Sleepy Hollow in the Media

[Artsda]

People Magazine - Fans react to the Sleepy Hollow season finale's shocking death: 'Too angry to cry'

http://www.people.com/article/sleepy-hollow-season-finale-abbie-mills-shocking-death?xid=socialflow_twitter_peoplemag

[maraleia]

Ha!  Seriously!?!?!  Is he following other cast members???

Yes he is.

 

Also, the rumors that Nikki was difficult on set is code for they couldn't handle it when a Black woman called them out on their shit which is racist and sexist at the same time.

I'm so sick of show runners doing a bait and switch with the viewers. It's happening at a rapid rate this season across a variety of shows and needs to stop. It's like they are saying a fuck you to the viewers who want diversity and parity across the board and I hate it.

Edited April 9, 2016 by maraleia

[netlyon2]

Yeah, the whole world can miss me with the attempt to make NB into an ABW trope. 

 

Also, thanks, Jezebel:  Another Fantasy TV Series Makes a Point About Who Is Expendable

Of course, there are some commenters there missing the whole point and crying "but if the actress wanted to leave . . ."  *sigh*

[LeeLeePanda]

Yeah, the whole world can miss me with the attempt to make NB into an ABW trope.

Also, thanks, Jezebel: Another Fantasy TV Series Makes a Point About Who Is Expendable

Of course, there are some commenters there missing the whole point and crying "but if the actress wanted to leave . . ." *sigh*

I was literally about to post this. I don't know if I have the strength to correct the misinformed commenters who think this is a good thing for Nicole.

That being said, I'm glad that the media is picking up on how screwed up this is. What can I say, I'm petty.

[maraleia]

This seems to be the year, with the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, that show runners are getting called on the carpet for bad storytelling and casting decisions. I hope viewers stop watching shows that don't do right by their viewers so these show runners don't get to work anymore.

Edited April 9, 2016 by maraleia

[Enero]

Yes he is.

Also, the rumors that Nikki was difficult on set is code for they couldn't handle it when a Black woman called them out on their shit which is racist and sexist at the same time.

I'm so sick of show runners doing a bait and switch with the viewers. It's happening at a rapid rate this season across a variety of shows and needs to stop. It's like they are saying a fuck you to the viewers who want diversity and parity across the board and I hate it.

Yep. It's one thing to get rid of OJ for his outspokenness. He was a supporting character and thus expendable. But to get rid of NB?? If this wasn't her choice, she must've seriously pissed someone off because at the end of the day FOX wants to make money. Firing someone in NB's position on SH makes absolutely no sense. Something went down and I'm betting it was ugly.

Glad NB is free from this cluster. Hope that whatever went down does not harm her chances of future success. Because she absolutely deserves much success with her future endeavors.

Edited April 9, 2016 by Enero

[Badsamaritan]

The Magical Negro press script party line was sent down by FOX I'm assuming. And now people involved are tweeting some of THE most thoughtless comments. Iscove, a couple others, and Lindy appears to be liking their tweets and now fans are going in on her for seeming to support those at the show who are only fanning the flames with their ill-timed and stupid words. CC was smart enough to stay the fuck off twitter. So I'm side eyeing Lindy now too. What's your damage, Heather?

[AmandaPanda]

At the end of the day, Lyndie needs to stay employed. I don't blame her at all for trying to keep the peace on social media. Since it looks like the new witness won't be someone we've seen yet, then I would imagine that Lyndie is understandably nervous about her continued role on the show. I wouldn't be surprised if these idiot writers wrote off everyone in the Mills family.

[HalcyonDays]

Something went down and I'm betting it was ugly.

 

Some epically shady stuff went down, no question. I expect in a few months, we'll get a better sense of what happened. So depressed right now..

 

It's being talked about almost everywhere (aka media sites that I read)

 

io9 - SH Just Went Past the Point of No Return

[Amethyst]

The whole "she wanted to leave" justification doesn't hold water.  What it doesn't acknowledge is why Nicole wanted to leave.  This wasn't a case of an actor getting too big for their britches and walking off the set.  It's like any job: if you're undervalued, underpaid, and/or under-appreciated, you leave, hopefully for something better.  The fact that she wanted to leave after the mess of season 2 makes that even more likely.

