Warning: Spoiler Alert
Part two of the Fall Finale picks up in real-time from the conclusion of last week’s episode. Ichabod and Abbey race down a country road with the Sword of Methuselah in tow. Ichabod makes a crack about not being inclined to trust a small electric device during an Apocalyptic Storm. That’s when the GPS and engine die. In their moment of desperation, due to the lack of transportation, Ichabod politely suggests that this moment calls for commandeering a vehicle. He looks to a not new motorcycle. Abbey gets on first. Ichabod looks nervous. That is until they arrive at the country house.
Ichabod (excitedly dismounts the bike): I WANT ONE OF THESE. As soon as all of this is over.
Inside the country house where they expected to find Moloch, Henry or Abraham and did not, they find something equally as troubling. A very intricate scale model of Sleepy Hollow. On this model we find multiple black flags. Ichabod finds some yarn and connects all of the points created with black flags. The pull back reveals a pentagram over the entire town of Sleepy Hollow.
They find at least Katrina and Abraham outside. Abraham is attempting to complete the binding ritual, this would connect Katrina to Abraham with or without her consent. Ichabod unsheathed the sword and takes on Abraham. The sword is so strong in fact, the Ichabod is able to break the Horseman’s ax with it. Ichabod gains leverage and put the tip of the sword over Abraham’s heart. His life for the location of Moloch. Abraham claims the sword must gain a life for each it takes. If Ichabod kills Abraham, the sword will most likely take Ichabod’s soul. There’s an obvious solution that was telegraphed many episodes ago. Let’s see how long it takes them.
Katrina shackles the Horseman in the same holding cell they held him in last season. A big question needs to be answered with the apocalypse around the corner. If push comes to shove, will Ichabod do what is necessary?
Abbey: Moloch knows your weakness is your family.
Ichabod: I will lay down my soul to stop this apocalypse.
Abbey: But are you willing to lay down your son’s?
It didn’t take as long as I thought. If the sword needs a sacrifice and will consume the soul of the person doing the killing, they the best course of action is to get someone to wield the sword who has no soul. Enter Frank Irving.
Katrina stands before Abraham trying to gain more information. They aren’t yelling, but everything they say would carry in a facility such as this one. Whether Katrina is saying what is required to get the information, or if she is speaking the truth. It sounds, despite her alleged love for Ichabod, she has feelings (on some level) for Abraham. In which case, she can die right now for all I care.
Back at Ichabod’s cabin, Jenny is working on a computer. She discovers a digital message from Irving. Sounds basic enough, but at the end he says, “Frank Irving signing off. 9-2-3-1-7-8-0” September 23, 1780. This clue leads Ichabod and Jenny directly to him. Underground.
(Shotgun is cocked)
Irving: Hands up!
Ichabod: Captain…? It’s us.
Jenny: We need you Frank.
Irving: This is it isn’t it?
Frank is hesitant at the idea that he could potentially die and Henry would keep his soul. Then Frank gives his condition. If anything happens to him, if he dies, Jenny is to care for his family. A request she gladly agrees to. In the holding cell Abraham stands arrogant in defiance. With Frank standing a foot in front of him with the sword, still indignant. Abraham makes a reference to how much Frank has sacrificed. He informs The Horseman, that Henry already has his soul. Nothing to sacrifice.
I have not seen the entire Orlando Jones catalogue. However, I have seen a variety of works from Drumline to Mad TV, Biker Boyz to The Replacements and many other in between. I even watched Evolution. More than once. I don’t believe this to be hyperbole. This scene with Frank Irving showing Abraham exactly what he is willing to do, is in my opinion the single greatest moment in Orlando Jones’ acting career to date.
Abraham finally does cave and gives up some helpful information. The four white trees. The same ones that seemed to appear out of nowhere when young Abbey and Jenny Mills awoke in the forest. As Moloch and Henry burn each of the white trees, more and more evil will be permitted in as they merge this world and purgatory. Lightning, Blood, the Demon Army, and the fourth tree will complete the formation of Hell on Earth.
They come to the conclusion that Frank with the Sword of Methuselah is not enough and they will need to ‘weapon up’. Jenny and Ichabod hunt down Hawley. They find him in a dive bar not quite three sheets to the wind, but working on it. He is excited to see his friends came to party. Hawley is, as expected, less than enthused. He gives one last attempt to deviate about the Doomsday-ers and being 0 for 10,000 in predicting the end of the world. Then it starts to hail. Blood. It starts hailing blood.
All return to the Archives. Hawley is explaining the weapons he brought and exactly what the lore says about them. Then Katrina starts to put an enchantment on a gun. Hawley attempts to stop her, but she doesn’t hear him. Jenny interjects to tell him that Katrina is a witch. Hawley then looks over to Ichabod and says, “nice work”. He asks where Abbey is and Jenny tells him that she’s with the Horseman. To this point the worst thing Hawley has seen is the Wendigo. He doesn’t even know that there is a Horseman, that there are really four of them, or that the Headless Horseman is essentially tied up in their basement.
Hawley: Wow… This. Ain’t. No. Wendigo.
