Nick Hawley: Bar-hopping Privateer

[HalcyonDays]

Here is your thread to discuss all things Nick Hawley, including his shady acquisitions, his love/lust for Abbie Mills, his snark, his comic moments and his very blond gravity defying hair.

[starchild215]

Of all the characters that arrived in Sleepy Hollow Hawley had the most potential. He and Jenny had a prior relationship (should be been a clue about what was happening with Frank), he definitely worked the shady side of the street and indirectly it seemed for Moloch, and Crane was definitely showing signs of being, let's say possessive, about Abbie. 

 

This all changed of course. I never saw Abbie being interested in him especially since she would have to know that Jennie was an old flame, or find out at some point. To get with him would definitely break the sister code. 

 

Then again Goffman is writing a soap opera so who knows what he's trying to do with the character.

[savinggrace]

I know a lot of people dislike Hawley but I'm one of the few who has liked him from the start. I think I separated his character from the motivations of the writers so I've been able to appreciate his personality and the humor he brings to the show. I also liked the goo-goo eyes he made at Abbie. Plus I don't think his presence hurts or brings down episodes like Katrina the Show Ruiner. In fact, I think some the strongest episodes of the season had a lot of Hawley in them- Mama and The Root of all Evil come to mind. I do think this character was done a disservice by the writers who broke the cardinal rule of introducing a new character by reducing the presence of other characters rather than simply integrating Hawley with those characters. You are bound to generate ill-will among fans even if the new character is a good addition.

 

Someone else alluded to this in the Akeda thread but the treatment of Nick has been odd and uneven and this was highlighted in the Akeda episode.  First I thought he should have been brought into the whole End of Days loop in the Magnum Opus episode. After having him be a part of the very intimate Mama I was surprised he was missing the next episode. With Irving skipping out of the country Hawley would have been useful in getting Irving some new ID and paperwork.

 

They oddly introduce him in Akeda whooping it up at the bar when he'd always been portrayed as a loner and the writers have even described him as such. It really bugged me that they after having kept him out of the loop Jenny and Ichabod track him down at the bar and demand all his weapons. Even though he obliges Jenny acts like he is out of line for being skeptical it's the End of Days when Team Witness hasn't exactly been forthcoming with him. Does Hawley even know Ichabod is from another century or does he still just think Ichy is weird? To add insult to injury they ask him to watch Headless during which Abbie casually tells him demons could show up to break Headless out. So essentially they've asked him -- on really short notice-- to risk his life. Then Abbie chastises him that "It's not a party and you can't have friends over." I still don't get why that was necessary? They've asked Nick to do a lot of things and he's jumped in feet first and I've never gotten the impression he thought it was a "party". It seemed really weird-- and rude-- that Abbie would ask him for a life-threatening favor then talk down to him in such a manner.

 

While I do like Hawley I hope there's a twist to his character down the line. Maybe he's a fallen rogue angel or the descendant of an evil Hessian or something. I also hope he has more shirtless scenes in the pipeline.

[DkNNy79]

I like Hawley as well.  I wish he didn't have a past with Jenny because I was on-board for him and Abbie to hook up.

 

Since Matt Barr has already signed on to do another show, I am going to enjoy Hawley while he lasts.  It looks like they have scrapped the idea of him and Abbie together.  Although I find it weird for them to obviously point out that he has a crush on her and then make it disappear?   

[HalcyonDays]

I like Hawley too, to be honest. I never had a problem with him. I thought it was interesting that they cast someone who was almost physically the same as Ichabod. I mentioned before how he was the same height, same shaggy hair, beard, etc that Crane has, so he was like a blonde version of Crane (yet bulkier). I have no issue with the original intention of him being someone Abbie could have fun(hee!) with, until the idiot writers added that he had a previous relationship with Jenny.

 

In case people want to know why this is, it's because one writer though Lyndie hot, therefore wanted to see her sex it up a bit on screen *sigh*. These bloody writers. ANYWAY...

 

I love him snarking on Crane, love the animosity between the two and was looking forward to a bit of development between the men. I mean, how awesome would it have been for those two to go drinking at a local pub (not the club we saw). I would also have loved to have seen his reaction to finding out that Crane was actually from the 18th century. These are awesome moments that the writers completely screwed up (no surprise). Instead, more Katrina.