 

Honestly, most people don't have that option and slug it out as long as possible, so I give props to Nicole for being brave and walking away, especially if she doesn't have anything in the pipeline right now.  

[Dizzychickstar]

#IAMAbbieMills is being used to convey support, encouragement for NB and the character.

[Morrigan2575]

The more stuff I read about NB wanted to leave the more obvious it becomes that this is Network spin.

[PaisleyPark]

The whole "she wanted to leave" justification doesn't hold water.  What it doesn't acknowledge is why Nicole wanted to leave.  This wasn't a case of an actor getting too big for their britches and walking off the set.  It's like any job: if you're undervalued, underpaid, and/or under-appreciated, you leave, hopefully for something better.  The fact that she wanted to leave after the mess of season 2 makes that even more likely.

 

Honestly, most people don't have that option and slug it out as long as possible, so I give props to Nicole for being brave and walking away, especially if she doesn't have anything in the pipeline right now.  

THIS!!!!!  This more than anything!!!  It's not about her simply deciding to leave, but WHY she decided to!  This show is only in season 3!!  THREE!!  It'd be one thing if it were in like season 5 or higher and Nicole was like, "Ya know, it's been fun for this long, but I'm ready to spread my wings and try something new."  After 5 years or more of doing something, I can more easily understand just simply wanting to move on and try something new.  Fine.  

 

But, THIS nonsense situation?!?!  Please!!!  You're only up to season 3, which 2 of the 3 weren't considered very good, and you're already ready to bounce?!  And I'm supposed to believe that it has nothing to do with her and her character's treatment in season 2?!?  If season 2 hadn't bombed, if Abbie hadn't been sidelined, and if Nicole, herself, hadn't received shady treatment from TPTB, you can't tell me that she'd be ready to leave the show in ONLY IT'S THIRD SEASON!  Absolutely not.  So yeah, it ultimately was her decision to leave, but it's the shady going-ons BTS that are the reason for it!!!!  Who wants to put up with feeling less than, especially when you don't have to?!  I truly believe when it comes to not being happy in the workplace, you have to do what's best for you.  You just do.  

 

Yet and still, I'm definitely shocked by her departure (as it just hit us all without warning!) and sad that Ichabbie as a couple never happened.  This show just sabotaged itself when it so didn't have to, and that sucks!

[Badsamaritan]

It appears Tom Mison has deleted his Twitter account.

[Sparkling Beth]

It appears Tom Mison has deleted his Twitter account.

I think it's been deleted for some time.  I followed him on Twitter and when I hadn't seen any tweets for awhile, I searched for his name and couldn't find it.  This was at least a month ago. His wife doesn't have a Twitter account anymore either.

[CalamityBoPeep]

I think it's been deleted for some time.  I followed him on Twitter and when I hadn't seen any tweets for awhile, I searched for his name and couldn't find it.  This was at least a month ago. His wife doesn't have a Twitter account anymore either.

 

He was probably pre-emptively avoiding the shitstorm he knew would be coming. Poor Tom. I seriously do not believe any of this was in any way his fault. He just has to do his job, to the best of his ability.

[HalcyonDays]

He was probably pre-emptively avoiding the shitstorm he knew would be coming. Poor Tom. I seriously do not believe any of this was in any way his fault. He just has to do his job, to the best of his ability.

 

Then he knew the shitstorm would happen way way in advance - he deleted his twitter last summer, before season 3 kicked off. Smart man.

[CalamityBoPeep]

Then he knew the shitstorm would happen way way in advance - he deleted his twitter last summer, before season 3 kicked off. Smart man.

 

Heh. My bad, then. Unless he's one that has premonitions... In that case, he probably belongs on Vikings. ;-)

[catrox14]

Then he knew the shitstorm would happen way way in advance - he deleted his twitter last summer, before season 3 kicked off. Smart man.

 

He was pretty political on his Twitter so I suspect he may have gotten some grief about his politics and deleted it. It may not have anything to do with this. Either way, he's fortunate to not be on Twitter right now.

[maraleia]

What I can't fathom is how stupid some show runners are about things in this social media age where we know way more behind the scenes stuff than ever. It's like they live in a bubble similar to the one politicians live in especially in DC.

