weeks, FOX has revealed the casting of new series regulars. In addition to Betsy Ross, we have learned that “Sleepy Hollow” is adding a potential foe and a new G-Man into the mix.
In a TVLine exclusive, we discovered that Shannyn Sossamon (“A Knight’s Tale”) will play the mythological vixen, Pandora. Even if you aren’t familiar with Greek mythology, you probably already know that you never want to open Pandora’s Box. Which begs the question: Will Pandora’s Box unleash a whole new level of hell on earth?
“Sleepy Hollow” gave us a delicious dose of Greek mythology when Ichabod and Abbie overcame a gorgon in “Magnum Opus” (which also happens to be one of Season 2’s best episodes), so it will be very interesting to see their take on Pandora. Sleepy Writers also made it clear that they want to open the world of “Sleepy Hollow” up to multi-cultural mythologies. The Judeo-Christian Apocalypse and the Biblical Book of Revelations are simply a starting point for the chaos that lies ahead. Perhaps Pandora and her infamous box will be the catalyst they need to expose Ichabbie to diverse manifestations of evil.
Given the potentially catastrophic threats Abbie and Ichabod have in store, they could really use some help instead of bureaucratic hindrance at this time. Unfortunately, that may not be the case. The Hollywood Reporter exclusively revealed that Lance Gross (“Crisis”) has been cast in a major recurring role as Abbie’s boss, FBI special agent Daniel Reynolds. Wait a second, Abbie’s new boss is a G-Man?! Does that mean…?
After about a week of speculation, TVLine can now (Aug. 2) put Sleepy Heads’ minds at ease with some very big information. Michael Ausiello reports:
Feast on this: Season 3 picks up one year later and finds Abbie, having completed her training at Quantico, returning to Sleepy Hollow as a FBI agent. BONUS SCOOP: We will also see the return of Joe Corbin (Zach Appelman), who will team up with Jenny to aid Ichs and Abbs.
What?!!!! Yup, “Sleepy Hollow” is in full-on reboot mode. Captain Frank Irving’s departure will probably be explained away with a one-liner (if we’re lucky…we’ll miss you, Orlando Jones!) and we’ll just have to jump on board with all the changes that have occurred over the course of a year.
The return of Joe Corbin comes as wonderful news. If you’ve been following the chatter on twitter, you’ll know Sleepy Heads had a happy inkling that this was happening. It is great to finally receive a confirmation of Appelman’s appearance. Sleepy Writers established the foundation for a very captivating character with his introduction in last season’s gripping episode, “And the Abyss Gazes Back.” Appleman did a spectacular job as Sheriff Corbin’s son-turned-wendigo and he became an instant fan favorite. Welcome back, Zack!
When Joe left Sleepy Hollow, he was heading to Quantico, so it makes perfect sense to see him again since Abbie ends up joining the program like she had planned to in the pilot episode. This all gives us a lot to digest and even more to think about in Season 3. As always, “Sleepy” scoop raises some big questions.
Will Agent Reynolds totally fill Irving’s shoes and become privy to the supernatural on-goings that surround Abbie? Does Joe’s appearance mean that he will be working with Jenny, Ichabod and Abbie regularly as an agent? Are Sleepy Writers trying to set the stage for a “Men in Black” meets “X-Files” type of vibe with this reboot? What if the Masons are revived as an FBI super-secret subdivision that examine all things supernatural and apocalyptic? That would be kind of cool, no? Also, what does Abbie’s new boss and FBI status mean for Sheriff Reyes? Is Sakina Jaffrey still on “Sleepy Hollow”?! We’re all very excited to hear that she’s been cast as Mindy’s mom on “The Mindy Project,” but we were just warming up to Reyes and it would be sad to see her go.
We are hearing about a lot of fresh blood joining “Sleepy Hollow,” but we still don’t know how many familiar faces will be returning to the series. What is happening with Orion, Abraham/Headless, Calvin, Hawley, and the Kindred? Will we see them again? Does the Horseman of Death still pose a threat or does Team Witness have bigger problems to worry about?
Campbell, has teased on Twitter that Season 3 will focus on the Tribulation. There are different views of the Great Tribulation, which occurs before or during the Rapture, depending on one’s beliefs. According to Wikipedia,
In the futurist view of Christian eschatology, the Tribulation is a relatively short period of time where everyone will experience worldwide hardships, disasters, famine, war, pain, and suffering, which will wipe out more than 75% of all life on the earth before the Second Coming takes place. Some (Pretribulationists) believe that those who choose to follow God, will be raptured before the tribulation, and thus escape it.
