Sparkling Beth

DearEvette, I "liked" your comment but in reality I love it. You summed it up perfectly. There were dozens of paths the writers could have gone down knowing that Nicole was leaving. They could have made sure that her final season on the show was respectful and compassionate toward her and toward the viewers who love her character. Instead we got Betsy Ross--who was hated by the viewers from the very beginning and could easily have been written off--and that weird pseudo-romance with Danny despite numerous hints that Ichabbie might yet happen. Screw the writers. This is entirely their fault, and given that a quick perusal of the posting boards would have pointed them in a better direction, they chose to send Abbie off in the most emotionally flat way they possibly could, short of just having her get hit by a bus.

Yes! Right up to the end I thought there would be a way of getting Abbie--the whole Abbie, not just her soul--back. I even thought that maybe when Crane was at the cemetery making his speech to the gravestone that he would look up and get a glimpse of Abbie through the trees and the last line would be "Abbie?" and that would be the cliffhanger. Stupid me. I always give the writers too much credit for sheer human decency.

In my opinion, where Sleepy Hollow went wrong can be summed up thusly: The writers perceive it as the story of Ichabod Crane and the people who populate his world. The viewers perceived it as the story of Ichabod Crane and Abbie Mills and the people who populate their world. One could argue that since it is the writers' creation, their perception is the correct one. But I would argue that there are more of us than there are of them and our vision should have prevailed, especially given the fact that without viewers, the show cannot continue.

I woke up depressed this morning and for a moment didn't know why. Then I remembered. Yeah, I know it's just a show, and I know that no one really died, but I still feel heartsick. If the writers knew Nicole was leaving for awhile, why couldn't they at least have given her a beautiful send-off, instead of screwing around with the whole Danny thing and then having her disappear (yet again) into some other dimension? Crane and Abbie could have become closer over the weeks and then she tragically dies in his loving embrace. I would still regret what could have been, but at least it would have had some emotional heft and closure. Abbie has turned into whirling special effects and vanished too many times in this show for me to have the appropriate emotional response to it. I suspect Sophie might be the one who inherits Abbie's soul, but as someone said above, what then happens to Sophie's soul? I like Sophie. But I don't want her to be a substitute Abbie. I really hate this.

The thing is, the writers can't possibly blame anyone but themselves for this. They had access to the Internet so they know that fans have been screaming for two years about the way Nicole was marginalized in the show. Even tonight, when Abbie allowed herself to be sucked into the box, I thought, "Why is it always Abbie who has to sacrifice herself for the greater good?" That was when I was still under the delusion that Crane would find a way to get her back before the end of the show. Damn it all to hell. This show was about Abbie and Ichabod. Ichabod and Abbie. Equals. No one watching wanted anything different. The writers screwed us--and Nicole--over big time in season two when they seemed to be trying to replace Abbie with Katrina, and while it got better this year, there was still the implication that Abbie wasn't as necessary to the situation as Crane. The viewers have never accepted that premise and that's why we're all so furious and upset tonight. Get the torches and pitchforks!

What do you mean, no one cares about him? I certainly care about him and I'm sure many others do too! I'm so frustrated that I'm being forced to choose between watching a show with only Tom in it or not watching at all. He's a wonderful actor and unbelievably handsome. I want him to be on my TV screen once a week, but an essential spark will be missing and I just don't think I can enjoy watching him while remembering everything that happened tonight. I feel that Tom is as much a victim of this whole situation as the viewers are.

This is so true. Think Larry Hagman on Dallas, who held out for more money and got it, versus Suzanne Somers on Three's Company, who was dumped from the show when she demanded more money. Think Erik Estrada on Chips, who walked off the show and was brought back with a higher salary, versus Valerie Harper who was FIRED FROM HER OWN EPONYMOUS SHOW. The producers killed off her character and changed the name of the show from Valerie to Valerie's Family, and then to The Hogan Family. Honestly, it seems to me that male stars almost always win their contract disputes and female stars almost always lose theirs.

Exactly. I'm pretty sure he's been back every year since the season he was on. He also had a lot of face time in the American Dream documentary that Idol aired on Tuesday. Adam has also been very vocal about his gratitude for the opportunity Idol gave him.