[AD55]

This is probably a reach, but I'm now wondering about Tom's and Nicole's motivations in how they portrayed Abbie and Ichabod's interactions. A lot of us have pointed out that Tom played Ichabod as head over heels for Abbie, whereas Nicole played Abbie as though Ichabod was firmly in the friend zone. I'm now wondering if Tom's performance was a little meta. He was showing that Ichabod loved Abbie, at the same time that he was conveying that he believes their relationship is the heart of the show. In other words, it was a tiny act of resistance rather than being entirely because the writers were messing with us. For Nicole, on the other hand, it would be almost humiliating to show too much investment in the relationship if, as many of us believe, leaving wasn't entirely her choice and this is another instance of a WOC not being considered an acceptable romantic partner for the white dude.

 

Actors have directors and don't get to make all their creative choices. Perhaps Tom was told to play it this way and I'm way overthinking this because I would like to believe that Mison disagreed with the decision. Clearly, I have hit the denial phase.

Edited April 9, 2016 by AD55

[jhlipton]

As a point of reference, read this last tweet from the "diva" about SH.

[Sparkling Beth]

As a point of reference, read this last tweet from the "diva" about SH.

I love her.

[netlyon2]

The more stuff I read about NB wanted to leave the more obvious it becomes that this is Network spin.

I know Nicole will never be as unfiltered as Orlando, but I can't wait until she gets to this phase:

https://twitter.com/TheOrlandoJones/status/718694003659509760

 

ETA

Just as it's comforting to commiserate with fans here, on Twitter, and on Tumblr (which I never would have joined if it weren't for this show), it's nice to see critics and media outlets laying into the show as well.  I've already seen two sites declare that they would no longer recap the show, even if it's renewed.  One of those sites was critical of #abbiemillsdeservesbetter last year, but broke it out in their live tweet last night.  If there's any good to come of this clusterfuck, maybe some people who downplayed Season 2 concerns about the treatment of Abbie/NB will understand that rooting for a character (and an actress) who is a woman of color (in particular, a black woman; in particular, a brown-skinned black woman) comes with a whole 'nother set of tropes, pitfalls, and concerns.

 

I also came across this article on Vulture:  Why Sleepy Hollow Just Lost Any Faith Fans Had Left in It

 

 

Okay, ETA #2 (I promise that I'll stop after this)

I don't know how Monique Jones managed to put together such a thoughtful and thorough analysis in such little time; I'm still struggling to form complete sentences.

“Sleepy Hollow” Post-Mortem: The Death of Abbie and the Painful Erasure of Black Women

 

In addition to being an insightful analysis of the problems surrounding Abbie/NB, she is also at a point where she can discuss the negative implications for other characters.  Now, in all of this, I feel for and feel the damage done to Ichabod/Tom, just as I felt that Season 2 was as guilty of character-assassinating Ichabod as it was of sidelining Abbie; however, my outrage and energies are focused on the WOC who has just been fridged rather than the white male character who has just become yet another solo lead. 

 

For those who are right now of a mind to consider how this is problematic for Ichabod, here's the core of it (again, with which I heartily agree, but do not yet feel inclined to discuss in depth):

Biblical theory aside, what sense does it make to have Ichabod, who has always been attached at the hip to Abbie, and—if the hints were to be believed—was developing a deep, romantic love for her, now suddenly without a love, without a home, and essentially without a purpose? What sense does it make to have Ichabod become the lead of this show, which has always relied on the power of two? Why should Ichabod, who has a core principle of railing against his own set of racial, cultural, and status privileges, suddenly become the privileged Dr. Who-esque white British male trope? Why should Ichabod’s internal logic be rewritten in order to make him okay with finding a replacement? If this was the Ichabod we knew in Season 1, the Ichabod who was ready to kill himself in order to save the world, then I think Ichabod would have sacrificed himself with Abbie in order to keep Pandora’s box from destroying everyone. If he jumped into the dreamscape with her in the second episode of the first season, then he’d certainly jump into the abyss with her to save humanity.

 

Edited April 10, 2016 by netlyon2

[Badsamaritan]

Then he knew the shitstorm would happen way way in advance - he deleted his twitter last summer, before season 3 kicked off. Smart man.

