Sleepy Hollow Review: 1.11 – “The Vessel”

If you have not seen the most recent episode, “The Vessel,” then be prepared for spoilers.

A Review, in Brief:

Dear Reader,

It has been so very long since we last corresponded. I hope this note finds you well and in good health and cheer in the wake of the holiday season.

Much has conspired since our last missive. Don’t tell anyone, but I believe demons run rampant through our landscape, skipping between bodies as children over rocks in a river. And oh, reader – it is tragic for our good Captain Irving and his family.


First I must apprise you of our beloved Abigail and Ichabod. Ms. Mills has tried to convince Mr. Crane to clothe himself in more appropriate attire, shall we say? Of course, Mr. Crane refuses, as is his wont. But such mischief is forgotten in the revelations that we are now privy to. Ms. Mills’s sister, Jenny, has terrible secrets. She, too, has encountered the demon which has chosen to haunt the good Captain. All of the troubles poor Jenny experienced in her youth can be traced to this demon, whose name we now know as Ancitif. The evidence left by the departed Corbin shows us that Jenny was possessed as a child, a mere adolescent. Apparently this demon made his first appearance during the witch trials in Louvre long ago. Ancitif urged Jenny to kill her sister and Jenny, loving her sister more than herself, continued to sacrifice her freedom to save Ms. Mills. It is a sad but heartfelt tale.

The reappearance of Ancitif sent Abigail, Ichabod, and Jenny on a quest to exorcise the demon from Sleepy Hollow. Ancitif threatened the life of Captain Irving’s daughter! Through their journey together to defeat Ancitif, Ichabod and Jenny share secrets and grow closer – Ichabod perhaps understands Jenny through his understanding of Katrina’s actions. Love is a powerful enemy of the demons plaguing our village. We must remember that.

As the three of them uncover how to rid the village of Ancitif, Captain Irving chooses to seclude his family away from the danger not knowing that the danger is within reach! The demon has possessed his most trusted colleague! In a horrifying sequence of events, the demon slips into the house and into the body of his daughter. It is too frightening to describe in mere words! You must watch the evidence for yourself. Horrible. Terrible. Terrifying.

While Abigail, Ichabod, and Jenny go through many machinations to obtain the lantern that has proven to destroy Ancitif. They even encounter militia men! But Jenny’s prowess frees them. She is talented both in body and mind, that girl.

While Captain Irving struggles to free his daughter, the demon kills the beloved priest and reveals the terrible world that lies beneath Sleepy Hollow. Finally Abigail and Jenny show up to vanquish Ancitif with Ichabod’s aid. And while the Irving family reunite after their trauma, poor Jenny was reminded of her own possession and all that was lost to the demon. I can report happily that Abigail comforted her sister and has begun to understand her sister’s strife.

I cannot bear anymore, reader. I hope my next missive carries happier news but I fear for our village and for our heroes. All of them.

Until the….with love and trepidation,
Bookdal

Appraisal:

I am so in love with this show. Seriously, like for reals.

The dynamic between Abbie and Jenny is just as good if not better than between Abbie and Ichabod. I love how Irving is being brought into the mythology as the ordinary man touched by the extraordinary, much like Ichabod in his previous life. This move underscores the very feminist heart of the show – the women are the power carriers. Jenny’s character (and god don’t kill her , show) is an empowering woman, one who has struggled and still struggles, but perseveres. The triad of Abigail, Jenny, and Katrina are just an outstanding testament to the writing and conceptual work of the writers and showrunners. Brava!

But even though the women are empowered, the men are still legitimate players in this world. They are not diminished at all by this trope. Really, I love you, show.

I suspect that next week’s episode will be heartbreaking and I speculate that one of the main players will be possessed or revealed to have more demonic connections than previously thought. Since it’s the season finale, the stakes have to be very high in order to make us want to come back next season. I would not be surprised to see the emergence of Katrina into the new timeline. I could be wrong, but it seems to me she is the primary plot point to open up Moloch’s destructive plan. We’ll have to see, of course.

I hope you feel the same when I say this, but this show gets better every week. I anticipate it now.