So, how do we feel about that Sleepy Hollow midseason finale? I know there’s a lot of fans dealing with emotional bruising right now.
Perhaps you’ll consider me someone whose taken a sip of the Kool-aid, but I’m not worried about the season just yet. First of all, it’s the midseason. This is why I hate midseason finales; it makes people believe that the full season is over. Fans end up wanting so much to happen in the first half of the season because that midseason finale is coming up and if things don’t shake out the way people expect, then people end up feeling like the entire season’s been wasted when we’ve only seen half of it.
That doesn’t mean that I don’t have concerns or thoughts about things as they are. I have a lot of them. Here are some.
What could happen to Irving: The biggest thing everyone’s concerned about is the death of Irving. TV Addict even went so far as to say that Irving’s death cements the divide between fans and the writing staff.
However, we’ve been promised repeatedly by Goffman in these interviews (linked in my recap) that we haven’t even seen the best of what Season Two has to offer, including Irving’s fate. Interestingly enough, the “hint hint” language Goffman uses when describing Irving’s death and possible resurrection is extremely similar to how he described Jenny’s fate when she was in the car accident. So, it’s rather clear that Irving’s going to come back in some fashion. Besides, Henry still has his soul. We think.
This brings me to some possibilities for Irving’s fate, since all isn’t lost (yet).
1. If death doesn’t remove Irving’s soul from Henry, Irving could be reanimated as a pawn for Henry’s plan (because he’s clearly not going to be redeemed just like that, but more on him later). This is the worst possible scenario for a character like Irving, since he’s been so steadfast about standing on the right side of the law and God. Do I think this could happen? Anything’s possible. But it would seem mean-spirited for the writers to torture a good character like Irving for what could be no reason if they decide to go this route. I don’t feel good about it.
2. If death does remove Irving’s soul from Henry, then perhaps Irving could come back as an angel. This feels like a fate that could actually happen for Irving, especially since Irving was questioning why he was chosen to fight against the apocalypse in the first place.
I’ve done a little research on angels, and while my research is rudimentary, there are some interesting things I’ve uncovered that might give weight to the “Irving as an Angel” scenario. First, even though angels are generally thought of as creatures, the Apologetics Press states that angels are less about what they are and more about what they do.
The word “angel” is the translation of the Greek angelos and the Hebrew malawk, meaning “messenger” (Woods, 1986, p. 179; Girdlestone, 1973, p. 41). Thus, the word actually says nothing about the nature of the being, but speaks instead to its function. The nature of the messenger must be determined from the specific context.
Also, the word “angel” has been stated in relation to human messengers as well:
On occasion, the word angel is used of a human messenger (as we ordinarily think of that term). Haggai was referred to as “Jehovah’s messenger [malawk]” (Haggai 1:13). God, through Malachi, referred to a priest as “my messenger [malawk]” (Malachi 2:7). And, John the Baptist also was referred to as a “messenger” [malawk—3:1]. Matthew (11:10) likewise called John the Baptist a “messenger” (angelos).
Second, along with angels being able to reason and exercise free will, angels are also not above sinning, but according to the Apologetics Press, angels don’t get the same level of forgiveness as humans.
We know that, like humans, angels are responsible to some kind of heavenly law, for some sinned (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6), and sin is transgression of law (1 John 3:4). Sadly, whenever they sinned, they were beyond the redemptive plan of God, for the atonement of Christ does not apply to them. The writer of Hebrews stated: “Not to angels doth he give help, but he giveth help to the seed of Abraham” (2:16). Yet while rebellious angels were without a redemptive plan, God prepared one for man (Ephesians 2:8-9; et al.). Little wonder, then, that the psalmist asked: “Who is man that thou art mindful of him?” (8:4, emp. added)!
This is important, since if the show does go the route of making humans angels, this factoid gives the writers some leeway. If angels can sin, then that gives hope for humans to become angels, too.