Since it seems they wanted to kill Abbie at the mid season break, he may have known last summer she wanted out/they were pushing her out. I think he realized things would break bad. Folks are now calling back to his different con appearances that he seemed very reserved compared to how he's been in the past. I'm sure Orlando knew too, he just couldn't say anything. That may also be part of the reason he pretty much quit tweeting about the show altogether.

I know, it's all speculation at this point. I do so hope one day Orlando talks about it in depth. I would believe him, NB, and TM. That's it. CC, FOX, and company? I would be waiting to see their pants literally catch on fire.

[Dizzychickstar]

That Vulture piece was spot on, at least imho. I'll be glad when we know whether or not it will be renewed for sure.

[phoenics]

This stupid show is now trending on Facebook with everyone bewildered, angry and hurt over Abbie dying. The worst thing is the show probably loves this. So wrong.

These are terrible writers, btw. This season the ONLY reason I held on was because of Ichabbie - without that, the writing just sucks even worse.

[HalcyonDays]

Since it seems they wanted to kill Abbie at the mid season break, he may have known last summer she wanted out/they were pushing her out. I think he realized things would break bad. Folks are now calling back to his different con appearances that he seemed very reserved compared to how he's been in the past. I'm sure Orlando knew too, he just couldn't say anything. That may also be part of the reason he pretty much quit tweeting about the show altogether.

 

This makes total sense. They all knew. The lack of interviews, promos, comic con appearances, even their lack of enthusiasm, etc all make so much more sense now.

 

I really wonder how tone-deaf FOX is, if they decided to wait to see the degree of fallout after the finale, to see whether to renew or not? I have a feeling they severly underestimated how much of a backlash there truly would be.

 

I don't know how Monique Jones managed to put together such a thoughtful and thorough analysis in such little time; I'm still struggling to form complete sentences.

 

This is a fabulous read. She has always been very insightful. I remember reading her very in-depth analysis of the show season 1.

[maraleia]

FOX has been tone deaf about most of it's shows including Empire where they let the showr unners ruin Jamal by all of a sudden making him sexually fluid when they stated his character was gay and they killed off the two queer women on the show, one of whom was a woman of color so there's that.

[jhlipton]

Brought over from the Spoiler thread:
 

From what I remember, the former showrunner was so enamored with Katia Winters (is that her name?) that Katrina's role was expanded throughout S1 and S2 became completely Katrinacentric. Abbie showed up in each episode, but as far in the perimeter as Goffman could push her although NB contributed some epic eyerolls throughout S2.

I don't know what was happening behind the scenes with NB - granted I don't follow that stuff much - but Katia W. was interviewed a lot saying how she was really excited about what direction they were taking with Katrina and implying, if not flat out stating, how close she was with the writers and how it was a very mutual collaboration.

As far as I know, TM and NB never made public comment on the direction of the show, although John Noble threw some serious shade at one point (which I don't remember what it was) and Orlando Jones did too (coated in humor).

I know at one point Katia Winter did a little poorly thought out gloating about Ichatrina and got hammered. I don't know if it was that or knowing that they pretty much wrote her out as the price of renewal, but before it was over she was apologizing for how badly written her part was.

So remind me again, who is the "diva"?

[Happytobehere]

The Magical Negro press script party line was sent down by FOX I'm assuming. And now people involved are tweeting some of THE most thoughtless comments. Iscove, a couple others, and Lindy appears to be liking their tweets and now fans are going in on her for seeming to support those at the show who are only fanning the flames with their ill-timed and stupid words. CC was smart enough to stay the fuck off twitter. So I'm side eyeing Lindy now too. What's your damage, Heather?

Lyndie has been side-eyed for her co-signing on anti-Abbie sentiments from the showrunners in the past. Particularly problematic was her Woah is me trot when her former bestie (actress who played Katrina) and the character of Hawley made her a non-entity on the show. She was all Yeah Women of Color then.

[jhlipton]

Lyndie has been side-eyed for her co-signing on anti-Abbie sentiments from the showrunners in the past. Particularly problematic was her Woah is me trot when her former bestie (actress who played Katrina) and the character of Hawley made her a non-entity on the show. She was all Yeah Women of Color then.

 

Funny how that works, innit?

