Death’s Tale of Woe. Review: Sleepy Hollow – “Necromancer”

Season 1, Episode 08

Air Date: Monday, November 18, 2013, 9PM ET/PT on Fox.

Rating: ★★★★★

“This is a secret war; we must be cautious who we invite into it.” — Ichabod Crane

“Necromancer” is an absolutely amazing episode filled with drama and mystery, and wrought with intensity, especially during the interrogation scenes between Ichabod (Tom Mison) and the ruthless Headless Horseman (Jeremy Owens). There is a reason Sleepy Hollow has already been renewed so early on for a second season, and if you haven’t started watching, “Necromancer” is the perfect episode to start with.

The Interrogation

The headless horseman (or Death as they call him) has a tale of woe to tell. His story is so intertwined with Ichabod’s, you’d almost think they were still bonded by blood. The horseman is deviating from his mission for the evil one, Moloch (D.J. Mifflin), in order to seek his own personal vengeance against Ichabod, and the reason will stun you. I couldn’t believe my eyes but as the interrogation of the horseman wears on, a dark secret from Ichabod’s past emerges.

Mison is brilliant in his portrayal of a man thrust into a new millennia after being buried for over 250 years. His character’s surprise at the many technological advances is so convincing, you don’t doubt for one minute Ichabod wishes he could step back into his own era if only to find solace from the many nuances of the 21^st century. Mison is mesmerizing to watch. As a side note, I thought it was so cool that Abbie teaches Ichabod about “fist bumps.” Love it.

Necromancer

Andy (John Cho) is unable to commit fully to helping Ichabod and Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie) in their quest to destroy the horseman. “When he (Moloch) visits, I have no choice but to obey his command.” But, oddly enough, Andy aids in the interrogation of the horseman.

Ichabod to Andy: “You’re his necromancer.”

Abbie: “Necromancer?”

Ichabod: “An appointed one who has the power to speak for the dead.”

The plot thickens. Andy wants desperately to be free from his servitude but his soul is not his own. Cho does a wonderful job of conveying the anguish of a man who’s trapped by his own choices. He chose to work for the dark side. He chose to fight for evil. Why? Why did Andy choose to work for Moloch or maybe it wasn’t his choice at all? And kudos to the make-up department—Cho looks disturbingly freaky as he becomes the voice for the headless horseman.

Believe It or Perish

Captain Irving (Orlando Jones) is still quite skeptical of everything despite having the headless horseman trapped in a secret underground prison. When will Irving start to truly believe? What will it take? When an ancient “Thracian phile” ends up being stolen from an antiquities dealer, Jenny (Lyndie Greenwood) is brought into the fray to help Irving figure out who took it. I enjoyed seeing Irving be a badass. He comes in packing some serious heat and just when you think one of those Hessian thugs has the jump on him – boom! Irving takes him down. I knew there was more to Irving than meets the eye. I’m ready for the writers to give us more background on him. He’s pushing really hard to keep this supernatural nonsense away from his precinct and the citizens of Sleepy Hollow but why? Is it just to keep them blissfully blind to what’s really going on or does Irving have another reason?

Greenwood holds her own and her character is quickly becoming a valuable asset not only to the inner circle but to Sleepy Hollow as well. Jenny worked for 12 years under the guidance of the late Sheriff Corbin (Clancy Brown) so I know there is something in her past the writers can work with to create compelling story arcs for Greenwood’s character.

Overall

From the set to the acting, Sleepy Hollow is engaging, realistic, and entertaining. “Necromancer” gives us a glimpse into the darkness that is about to rain down upon Sleepy Hollow. But Andy says something that gives me pause. When the horseman bests Ichabod in a duel and is ready to strike him dead, Andy screams out, “Stop! You can’t kill him; the master forbids it!” Forbids it? What does Moloch want with Ichabod? And if Ichabod’s beloved wife and witch, Katrina (Katia Winter), is being leveraged as the prize for the horseman, will Moloch use her to gain Ichabod’s servitude for her freedom?

Sleepy Hollow keeps getting better and with only a few episodes remaining this season, I’m sure things are only going to become that much more intense.

Tune in to Sleepy Hollow, Mondays at 9/8c, only on Fox.

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.