What the hell? Excuse me, I mean, WHAT THE HELL????!!!! Right up until the end I thought they were going to somehow get Abbie back. I thought, no, they won't do this to us. They won't. But they did. Remember when I said that if the writing team thought we wanted Danny and Abbie together, or Ichabod and Betsy together, they should get the Most Clueless Writing Team award? Well, this goes beyond that. Is there a word that means more than Most? Most Times Infinity Clueless Writing Team? Who thought that any viewer would be happy with this crap? I love Tom Mison, and it grieves me to say that I can't watch the show anymore just for him. The show needs Abbie. It was about Abbie and Ichabod from the beginning, and whether or not they ever became romantic, they were a team that could not be split apart and have the show survive. That's just a fact. I've seen other shows try to soldier on when it is clear to the viewers that a missing ingredient meant they just needed to close up shop. I'm thinking all the way back to Chico and the Man, when Freddie Prinze killed himself and the producers actually tried to continue the show by bringing in a younger kid whom the Jack Albertson character insisted on calling Chico. It was a mind-numbingly stupid move to even try to continue a comedy show with a fucking SUICIDE dropping a pall over the proceedings. On a less morbid note, The X-Files tried to go on without David Duchovny. No, no, no. If the two main characters aren't Mulder and Scully, played by Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, just close the doors and go home. And now this. There just isn't any way the show can continue without Nicole Beharie. I hope at this point that they just cancel it and that Tom Mison finds another project that will be worthy of his talent. I also hope to see Nicole again, in a movie or TV show that lets her shine. But a Sleepy Hollow without Nicole as Abbie Mills is a show I cannot watch. ETA: I want to cry.

I know how I want to interpret it. I want her to be thinking, "I've tried to deny it to myself. I've tried to distract myself with Danny. But damn, I love Crane. I am in love with Ichabod Crane." Okay, show, the ball is in your court.

Even though I recognize her talent, I've never cared for Fantasia's voice. To me it's what a baby would sound like if it could sing. My brothers thought Carly Smithson looked like Wonder Woman. Are the movies still looking for someone to play her?

I'm very happy for Trent! I became more and more impressed with him over the weeks as I realized that this boy can sang. I hope he has post-Idol success.

Really? I think Adam Lambert's doing okay. #understatement I thought that was an immensely entertaining finale. I'm really happy that they didn't bring in celebrity singers but just let the Idols themselves carry the show--they were more than up to the task. The level of talent that has come from Idol is really quite stunning when you see it all condensed into two hours like that. I was watching with my two brothers and my former sister-in-law, and we all let out a scream when they captioned Bo Bice because none of us recognized him with the short hair. I loved seeing Bucky, Taylor, Elliott Yamin, Melinda Doolittle...so many memories! I even enjoyed the WGWG's number, although it hardly captured the spirit of Bowie. They could have left out J.Lo's number as far as I'm concerned. All flash, no substance. And it seemed to last forever. But that's a small complaint. I was immersed in the joy and excitement that is the legacy of Idol and I'm going to miss it. Eat your heart out, The Voice. No way is the talent on Idol secondary to any other talent show. Oh--and congratulations, Trent! I would have been okay with either Trent or La'Porsha winning, but I was rooting for Trent.

I hope Trent wins. He can do so much with his voice and I admire that ability in a singer. Being an Adam Lambert fan, I will always maintain that Adam is the best vocalist who was ever on the show, but Trent is impressive. I threw some votes his way.

Don't be depressed, Miss Dee. Right now all any of us can do is guess. Eventually we'll hear one way or the other but until then, I for one am going to just hope for the best and try not to worry.

I definitely agree about the 15 and 16 year olds. I would put the entry age at 18, because I think anyone younger than that should be concentrating on school, not a career. Applause for the bolded sentence. I think it's especially important to remember that it's not a Get Into Show Business Free card. I've always said that Idol is a starting gate, not a finish line. It gets your name out there, which is incredibly important, but unless you're willing to put in the hours to keep your name out there, you're on a fast path back to obscurity. When Adam served as a mentor in Season 9, he told the contestants that if they thought Idol was hard, they'd better be prepared for the time after Idol because "you work your butt off!" That's how you succeed, with or without Idol.