 

ETA: A Vulture article from March 11, 2016 and still mostly true.

What about her makes a man strike a deal with the devil to protect her? It’s unclear because the audience hasn’t been allowed to see Abbie as a woman in lust or love. We’ve seen Abbie acknowledge previous relationships, usually as she’s rejecting them from her current life in order to stand by Crane. She was clearly attracted to Morales and Reynolds at some point, but other than professional proximity, there’s no real exploration of her attraction to these men.

Edited April 10, 2016 by jhlipton

[Indi]

The Magical Negro press script party line was sent down by FOX I'm assuming. And now people involved are tweeting some of THE most thoughtless comments. Iscove, a couple others, and Lindy appears to be liking their tweets and now fans are going in on her for seeming to support those at the show who are only fanning the flames with their ill-timed and stupid words. CC was smart enough to stay the fuck off twitter. So I'm side eyeing Lindy now too. What's your damage, Heather?

 

Lyndie didn't even bother to send Nicole a tweet of support or her good wishes, but she bothered to find Jose Molina's gross tweet and liked it? Whatever, Lyndie!

 

There is this interesting compilation on Tumblr with messages Nicole posted on Twitter and Instagram, which show what her headspace was a few months ago, about the time was finishing filming (or already had finished). I do remember she had been posting sporadically some worrisome tweets back during the hiatus and at the beginning of the season and people kept telling her to please take care of herself. Everything was a little vague though, so I don't really know if she was going through something truly concerning and if she was, if it was work related. However, that compilation points out to something.

 

When Nicole made it known that she hadn't been invited to do the S2 DVD commentary, I was scared that there would be repercussions. I'm sorry, but I don't truly buy that Nicole wanted to leave the show after S2 ended, even if it would be understandable to a certain extent. Mid-season 2? Absolutely, but not after it ended. Why? Because the season finale held a lot of promise for a much better S3, because the show had changed hands and because the Katrina nightmare was over. I think that when she showed their asses, when she spoke about the DVD commentary, she became a target for TPTB, just like Orlando. The "Nicole wanted out" narrative reeks. They've done her dirty, whether they lied about her wanting out or whether they pushed her till she asked to be written out of the show.

 

I don't think she will ever go on record to say it wasn't her decision to leave, because there is always the fear of repercussions, so until she confirms it was her initiative, I'm convinced it's a PR stunt from FOX/TPTB to save face.

[Dizzychickstar]

Speaking of other diva behavior:), I'm pretty sure I remember NB asking fans to be kind to NR via twitter. Even tho I expressed my distaste for the character, her comments encouraged me to refrain from making personal comments about NR herself. She didn't have to do or say that, particularly when she rarely or sporadically tweets in the first place. A class act, that one is.

[HalcyonDays]

There needs to be a two hour E! True Hollywood Story on this show.

 

I've never seen so much BTS drama revolve around a TV show that's only be on for a couple years. Never seen anything like this before (and probably never will again).

[CooperTV]

There needs to be a two hour E! True Hollywood Story on this show.

 

I've never seen so much BTS drama revolve around a TV show that's only be on for a couple years. Never seen anything like this before (and probably never will again).

 

I'm being OT again but this definitely applies to the TPTBs screw ups.

 

Ricky Whittle, the actor who played Lincoln on the show The 100, recently left the show and said the creator/executive producer Jason Rothenberg bullied him on set, didn't include him in scripts (even though Whittle was the series regular) and wrote him off halfway into season 3, even though Ricky wanted to leave after season 3 finale and complete Lincoln's story. SPOILERS for season 3 of The 100: Lincoln was executed in the mud, and that was shown in every graphic detail.

 

This was the same Rothenberg who was really surprised about the media outrage over killing his lesbian character in the most offensive way possible via Bury Your Gay trope, after a year of deliberate baiting of LGBT fanbase on social media to up the ratings.

[DearEvette]

I think The Good Wife and Grey's Anatomy might have us beat.  But just by a hair.

 

Speaking of The Good Wife, I always believed that Diva thing was about Juliana Margulies.

[Three]

I'm being OT again but this definitely applies to the TPTBs screw ups.