Right there, we can already see the handy work of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Death, War, Famine, and Pestilence/Conquest. When we last saw Abraham, he was hoping to be stripped of his title as the Horseman of Death. Was he able to escape his fate or did Abe end up fulfilling his role in bringing upon the Apocalypse? When Henry killed Moloch and subsequently revoked his own mantle as the Horseman of War, we discovered that Moloch and the Horsemen are all replaceable. We are not sure if Sleepy Writers will reveal the lost year between Seasons 2 and 3 in flashbacks, but if Tribulation is at hand, then it may be safe to assume that all Four Horsemen now walk the earth and have wreaked havoc on the world.
If you think about it, the same kind of horrors are released into the world when Pandora ’s Box is opened. Is it possible that Pandora is one of the Four Horsemen? Or maybe she knows how to stop the Tribulation by trapping all of that evil inside of her box? That would be an interesting twist! Whatever the case may be, “Sleepy Hollow” knows how to start with high stakes.
Little clues are slowly trickling out and Sleepy Slueths are doing their best to piece the puzzle together. Before Comic-Con, Sleepy Writer, Albert Kim gifted fans with the first two episode titles: “I, Witness” and “Whispers in the Dark.” Perhaps this scooplet will help give you some more ideas. Ausiello shared another bit of casting news in his latest set of “Sleepy” spoilers:
Charlene Amoia — AKA longtime MacLaren’s waitress Wendy fromHow I Met Your Mother — will turn up in the Oct. 1 premiere as Susan James, a woman weighed down by her secret conspiracy to reveal corruption in her office.
Who is Susan James? What kind of office does she work in? What could the conspiracy expose? Share your interpretations of these titles and your episode theories below.
There is a bunch of information to process here, Sleepy Heads. How do you feel about all of these changes? What are excited, concerned, and/or curious about so far? Do you have any plot or character theories in the works? Are you bummed that we haven’t heard much news about Jenny Mills? Are there any characters you really hope to see return in Season 3? Is “Sleepy Hollow” taking a step in the right direction by jumping ahead in time and shaking things up with Abbie’s new role as an FBI agent? Do you feel like they are moving too fast by beginning Season 3 with the Tribulation? What do you think Ichabod Crane has been up to while Abbie has been busy at Quantico?
UPDATE: Campbell confirms that Headless will not return this season. TVGuide reveals:
In addition to the departures of Orlando Jones (Irving), Katia Winter (Katrina), John Noble (Henry) and Matt Barr (Hawley), viewers have also seen the last of Headless for now.
“There won’t be any Headless this year,” Clifton Campbell, Sleepy’s new showrunner, tells TVGuide.com. “But we have a new framework and a new set of rules for the mythology. And it all starts with the introduction of our new big bad and will take us into a very interesting device which will allow us to see a somewhat more compelling, but more personal threat to both Abbie (Nicole Beharie) and Crane (Tom Mison).”
To make up for the diminished cast, Sleepy is bringing back fan-favorite Joe Corbin (Zach Appelman) to help round out the team. Corbin, who was last seen in Season 2 when the Witnesses helped cure him from being a Wendigo, will return to work closely with Jenny (Lyndie Greenwood) in fighting the apocalypse and uncovering the mysteries within their own shared history.
“Jenny and Joe are going to track down a lot of things that are going to help Abbie and Crane, and in doing so really do a deep dive on their past and their connections to each other,” Campbell says. “It allows Jenny and Joe to be more operative and on their feet in their support and help of Abbie and Crane and fills out the gang in a much more interesting, emotional way.”
So it is official. It is a bold and surprising move to have “Sleepy Hollow” continue without the Headless Horseman. Abraham and Ichabod parted ways with some serious unfinished business, but perhaps that is all moot now that Katrina is dead. Nonetheless, we will miss seeing Neil Jackson as conflicted and captivating Abraham. Hopefully he will return in Season 4. Hawley was a hot mess as far as characters go, so losing him won’t be super heartbreaking. However, we are thrilled to hear that Joe will be a crucial part of Team Witness this season. What do you think? Are you shocked and disappointed or did you see this coming and are understanding of the shake-up? Sound off in the comments below or keep the conversation going on Twitter and Facebook!
“Sleepy Hollow” Season 3 premieres Thursday, Oct. 1 at 9 p.m. on FOX.
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