Abbey asks Hawley to babysit the Headless Horseman. In a moment of hesitation for trusting Hawley with this task, Abbey tries to impress upon him how critical this is. Call it unrequited affection for Abbey, it could be the logic of the predicament. Either way, there is a calm with Hawley now that should (for now) instill some confidence in his ability to do this.
Before everyone reconvenes, Ichabod and Katrina are alone in the library of the Archives. Ichabod starts a conversation about what she meant when she said to Abraham she ‘cares for him’. This conversation starts out innocent enough. But Ichabod has been a ticking time bomb on this subject. All of the lies and deceit have come to a head. By the end of this conversation, Ichabod and lunged toward her in anger, raised his voice in anger and voiced his distrust and even question the very merits of their union. To which Katrina gets very cold very quickly. They both decided to consider themselves soldiers with a role to play in this war until it is over.
The third tree has begun burning. This is the arrival of Moloch’s demon army. To which Moloch will use along with ‘War’ to find and retrieve Abraham. Not good.
The team advances through the trees toward Moloch’s location. They are met by the demon army. All of which seem to be revolutionary era like Ichabod. They march shooting their muskets . A shot hits Abbey and she drops immediately. Frank surges ahead and wields the sword like Russell Crowe in Gladiator. He’s no ninja to be sure, but the sword allows him to be effective. Ichabod is a kid getting back on his bike. This is all muscle memory for him. War approaches as the two men of strength look on.
Frank advances with almost an arrogant confidence. War does not seem impressed. They have a medieval like sword fight. Frank seems to be learning on the fly. And in a swift motion takes War’s arm. The arm holding the fiery sword. Frank gets cocky and attempts a video game like finishing move. This buys War enough time to kick him to create separation. Frank collects himself and starts again. From Ichabod’s perspective he can see Frank getting faster and eventually even in a position to land the fatal blow to War. Then we watch as War dies slowly like. Like the Wicked Witch of the West, but instead of water it’s his internal fire that does him in.
Frank has been hit. It doesn’t take long. The wound cannot be closed and the bleeding cannot be slowed. Ichabod and Katrina saunter back towards Abbey and Jenny. The can sense something went terribly wrong. After the break, Abbey is steadfast. She is determined to use the sword and take out Moloch. It’s a typical response. Someone she cared for is dead, so now she must lay it all on the line to end this. They try to consider who will sacrifice their life to take out Moloch. Abbey insists that she will. Then if she falls, then Ichabod. Then Katrina. Then Jenny. This is a horrible idea.
Ichabod is the only person in the room that has any experience at all using a sword. Abbey may be trained with a gun, but I don’t see her being effective. Now Jenny on the other hand, I’m positive can handle a sword. And Katrina? Give me a break. I don’t think she could wield a bread knife.
Moloch orders Henry to retrieve War’s sword. Henry has dramatically over estimated his value to Moloch. Moloch would have him go even if it means he will not survive. “There were Horseman before you, there will be Horseman after you.” He is also to slow down the team. He enters the church to find Abbey holding a sword. Henry uses the roots beneath the church to restrain Abbey and then Jenny. Even Katrina. That is when Ichabod appears with the actual Sword of Methuselah, point inches from Henry throat.
Henry lays on the ‘father’ bit thick. Ichabod still with the sword at his throat begins to relate this moment to that of the biblical story of Isaac and Abraham. Ichabod all but begs Henry to let them pass and take out Moloch and free Henry from his clutches. Henry puts on an emotional display that lowers Ichabod’s guard. Long enough for Henry to gain the upper hand. The ladies all restrained and Ichabod on his knees and Henry, sword in hand.
Moloch stand over all including Henry. Katrina is tied to the last white tree. Moloch instructs Henry to sacrifice his mother, Abraham be damned. The moment before Henry is to do just that, Ichabod shouts, “Take me instead”. Henry holding the sword asks about the story of Isaac and Abraham again. Ichabod says nothing but looks on intently. Henry then starts in on the details of the story but conceptualizing.
Henry: Who would worship a deity who commands a man to sacrifice his own son? Any man willing to sacrifice his child, should die! As well as any god.
That moment, Henry raises the sword to relieve Ichabod of his very life. He swings but not with intent. Completely misses Ichabod and turns. When he yells, “as well as any god” he stabs Moloch in the chest with the Sword of Methuselah. Moloch goes from a slick black color to bright red as the life is removed from him. The team look on in a blissful horror, attempting to take in what is happening. The camera pulls to show each one as they look on.
It’s in this moment, that the concept of ‘witness’ changes slightly. Maybe Ichabod or Abbey were never meant to be the ones to end the apocalypse. Maybe it is a literal definition to the term ‘witness’. Sure they had to do the work. Everything they did served a purpose toward an end. However, from where we stand, being the ones to actively do the deed that stops the apocalypse maybe was never the intention.
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Sleepy Hollow as of the conclusion of this episode leave us for their ‘Holiday Hiatus’, but will return in January. Check back to NJATVS often for any updates and we encourage you to enjoy the many other shows and television related content we cover.
