Sleepy Hollow: The Kindred Recap

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2Q8WPTrD-M]

Sleepy Hollow: The Kindred (2×02)

Synopsis: Abbie and Ichabod, desperate to save Katrina from the Horseman of Death, raise their own monster of death, the Kindred. Meanwhile, there’s a new Sheriff in Sleepy Hollow and Frank Irving battles to escape his fate.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

With Katrina still in the horseman’s grasp, Crane experiences a very realistic nightmare, leading him to believe Abraham wishes to sanctify his bond (fancy way of saying remarry) with Katrina through a gruesome binding ritual. Ichabod, however, using his intimate knowledge of Abraham in their past life, discovers where Abraham is keeping Katrina.

Back in town, a new dubious sheriff has now been appointed to replace Captain Irving. Abbie attempts to broker a good relationship with this Sheriff Reyes, who seems to want to remake the Sleepy Hollow police force in her fearless image.

Realizing they are no match for the horseman alone, Ichabod, Abbie, and Jenny, discover the legend of the Kindred from a book of Benjamin Franklin’s. The Kindred was a terrifying creature assembled using parts of deceased soldiers. This patchwork Frankenstein-like monster was believed to be one of the few things capable of matching the Horseman of Death in battle. Franklin and a coven of witches sought to create a body powerful to contain death’s spirit in order to counter the horsemen’s relentless assaults. However, they were never able to raise the creature, as they lacked a vital ingredient: a body part from the Horseman of Death himself. However, Abbie and Ichabod just so happen to be in possession of the horseman’ greatest body part: his head.

While Jenny and Abbie are initially hesitant about raising the Kindred, as they are unsure if this new monster can be controlled, Ichabod is relentless to rescue his wife and eventually convinces them that the benefits would outweigh the risks and they set off to put their plan in motion.

In order to secure the head, Abbie meets with Frank Irving in jail to obtain its location. Boy, was I happy to see Irving back on screen, even if he was dressed in a dashing orange prison jumpsuit. Abbie and Ichabod make their first visit to the bank together where Ichabod discovers and eventually mocks the modern credit card, which is a delightful scene that mocks our society’s obsession with our small plastic cards. They retrieve the horseman’s head, which had been stored in a safety deposit box by Irving for safekeeping.

Sheriff Reyes makes an inpromtu visit to the police archives, incidentally running into Jenny and her slightly illegal cache of weapons. Woops. I don’t think they can keep using the police archives as their unofficial headquarters anymore. Reyes also drills Ichabod about his status as the station’s “history consultant.”

Man, this new sheriff is really starting to get on my nerves and is certainly trying to stop our friends from defeating evil and saving the world. Irving is also subjected to psychiatric evaluation by Reyes where she deems him basically insane and unabashedly wishes to send him to the loony bin.

Using directions provided by Franklin’s journal, Abbie and Ichabod procure the innate body of the Kindred. Using the horseman’s head, Ichabod dutifully reads the Kindred alive and thus Franklin’s monster is born, a true patchwork of disfigurement and certainly one of the creepiest creatures I have seen.

The Kindred and the Horsemen of Death duel, allowing Ichabod to rescue Katrina. Katrina though, desperately begs Ichabod to leave, believing Abraham will wait for her and will not bind her to him until she truly loves him. Katrina also believes she has a chance to try to save their son from the clutches of evil by staying. (I honestly don’t think there’s much hope for Henry though. Their efforts will likely be futile).

The newly created Horseman of War soon joins the fight between Death and the Kindred. The Kindred, appearing outmatched, receives aide from Abbie, but Abbie soon realizes she is no match for the horsemen. The Kindred saves her life though and rides off into the fog, while Abbie and Ichabod escape leaving Katrina behind.

Ichabod and Abbie, successful in raising a creature to fight on their side, celebrate a short-lived victory. Katrina, meanwhile continues to play the role of a mole, convincing Abraham she is on his side. Katrina is simply playing with fire though and sooner or later she is going to get burned.

Back in jail, Irving, still being harassed by Sheriff Reyes, is visited by Henry, who claims to be Irving’s attorney. Frank, with no knowledge of who Henry actually is, signs a document with his own blood and I can’t help but think Irving has just signed his soul over to the devil.

What I really enjoyed most in this episode was the emotional moment Abbie shared with Crane while in the crypts. Abbie, fervidly confessed to Ichabod about her struggles and instability she faced while in purgatory. Most strikingly, “her faith in Ichabod is her greatest weakness.”

The two of them have come so far since first meeting and one truly realizes the extent of her trust in him at this point. Meanwhile Ichabod believes Katrina may be his, but Abbie instead believes Henry is his greatest weakness, because deep down Henry is still his son, even if evil has taken ahold of him.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bKlcYNSWCY]