 

Ricky Whittle, the actor who played Lincoln on the show The 100, recently left the show and said the creator/executive producer Jason Rothenberg bullied him on set, didn't include him in scripts (even though Whittle was the series regular) and wrote him off halfway into season 3, even though Ricky wanted to leave after season 3 finale and complete Lincoln's story. SPOILERS for season 3 of The 100: Lincoln was executed in the mud, and that was shown in every graphic detail.

 

This was the same Rothenberg who was really surprised about the media outrage over killing his lesbian character in the most offensive way possible via Bury Your Gay trope, after a year of deliberate baiting of LGBT fanbase on social media to up the ratings.

 

Yes, the diva behavior and the egos don't always belong to the actors.

Edited April 10, 2016 by Three

[TaurusRose]

At the end of the day, Lyndie needs to stay employed. I don't blame her at all for trying to keep the peace on social media. Since it looks like the new witness won't be someone we've seen yet, then I would imagine that Lyndie is understandably nervous about her continued role on the show. I wouldn't be surprised if these idiot writers wrote off everyone in the Mills family.

*sigh* She should STFU. That would be better than what she's doing. She needs to stay employed? Who is to say that she even has a job on SH now? I'm thinking it's very unlikely. So LG as an actress is pretty much dead to me. She needs to look in a mirror, because honey the industry sees "black." When I hate it's for a GOOD, LONG time.

[CocoaGoddess]

Yeah seriously. She can keep her job but make it a point not to "like" tone deaf tweets where the showrunners are essentially shading the fans. And after the campaign we launched FOR HER when they brought in useless Hawley. How dare she. I unfollowed her on Twitter and don't particularly care about her employment status anymore. 

[PaisleyPark]

Seeing Lyndie's name brought up, it is interesting how she hasn't tweeted anything about Nicole's departure.  But then again, NONE of the other cast members have, either!  Lord.  This is obviously all just a mess.  Lol.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

The Magical Negro press script party line was sent down by FOX I'm assuming. And now people involved are tweeting some of THE most thoughtless comments. Iscove, a couple others, and Lindy appears to be liking their tweets and now fans are going in on her for seeming to support those at the show who are only fanning the flames with their ill-timed and stupid words. CC was smart enough to stay the fuck off twitter. So I'm side eyeing Lindy now too. What's your damage, Heather?

They've been getting dragged to the ends of cyberspace all weekend.

[Enero]

Seeing Lyndie's name brought up, it is interesting how she hasn't tweeted anything about Nicole's departure. But then again, NONE of the other cast members have, either! Lord. This is obviously all just a mess. Lol.

What cast members are left though? They killed off everyone in the finale. With Abbie gone the FBI storyline is probably gone too along with the actors that were tied to it.

I understand TM no longer has a Twitter account. So Lyndie is the only one left. It's also quite telling that NB has been silent. SMH. What a mess indeed.

Edited April 10, 2016 by Enero

[archiesmom]

Onira Tares (Grace Dixon) and Orlando Jones tweeted some nice words to Nicole. One of the writers posted some BTS pic from season 1 and thanked her. That's all I found.

[jhlipton]

I understand TM no longer has a Twitter account. So Lyndie is the only one left. It's also quite telling that NB has been silent. SMH. What a mess indeed.

 

Nikki Reed, Zach Appelman, Lance Gross and Jesica Camacho all have accounts, but Zach and Nicole were the only ones to post after the episode, and Nicole was the only one to say anything.

 

She's deleted her Twittier account, probably because of hate tweets.  Sigh  It's back up.

Edited April 10, 2016 by jhlipton

[Blackhoney]

We can't bring Abbie Mills back, but we can remember (and defend her). Support the #IAmAbbieMills hashtag.

 

[Julia]

Has the restless ghost of New Guy weighed in?

[catrox14]

 

Phillip Iscove @pmiscove

I know you guys are upset but please try and remember I'm still a human being. Words have power.

 

I'm sorry but BOO FUCKING HOO. 

[LeeLeePanda]

I'm sorry but BOO FUCKING HOO.

Wait a minute. He screwed up the show, and now his fee fees are hurt cause folks are calling him out on his shit? Somebody call the whaaaablance!

[Julia]

You know, they really do. It's a big responsibility.

That's why they pay some people a lot of money to write them correctly.

Edited April 11, 2016 by Julia