Courtesy of FOX
Warning: Spoiler Alert
First thought on tonight’s episode. “Who is this chick? Getting all ‘familiar’ with Ichabod?” It is no secret that I am a shipper, and thus do not appreciate the wrong women showing a character attention. This poor woman attempts to make a move on Ichabod due to his commitment to the civil war era reenactment culture that he is so committed to. The ironic part is that he’s a married man (technically), which makes her advance objectionable considering his colonial chivalry. Then Abbey walks in and the woman emphatically apologizes for what this looks like and even refers to Abbey Mills as “Mrs. Crane”. Priceless.
Abbey: We need a signal. You need to hang a tie on the door knob or someth–(her laugh interrupts her own words)
Ichabod: You are making light of a very uncomfortable situation. I was regretfully unaware of Ms. Caroline’s…affections for…me…
Abbey: Anyone could tell, that girl had a case of Crane on the Brain.
I was really hoping that this Caroline lady would be an inconsequential occasional character, but it feels like she may be integral to this episode. Ichabod rode out to Caroline’s home to apologize, as a gentleman would, for the awkwardness earlier. When she goes back into her home, weird stuff starts happening. An empty glass fills with blood, a woman’s screams, I’m guessing this won’t end well. In her living room or sitting room there is a black figure in a rocking chair. Completely black, with golden eyes. After a brief second, the figure attacks Caroline.
Caroline is found washed ashore the next day. Despite Ichabod’s lack of interest in Caroline romantically, there is pain and emotion in his cries when he arrives on scene. Watching him try and play detective with a personal investment is humorous. They question a high school couple about being in the area last night. The guy claims what they saw or heard was THE WEEPING LADY. A woman who was scorned by her husband or lover and takes her pain out on anyone who comes hear the area of the original event. If this sounds familiar to any of our Supernatural fans, it should. It is the plot of the Supernatural pilot episode.
Abbey and Ichabod set out to do some research on this local urban legend. While getting confused over the Dewie Decimal System (from the looks of it), Ichabod is drawn to a window where a crow lands. A crow with a small paper in it’s beak. This is a crow that Katrina put a spell on to find her love and deliver that message. The message was just a simple, I’m doing fine, type of message.
Holly makes an appearance and is not welcomed warmly by Abbey. Rightfully so after the Pied Piper episode. Now he has been given time to reflect and offers to assist as expected (for free) the next time they need help. The little tidbit that Abbey and Ichabod aren’t aware of is that Holly sold the pipe to Henry, albeit with a middle man.
In the library, Abbey walks down an aisle and hears the weeping. She draw her firearm and eventually shoots when the weeping woman lunges toward her. That show of aggression allows the woman to teleport herself and Abbey underwater. Ichabod heard the gun shot and gives chase yelling ‘left-tennant’ the entire way. He finds a black hole on the floor growing. Its a portal to the river. Abbey struggles to break free and eventually passes out (underwater). Ichabod reaches through the portal deeper and grabs Abbey pulling her back to safety. Ichabod is beside himself over the prospect of losing two of his small inner circle in a 24 hour period. Holly jumps to the rescue to give CPR and it works.
Of course when Abbey presents a piece of evidence from the Weeping Lady, Ichabod knows all about it. Including but not limited too it’s origin.
Ok. Time out. I am compelled to state the following. I love this show. It takes a thing out of the children’s books and made a self sustaining series that seems to have no end in sight. I do enjoy the fact that Ichabod’s knowledge of his own time aids he and Abbey in solving the smaller crimes. However, this part is getting way too convenient. The Weeping Woman who apparently keeps attacking anyone close to Ichabod is indeed familiar. She was the woman before Katrina. The believability of this show is legitimate. But when Ichabod has a personal familiarity with most of the issues they have, it loses its authenticity. I’m sure it will make for a good episode, but the idea that Ichabod knows everyone from Benjamin Franklin to this Weeping Lady is beginning to be a bit much.
This flashback is nausiating. She is disgustingly annoying. I find myself speaking a certain five letter word that rhymes with ‘hitch’ (ironically) and a few other choice words not suitable to post. This woman is delusional. Her and Crane were the product of an arranged marriage that Ichabod broke off. He did so in order to venture to the colonies. And naturally, the crazy meter is in overdrive with this piece of work. It couldn’t possibly be that he doesn’t want her. That would be illogical. So it must be Katrina’s fault (who is currently engaged to Abraham-in the timeline). She also believed that he broke of their arranged marriage as his way of protecting her, not the result of not feeling that way about her. I heard a stand up comedian recently say, “Crazy doesn’t bluff”. It seems appropriate for this.
