Premiere Particulars: Sleepy Hollow

Gees this is kind of surreal…A little over a year ago, Sleepy Hollow’s season one premiere was my very first write-up for Premiere Particulars. Now here I am reviewing its premiere all over again! Of all the new shows I watched last year, Fox’s Sleepy Hollow was definitely the one that grew on me most. My initial response to it was lukewarm, but by the end of the season I was already desperate for season two. So did the premiere live up? Let’s discuss the particulars.

What I liked:

• Abbie (Nicole Beharie) and Ichabod (Tom Mison). As far as platonic TV couples go, they are one of my favorite pairs. Their banter, their hugs, their fist bumps (which Ichabod is still getting used to)—I love everything about their relationship. They make it pretty clear how much they care for one another in this episode, and it’s great.
• The humor. That’s something I’ve liked about this show for a while. Lots of ridiculous fantasy stuff happens, but it’s okay because the show knows not to take itself too seriously. I got plenty of chuckles out of this premiere.
• Ichabod was in quite a fix at the end of last season, but the way he gets out of trouble is pretty awesome. That’s all I’m saying.
• The brief though important inclusion of Andy (John Cho). His character is kind of an enigma, so I’m hoping his appearance in the premiere isn’t his only appearance this season.
• The dramatic end. There are clearly some big things in store for Sleepy Hollow…

What I didn’t like:

• The confusing, rapid-paced beginning. I have to speak about this vaguely because I don’t want to ruin anything, but the first 15 or so minutes of the episode kind of feel like a waste of time. I understand why it’s done, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating.
• The use of a certain historical character. He is used to push the plot forward and to provide a few laughs, but I don’t always love the way Sleepy Hollow feels the need to intertwine Ichabod’s past with important historical events. Feels kind of forced—especially in this instance.
• There is absolutely zero mention of Captain Irving (Orlando Jones) in this episode, and he’s currently in a pretty sticky situation. C’mon…can’t we get a hint of what’s going on with him?
• A certain character can somehow travel through purgatory willy nilly, ignoring all of the rules that the show carefully establishes. It’s a bit confusing.
• Unfortunately, I don’t really care what’s happening with Ichabod’s wife, Katrina (Katia Winter). I just find the other characters and storylines more interesting. Sorry, Katrina.

The Potential: If this season builds the way that last season did, I think it could be pretty great.  I do think this premiere wasn’t as strong as it could have been—mainly due to the first 15 minutes—but once we get past that the episode makes a point to resolve all of the cliffhangers and set up for what’s sure to be an exciting second season. Abbie and Ichabod are back to save Sleepy Hollow, and it’s an awesome thing.

My Grade: B+