S02.E13: Pittura Infamante

[cynic]

Both Michelle Trachtenberg and Jill Marie Jones were awful tonight.

The A plot was weird. First, it was completely unnecessary to tie the killer to Abigail Adams. They didn't do enough with it for it to really add to the story for me. It just seemed like a contrived way to give Katrina a flashback and try to make her relevant. Also, the logical leaps they were making as they sussed out the clues seemed too easy. "That must be why he drains the victims!" Um, okay. And it felt like they spent half their time standing around explaining what was going on. All that and the fact that Katrina was was the main character made this plot so not one of my favorites. I couldn't believe it when Crane and Katrina tried to talk quietly about the painting and Katrina's voice got even more whispery (whisperier?). I didn't know such a thing was possible.

On the plus side, the special effects were cool and Abbie saving the day like a boss was pretty awesome.

I did like Frank's B (should've been A) plot. I loved Abbie's resigned practicality and her talks with Jenny. I also enjoyed Jenny retrieving the bullets and didn't think that her grossed out reaction took away from her badassery at all. It takes a strong woman to be that grossed out and do what needs to be done anyway. Plus, she figured out how to dispatch the zombie in two seconds while it has its hands on her throat. Jenny is awesome.

Lastly, I hated Katrina's dress. With the neckline, the adjustable straps, and the lace trim combined with the silhouette, it kinda looked like a slip. I just don't buy that a woman from her era would be okay wearing something like that (or the corset/jeans combo).

Edited January 20, 2015 by cynic

[Marie F.]

I feel weird even commenting on the show since I fast-forwarded through so much of it.  It was boring and unnecessary and looked like it was thrown together really quickly.  Also, the scene where Jenny was pulling the bullets out of the corpse bothered me; Jenny isn't the squeamish type.  Didn't she steal those kidneys or whatever from the hospital to feed to the wendigo/Joe and make that quip about donating blood to make up for it?  It just seemed wrong to me that she would react like that to pulling bullets from a corpse. 

 

I would be happy with this show if it was just Abbie and Jenny.  Sadly, I'm not even interested in Ichabod anymore.

[sinkwriter]

 

Also, the scene where Jenny was pulling the bullets out of the corpse bothered me; Jenny isn't the squeamish type.

 

I didn't mind. Maybe Jenny's more comfortable putting bullets into creatures, not taking them out. It was pretty gross. And I liked how she compared it to when Abbie had to pull giblets out of the Thanksgiving turkey - the fond smile Abbie tried to cover up was endearing.

 

 

I would be happy with this show if it was just Abbie and Jenny.  Sadly, I'm not even interested in Ichabod anymore.

 

I've found that I'm only interested in him with Abbie. And I don't even mean that romantically, not necessarily. I just find that he seems to come alive more when he's in scenes with Abbie. The smiles he shared with her, the camaraderie, the humor, the exchanged understanding looks... they light up the screen. When they're separate, I feel let down (and a little bored).

[BrokenRemote]

Another item in the "tell us one thing and show us another" writing around Katrina: Ichabod telling Abbie on the phone how hard it is for Katrina to adjust to this time (which was followed with " you can take the girl out of the 18th century, etc.) while Katrina is shown in the background wearing a dress that wouldn't even be considered modest enough to be an undergarment in her century. Just like they tell us she's a great witch and show us she sucks, they tell us how she's having trouble adjusting, but while Ichabod has all kinds of trouble modernizing his look she's squeezing into skintight cleavage-shelves and grabbing his ass.

[Amethyst]

So that was Katrina grabbing Ichabod's ass?  I thought they were watching and commenting about another couple doing it.

 

Blech.  

[Rhetorica]

Watching my cat napping beside me was more entertaining than this episode.

[sinkwriter]

I'm pretty sure it was the other couple. Because then Crane explained to Katrina that he'd learned the phrase "get a room" for when people get too handsy like that couple did in front of them.

[possibilities]

Why is the return from the dead of one of the show's major ensemble characters (and also one of its most famous actors) a story where nothing happens, and said character is reduced to sitting alone by himself in a room while others are forbidden to interact with him? Why is the show's number one badass spending most of the episode doing desk work? Why are all the black people segregated into the B plot while all the white people are off slaying this week's demon and gobbling up the airtime? It's almost like separate and unequal came to town.

 

And why is it that even when Katrina is half of this week's demon-slaying duo, that her main action is to stand around doing nothing while Icabod runs around looking for both the demon and his next predicted victim? Yes, she chanted a few words to get them in and out of the painting, but other than that, she is the weakest action character I've ever seen anywhere, ever, including n stories where zombies were involved.

 

I love Jenny. That wasn't just a corpse, it was a rotting dissolving corpse-- way grosser than a preserved body in a lab.

 

I love Abbie. She seemed depressed, though, and I don't blame her. I was glad that one cop was friendly to her at the precinct, and Beharie lit up just from a casual hello, that's how much her character has been insulted and neglected lately.

