Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Sleepy Hollow, Season Two, Episode Seven: Deliverance


Katrina lies in bed dreaming about the past she shared with Ichabod. The dream suddenly shifts from Katrina and Crane in bed, to a man holding Katrina down and dropping some kind of insect her mouth. Katrina wakes coughing and reaches for some water. 

Abby and Crane head to the polling station where Crane gets on his soapbox to complain about the low voter density rate.  He does of course mention everything he went through for Americans to have the right to vote and complains bitterly that Americans would rather vote for American Idol than vote in a midterm election.  Yeah, as much as I hate when he gets preachy, he has a point on this one. To her credit, Abby snarks back that colonial America was not a golden age because Black people and women were not allowed to vote, which means she would have been turned away twice. Crane adds that because she doesn't actually own property, it would have been twice over.  A laughing Abby says that maybe she could afford property, if she weren't paying for all of Crane's bills. An idealistic Crane talks about how far America has come and Abby replies that it took 180 years and two constitutional amendments for her to win this freedom. Crane tries to follow Abby into the booth but Abby quickly gives him the boot.

Katrina stares at herself in the mirror, as Abraham brings her something to drink.  Abby says that there is some kind of poison inside of her and Abraham professes that this is not his doing.  Parish bursts in with a group of men he claims are there to care for Katrina.  Katrina struggles, as she is being examined and Henry explains that he is here on Moloch's command.  Abraham begs Henry to wait until he can talk to Moloch himself but Henry says that there is no time and that Moloch does not tolerate disobedience.  Katrina is dragged out and when Abraham tries to fight back, Henry turns him back into the headless horseman and opens the shutters to the light, causing Abraham to begin to burn.  Katrina and Abraham continue to struggle and Katrina manages to get away, running through the woods.  Katrina rushes towards a gas station screaming for help and falls into the arms of two attendants.

Abby and Crane are still at the polling station where Crane continues his rant.  Sheriff Reyes walks in with other officers and Crane comments that Abby's exclusion from Reyes inner circle must sting. Abby however understands that Reyes only wants to clean up the town.  One of the officers tells Abby that they got a call about a Jane Doe who was picked up just outside of town.  He adds that the woman is a redhead in full colonial get up.


Crane and Abby rush to the car wondering what is wrong with Katrina.  In the hospital room Abby and Crane talk to the doctor, who says that Katrina is running a fever, with an infection in her abdominal wall. They are however waiting for results from the lab to make a diagnosis.  Crane tells Katrina that she is safe now and Katrina explains that men came with Henry and she had no choice but too run.  Katrina screams in pain and when Crane looks at her abdomen, he see spidery blue veins appear.  Katrina has already tried to heal herself to no avail.  Katrina tells Crane that Henry expected this illness and that Henry claimed Moloch has a new purpose for her.  Crane promises Katrina that they will find a cure. Abby points out that Abraham is out of play because the sun is up but that this will not stop Henry from coming to look for Katrina.  Why can't they just let Henry have her?   Abby suggests getting Katrina some medicine and checking her out.

Abby manages to steal clothing from a drunk goth chick and she, Katrina and Crane start to leave the hospital. Crane however is concerned by how form fitting Katrina's stolen clothing is.  The men who tried to take Katrina appear at the hospital, so Abby agrees to stay behind and confront the men, sending Crane and Katrina ahead to the archives. Crane instructs Abby to be careful before they head their seperate ways.

Back at the archives, Katrina is working on a hex to warn them if Henry's men approach. Crane questions what else Katrina remembers and Katrina reveals that the doctor had a notebook with a symbol on it.  Crane finds the symbol of the Hellfire Club (The British Society of Scientists) in a book and explains that they fought for evil to prevail in the war for independence. Here we go again with the demon British. It seems that Franklin referenced an experiment where a woman was inflicted with an ailment that matches the symptoms Katrina has. Unfortunately however, Franklin does not provide any further information. Crane calls it his doing that Katrina is now ill, saying that he should never have left Katrina with the horseman but Katrina comforts Crane replying that Moloch would have made her sick no matter where she was.  Katrina then reveals that Abraham knew nothing about Moloch's plans either. Crane is shocked to know that Abraham can speak, given that he has no head and so Abby shows Crane her pendant, explaining that Abraham asked her to see the human spirit within in.  Crane wants to know what Katrina and Abraham talk about and Katrina replies whatever she must so that she can gather information to further their cause.  What information? Thus far, all Katrina has done is send Crane a love letter.  Katrina states that her heart is broken by the secrets which have become between them. Katrina questions if Crane wonders if she is holding anything else back and swears that she has no other secrets.  Crane says that when the war is over, they will build a life together and the two share a kiss.

Meanwhile, Abby is busy stalking the men who came to the hospital for Katrina.  She follows them to a warehouse and calls Crane to report.  Abby heads inside the warehouse as the men state that they lost the witch.  Abby takes a picture of the tablet the men are consulting before she is suddenly grabbed by what looks like a corpse.  The men follow the sound but Abby has already moved on.  Abby continues to floor and she finds a room set up to look like an operating room and takes another picture. 

Later, at the archives, Abby shares the pictures she took with Crane.  Crane reads the doctor's notebook that Abby stole and realises that Katrina has been impregnated and that the delivery is due in 10 to 12 hours.  A startled Katrina wonders how this is even possible and Abby points out that Crane and Katrina have not been alone together for awhile.  Crane immediately brings Abraham and Katrina swears that she would never be with Abraham and that what is growing insider her didn't start with a man.  Crane then finds a section in the book on conception and they learn that the pregnancy started with poison Henry stole from them.  They realise that Henry is growing a demon inside of Katrina.

