‘Sleepy Hollow’ S3 Ep 8 mid-season finale recap: Come what may

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Abbie makes a huge sacrifice and ‘Sleepy Hollow’ leaves us hanging over the hiatus. (Photo credit: FOX via FoxFlash)

What?! Oh no they didn’t! “Sleepy Hollow” totally left us hanging for the brutal hellatus. A lot of crazy stuff went down in “Novus Ordo Seclorum.” The Hidden One wants to wipe out humanity and start over. Of course, he needs to use Jenny as his life force and vessel since she absorbed the powerful Shard of Anubis. As if that isn’t bad enough, Ichabbie learns that the shard’s energy will ultimately blow-up Jenny from the inside. Yikes! As Team Witness frantically fights to save Jenny, we see that Reynolds has a mysterious agenda of his own. Abbie makes a shocking and life threatening decision, which leaves Sleepy Heads distraught as we wait to see what kind of solution Crane & Co. can find to fix this troubling mess. Here we go!

Pandora’s darker half has arrived on earth and he’s ready to turn our world upside down. They claim the Witnesses will be useful to them and Jenny serves as the perfect vessel, since she houses the shard. We learn that this evil dude is “The Hidden One,” meaning he is a deity who seeks absolute power and can attain it by possessing the all-seeing eye aka the shard. (We are totally getting “The Lord of the Rings” vibes from this evil eye storyline, right?!) This touches on what the psychic foreshadowed and matches the visions Jenny has been seeing/drawing. So the power-hungry love-birds take Jenny back to Pandora’s lair. The Hidden One lectures her on how he plans to eradicate humanity with his righteous fire, a fire that Jenny will restore to him. Then he begins feeding on Jenny like he hasn’t eaten in eons (probably because he hasn’t). Gulp! Meanwhile, Crane, Abbie and Joe search for Jenny and find a way to extract the shard from her body before it is too late.

Abbie is rightfully frustrated and distraught. Crane comforts her, reminding his partner that she is not alone in this. After all, the Sisters Mills are the closest thing Crane has to family. Awww! Team Witness is in hot pursuit of Jenny and start following their foes until they suddenly disappear. Stupid, evil, magical deities! Luckily, they leave a clue behind. Ichabod is able to read the Samarian script inscribed on The Hidden One’s mummy wrap and the scribbling Jenny left on the walls. The message foretells the threat of a living god and contains an image of the all-seeing eye. Research shows The Hidden One holding a staff that contains the eye. When they take a closer look, they realize it is the same “Eye of Provenance” that is depicted on U.S. currency. Get ready for some “National Treasure” action!

As expected, everything is all tied together. The Hidden One vows to reorder the world as he sees fit. Only the “Eye of Provenance” can raise The Hidden One, so Ben Franklin placed an image of the eye on our currency to serve as a Masonic warning. Abbie points out, “Novus Ordo Seclorum” means “new order of the ages,” confirming that Team Witness is on the right track with this theory. They can find answers in the revered Masonic law book housed in a highly acclaimed university in Albany. Cut to a wild frat party and silly escapades (including a distracting fist fight) that lead to the book’s retrieval. Now for some much needed answers.

In 1776 Paul Revere writes about how Washington used the Eye of Providence against General Howe because the shard possesses the power of the gods. Unfortunately, Paul’s nephew/apprentice, Jonathon, absorbed the shard’s power like Jenny. The young man exploded from the overpowering energy and instantly died. Oh dear! They quickly realize that Nevins may have the answers they seek since he knew to wear a glove when inspecting the shard’s authenticity during his meeting with Joe. While Jenny continues serving as The Hidden One’s personal IV drip in Pandora’s lair, the gang hurries to find a cure.

Revere’s notes state that he used the staff to draw the Eye out of the blast sight. The staff serves as a magnet for the Eye. Crane recalls briefly seeing the staff when he offered Revere his sympathies after Jonathon’s death. Revere warns Crane not to let anyone in too close. He explains, “If you lose them, it will break you.” Tis a heartbreaking and despairing exchange. Luckily, Crane did not follow his advice, since he has clearly let the Sisters Mills into his heart. Sigh. Revere smelt down the staff and created a sphere to enclose the Eye and protect others from harm. It is the same stone case that held the shard when Joe found it. They realize that the case must also be able to hide the Eye’s location since Pandora couldn’t find it until Jenny absorbed it.

So basically, the only thing that can save Jenny and remove the shard is the same case it was housed in for all of the years. Not to be a party pooper, but isn’t that kind of obvious? You have to admit, it’s not one of their more clever twists. We got a cool backstory on the staff/case and the shard/Eye of Provenance, but the actual cure ends up being kind of meh. Perhaps some of you were wowed by it, while others hold “Sleepy Hollow” to a higher standard and feel slightly underwhelmed. Anyway, carrying on…

Nevins is the only one who knows where the case is, but he’s locked-up. Sophie drills him for names and info, but he keeps mum. He knows there is no way he’s making it to prison. If mobsters take snitches out, imagine what evil deities will do! Although they won’t be able to protect him, Nevins does agree to share some info with Abbie. If Sophie helps him get in touch with Abbie, then he will help her out in return. Sophie doesn’t take the deal, but still sets-up a meeting for him with Abbie. We’re keeping our fingers crossed.