 

Even with hardly any lines, and mostly just staring ahead and hardly moving, Irving managed to show more intensity and emotion than both Cranes put together all episode.

 

WTF, show? WTF????

[Watermelon]

I appreciate this show. Regardless of what the writers SAY, they write Katrina to be the StruggleWitch we all know her to be. 

 

Miller gets yanked into a painting 20 feet from Katrina and not only does she not see it, when Crane runs into the room to save him she walks over and stares at him, not even attempting to help.

Then of course there's her lack of witchy ability to multitask and save Miller and destroy a painting(which clearly was as easy as teleporting a knife through it, or setting it on fire)

THEN there's the most awesome part, which is neither Mills having any hope that Katrina has the skills to suss out evil. That's really all they want from her, is to check Irving for the presence of evil, and they already know she'll probably fail at that.

[kimberella]

"This painting is a self-portrait of the artist who painted it." This was an actual line in this episode. With writers like these, no network intervention is going to help.

[possibilities]

Watermelon and Kimberella, you made me laugh so hard just now. It really cheered me up.

[johntfs]

I haven't seen the full episode yet but I don't really get the complaints.  Sleepy Hollow has always ridden the ragged edge of sucking.  Go watch early Season 1 episode where Ichabod takes a full minute to explain his convoluted backstory.  I was planning to drop the show after the first episode until the Headless Horseman showed up wield a shotgun and an assault rifle.  That was batshit enough to keep me watching.

 

Really, this show only comes to full life when the 18th century and 21st century people and concepts collide with each other.  Katrina and Ichadod at a historical society dinner is going to be dull.  Katrina and Ichabod in a laser tag arena or a rave would be awesome.

[DeLurker]

Watching my cat napping beside me was more entertaining than this episode.

Is there a live feed for this? Cause it would have been a better use of my tome.

Edited January 20, 2015 by DeLurker

[Sasha]

Jeez that was a whole new level of suck. A rough draft written by an intern who needs to go back to trade school and learn plumbing. Everything from the writing, directing, acting was just pathetic. It was so bad all I kept thinking was when did Katrina learn to walk in heels? Who taught her to slather on enough makeup to look like an 80's prom queen? That dress and that fake hair color? Who's paying for all that? Jenny must have helped her get ready while Abby tied Crane's hair up in that bun, right? It was a joke they were playing for having to listen to the Crane family drama. I kept expecting to see Hawley texting pictures to Abby and Jenny who were drinking and laughing their assess off. At least that would have been entertaining. What a joke this show has become.

Edited January 20, 2015 by Sasha

[ElectricBoogaloo]

On the plus side, it was genuinely freaky when the painting showed the artist's face watching Crane and Katrina.

 

Once they figured out that the painter was attacking anyone who got blood from the painting on them, I was yelling at Ichabod to get away from the frame instead of getting closer to examine it. Then nothing happened so I thought, uhhh, okay. So later when the painter grabbed him through the canvas, I was like HA, I told you so, Crane!

 

Man, Michelle Trachtenberg was just awful.

[MissAlmond]

Since my interest in SH is now all about BTS, I have a question for those who watched this episode.  Did the Irving scenes seem to be shot later than the Ichabod/Katrina scenes?  No doubt Ichabod and Katrina's date night was always in the works, but what about Irving's coming back?  Some have speculated Irving's return was bumped it (or even inserted later) due to fan reaction to his death.  I don't know if that's true or not, but perhaps the reason Irving was sitting around saying nothing and his family reaction seemed muted was due to a last minute switch in plot.  Maybe Irving had no lines because there wasn't time to write them.  IF there was FOX interference at this time, maybe all they wanted was to show viewers a) Irving was still in the show and b) his family did indeed have a funeral for him. 

Saying all that I still have no idea how, outside of dreams or supernatural spells,  this show can be right itself and be saved.

[blixie]

 

I don't know if that's true or not, but perhaps the reason Irving was sitting around saying nothing and his family reaction seemed muted was due to a last minute switch in plot.

 

I'm trying to remember but I think they had something like 13-15 episodes *in the can* when the complaints reached their pitch, it's possible they re-cut everything from that point, but I didn't get the sense they were doing re-shoots until December and production wise I'm not sure how much time they would need, thirteen would definitely be the first on the REDO block. I've seen several comments about how this felt like two totally different episodes, I could believe there was more Abbie in A plot, possibly Hawley in the B plot with Jenny, and they cut Hawley out and added Abbie, never thinking about the optics of having the entire black half of your cast LITERALLY subjugated into the lesser plot. I've rarely seen a more direct example of being utter assjobs than Goffman and his writing staff, and I've rarely rooted for someone to get fired so vociferously since Garth Ancier cancelled Freaks and Geeks.