 

What could have been. But I like this character and would like to see some background on him and Jenny (not the sexing) to see what kind of adventures they got into to, but we will barely get this, because Katrina. However, there is supposed to be an episode that focuses on Hawley. If Abbie/Jenny/Frank weren't so shortchanged this year, and time wasn't wasted on Katrina, I would have wanted this.

 

But I agree with how he has been treated too. I mean, they leave Hawley with Headless, without him having any knowledge to what weapons he would need, gave him little info and left him to his own devices. Again, stupid writers. Like everyone else on this show, the potential of his character was wasted.

[Iamsweetdee]

Waste of time and money.

[cynic]

I actually really like Hawley. I too enjoy his casual air and his snarky relationship with Crane. I wouldn't have had a problem with him if he hadn't gotten so much screen time at the expense of other characters...well, characters like Jenny and Frank anyway. If his appearance had sidelined Katrina and Henry, I wouldn't have minded at all! If Hawley had been partnered with Jenny and helped her do some awesome artifact retrieval, they both could have been fun this season. As it was, his sudden inclusion in the main plots was just jarring and excessive.

As for relationships, I also would have totally been onboard with him and Abbie getting together if the writers hadn't screwed it up with the Jenny thing. As it is, I hope Hawley's crush on Abbie is forgotten, never to be mentioned again, so he can get back with Jenny. Their chemistry is lovely and I could get behind a low-key, background romance that doesn't eat the show - something like Hardison/Parker on Leverage.

In the shallow end, the dude is hot and I love his impossibly blonde and gravity defying hair.

[RiddleyWalker]

…..

As for relationships, I also would have totally been onboard with him and Abbie getting together if the writers hadn't screwed it up with the Jenny thing. As it is, I hope Hawley's crush on Abbie is forgotten, never to be mentioned again, so he can get back with Jenny. Their chemistry is lovely and I could get behind a low-key, background romance that doesn't eat the show - something like Hardison/Parker on Leverage.

I like Hawley as well, I just think the hints of him being a romantic prospect for Abbie in light of his past with Jenny as well as the abrupt introduction of the character and apparent side-lining of more established characters was ham-fisted. I do think the writers realized that the Abbie/Hawley romance was a non-starter and backed off of that line, which is good.

 

I agree with the chemistry with Jenny thing. That seems real and the show should build on that. I know Hawley's not long for the show with Matt Barr going to a new show, but I hope they make his send-off on SH memorable--perhaps with a loophole that would allow him to return if that show doesn't last. I also don't buy him as a "loner", the Hawley in the bar on Akeda was more in line with the character I see. I love him as a foil for Ichabod and I think the Hawley character has some potential.

[theatremouse]

So, I'm not sure if I should be a little ashamed to admit this, or if it's actually quite telling about the character/show, but when I saw this my first impulse was:

Nick? Hawley has a first name? And we've been told what it is? Huhn. Okedoke then.

Edited December 7, 2014 by theatremouse

[savinggrace]

In the shallow end, the dude is hot and I love his impossibly blonde and gravity defying hair.

 

His hair is glorious isn't it? So full of body and perfectly layered

 

I agree with the chemistry with Jenny thing. That seems real and the show should build on that. I know Hawley's not long for the show with Matt Barr going to a new show, but I hope they make his send-off on SH memorable--perhaps with a loophole that would allow him to return if that show doesn't last. I also don't buy him as a "loner", the Hawley in the bar on Akeda was more in line with the character I see. I love him as a foil for Ichabod and I think the Hawley character has some potential.

 

Well Matt Barr is signed to a pilot, Most pilots don't get picked up for full runs but being as his pilot is a Jerry Bruckheimer & Michael Bay show it has a better chance than most. I too hope he comes back and doesn't get killed off. SH writers always seem to kill off the wrong people (Irving, the Masons, Caroline) and leave the characters who need to die alive (Katrina, Henry, Abraham).

[starchild215]

The Hardison/Parker template would be great for Hawley and Jenny. That was done so well.

[phoenics]

I actually like/liked Hawley as well - even if he is kind of a Dollar Store Thor (lol!).

I think the writers messed up by bringing him in and drastically cutting the Jenny and Irving scenes - that was just terrible and only made fandom resent Hawley. And trying to make him be for Abbie after he'd had a past with Jenny - NO. Just no.

I liked his interaction with Ichabod - but didn't want to see too much of it...

I loved his reactions to all of the crazy supernatural stuff - in The Pied Piper when he saw that demon dude as he was trying to load his gun and exclaimed, "Awww DAYum!" I laughed so hard I snorted.

