Ichabod and Abbie have to stop Henry’s latest plan: releasing an evil coin that will turn whoever holds it against the individuals they have gripes with. The first victim, the woman who gave Abbie her first checking account at the bank (seemingly the same bank that held the Horseman’s head), apparently had issues with the bank despite her loyalty. Unfortunately, Reyes killed the woman right as Abbie was in the process of talking her down, leaving Abbie even more determined to stop the coin from getting in the wrong hands.
After being introduced to new character, relics hunter Nick Hawley, and an explosion created by another person in possession of a coin—a young man with daddy issues—Abbie and Ichabod have to defuse the coin’s power (with the help of Hawley) and save Jenny from the coin’s power. Abbie risks her life to save her sister, who’s trying to kill Reyes for putting their mother in the psych ward, where she eventually killed herself. Abbie successfully talks her sister down in a very creative way, meaning the end of Henry’s latest Moloch-driven plot. Also: Ichabod finally gets to visit Irving in the mental institution! Henry has barred Ichabod and Abbie from seeing him, but Ichabod subverts the hospital’s visitation system and tells Irving the truth about Henry. Irving has seen it all, but even Henry’s real nature has him in disbelief.
Okay, now to the stuff I really want to talk about.
Mother Mills and Reyes: I was very excited to learn more about Abbie and Jenny’s mother, although what we learned made her story even more tragic than before.
Jenny’s hacking into Reyes’ police file reveals the fact that Reyes put Mother Mills in the mental facility. This is what starts the Mills fight; Jenny, who has a much closer relationship to her emotions and intuition than Abbie, knows in her heart that Reyes did something foul when it came to their mother. Abbie tries to explain to Jenny that Reyes was “just doing her job,” but eventually Abbie does pointedly ask Reyes about her involvement. At the end of the episode, Reyes gives Abbie her mother’s journal entries, which reveal just how tormented her mother was before she killed herself. But that still doesn’t answer the question of how deeply Reyes is involved in a possible evil cover-up concerning Mother Mills.
Henry Parrish: Henry is a very manipulative, cunning villain, someone who will be extremely tough for Abbie and Ichabod to beat. Henry also has some deeply pent-up parental issues, deeper than we already knew. To hate your parents is one thing, but to burn the bed your mother birthed you in? DUDE.I read that bed-burning scene more as intense self-hate and self-loathing rather than total hate for Katrina. That scene really disturbed me, to be honest. Degrassi needs to give their slogan “It goes there” to Sleepy Hollow right now.
Ichabod vs. Hawley: Seeing Ichabod simultaneously bummed and annoyed at Hawley joining Team Witness is something to behold. It’s nice to see Ichabod on his toes in an effort to keep Abbie’s attention. Why else do you think he was constantly dropping knowledge about random Revolutionary figures like Sam Adams (aka the beer dude)? He was trying to keep his BFF Abbie enthralled with his intelligence and tales of the past! It wasn’t working though, since Abbie was literally having none of Ichabod’s usual quirks this episode. She had too much on her plate to play babysitter this time, and I feel like Ichabod felt largely put out by it. However, I’m glad that Ichabod and Hawley were able to stop the dick-measuring contest long enough to find the consecrated glass and help Abbie save Jenny from certain doom.
Abbie schooling Ichabod on Katrina: What Abbie said to Ichabod about Katrina’s intentions was very enlightening to me. Abbie said that Katrina “won’t turn against her son.” This statement could be read two different ways. The first way is that it’s a ringing endorsement of motherhood. Of course a good mother will always have love for her offspring, no matter what they do. Even convicted felons have mothers who love them. If Katrina is true to her word and actually wants to help Henry redeem himself, then by all means, let her attempt to do this.
However, Abbie’s statement also seems to be laced with foreboding. “She won’t turn against her son” almost sounds like she expects Katrina to turn on Ichabod and the cause either to save Henry somehow (possibly through a sacrifice) or to join his cause to win him over. Also, Katrina’s statement to Abraham about Henry’s connection to the house of his birth seems to back up this hopeful (or foreboding) tone. Consider me intrigued, Katrina Crane. You’ve now piqued my interest as to how you’re going to save your son/possibly use his power to your ends.
Biblical stuff and bird symbolism: I’m very intrigued by how much of the Apocrypha this season is relying on. There’s a part of the Apocrypha called The Book of Judas which puts forth the idea that Judas didn’t betray Jesus at all. Of course, there’s more in The Book of Judas that explains more about Judas’ role to Jesus that has nothing to do with a coin. But the fact that this episode actually gives an explanation as to Judas’ sudden turnabout is delightfully dangerous.
Also, the birds Reyes was hunting, dark eagles, are a joke. According to legend, Arnold was in Quebec attempting to capture the area as a tactical gain for America. While gathering support from the French Canadians and the local Abenaki tribe, the chief Natanis called Arnold a “Dark Eagle” and predicted Arnold’s future downfall. “Dark Eagle will soar aloft to the sun,” he supposedly said. “Yet when he soars the highest, his fall is the more certain.”
Speaking of birds, did you notice Katrina’s new dress? I distinctly noticed how the coloring of it distinctly reminded me of a dove. Last year, I’d written a huge treatise about my theory of Katrina being related to Ishtar (or Ashtoreth), the Babylonian goddess of war and fertility and consort to Moloch (or Molech). Ishtar (and her many iterations—Isis, Aphrodite, etc.) were represented by the dove. The continued association of Katrina with doves and birds in general aligns once again with my original Katrina-is-Ishtar theory.
Also, the presence of the birds in general during the Jenny showdown scene was something subtle. I know Reyes was there to shoot birds, so of course, birds have to be in the scenes. But the fact that the birds only start making noise once Abbie is close to rescuing Jenny is interesting to me. We saw all through Season One that Katrina was very closely associated with birds of all types—doves, falcons, crows, etc.—and that the presence of a bird generally meant Katrina was close at hand. Yeah, these particular birds were there for Reyes to kill, but why did they start making noise at such a crucial juncture in Team Witness’ battle?
If Katrina is really the puppet-master in this show, I’d be so happy. Not because of any Ichabbie stuff, but because she would become one of the greatest long-investment characters ever created.
Okay, now that that’s out of the way, what did you think of this episode? Give me your thoughts below!
Photo credit: Fred Norris/FOX