 

I will say I don't think Irving was ever supposed to be gone for good, so he was always going to be one of the two plots and since he's a black character and his name isn't Katrina that plot was always going to be the B plot. Motherfuckers.

[Limelight]

What is this show anymore? There's the show I liked with Abbie, Jenny and Irving. Abbie and Jenny trying to figure out who or what Irving is now and whether or not to trust him since he could be soulless.

I loved Jenny and Abbie's both verbal and especially with Abbie/Nicole's great facial expressions, visual dislike of Katrina. Thank you! Katrina has undermined your job as witness and police officer trying to absolve Henry and Abraham of their many sins, especially murder. She deserves more than smirks!

I'm really interested in finding out what Frank is now. Was Henry the person who submitted the evidence that will get Frank cleared? Does that mean he's still indebted to him? Is he a Horseman now? (Will that mean his whole existence will be about Katrina now too! Oh no;)

Then the other show, an episode of Hart to Hart with the husband and wife team solving a murder. Except without the cute banter and chemistry that Robert Wagner and Stephanie Powers had. I know Katrina isn't a very good witch but you'd think she'd be able to conjure up some chemistry with her husband! She even makes Ichabod boring.

I don't get why the writers don't understand that two Colonial people together are boring. What makes Crane interesting is his interaction with the modern world and seeing that through Abbie's eyes.

[Mrs OldManBalls]

The haunted painting storyline started off creepy and interesting but quickly became boring when Katrina and Crane arrived on the scene. Supernatural did this story soooo much better.

Provenance. That episode really scared me. I will not watch it again. 

 

Topic: I missed this episode due to my kid's drill team practice running late. should I bother seeking it out? 

[MizArk]

Hubs reaction to the show: "Whoa, she's hot. Why is she wearing a slip to a historical-theme party?" "Nice boobs, but bad acting." "That is one uncomfortable kiss. Was she his sister in their previous life?"

 

'Nuff said about Katrina, I think. I did like Jenny's scene with the corpse (though, seriously, gloves, hon) and the painting turning its head was cool. And I commented once that Abby's eye makeup was particularly nice. I miss the show I thought this was going to be.

[DearEvette]

On some reflection I think I am going to try to re-watch this.  I think I had mentioned before that I can't just relax and watch Sleepy Hollow anymore, I keep waiting to be disappointed.  Now that I've gotten through it and know what to expect I think I can watch it now.  I did like the painting stuff and would like to watch that more closely just to wallow in the creep factor.

 

I will say, though, once again it bums me out that we get indications that Ichabod actually has a social life while Abbie is being portrayed as this joyless work horse.  I mean we know that Ichabod has/had friends amongst the re-enactors and now we know he actually was buds with historical society guy.  And he actually takes time out to go on a social date.  Meanwhile there has been no indication that Abbie has any friends ... at all.  She helps Ichabod get ready and it is strongly implied she took Katrina shopping (I thought I read somewhere there was a scene of that.... probably got cut), but she goes back to the office and works.  Fine we don't need to see her doing jello shots and dancing on bars, but it would be nice to know she too has some interests.  Hell, show her shooting at the range for shits and giggles if we want to keep her bad-ass cred intact.  Or at least have her chilling at home with a big glass of wine while she is reading Grace's journals.  But throw us a bone at least.

Edited January 20, 2015 by DearEvette

[HalcyonDays]

Eh. It wasn't that bad, but at the same time, I'd had some cocktails so you know - medicine. Unfortunately I don't remember the end of the episode and what happened but it doesn't seem like I missed much.

 

Things to point out. Why is Abbie helping Crane dress for his "date". I find it very interesting that usually on TV it's the WIFE who ties the tie or adjusts the collar or whatever for her man, usually with some witty or funny or romantic dialogue and a passionate kiss. Yet, here we have Abbie doing it, not the wife. And seriously - Katrina should be able to HEAR everything they are saying. She's only like five feet away. This show.

 

And this so-called perfect romance. Okay, when they are looking at the couple who are touching each others butts. With a couple that actually likes each other, they would see that, make a joke, and do the same thing. Are the Crane's even attracted to each other? Then we have her kissing him, and he pulls back because he has to investigate something. See, in a real romance, the guy would probably pull back, say something like "I've got to go" and sweep in for another kiss before leaving. I watched Gotham prior to this show and the kiss was nice there. Can someone explain to me how this couple is supposed to be the perfect epic 18th century romance. BORE-ING. Dead in the water. It is anti-chemistry, but also the writing. If they really want to sell it, it has to be done better (not like I want to see it).

 

Ichabod had more chemistry and life in him talking to Abbie on the phone, for god's sake. End the marriage now.

 

Loved, LOVED Jenny yelling out loud that Hawley didn't tell her about leaving in ONE bullet. Hilarious. And once again, here is the difference. Jenny may be squicked out when taking bullets out of the zombie. But she does it. Then we have Katrina who cannot put her hand in a jar of rats. This is a witch!! Eye of rat, toe of frog. Just pathetic.

