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.

Demons and Witches & the Sandman, oh my!

The movie and television world seems to be in love with all things supernatural. This genre has been ongoing for centuries (i.e., Frankenstein, Dracula); however, in my opinion it has really jumped in popularity in the last decade or so. The last few years in particular have spun out a number of TV shows, including, but not limited to: True Blood (HBO), American Horror Story (FX), Witches of East End (Lifetime), The Vampire Diaries (The CW) and The Walking Dead (AMC).

Serilda, witch in episode 2 of Sleepy Hollow

Throughout these shows, we are introduced to vampires, witches, demons, zombies and a number of other gruesome figures. Sleepy Hollow is no exception to all of this as three different supernatural forms come alive within the first three episodes. First, we find out the Ichabod Crane’s wife was a witch and fortunately for Ichabod and Abbie, a “good” one who has been helping them defeat the evils coming back to the town of Sleepy Hollow. In the second episode, Serilda, another witch from a different coven, appears and starts to wreak havoc. Does this remind anyone else of The Wizard of Oz with the good witch and bad witch? In the Sheriff’s recordings, there was mention of two covens, so it should be safe to expect more witches in future episodes. But since Abbie and Ichabod already know one way to destroy them, will there be more of a fight to wipe out them out?

Moloch, Sleepy Hollow's demon

The demon, whose name is Moloch, is one of the season’s main antagonists, and will be a repetitive piece to Sleepy Hollow’s storyline. Having already gained the cooperation of Officer Andy Brooks, it is possible that Moloch may employ more help from other townspeople. Was Andy chosen simply because he was there at the wrong place and the wrong time, or is there more to his character than first let on?

The Sandman, episode 3 of Sleepy Hollow

The Sandman makes his appearance in episode three and is portrayed in a rather scary nature, as opposed to the mythical folklore character that brought good dreams to children as they slept. In this episode Abbie comes face to face with the Sandman and only after she admits seeing a demon in the woods when she was younger and not being afraid anymore is he destroyed. Fear can be a powerful motivator indeed and I’ll touch on character motivations in a later post.

As the season continues, what other creatures will we come across? What is it about suspense, thrillers and the supernatural that get people so interested? Thoughts on this and what characters/creatures should be featured next? Leave your comments below.