TV REVIEW: Sleepy Hollow’s “The Kindred” Touches On Weaknesses

Sleepy Hollow’s “The Kindred” was all about likeness, family and raising stitched together dead guys.

Perhaps one of the best things about Sleepy Hollow is how much it tries to be. In the past it has managed to stuff action, comedy, romance, horror, historical fiction, drama, and plot twists into a ridiculously exciting 42 minute storyline.

Not always though. Sometimes it pooped out this weird hodgepodge of inconsistent character development and predictable action. Season one was a rather good illustration of this weird dichotomy and, as a result, was season one’s greatest sadness. When Sleepy Hollow is good its great, but it isn’t always and that sometimes makes it frustrating to watch.

Made it frustrating to watch. I get wary of jumping the gun, if you will, with “This is it!” declarations, but this definitely felt like it. To an extent I had yet to see with the show, “The Kindred” offered an impeccable balance of long and short term plot action, exciting fight sequences, retained its witty sense of humor, and acquired a depth of character development I had been begging for. In short, this was the series’ best episode yet.

The episode saw Abbie and Ichabod racing to find a way to retrieve Katrina from Headless so that they could be back on their way to taking down Moloch. Where that search led them was Benjamin Franklin’s “The Kindred,” or a Frankenstein of sorts that if assembled and awoken could match Headless’ strength and play for the good guys.

As Crane and Mills searched the archives and Franklin’s books for clues, Jenny offered her own brand of assistance, which included some blinder removal followed by an arrest. As the witnesses kept it moving to acquire the parts necessary to bring the Kindred to life, Abbie paid a visit to Frank while also jugglingly the new Sheriff.  It all results in a big showdown where Ichabod gets to make mood lighting jokes, Abbie gets to fire a gun rather attractively and we shout “NOOO FRANK NOOO!” at the screen in horror.

The show now has an 18 episode season (a.k.a. more time to develop character and plot lines) and a slightly trimmed down supporting cast (a.k.a. more time to develop character and plot lines). Though we’re only two episodes in we are already seeing the payoff of that. Most obviously in “The Kindred’s” best scene, between Abbie and Ichabod in the tunnels. After Ichabod notices a change in Miss Mills, he touches on Purgatory. The usually closed lipped Abbie opens a vein and the two end up discussing not just her time there, but their weaknesses. It is in this moment that we best see the true meaning of kindred.

Why is this scene so important, outside of the standard (but beautiful) Ichabbie moment? Well, it gave us a character parallel that strengthens our belief in the witness bond. It was also the first time that Abbie or Crane admitted everything we had spent a good half of last season pulling our hair out over. When you have heroes with flaws one of the worst things a writer can do is pretend they don’t exist. By doing this you create a world that logistically and emotionally doesn’t make sense.

When we mess up for whatever reason, but especially when the world is at stake, we should be talking about that. Talking about it — acknowledging it — allows for character growth. We don’t want to see stagnant, repetitious characters which is something we got a bit of last season, especially when it came to Ichabod’s development. This moment allowed for that growth in him while playing rather wonderfully on the multiple layers of the witness relationship.

The admittance of those weaknesses generated a weird emotional triangle, which you may not like (I didn’t). But once you know your nasty habit, you notice it a lot more… and try to stop doing it. The question becomes, what will these characters (and their relationships) become if they do end up kicking those weaknesses? Particularly Ichabod, for whom the show has dropped into the midst of time, a family battle, a war for the world, and now put at the center of an odd existing but not-quite-existing love triangle?