 

I cried when Frank was in the interrogation room and Abbie spoke to him. The puppy dog eyes....! Orlando, what you doing to me?? But seriously, the gang just popped Irvings body in the ground, no ceremony, no nothing? Dear god. That is terrible. Seriously.

 

I liked Abbie being all firm in her mistrust for Irving. She only ever bends for Ichabod. He's the only one that can make her change her mind or at least try other options. Man. I wish at times she would hold firm to her beliefs, but it really tells you how much of an impact Ichabod has on Abbie, and how much she believes in him. Not always a good thing, but...

 

And once again - Abbie and Ichabod are the best with each other. Ichabod is awesome too with everyone BUT his wife. Then he becomes really boring. That art restorer guy I liked a lot, and even the opening of the episode with the jazz playing in the background I liked. But Katrina is deadly boring, there is no chemistry at all. End the marriage. Oh, and Michelle Trachenburg was terrible. Someone somewhere mentioned that she was a terrible actress and they were right. It was like modern day woman playing in the 18th century. Bad, bad casting. And remember, the casting department has been pretty much spot on with their selections.

 

And I would love a Katrina defender to tell me. Katrina told Ichabod that she didn't know she was pregnant when she buried him. But she knew. She told Abigail Adams she was. I suspect the writers just forgot, because they are lousy writers. But if it's deliberate, then this person has told yet another lie, and yet she never gets called out for it, has to answer for it. Pathetic.

 

If FOX renews for season 3 and retools, just give me Abbie, Jenny, Frank and Ichabod. They are the best. The foursome is what makes the show so enjoyable. The rest - even though I like Hawley - can go away.

 

ETA: Forgot to add. How on earth does Katrina NOT know the people her husband dealt with. He may have not told her he was a spy, but we know Ichabod is a proud boastful man. He would definately have told his beloved of the people he talked to in the war. Again, makes no sense. She already knows. These writers are writing them like they don't know each other at all.

[Indi]

But it it's deliberate, then this person has told yet another lie, and yet she never gets called out for it, has to answer for it. Pathetic.

 

Typical of the Cranes, isn't it?

[cassandle]

I can't believe that Frank was the B story!

 

Frank's back and Abbie made him cry, dammit. Poor Abbie. I loved her shooting at the painting! She is a bawse and needs to be respected as one. Jenny as well. I loved Jenny's "friend!" to Frank. My crackship of CaptainJenny may still be in port, but there is nothing wrong with hoping.

 

I did like Frank's B (should've been A) plot. I loved Abbie's resigned practicality and her talks with Jenny. I also enjoyed Jenny retrieving the bullets and didn't think that her grossed out reaction took away from her badassery at all. It takes a strong woman to be that grossed out and do what needs to be done anyway. Plus, she figured out how to dispatch the zombie in two seconds while it has its hands on her throat. Jenny is awesome.

 

Yes, to all of this!  WHY wasn't Frank's story the A Plot?  I mean, I know why, because they want to shove Katrina down our throat, but...*whimper* why?  What happened to him is directly related to the whole reason the show exists in the first place.  And granted, I didn't watch the Crane part so I don't know if the painting had anything to do with Headless or the Apocalypse but I'm willing to bet it didn't.  That one little interaction between Jenny and Frank was gold.  More of that, please!

 

 

"This painting is a self-portrait of the artist who painted it." This was an actual line in this episode. With writers like these, no network intervention is going to help.

 

The hopeful part of me wants to believe this is a joke.  The realist, who's seen how craptastic this show has gotten, knows full-well it's not and has developed an eye twitch over it.  

 

 

Topic: I missed this episode due to my kid's drill team practice running late. should I bother seeking it out? 

 

I've gotten to the point where I watch it just to come here and complain about it--misery loves company and all that.  So if you love complaining as much as I do (which is a lot) then it's a great episode :)

[Sasha]

I sadly remember when the show first started how I would love just an hour of Abby taking Crane to a supermarket or a movie. Their chemistry was so off the charts I could watch them hanging out all day. What fool thought Crane date night would be exciting? Stunt casting with the chick who almost ruined Buffy with her horrible acting? Megan almost took down Mad Men and Laurel Lance is destroying Arrow. This is the first time I haven't watched live. After the first break, I switched channels and came back with plenty of time to fast forward. It was so painful to watch.

[allyw]

Another series low: This episode only got a 1.3. I would love to see how Goffman reacts or how he justifies his focus on Katrina when he sees the ratings for episodes that has her front and center.

[DeLurker]

 

WHY wasn't Frank's story the A Plot?  I mean, I know why, because they want to shove Katrina down our throat, but...*whimper* why?

It reminds me of a lyric from Pink Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall:

 

If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any pudding.

How can you have any pudding if you don't eat yer meat?