I actually got irritated with critics who pointed to him solely as the bad stuff this season when in reality he's actually kind of benign compared to the Katrina/CFD mess. If the writers had redirected him to be for Jenny and to be onscreen WITH Jenny, then that could have actually worked... as long as they also brought in more Irving scenes.

If the writers get rid of Hawley because they think he's draining the show - they're looking at the wrong character. I'd much rather have Hawley than the Wig-Stand.

[DeLurker]

He's got much better hair.

I rather like him. The timing for his introduction was all wrong and then his continued presence was an intrusion as the Jenny / Irving absence became more and more glaring.

[Miss Dee]

I agree. If he had been written A, without taking screen time from Jenny and Irving and B, as a love interest for Jenny OR Abbie with absolutely zero crossover from one to the other, he would have been much easier for the audience to accept.

[savinggrace]

I still think Jenny and Irving's screentime were more a victim of the Crane Family Drama. Hawley makes a convenient scapegoat though so I'm sure his character will pay the price and get written out.

Edited December 10, 2014 by savinggrace

[phoenics]

That might be true savinggrace - but because it all happened together AND both Irving and Jenny were marginalized, a lot of fans connect Hawley as part of the reason why... the writers really messed up there - I see no reason why Jenny couldn't be hanging with Hawley for most of the stuff...

My suspicion is that they wanted Ichabod/Hawley scenes...

When you think about how Abbie was originally supposed to be trapped in Purgatory a lot longer than she was I wonder if they had essentially "replaced" her with Hawley on the show... when you consider all of the CFD and Abbie marginalization (almost like she was shoved in as an after thought), I do wonder if Hawley wasn't supposed to be the "muscle" and the "contrast" partner that Abbie is...

I just had a very unsettling thought...

This show makes me way too paranoid.

[Watermelon]

Had they been smart enough and thrown more details out, it would have been perfectly easy to explain that Jenny was on probation and had to do community service hours and had an ankle monitor. 

 

She could have said, "look, I'm not able to help like i normally can at the moment, but I know a guy, who knows things too."

 

Then, every other episode or so, mention how many house Jenny has left.

 

It's easy to explain Hawley and make sense of not using Jenny, the writers are just stupid.

[Bad Bitch In Red]

I still think Jenny and Irving's screentime were more a victim of the Crane Family Drama. Hawley makes a convenient scapegoat though so I'm sure his character will pay the price and get written out.

Wait CFD stands for Crane Family Drama?  Haha, I thought it stood for Cluster Fuck Disaster!  I like my definition better :oD

Edited December 13, 2014 by ChelesaRodgers

[methodwriter85]

   Matt Barr will always be Psycho Derek to me. I kind of wish they would turn Hawley into a crazed stalker. Matt Barr does it so damn well.

 

    His hair really is incredible. Most blond guys tend to go bald early or their hair darkens, so he's lucky.

[savinggrace]

I love Nick and his laid-back personality. My only hope now is that they let him leave town and not kill him off. There are other characters who need to die. Killing another modern character will be redundant after they just "killed" Irving. It's time for the colonials to die. I'm looking right at Katrina., Henry and Abraham.

[phoenics]

I love Nick and his laid-back personality. My only hope now is that they let him leave town and not kill him off. There are other characters who need to die. Killing another modern character will be redundant after they just "killed" Irving. It's time for the colonials to die. I'm looking right at Katrina., Henry and Abraham.

 

I agree.  There is absolutely NO reason to kill Hawley.  NONE.  His death would do absolutely nothing to the characters on the show beyond Jenny - and she's not even really sweating him.  Abbie never looked at him that way.

 

I do - sadly - believe it's probably Hawley - but only because the writers feel like they need to "lure" fans back in with the promise of the death of a character, knowing that fans will hope that it's Katrina and tune in.

 

What they don't understand is that fans are now reading reviews and spoilers BEFORE watching - so a lot of DVR fans won't fall for the okey doke.  They'll find out Hawley (or someone else we don't care about) dies and be mad it wasn't Katrina and stay away.

 

But you are right - they need to just have Hawley "show his true colors" a la Hans Solo and maybe have him come back to help in the ninth hour - but not to kill him off.  Hawley lifts out easily - you don't have to kill him to get rid of him - unlike Katrina or Henry.

 

It better not be Jenny.