Third, in the Book of Luke, it states that humans can become like angels…this could be more leeway writers could use to make Irving an angel. Here’s the quote from Bible Gateway:
Luke 20:34-36English Standard Version (ESV)
34 And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, 35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, 36 forthey cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
Fourth, it would be really cool to see Irving go through exhibit different angelic manifestations. He could, of course, look like how he looked as a human, but he could manifest himself in other forms too, particularly the one explicitly mentioned in the Bible (quoted from Christianity.about.com):
Revelation 4:8
Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” (NIV)
Wouldn’t that be something to see? I’m sure this won’t be the only time I’ll write out my “Irving-as-Angel” theory, so let me move on for now.
Henry is still evil: I think that Henry didn’t kill Moloch (or temporarily defeat him, if Moloch’s not really dead) because he wants to feel the glow of his parents’ love. He just doesn’t like that Moloch told him he was replaceable. To me, he stabbed Moloch to prove that he doesn’t need his parents, Moloch, nobody.
Let’s remember that Henry’s a warlock in his own right. I’m sure from his tutelage of sorts under Moloch, he’s learned even more bad stuff. Henry’s still a force to be reckoned with, and it’s going to be up to somebody to kill him. Maybe not Ichabod, since that’d be a little cruel, in my opinion, but someone’s going to have to take him down.
Having him kill Moloch so he could be redeemed just seems too easy, so I’m not even believing Henry wants to turn good. Even if we do see him after the midseason hiatus is over and he’s acting “good,” I’m willing to bet it’s for a long con. Henry will always want power because I don’t think Henry will ever heal the hurt he has.
He’s been an angry person ever since he was a young person–his surviving parent abandoned him, he had to grow up with a terrible guardian in an orphanage, and he gave into murderous tendencies early with the Golem. Getting locked in the coffin for decades only intensified his anger. The only way Henry knows how to deal with his emotions is through anger since anger is an emotion he’s used to protect himself all his life.
WTF is with Katrina?! Goffman may, as he did in this Huffington Post interview, say that Katrina is not an “obstacle,” but, as the interviewer pointedly asks, she’s being treated as such. She’s constantly a damsel in distress, she never follows through with plans, such as killing Moloch (who she should know is not her son), two-times her husband and the man she left for said husband, and honestly, she gets in the way.
Goffman asserts that Katrina’s magic is taking it’s time to come back because she’s been in Purgatory for so long. Really? I wish I had known that in the beginning–I don’t know if we were ever given that explanation before. But even still, she’s got common sense–how come she can’t actually find out some pertinent information to help Abbie and Ichabod save the world? Does she want the world to be saved? I really don’t think so. She goes out of her way to tell Ichabbbie and co. to wait for “the right time” or “the right moment.”
JUST WHAT IN THE F*^$ MOMENT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, KATRINA!? The world will blow up Beneath the Planet of the Apes style before it’s the right time for Katrina.
To me, I’m honestly past the Ichatrina annoyance. It’s still a grating situation, and I’m glad they’ve finally decided to part ways (more on this later). But the severe lack of Katrina’s agency and just common sense is beyond insulting. The idea that the audience is supposed to care about Katrina when she adds nothing to the group is preposterous. Goffman has promised big things for Katrina, and with one of the episodes named “Spellcaster,” I’d better see some doggone spells and intrigue and ish. But if Katrina fails to come through after this, the show will be in serious trouble.
Ichabod as a free man: As I wrote in my recap of “The Akeda,” I’m sad that Ichabod and Katrina’s relationship has come to this messy end, even though I was rooting for it ever since Season One. However, seeing Ichabod literally list all of the points fans have listed as to why he can’t trust Katrina anymore was pure gold. The frustration and build-up was partially worth it since it led us to that hurrah.
But what’s life going to be like for Ichabod and Katrina now that they are no longer together (or have at least put their relationship on ice for the moment)? That’s going to be interesting. I mean, let’s not act like Ichabod and Abbie are going to immediately start knocking boots, but it would certainly be cool to see Ichabod open his mind up to other women. If only Caroline was still alive…
Hawley. Just keep being minutely useful, Hawley. He’s already more useful than Katrina, so half the battle’s been won already. But Goffman has promised us some major things with Hawley and why he is who he is. It better be a good story, especially since that particular episode is supposed to revolve around him. (Sigh.)
How did you feel about Sleepy Hollow’s midseason finale? How are you making sense of the mess? Give your opinions in the comments section below.
Photo credit: Brownie Harris/FOX
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