 

It may be meat crawling with a live infestation, but Abbie, Jenny and Irving are the pudding to it.

[marceline]

I haven't watched. It sounds like I made a good decision but I need to find a clip of the Abbie/Irving scenes. I hate how far this show has fallen but I hope network execs everywhere are paying attention.

[HalcyonDays]

Totally forgot the add:

 

Jenny: Maybe Katrina can help....

 

Abbie: rolls eyes.

 

The shade...the brilliant shade...

[ChromaKelly]

And here we go again!  We discover that Ichabod apparently has a friend that we've never heard about and that he's become close with completely off-camera.  And what happens to any new friends we meet on Sleepy Hollow?  They get killed off in the opening five minutes.  The show continues to introduce potentially interesting new characters only to kill them off immediately.  It'd be nice to have some of the townspeople of Sleepy Hollow appear and see what they think of the crazy stuff happening in their town.  But the writers seem determined to make the town very small, focusing on nothing outside of eight people.  Weak.

 

Anyway, I thought the haunted painting thing was pretty cool and it was an awesomely creepy moment when the killer turned around to face them in the painting.  Always love reading about the Revolution and I've had an interest in art since I took a class in college.  So combining the two (Revolution-era art) was a plus for me.  Did love the random evil corpse come to life and try to kill Jenny.  Why Jenny wasn't wearing gloves is beyond me.  It's understandable that it would disgust her but I agree she that the "icky girly" stuff went on for too long there.

 

Yeah, Sleepy Hollow's Abigail Adams is like something out of the CW.  A great historical figure like Abigail Adams deserves FAR better.  Deserves more too than propping up Katrina.  And how the hell didn't anyone find those letters in her desk after two hundred years?

 

Can Katia Winter have her character speak in anything other than a constipated whisper?

 

Agreed about the Tom Mison Katia Winter anti-chemistry.

 

Speaking of bad acting, I agree about the actress playing Irving's wife.  Her acting when she found out Frank was alive was terrible.

 

Historical note, John Adams wasn't practicing law in 1781.  He was overseas in France.

ITA with everything here. I was also like awww man, Crane loses another present-day friend! I felt awful for the costume-maker lady, and now poor art restoration guy is offed within a few minutes. It would be nice to have some of these people as recurring characters, other people for Crane to associate with besides the Scooby gang and his bleh wife.

I'm with you too on being WTF that no one discovered those letters in the desk. Really? People wouldn't have gone over Abigail Adams's desk with a fine-toothed comb?

So, were the Adams supposed to have lived in Sleepy Hollow at some point? How did Katrina get to be a valued member of their household and Abigail's BFF?

[The Cake is a Pie]

The scene where the curator guy got sucked into the painting while Katrina runs up too late all breathless (because of course she is) almost made me laugh out loud. Ichabod told you to guard the painting, witch. Where were you? You had ONE JOB!

[Darian]

I heard a loud rumbling and felt a sustained shudder from the earth as I was watching this mess last night. For a moment, I was scared, until I realized I live a mile away from the church where Abigail Adams (and John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Louise Catherine Adams) is interred and she must have been turning in her grave.

 

Yeesh, not only does Katia Winter read lines abysmally, she seems to think opening her eyes wide conveys a wide range of emotions. Love Abbie, love Jenny, love Lyndie, love Nicole. And Frank and Orlando. But, dang, that was painful.  

[FormerMod-a1]

The letters were in a secret compartment.  Katrina saw Abigail do a series of things (opening a drawer and pushing something, then opening another little door and doing something, etc) in her vision/flashback and did the same thing and that opened the secret compartment for her to find the papers in.

[ChromaKelly]

Also, as someone who has worked for a historical society, I was having a hard time suspending disbelief that the furniture would be out for just anyone to touch. Usually it's behind ropes or something.
 

[HalcyonDays]

Also, as someone who has worked for a historical society, I was having a hard time suspending disbelief that the furniture would be out for just anyone to touch. Usually it's behind ropes or something.

 

 

Or that the drawers weren't opened and searched, even if it was just to clean them. That a large journal could remain easily hidden in the top shelf drawer for over 200 years. Antiques Roadshow would be appalled, as am I.

 

The Cake is a Pie and Darian - your posts are gold!! So hilarious!! Made me howl!

[DeLurker]

Or using their crystal and china.

 

I do wish to see Abbie explaining the multiple bullet holes in the painting.  I know they can have the baddie standing in front of the painting and the bullet going through him but...can't believe platinum bullets are standard issue.

[FormerMod-a1]

It was a secret compartment, not just a drawer. Even opening and cleaning all the other drawers and shelves wouldn't necessarily expose it. It seemed like it had to be the right sequence of events to get it to open.

[DeLurker]

Just noticed while reading some of the reviews, with the oh-so-prominent picture of Katrina in all of them, - she's wearing the necklace that Abraham gave her is she not?

