Phillip Iscove

After the events of “The Midnight Ride” where Ichabod (Tom Mison), Abbie (Nicole Beharie), and Captain Irving (Orlando Jones) capture and neutralize the Headless Horseman, it seems his threat is over for a while. This isn’t the case as the Horseman’s probing reveal Ichabod’s deepest fears and yet another dark secret from his past. “Necromancer” also explores the idea of free will vs. destiny using the undead cop Andy Brooks (John Cho) and Ichabod’s wife Katrina (Katia Winter) as case studies. Writers Mark Hoffman and Phillip Iscove use both Ichabod and the Horseman’s past to create conflict in this episode while also giving it real thematic resonance. There is also a nice B-plot involving Jenny Mills (Lyndie Greenwood) and Irving as they work together to prevent the Hessians from rescuing the Headless Horseman. Even though it isn’t as humorous as previous episodes, “Necromancer” has a tight plot with only one possible hole in it near the end as well as strong character and thematic development.

“For the Triumph of Evil” brings the weird back to Sleepy Hollow as Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison) and Abbie Mills (Nicole Meharie) investigate a series of strange of coincidences that are connected to Abbie and her sister Jennifer Mills (Lyndie Greenwood). Much of the plot happens in various characters’ dreams and involves a spirit known as the Sandman.

Sleepy Hollow’s pilot is an exercise in dualities. The premise of the show is a mix between Washington Irving’s two famous short stories “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle”. It features Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison) and the Headless Horseman as protagonist and antagonist, but in this version of Crane has been sleeping for centuries like Rip Van Winkle and also wakes up to a very different world than the one he formerly inhabited. There also shifts and dualities in genre.