Abbie meets with Nevins to chat with him while he is in transit to prison. As Nevins predicted, Pandora gets to him first. She explains how the infamous box was gift from her husband and Nevins used it. How dare he?! She kills him and the surrounding FBI agents. Abbie confronts Pandora, but the goddess isn’t threatened. She says there is a place for the Witnesses in this new world. It is their right by lineage. What does this all mean?! She continues to say that Abbie is loyal to her family, but Pandora also senses an old wound festering. Abbie has failed Jenny before. Ugh! Pandora is still feeding on Abbie’s guilt and fear. This is not good, Sleepy Heads. Sadly, Abbie isn’t the only one looking desperate to save Jenny.

Crane catches Joe reading through the Grimmiore for lycanthropic curses. Joe is thinking of becoming wendigo to save Jenny. Whoa! How so “Being Human”and “Grimm”-ish of him. Ichabod warns Joe not to cross that line. The same goes for all of Team Witness. It is tempting to use the power provided by the dark forces they annihilate in order to save one of their own, but it would also go against everything they are fighting for. Crane puts it so eloquently though, “When love grips the heart, logic can abandon the mind.” He assures Joe that when they save Jenny, she’ll need him in the form of man, not a beast. Sigh. Moments like this make us love Crane even more. On a less swoon-worthy note, Abbie is placed in an awkward position when confronted by Reynolds.

He grills her about Jenny and Nevins. She explains that it regards a personal matter and she wants to tell him everything, but she can’t. Reynold’s can’t understand and will not accept her questionable behavior. Abbie is left with no choice, she turns in her badge and gun. Oh no! Poor Abbie. This was not an easy decision for her to make, but then again, when it comes to family there really is no question about it…especially after the way she betrayed Jenny in the past.

Afterwards, Reynolds calls the mystery man in D.C. and informs him that the asset they’re cultivating just walked. Okay. What the hell is going here? What is Reynolds up to? Who is he working with? Do they know about Abbie’s double life? What is Abbie an asset for? Some secret FBI division? Is there a secret “Men in Black” or “X-Files” sector of the bureau? We have so many questions!

Reynolds calls Abbie and leaves a message, saying that he didn’t file her resignation. He’s hoping to work this out. Sophie checks in with Reynolds and tells him they have agents watching out for Nevins everywhere. She also says Abbie requested a lot of heavy gear before leaving. Ha! Well done, Miss Mills. Way to ammo-up! Of course, Reynold’s asks Sophie to find Abbie. Yeah, we still have a lot of questions about Sophie too. What’s her deal? Did she really work with Nevins all that time and not see the supernatural angle to his op? There is something fishy here, but we’ve got bigger problems.

Team Witness makes their way through the tunnels and have the Ynglinga Saga, just in case they need a Latin or Norse spell to summon some back-up. As they inch nearer to Pandora’s lair, Jenny holds her own against The Hidden One, cheekily telling him to choke on the energy she feeds him. He remains unscathed by her snark. Pandora and The Hidden One are together in all things. Oh how so sweet…not.

Crane and Abbie are about to face their first god. Not only that, but they are waging war against these evil deities. Is it crazy? They realize that they have an impressive roster of victories because they care. Ichabbie vows to fight Evil and protect their own, “come what may.” Awww! So many feels! Now they are ready to shock and awe. When Team Witness enters Pandora’s lair, she warns THO of their presence. He’s almost done feasting on Jenny, so Pandora faces-off against Abbie to buy him more time.

Bullets repel off of Pandora’s impenetrable skin and she taunts that Mills’ fate is sealed. Time for phase two! Joe sends a bomb in, while Crane tasers Pandora. The grenade knocks out THO and Abbie rushes to take the shard out of Jenny before it blows. Abbie swears she’s never leaving Jenny again. We think this goes beyond making-up for her past shortcomings as a sister. Right?

Crane summons the box, which really pisses-off Pandora. The Hidden One rises behind Abbie and flings her aside, crushing the shard’s protective case. Noooo! Crane and Pandora compete over the box and Joe desperately tries taking THO out, but nothing works. This dude even catches a grenade! Abbie uses the shattered pieces of the case to remove the deadly shard from Jenny. As Abbie absorbs the all-powerful Eye’s energy, her hands begin to glow. This thing is about to blow!

Suddenly, the mysterious tree door opens. Abbie takes one last look back at Team Witness and walks towards the door, which we assume leads to the Underworld. This is the only way she can save them. (Is it really though?) Crane passionately exclaims, “Don’t!” Abbie serenely tells them to take care of each other. She walks through the door just as the energy blasts. Pandora’s Box is destroyed and Abbie is gone.

Holy crap! Ichabod and Abbie are separated once again. We hate it when that happens! It’s just like the Winchester Brothers on “Supernatural,” except with romantic tension…either way, this kind of separation always means trouble. Now Sleepy Heads will fret and fear the worst. Okay, so we know Abbie isn’t dead because, come on, they aren’t going to kill one of the leads. Even so… Ichabbie must be reunited post-haste!

Where did she go, exactly? How can she be saved? If/when she returns, will she be changed by where she has been? What will be Pandora and The Hidden One’s next move now that they are missing a Witness, the box, and the Eye? We have so many questions! Share your thoughts and concerns below or on Twitter (@TalkTVwTiffany).

“Sleepy Hollow” airs Fridays at 8p.m. on FOX.

 

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