Edited January 20, 2015 by DeLurker

[DearEvette]

Or that the drawers weren't opened and searched, even if it was just to clean them. That a large journal could remain easily hidden in the top shelf drawer for over 200 years. Antiques Roadshow would be appalled, as am i.

 

This is TV show preservation.  In The Sanctuary episode Ichabod finds a copy of 'Gulliver's Travels' siting right there on the rotting floor.  Only thing is, that was Katrina's copy because it had an inscription so we conveniently learn that Katrina has been in that house.  But the book, despite being basically exposed to air, sun, dirt, moisture etc. for 200 years was perfectly fine.  So yeah. TV show preservation.

[cynic]

What did the art restorer do to release the murderer? It seems like other people would have touched the painting in the last two hundred years in similar ways.

[BrokenRemote]

On some reflection I think I am going to try to re-watch this.  I think I had mentioned before that I can't just relax and watch Sleepy Hollow anymore, I keep waiting to be disappointed.  Now that I've gotten through it and know what to expect I think I can watch it now.  I did like the painting stuff and would like to watch that more closely just to wallow in the creep factor.

 

I will say, though, once again it bums me out that we get indications that Ichabod actually has a social life while Abbie is being portrayed as this joyless work horse.  I mean we know that Ichabod has/had friends amongst the re-enactors and now we know he actually was buds with historical society guy.  And he actually takes time out to go on a social date.  Meanwhile there has been no indication that Abbie has any friends ... at all.  She helps Ichabod get ready and it is strongly implied she took Katrina shopping (I thought I read somewhere there was a scene of that.... probably got cut), but she goes back to the office and works.  Fine we don't need to see her doing jello shots and dancing on bars, but it would be nice to know she too has some interests.  Hell, show her shooting at the range for shits and giggles if we want to keep her bad-ass cred intact.  Or at least have her chilling at home with a big glass of wine while she is reading Grace's journals.  But throw us a bone at least.

 

Well, we did see Abbie interacting on a friendly level with others at the Sheriff's department and around town...last season. I mean, I don't think they're trying to say she's some kind of weird loner, but I don't know why they're making a point of every week introducing some 'great friend' of Ichabod's.  Last night the other cop that stopped to talk to her, they were chatting about personal stuff, her ancestor's journal.  I've always gotten the feeling that she did live her job quite a bit, that she was very much into proving herself to Corbin, and to herself, and that probably most of her closest friends were other cops.  You have to be pretty dedicated to get into Quantico, I'd imagine.

 

We've seen her out at the bar a few times, and she was supposed to be Jenny's wing-woman last week.  

 

I honestly think that it stands out to us because the town has shrunk down to this handful of characters plus whatever new chum of Ichabod's is going to die every week.  Last year we saw the pair bumping into all kinds of folks around Sleepy Hollow so it didn't seem like Abbie kept to herself.

 

I heard a loud rumbling and felt a sustained shudder from the earth as I was watching this mess last night. For a moment, I was scared, until I realized I live a mile away from the church where Abigail Adams (and John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Louise Catherine Adams) is interred and she must have been turning in her grave.

 

Yeesh, not only does Katia Winter read lines abysmally, she seems to think opening her eyes wide conveys a wide range of emotions. Love Abbie, love Jenny, love Lyndie, love Nicole. And Frank and Orlando. But, dang, that was painful.  

 

There was another line that was way messed up, both in the closed captioning (which helps immensely being able to hear Whisper Witch without cranking the volume too much) and in Katrina's delivery.  I'll have to go back and find it, but it was something like "That was the thing which was he was with."  I'll find it and post it here. It made me feel like maybe it's so hard to get a scene out of her that's even close to adequate that they'll take it even with flubs.

 

It was a secret compartment, not just a drawer. Even opening and cleaning all the other drawers and shelves wouldn't necessarily expose it. It seemed like it had to be the right sequence of events to get it to open.

When the space didn't  seem to match up with the drawer, isn't it pretty common to x-ray antiques to see what's going on inside 'em?  I can't believe nobody ever heard that huge packet rattling around when the thing was moved and everyone thought it was empty!

 

And I still think, since I saw it coming from 100 miles, that Jenny should have foreseen the corpse re-animating when she took out the last bullet.  Season 1 Jenny would have.  And she wouldn't have then been like, "Oh, Hawley, you scamp, you forgot to tell me! Teehee!"  And we're supposed to believe she dug up that corpse with no gloves?  In which case she knew she'd be touching a corpse in some state of decay, even if she just had to rifle through its pockets, that she'd probably have to use a shovel for some time--she must have majorly calloused hands if that didn't hurt--and she'd probably need to paw at dirt with her hands at the end.  If she knew all that, and she doesn't like touching corpses bare-handed, why didn't she bring gloves?  (And she knew it was a demon or bad thing of some sort; there's no worry about touching that bare-handed as far as toxins or the like?)