Not necessarily, though. I remember a show called Now and Again, with Eric Close, Margaret Colin, and Dennis Haysbert, which ended with the Close and Colin characters fleeing the government, and then it was abruptly cancelled and the viewer never found out if they got away safely. Also, a remake of The Fugitive with Tim Daly ended its first season with a mystery gunshot and was not renewed for a second season. That is beyond frustrating for the viewer, but it happens. I sure hope it doesn't happen with Sleepy Hollow.

There's another way to refute the argument that Idols didn't "pay their dues" besides just pointing out that Idol is a very grueling experience, kind of like paying your dues on steroids, and that's the fact (mentioned in the show by Daughtry, Lambert, and others) that most Idol contestants had already spent years trying to launch a career. Contrary to the show's narrative, the vast majority were not just plucked off a farm because by golly, they sing so well in church. They played in seedy clubs and did wedding gigs and auditioned for roles in musicals and haunted recording companies trying to get someone to listen to their demos. I read Taylor Hicks's memoir, Heart Full of Soul, in which he described his decade-long struggle to have a career in music. The entertainment business is fiercely competitive, and even the most talented performer can get lost in the crowd. I believe that Steven Tyler said, when he became an Idol judge, that if something like Idol had been around when Aerosmith was getting started, they would have tried out for it. You'd be stupid not to take advantage of every opportunity. I think it's arrogant for someone like Kid Rock to act all superior and imply that there is only one path to success and it's the path he took. Personally I think quite a few of the Idol winners and non-winners are more talented and more deserving of stardom than Kid Rock.

After all the negative things said about Idol over its run and especially in the last several years (some of it said by me), it was nice to be reminded of what an iconic show it is. I, too, wish tonight's show could have been longer. It was so much fun to go back to those memories and see all the people whose careers began with Idol. Even some that are considered "What ever happened to--?" are probably doing better than they would have had they not appeared on the show. Man, Kelly singing "Piece by Piece" gets me every time and I have to reach for the Kleenex. What a heartfelt and beautiful song.

So they decided to let the show's least dynamic winners do a tribute to one of music's most dynamic performers? Alrighty, then.

Clever!

The more I think about it, the more I think that Abbie and Danny's relationship has been set up to fail. He was spying on her and didn't tell her. That is a much more personal betrayal than her not telling him that there are monsters in the world. She felt guilty about not telling him sooner, but really--did she owe him anything in that regard? If he doesn't know there are monsters, that shouldn't be Abbie's problem. But spying on a person? I can't help but believe that Abbie won't be able to forgive him and to that I say, "Yay! Bring on Ichabbie!"

Everyone needs to read the interview with Zach that slade3 posted above. He's smart and funny and speaks for a lot of us about Ichabbie! A couple of points--although it was badly edited, I just assumed that THO let Jenny go so she would have to feel the pain of killing Joe. He said something to the effect of turning love into pain. I don't think we're supposed to think she somehow escaped from him. As for Betsy's time in the catacombs compared to Abbie's, I think that while Abbie was awake the whole time, Betsy was in some kind of supernatural coma for the last two hundred years. Crane said she had no breath and no pulse, so clearly she wasn't just taking a little nap when they arrived. Also, Abbie didn't stumble across her when Abbie was in the catacombs because that room was hidden and you had to know the secret to getting into it, which involved those symbols that Crane touched.

I'm not going to say I'm done with the show yet. But if the writers think the viewers want them to pair up Danny and Abbie, and Ichabod and Betsy, I think they should get a Most Clueless Writing Team award. At this point I'm still holding out hope that all of this is a ruse to make us all the happier when Abbie and Crane realize that everyone else is a distraction and they belong together. I'm really pushing for that Betsy-shrivels-and-turns-to-dust-when-she-crosses-the-threshold scenario mentioned above. 'Cause that would be cool.

Oh, my. I am now aching for an Ichabbie kiss more than ever. That was breathtaking in its display of the chemistry between these two wonderful actors.