SLEEPY HOLLOW “The Weeping Lady” Review


Does this series deserve a chance to keep its audience? Read on to find out.

The official description from Fox:

A woman from Ichabod Crane’s past comes to Sleepy Hollow in the form of an un-dead Weeping Lady, aiming to harm anyone in her path. Meanwhile, Katrina and Crane learn unsettling things about each other’s pasts, and Abbie has some unexpectedly flirtatious encounters in the all-new “The Weeping Lady” episode of SLEEPY HOLLOW airing Monday, October 20 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

What an episode! I admit that in that past I’ve moaned and groaned about the freak-of-the-week formula that almost all supernatural TV shows rely on, but when done right there’s usually just enough originality to make even the most tired narrative tropes feel wholly new again. What we get out of this hour of television is solid character development, a few thrills and even some laughs which thankfully add up to one of the strongest outings in the short history of this franchise.

Sleepy Hollow 105 A Widescreen

The creative team and the cast involved attack their audience with “The Weeping Lady.” In this romp there’s just no doubt that they easily hit all the right notes in an environment that welcomes budget horror thrills. We see our two witnesses come face to face with yet another wrinkle from the past, but this time it sheds light and doubt in an essential core component that affects one their lives. Through that context we see a release that delivers quite a bit in a plot by Henry Parish (John Noble) that’s bound to strike a cord and maybe even annoy a certain Horsemen (Neil Jackson).

Sleepy Hollow 105 B Widescreen

What makes the outlandish temporal journey between the Revolutionary War era and modern Sleepy Hollow digestible is the performances by Tom Mison (Ichabod Crane) and Nicole Beharie (Lt. Abbie Mills). Every single adventures calls on them to express a lot, from wit to heartbreak, as we see the weight of their responsibilities at the surface of their characters. And I have to say that the continued presence of our pseudo Indiana Jones type, Nick Hawley (Matt Barr), gives an extra layer to a familiar dynamic that’s more than welcome. In short: the cast delivers the goods.

Sleepy Hollow may not be highbrow, but it more than makes up for that. Especially as “The Weeping Lady” proves, yet again, that when push comes to shove there’s quality to be found here. Recommended.

OUR RATING
9
  • + Compelling content.
  • + Relationships in trouble.
  • + See the Horsemen as a man.
  • + We get a clue about Moloch's plan.