 

I know lots of people love her as the goofy comic relief, but I think the character was way better as someone who was smart and had a streak of steel in her, even while she was vulnerable and could be sweet when you least expected it.  She's been reduced to about .75 dimensions now and I miss non-comic-relief Jenny.

Edited January 20, 2015 by BrokenRemote

[Primetimer]

The Cranes team up with Abigail Adams flashbacks to reverse the curse on a haunted painting.

Read the story

[HalcyonDays]

I'd have to assume with it being a historical society that they'd know about secret compartments, etc. It can't be the only desk in history that had one. We're not talking a casual observer here from another time. There had to have been x-rays, etc. They had the time to take it apart if they had to. With modern technology, they'd have the means to find that journal for sure. 

 

Katrina always wears the necklace. I believe it's how, when people are near her, they're able to see Abraham. 

 

Exactly it. Especially if restoration work or preservation work is to be done. Someone would have found that large journal. It would be different if it was a slip of paper hidden somewhere, but not a large journal like that. A piece known to belong to a prominent person would have been searched thoroughly, if only to possibly find some paper work or something that could garner a large sum of money at auction.

 

As for the necklace, I think early this season it was mentioned that she can't take the necklace off. It's enchanted somehow so the clasp can't be opened or the chain broken. So not her choice. And I admit, I like the necklace. And technically, Ichabod picked it out for her. He just didn't buy it for her.

[proserpina65]

Okay, so the painting storyline had promise as an idea.  But in execution, it was actually really dull.  Although the line about 'get a room' was somewhat amusing.

 

Can we please just go back to Season 1 when Katrina was a secondary player and not sucking up all the oxygen in the room for entire episodes?  (And I say that as someone who wanted to like the character and originally had high hopes for her.)

(Ichabod, the man bun does not suit you)

 

Agreed.  Either have the hair loose, or have him wear it in a queue, but for god's sake, keep that abomination off his head.

[proserpina65]

It is official Katia Winter and Tom Mison have ZERO chemistry.  No,  wait -- Negative zero chemistry.  Watching them do their Daphne & Fred impression was --no pun intended -- like watching paint dry.  I weep for Mison.

 

They were an absolute vacuum of chemistry.  Acting textbooks should use them as an example of the very opposite of what chemistry between characters looks like.

[proserpina65]

Ooh, yes, that ticked me off! She didn't even seem to TRY to help Irving, already giving up as it was "too much," but with this guy she's chanting and chanting. I was like, is she a powerful witch who can stop someone's bleeding or not? 

I think the chanting was to get Miller, Ichabod and herself out of the painting, not specifically to stop the bleeding, but I could be wrong about that.  I kinda stopped caring a bit long before that scene.

I'm pretty sure it was the other couple. Because then Crane explained to Katrina that he'd learned the phrase "get a room" for when people get too handsy like that couple did in front of them.

I heard the line, and was amused by it, but thought it was them getting handsy.  Shows you how much attention I was paying even that early in the episode.

[sinkwriter]

Kudos to Sarah Bunting for this art-inspired heading in the recap:

 

 

When A Manet Loves A Woman

 

Heeee. I also liked "Putting the 'Ass' Back in Picasso." Well done!

 

Side note: When the Sheriff said they were about to get some answers because Irving was being set free... I totally expected that she was about to turn around and arrest Abbie with some sort of comment that the evidence that freed Irving now implicated Abbie and that Abbie was the one who was going to have to give her some answers.

Edited January 20, 2015 by sinkwriter

[savinggrace]

Just finished slogging through this episode. God bless those of you who sat through this live. I have a bad case of "Fast Foward" thumb right now. Can the poster who had the napping cat set up a livefeed of Fluffy on Mondays at 9 Eastern so I can have something more interesting to watch?

 

The biggest thing I took away from the episode is that Katia Winters needs some acting classes. She simply cannot emote vocally or facially. Nicole and Lyndie managed to convey a range of expressions in their scenes but all Katia can manage is "eyes widened" and "eyes widened even more". It was a relief whenever Abbie or Jennie appeared because they offered a respite from The Whisper.

 

The episode had potential but the Cranes together just made me yawn. Things that should have been frightening were rendered moot by their under-reactions.

 

The one positive of the episode is that they finally involved other people in Sleepy Hollow. I could see Abbie and Ichabod being appointed to a special unit of the police department to handle all the weird cases brought in by the townspeople.

 

I actually missed Hawley. I'd watch a spin-off of him and Jenny hunting artifacts and bickering together.

Edited January 20, 2015 by savinggrace

[Yolapukka]

I liked the man-bun, but only as a different look for a formal occasion, I did however hate the wispy tendrils around his face. Bleah.

 

The wig-stand almost swoons, check

The show redresses the lack of Jenny by adding scenes of her talking on the phone with Abbie, check

 The macguffin Jenny recovered is of really! super! importance! while she's's fetching it, but then the viewer has to think really, super hard to discern how it came into play. check.