Speaking of weaknesses, Ichabod’s became a legitimate character this episode. The series’ choice to lead with another figment of the imagination was an interesting one to say the least. In it we glimpse a potentially headless future for Katrina. After hearing everything Abraham had to say upon Katrina’s manipulations, however, makes it now hard to picture that as a legitimate outcome. Unless Abraham discovers the truth. The truth being that Katrina, after 14 episodes, finally has…

Chemistry with Ichabod! JK (though that kiss was the first time I believed the Cranes were actually an epic love couple). No, it’s that she is now Team Humanity’s mole! With a temperamental and short sited man around her finger there is potential for her to get some solid character development and literally start pulling her weight. Thirteen episodes as a love interest in a tower was too long and the writers have finally released her. A thought still lingers, however, as hard as it is to believe seeing how headless Abraham is. Could spending too much time with the beast give her beauty syndrome, and brush up a love triangle there really isn’t time for when, you know, you have to save the world?

Pictured: Katia Winter as Katrina Crane — ©2014 Fox Broadcasting Co.

I’m sure Jenny wouldn’t be too pleased with it, as she wasn’t with the Cranes the majority of the episode. To be honest, it was about time. One of my greatest fears after the finale was that the writing would fail to acknowledge how badly things went. In doing so, it would also cheapen or lessen the emotional bonds and relationship building that had happened between characters over the course of last season. People made mistakes for those they loved and in the process cost others the people they loved. In a universe where being able to count on each other to protect the team and world is key, that’s a cardinal sin.

Through Jenny we were able to also see changes in Abbie. The partnership forged between her and Ichabod was strong,  but so is his love for his weakness — and Abbie’s love for her’s for that matter.  Abbie questioned Ichabod’s choices and worried about his obsessive passion for saving Katrina. She questioned herself and her trust of Crane. Jenny was the catalyst of that well-written end of Abbie’s development. Jenny also helped us (along with Frank) see how unforgiving the new Sheriff is.

Reyes seemed like a pretty cool lady in the beginning, yeah? Well, she stopped being cool after she locked Jenny away and drugged Irving up. Both of these characters have seriously taken one for the team and Abbie is with whom most of their loyalty lies. It’s important for Abbie — like Ichabod — to keep her promises. As a major fan of the Mills sisters’ relationship, it was moving to see 2×02 parallel with 1×04 so well. Yes, Abbie is committed to Crane and witnessing, but what about the  other people who keep coming back for her? Jenny shouldn’t — can’t — be left behind again if this team and this relationship is gonna work. And we really, really want it to work.

Frank returned this week and, as we saw, had the toughest time of it. I was concerned when he didn’t appear in the premiere, but now it makes considerable sense. Frank needed serious screen time to set up for his own season two arc and holding him off until the bigger issue was addressed was a way of doing that. As a payoff for our (limited) patience, he now appears to have one of the most exciting storylines. Not in the good way, obviously. Not only was seeing him beaten and bruised extremely difficult (he was pretty much a champ in the finale), but watching him sign something of himself away to evil Henry was downright terrifying. That was truly one hell of an investing scene to end an episode on.

Outside of character development and plot set up, the fight sequences were a smashing good time. We should, however, probably talk about the fact that The Kindred just seemingly wandered off into who knows where (let’s hope a kid doesn’t stumble upon him). Abraham’s hissy fit and Ichabbie mental manipulation with Katrina was also an interesting route to go. As for Sheriff Reyes, her introduction started out great and rapidly declined, which means that Abbie will have even more to balance now. Reyes is clearly packing bigger guns than Frank and with both sides growing their armies, I’m eager to see how they use her as an obstacle… or future aid.

While effectually a set up episode for new season two plot lines, “The Kindred” was one of the series’ strongest balances of character and plot development, action and emotion. If season two has already started by mending many of season one’s mistakes, I can’t wait to see where the rest of season two is going.

Favorite Moments

• Abbie shooting the gun. No further comment.
• Ichabod’s revulsion of bank abuses and the wedding ‘industry.’
• Abbie looking at Jenny over her shoulder in the jail… and Jenny nodding back.
• The Kindred riding off to sneak in a facial before the big battle.
• Katrina telling Ichabod to focus on his job because she has one now, too. #modernwoman
• Abraham selling Ichabbie like a car salesman.
• That moment in the tunnels between Ichabod and Abbie where relationship and character development met, and tears flowed my from eyes.