Television is built on patterns and tropes. Indeed, all of storytelling is, but doubly so for tv which has to crank out at least ten episodes a season week after week, if not more. They rely on patterns because it is easy and safe. The magic happens when the creators follow the pattern, the audience is aware that this is nearly exactly the same plot as every other week, but nobody cares. Sleepy Hollow has elevated the television tropes to some other level. I understand that this show is the equivalent of a five year old kid trying desperately to retell the plot to the last movie he saw, but it is just so charming all I can do is say 'Aaw shucks, kid. Here's a nickel, buy yourself a licorice whip.'
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The plot to 'Kindred' is as basic as they come: Ichabod and Abbie need to accomplish a particular mission, but can only do that with the help of a highly specific, completely-unheard-of-until-this-very-moment object that, of course, happens to be in Sleepy Hollow. After which time, a fight ensues, we have learned a little bit more about the End of the World and the obligatory shocking twist.
There, that is every Sleepy Hollow episode ever (and also every Warehouse 13 episode, too).
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This week, the object is the Kindred, a Frankenstein-esque monster created by Benjamin Franklin whose power can rival that of the Horseman of Death. The very same Horseman that has Ichabod's wife, Katrina, captive. Convenience, thy name is Orci and Kurtzman. Would that we all had a library of supernatural tomes, for I truly believe all of our problems could be settled by just reading them.
Plot is merely a vessel for the characters to hang their hats on. No, this will never be a 'character driven' show, but it is a show filled with characters. Ichabod, Abbie, Henry, Jenny. They are all wonderfully realized pieces on the board that the plot moves around as needed, and each reacts the way they should. Ichabod's reading of the riot act to the bank clerk regarding the evils of credit is an obligatory 'man out of time' trope that they shoehorn into every episode, but is delivered so convincingly by Tom Mison that I was ready to chop up my own plastic in solidarity. Those are the moments we long for in Sleepy Hollow; the plot merely allows us to get to them.
The Kindred introduces the question: how far are our heroes willing to go to defeat evil? The old Nietzschean quandary of the abyss staring right back. The merits of mutual escalation are debated early in the episode before being shot down by Ichabod for the "greater good". Gaining Katrina, a bona fide witch, will be of bigger importance than the Kindred. Afterwards, Ichabod and Abbie swear to not fight fire with fire, an easy thing to say when your fire won. The Kindred has broken free, but fear not, I am sure it will make an appearance again before the season is out. Nor do I believe it will always be on our heroes' side.
In more down to earth business, the new police chief, Reyes (the always great Sakina Jaffrey) not only continues the diversity streak Sleepy Hollow is known for, but is providing a far more realistic obstacle to our Witnesses. Reyes is a by-the-book stickler for the rules whose interference is the last thing Abbie needs right now. The show is at its worst when it focuses on the mundane 'muggle' portion, as evidenced by Irving's plotlines that were only ever tangentially forced into the greater mythos last year. Cutting through red-tape isn't all that fun; especially when compared to the shenanigans of a Headless Horseman with machine guns. One does hope Reyes has another agenda; her history with Abbie's mother could hint at a greater understanding of what is happening in the town and in a show filled with double-crosses and surprise reveals, it will be the least surprising but most welcome of all.
Meanwhile, Irving has only gotten more interesting since he went to jail. He's hounded by fellow prisoners and is now having his sanity called into question. The ending scene is a devilishly enjoyable one; Henry will be representing Irving from now on as a lawyer. He even forces the former chief to sign with his own blood. That's usually just a statement, but not in Sleepy Hollow. If we can take something literally, by god, we will.
Last week's episode was a palette cleanser, a way to toss people back into the story with only the most basic of setting up for future events. Kindred dashes headlong into the coming storm with the usual Sleepy Hollow zaniness and sets up Katrina as a mole in the Horseman's inner circle, a twist I did not see coming but in nonetheless welcome. Some characters just work better apart, and I worry about the inevitable triangle of jealousy that will come between Ichabord, Katrina and Abbie. But those are issues for another day.
Kindred might not be the best episode of Sleepy Hollow, but it does feature a Frankensteinian monster, the Headless Horseman and a suit of armor with a FIRE SWORD duking it out, which I believe automatically puts it above the Breaking Bad series finale in terms of sheer entertainment. Who needs depth when you have that?
Background Noise is GameNGuide's television column. Follow our coverage here.