The wig-stand widens her eyes to express some sort of reaction to something, check.

Icabod has a friend!!! Who is promptly slaughtered. check.

The wig-stand is incompetent at a crucial moment, check.

 

I thought Michelle Trachtenberg was at least a competent, if mediocre and bland actress, she was actively and decidedly bad in this however. Her performance did lend some credence to the idea that part of the problem with K----- is bad direction, since much of the mannered, smug, shallow awfulness of her Abigail was similar to what makes Katia's performance so tedious.

 

So, is the struggle-witch being exposed as a liar once again by the revelation that she actually did know she was preggo before Ichabod sent into stasis or was that simply piss-poor bad writing? Odd's are pretty well even on which it is.

 

I really enjoyed this weeks monster. Count me in as another who enjoyed the bump when the artist in the painting turned his face to the Cranes. I was very sorry to see the art restorer killed off since he would be a useful character to call on in certain situations and I liked his brief scenes with Ichabod. They show is doing a very good job in creating small. background characters. Too bad they keep promptly killing them off. I'd enjoy the meta of Abigail Adams referring to fetusHenry as a little monster, if it hadn't come from such a setting of terrible acting and clumsy writing. The bit with the Cranes discovering her writings was unlikely in a way that took me out of the story. There were ways that information could have come to the Cranes possession without the viewers having to make such a huge hand-wave. Both the actress herself and the character of Mrs. Crane are too dull to carry an episode. Other than providing a talk-to for Ichabod, her presence could have been entirely missing  and it would have been greatly improved. In both writing and chemistry, she and Ichabod come off as people who have recently met having been introduced by friends, not a devoted married couple with strong ties who have crossed time to be together. 

 

I'm snarking a bit about how Jenny's scenes were added in as an afterthought, but I do appreciate them and it was much better done this week than it was last. She was amusing, kick-ass and there were some charming bits with the sisterly bond. I'm glad they put those in. 

 

I loved seeing Irving again. Orlando made me feel for him and Abbie's reaction was on point. His (ex?)wife  was weirdly non-reactive.

 

Reyes continues to annoy.

Edited January 21, 2015 by yuggapukka

[RiddleyWalker]

OK, 
Finally get a chance to post some thoughts about this episode...
 
Things I liked about the episode..

1. I liked the cold opening with the painting and the art restorer…Very X-Files-ish! Nicely done! That opening drew me in immediately.

2. Great job by the art/prop department with the paintings. Very creepy and yet plausible (to me at least) as an 18th century painting. Some people working on the show are still giving it their best, it seems.

3. I liked the "inside the painting" set. Reminded me a lot of a fringe episode… Good creepy set that was not used as well as it could have been, unfortunately

4. Liked the scene with Jenny digging out bullets from the Zombie. Yeah, I know gloves and all that, BUT at least she showed some emotion which was sadly lacking from most cast members.

5. Orlando Jones did a helluva job with his limited part. Loved the flirting with Jenny!

6. The monster was pretty good. Liked him coming out of the blood and the painting, but the execution of the "A plot" otherwise was lacking.

 

Things I didn't like about the episode...

1. Ichabod and Katrina were just stupefying. I kept looking at my watch to see how much time was left in the show. A little fire, a little urgency or fear---SOMETHING to make me feel there is real danger and stopping this monster MATTERS! Being with Katrina makes even Tom Mison a dull, dull boy. That whispering! Arrrggggghhh!…I just want to strangle her!

2. Abbie was too buttoned up, too guarded (and has been lately). Part of this is her character but part is having Katrina around and some may be actorly laziness I suppose. I just got the feeling NB was phoning it in this episode.

3. Ichabod's "bun". Not a good look. I kept flashing back to John Belushi in Samurai Delicatessen on SNL so perhaps it's not all bad..;) https://screen.yahoo.com/samurai-delicatessen-000000556.html

4. Michelle Trachtenberg as Abigail Adams. Not impressed. Showing the flashbacks in B&W made it even duller. If Katrina misses her so much, I hope the writers grant her wish and she "joins" Abigail Adams soon. (Heh, heh, heh..)

 

 

Final thoughts...

Despite some fairly positive reviews on various recap sites, I didn't like this one as much as last week's with Orion. Despite Katrina's wig being especially well groomed and her little black….undergarment? I was not drawn in, where as Orion (Max Brown) had me fixated because…Wait? Did I just write that? You're taking it all wrong…I didn't mean it like that! (Not that there's anything wrong with that.) :)

 

I think the POSSIBILITIES of a character like Orion are very intriguing but would, of course, require some "serialization" (which FOX wants to limit), and those possibilities are what's exciting to me. I hope "serialization" for FOX is code for "Crane Family Drama".

Edited January 21, 2015 by RiddleyWalker