The Return of Sleepy Hollow

So finally after a three-week hiatus, and only five episodes into a new series, Sleepy Hollow returned to its usual Monday night time slot. As a viewer, I can only wonder why there was a break so soon, especially with the Halloween holiday. A marketing ploy perhaps to see what viewer retention is like after a few weeks away from airtime?

In any event, in this episode Abbie has a vision where she encounters the Headless Horseman and Katrina, Ichabod’s wife. Katrina warns Abbie that Ichabod has been taken hostage and she has until nightfall to rescue him. Desperate for help, she turns to her sister Jenny for advice to find Sin Eater who apparently has the capability to sever the blood tie between Ichabod and the Headless Horseman. In this episode two important things are revealed: one, how Ichabod and Katrina met and two, that Abbie does have feelings for Ichabod after all. In the last few minutes Ichabod is freed from the curse, but the Headless Horseman has found where Ichabod was buried and is now on the hunt for revenge.

As the commercials say, “don’t lose your head.” I’m sure we’re in for a good time when it comes to new episodes and content.

The 7 Deadly Sins

With Sleepy Hollow being a show filled with evil and demonic creatures, we as viewers have already seen a fair share of sins being committed. With that in mind, the 7 Deadly Sins are presented below with a brief description of each. Without a doubt, wrath has been a consistent sin throughout the show and it shows no signs of stopping as the Headless Horseman is determined to let all hell break loose in Sleepy Hollow.

Sleepy Hollow's The Headless Horseman

Pride- extreme belief in one’s own abilities, which is also believed to be the sin from which the other six stem from

Envy- the desire for others’ abilities, situations, talents, etc.

Wrath- manifests itself in those who choose fury over love

Sloth- sheer laziness and avoidance of physical labor

Greed- the deep desire for material objects and/or gain

Gluttony- excessive desire to eat more than needed

Lust- excessive craving for bodily pleasures

Bowing Down to Evil

In a previous post, character motivations and goals were very briefly discussed. What was not mentioned though, was the motivation behind Officer Andy Brooks. In the very first episode he succumbs to evil and sides with the Headless Horseman, however, he didn’t put up much of a fight. The writers haven’t provided much background on Andy yet, but one would think that he has a girlfriend, wife and/or kids that he is protecting. Or possibly, he might just be protecting himself and that’s why he is now following orders from the Headless Horseman as well as the demon, Moloch.

Officer Andy Brooks

It’s curious that Andy hasn’t been in the last episode or two though and I wonder what the writers of Sleepy Hollow have up their sleeves for the episodes to come. Naturally, the viewers will learn more about Andy and his past and will gain more insight into his future too. Will he end up so far into evils that there is no coming back, or will he have the chance to be redeemed after all? Only time can tell on this.

In my second post I had mentioned how creative liberties have been taken when it comes to retelling Washington’s tale. Well, this YouTube video gives a Disney-fied short film, complete with cartoon characters and singing. This is truly a far cry from Tim Burton’s 1999 film version, which, genuine to his typical productions, is on the darker, weirder side of the spectrum.

The Town of Sleepy Hollow, New York

As a town, Sleepy Hollow can be found in Westchester County, approximately 25 miles north of New York City. Located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, it was originally named North Tarrytown, but was renamed Sleepy Hollow after a residential vote to honor Washington Irving’s piece. Irving visited the community as a young boy and after setting The Legend of Sleepy Hollow here and adding ghost stories he heard, the town gained worldwide recognition.

For centuries, people visited the quiet town to get a glimpse into Irving’s work. This particular time of year, with the upcoming Halloween holiday, people all over gather to hear the history and ghost stories of the town’s history. The Sleepy Hollow TV show has led to an even greater increase in tourism to Sleepy Hollow, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. The town hosts a variety of entertainment including graveyard tours, gothic mansions, live music and shows, haunted hayrides and of course the retelling of Washington Irving’s famous tale.

In Sleepy Hollow there hasn’t been much showing the town, or any of the famous landmarks within the story (i.e., the bridge, graveyard, etc) however, the writers do make it clear to viewers when the time is focused on the present and when it is dealing with the past by changing the saturation of the film. This effect is also used to distinguish between reality and the other worldly realms to ground the viewer as to where the characters are in time.

Sleepy Hollow, New York has it’s own website dedicated to the town history and latest news.

To check out walking tours check out the tourist guide to visiting Sleepy Hollow.