The SuperSleepy Dispatch
Recap and Review: Sleepy Hollow 2:10 “Magnum Opus”
By P.S Griffin
Henry’s great work comes to fruition whilst Abbie, Ichabod and Abraham engage in an epic quest with a surprise guest manning the door. Jenny is at the Canadian border, Katrina appears to be screwed and Irving is in the wind. All in all it’s a rollicking rollercoaster ride of awesome.
Abbie and Ichabod are playing the celebrity parlor game, with cellphones rather than pieces of paper, to give their brains a break from the Mills Family Journal gifted to them by Mama. Abbie believes the game will free their minds enabling them to see the answer to the promised weapon within its pages.
Ichabod is dubious and yet it works, that is once they recover from the news Katrina brings them via magicked mirror. Yep! That bonnie yet spectacularly ineffective master witch/spy has failed to kill Moloch. His rise is imminent. Only Ichabod is surprised that she failed. Poor fellow is rendered speechless! Now that is an accomplishment.
They quickly discover the hidden message in a baroque illustration by viewing its reflection which depicts a segmented snake strongly reminiscent of Benjamin Franklin’s famous “Join, or Die” political cartoon, as Ichabod notes. Abbie realizes that it’s also reflective of a geographic feature near Sleepy Hollow. It’s a treasure map! Oh joy.The pair quickly suss that they’re looking for Methuselah’s demon smiting sword. Before they race off Ichabod notes the warning in another of Franklin’s cartoons which instructs the viewer to “Know thyself completely. Perish when you attempt to see.” Yikes! Abbie is so all over this and Ichabod is inspired by her strong sense of purpose. She is magnificent.
And we’re off. Henry has been watching the Witness’ shenanigans using Katrina’s dial-up on the mirror. Could it be that Superspy Katrina is, a bigger dupe than Ichabod? Anyhow Abraham is on the hunt for the sword as well. The more the merrier! Oh. And Abraham knows Katrina is a bad witchy spy lady. Doh!
Meanwhile at the Canadian border, thar be law enforcement and road blocks. Jenny gives Irving a burner and he hoofs it. Alas poor Irving, you have been sorely wasted this season. Et tu Jenny?
Team Witness has reached the veritable snake’s tongue which is a ruin recognized by Abbie from that reoccurring dream with Mama. I sense Masonic hijinks.
Abraham rides in so they play hide, seek and tussle until the sun comes up. Ichabod’s mind begins to wander off to the awesome days of yore when he and Abraham were besties. We soon learn that everything that Ichabod was was the result of him following Abraham’s lead (and Katrina’s!). Ichabod is rather shamed by the knowledge. He whines about it to Abbie, Goddess of self empowerment. How is he supposed to know himself when all of his choices were guided by Abraham or Katrina.
Abbie is still on task. Abraham stole the clue plaque but she remembers what was on it. They dig to find a buried staircase leading to a cavernous structure below the earth. The antechamber is filled with life-sized stone statues of people from all time periods shielding their eyes, even one in colonial garb that looks like Abbie. Hmmm… Oh! Was Ray Harryhausen a mason? Abbie and Ichabod barely escape the wrath of the gorgon! What this structure lacks in traps it makes up for with monsters.
On the surface Abbie remarks that someone without eyes could defeat the gorgon. They’ve found a use for Abraham!
At dusk they lay waiting for Abraham. Ichabod has made torches from his socks. Abbie packed flares. They quickly lure Abraham into the cavern and hide until he’s engaged by the gorgon. They run to the sword chamber. There’s a lot of swords surrounding a font. It’s a bit like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Ichabod leaves Abbie to choose wisely and runs back to watch the super cool action.
Abraham finally decapitates the Gorgon and Ichabod uses his coat to cover the head. Abraham finds Ichabod and they start with the acrimonious accusations and the swordplay. Amongst other things, Abraham is furious that Ichabod stole his life out from under him. He was supposed to be the hero not the villain, however Ichabod has driven him to choose Moloch. He also taunts Ichabod with the fact that Katrina keeps leaving him to stay with Abraham. The truth stings.
Ichabod finally makes a run for Abbie who frantically picks a sword, the wrong sword, causing all of them to turn into writhing snakes. With a spine made of far more steel than Indiana Jones’, Abbie shows no fear, just regret that there is no sword to be had. Boo boo boo.
Abraham runs in gushing about how he will kill them both with one shot. It’s funny because Ichabod is trying to shield Abbie as if his flesh could protect her from the Horseman of Death. Luckily for them and tragically for the world, the sound of Henry’s accursed shofar sounds calling Abraham home for the Apocalypse. Abraham is transfixed with rapturous joy at the sound. Ichabod tries to taunt him about being such an obedient errand boy to his Master. Abraham doesn’t care because his side has won and he will have Katrina at his side whilst Ichabod watches in Hell. Oh and he’s the friggin Apocalyptic Horseman of Death, thank you very much. There’s no shaming a man that knows who he is.
After Abraham leaves and Ichabod whines about his increasing self-doubt to Abbie, they find the sword hidden in the font below a layer of oil which they burn off with Ichabod’s homemade torches. I am not sure how this relates to Franklin’s warning, but whatever. Ichabod is happy. “We shall not witness the apocalypse on this night. Moloch shall not rise.” Dude. The shofar rang. Moloch is already in the house.
Speaking of the house, Team Moloch are preparing for the demonic binding ceremony. Katrina darling, when your undead suitor no longer trusts you, RUN! Dumb witch.
Additional Thoughts: Magnum Opus was written by Donald Todd and directed by Doug Aarniokoski.
What can I say. This was a nice callback to season 1, episode 12: “The Indispensable Man”. It had great Abbie and Ichabod bonding moments. It was nice to see Abbie’s strength and sense of purpose carry the team. The Crane family drama is starting to weigh heavily on Ichabod. He truly doesn’t know who he is: the Witness or the Father/Husband. Presumably he will make his choice by mid-season.
I loved the epic battle between Abraham and the Gorgon. Now can badass Abraham behead Katrina and make her shut-up. Everything about her is annoying. Her plot lines have destroyed my show. She was primed to be a villain through her dubious actions, and later through her motherly bond with the EVIL Henry. Now I am not convinced that going EVIL will save her. Heaven help us!
Fingers crossed that the mid-season finale will pull a story out of its nest of writhing storylines.