Here comes the kicker. This Mary person has haunted and killed people through the ages for 200 years. She does this because she was apparently scorned by her paramour (illicit lover-which doesn’t sound accurate in the least). She was scorned because after Ichabod informed her that his affection for her was more like that of a brother and sister, she said:
Mary: I’ll be at the Inn on dockside. I expect you by morning with your bags packed ready for the journey home.
What a piece of work. Then, Ichabod informs Abbey (present day) that the following day, he received a letter from Mary apologizing for her behavior and that she releases him of any obligation. She was to return to England that day. Abbey doesn’t believe that’s what actually happened. The evidence thus far is simple. The Weeping Lady has tried to kill any woman who she believes might be trying to steal Ichabod away. But what about the one that actually did? Katrina. The note he received from Katrina by way of carrier crow, fell into the portal when Ichabod reached to save Abbey. The Weeping Woman was pissed.
They drop in on Holly. Who has a hell of a pad for living at the docks, slip 44. They need a weapon that will neutralize the Weeping Woman and bullets don’t work. After a decent time of Holly being Holly, he pulls out a crossbow. He claims the crossbow used to belong to Van Helsing. Yeah, wrap your noodle around that one.
Inside Abraham’s farm house where Katrina is trapped (essentially), Katrina opens a window when she sees her crow on a tree. She turns to see the Weeping Lady in the room and advancing on her. When Abbey and Ichabod arrive, they are too late. The Weeping Woman has already taken her and is presumably attempting to drown Katrina in the same spot as Caroline and Abbey.
One problem. She is trying to drown a witch. Katrina is able to buy some time by casting a spell of sorts and using the underwater foliage to assist her. She escapes just in time to hear Ichabod screaming her name. Katrina believes this is the work of only one Warlock, and as we’ve only been introduced to one Warlock, we can assume they are one in the same. Henry. Katrina has a plan to reverse the effects but it will take black magic. To expel her spirit, she must risk her own. Of course.
Ichabod goes to distract her. Which he is able to do until she gets angry again. He uses the crossbow on her, hitting her square in the chest. It did a thing, but I would call it effective. Mary charges at him and flies right through him toward Katrina’s location.
Just when I think this will free up Katrina to be with the group again with no issue, we find an issue. Ichabod asked Mary about the letter she gave him and why she remained when she said she was leaving. Mary points to Katrina and dies. I actually believed that it was just as simple as Katrina wrote the letter. Going into the commercial break, that has turned into a belief that Katrina cursed this woman. Not Henry. She also mentioned earlier that Henry is the only one she knows of who could do this sort of black magic, but that she could reverse it. Intriguing.
Ichabod is clearly not alright with what’s happened. Apparently, (200 years ago) Mary sent a message for Katrina to meet her in the woods by a cliff. As if that’s not creepy enough as is. Add a little anger, a little crazy talk from Mary and Mary eventually lunges to shove Katrina off the cliff. It does not work as Katrina bull fighter’s the move and Mary falls to her death. Not as magic oriented as I was imagining, but it is still one more cog in the wheel of deception created by Katrina.
The horseman arrives as predicted, if Katrina were to ever run. Katrina quickly tells the story that she was taken by a spirit and saved by Ichabod. And that she is ready to go home. Which convinces the horseman to let it go.
Jenny Mills apparently has been sleeping with Holly. I don’t really know how relevant that is at the moment, but there it is.
At a very specific and themed wake of sorts for Caroline, Ichabod shares a revelation with Abbey. A marriage without trust and honesty is doomed to fail. Perk up shippers. This is the first opening in Mr. Crane’s undying affection and monogamy to Katrina. Then he follows that up with “our duty as witnesses must come before all else”. Seriously, if he’s putting everyone except Abbey on the back burner, there’s only one way this can end.
Katrina believed that the Weeping Woman was an attempt by both Henry and Abraham to turn Ichabod against her. Abraham had nothing to do with it. The very next scene I could not have predicted if you spotted me the characters involved. Moloch is choking out Henry. Moloch did not order the Weeping Woman trick. Furthermore, Moloch says that Katrina is a chosen vessel. She is one of the “hellfire shards”. He then informs Henry that he is a soldier not a planner. Henry admits that it was not in the plan but he was trying to please Moloch. Sort of flies in the face of “Lord, I think the fact that I want to please you pleases you” doesn’t it?
The episode ends with Henry sitting on the floor with his legs spread crying and fussing like a 5 year old.