Suddenly, Katrina's hex bursts into flames and so Katrina, Crane and Abby flea.  The three run through the tunnels of the archives with the men hot on their heels.  Later, at the St. Henry's Parish, Crane says that they will be safe because the church is consecrated ground.  Abby argues that Henry won't stop until he finds Katrina because he is the one who did this.  Katrina explains that because Henry is a sin eater, he can remove the demon growing inside of her but Crane wants to concentrate on the fact that Henry uses his great power for evil.  Katrina argues that Henry struggles against the dark side of himself but the ever real Ichabod points out that Henry has shown them nothing but contempt.  Katrina argues that Henry still cares about them and that a part of him is still human.  Katrina adds that Henry follows Moloch because he had no family and questions if Ichabod has lost all faith in their son. Crane reveals that he has not given up on Henry, so Abby points out that Henry is the horseman of war, who has promised to help Moloch raise hell on earth.  Katrina calls Henry her child and again states that he is not a lost cause.  Abby tells Crane not to allow his feelings to destroy their missions.  Crane agrees that Abby is right about Henry and tires to refocus the conversation by saying that the only option they have is to approach Henry because Katrina is ill.  Crane asks to put it to vote and Abby simply says that she can do the math.

Henry goes to see Frank in the hospital, to find it was all a set up for Ichabod to have a meeting with him.  Ichabod simply says that it is time for them to talk.

At the church, Katrina paces, acknowledges that Abby is unhappy with Ichabod's plan.  Abby continues to look through the book and discovers that the demon inside of Abby is called The Horrid King.  Katrina falls to the ground screaming, as the veins once again appear on her stomach. 

Henry and Crane sit at the table where Crane reveals that he knows a demon is growing inside of Katrina.  Henry laughs calling it pedestrian to expend all of that effort on a mere demon. 

At the church, Katrina questions who the King is and Abby explains after reading a passage from the book that Katrina is actually pregnant with Moloch.

At the hospital, Crane realises that The Horrid King is actually Moloch and simply says no, as Henry taunts him about Moloch's rise.

Katrina is horrified that the demon of the apocalypse is growing inside of her and says that Moloch cannot rise if she dies first.  Abby says that this is not an option and she reminds Katrina of how she saved Crane all of those years ago.

At the hospital, Henry quotes Lear to Crane and snarks, thanking Crane for the twinkle in his eyes.  Crane brings up that Henry lives at the same location where Katrina first held him but Henry calls it a nexus of dark power. Crane questions if Henry told himself that Katrina's blood was on Moloch's hands but Henry is determined to cover his hands in his parents blood. Crane warns that if Katrina is allowed to die that it will plague Henry for an eternity because Katrina is not the reason bad things happened. Henry brings up the eternity he spent in the box and adds that Katrina's love for Crane sent her to purgatory.  Crane holds out his hand and demands that Henry read his sin and remain unmoved. Henry refuses to touch Crane and Crane accuses him of being afraid of seeing the depths of his suffering.  Crane tells Henry that he has a choice to make and Parish says that he chooses Moloch and that no matter where Katrina is hiding, Katrina will die and Moloch will be born.  Crane grabs Henry's hand and gets a vision of Henry as a child, running through the forest, forcing Henry to pull away.

Crane returns to the church and reports his failure to Katrina and Abby.  Katrina is now heavily pregnant and warns Crane that if she should die, that he cannot give up on Henry because Crane will be all that Henry has left. Crane argues that while there may be good in Henry, it's not proof that he will change.  Katrina talks about having faith that she would be reunited with Crane while she was in purgatory, before passing out.

Abby and Crane then look at the distortion which appeared on the picture she took of the tablet.  It gets Crane thinking about a paper Franklin wrote on the aurora borealis banishing demons from earth.  Abby pulls up the article on the net and Crane reads that the only tool which can stop the birth is the aurora prism, which is hidden inside the tablet.  Apparently, the prism only needs to be exposed to sunlight.  They discuss how heavily guarded the lab is and Crane talks about having an army to assist him.  Abby says that she knows where they can get an army.  Crane walks over to Katrina and informs her that he has to leave her for awhile, leaving her a radio for communication.

Crane and Abby head to the station and Reyes is not impressed to see Crane.  Abby tells Reyes that they are there to tell her the truth of what is going on in Sleepy Hollow.  Abby shows Reyes the photos that she took at the lab, including the photo of the dead body with signs of torture.  Abby tells Reyes about a doomsday club and says that she went to Crane because the club has a colonial origin. Abby asks for a swat team, saying that if they jump on this, they can bring in the perpetrators.  Reyes is reluctant, saying that Abby has not given her any reason to trust her but Abby argues that Reyes said she wanted to clean up Sleepy Hollow and she is now being given that chance.

The cops kick down the door of the warehouse and while they take fire, Abby and Crane take off to find the tablet.  Crane tries to open the case that the tablet is set in and after trying numerous combinations, Abby yells for Crane to try 666.  Of course, that turns out to be the combination and Crane retrieves the tablet.    Crane puts the tablet in a satchel but when he and Abby try to leave, Abby is stopped by Reyes, who says that she can see why Corbin always spoke so highly of her.  Reyes then tells Crane that they should be in touch. As Abby and Crane make their way out of the factory, Katrina screams over the radio that the baby is coming now.

Crane and Abby rush in as Katrina begins to labour on the floor.  Abby takes Katrina in her arms, as Katrina screams.  Crane breaks the tablet and grabs the stone that falls on the ground before pulling the boards off the windows and holding the prism to the sunlight.  The prism catches the light and sends a ray to Katrina's stomach.  Katrina screams and then falls backward into Abby's arms not breathing and with a very flat stomach.  Crane rushes forward begging Katrina not to die and he begins to perform CPR desperately.  Katrina takes a gasping breath and the two then share a kiss as Abby turns her head.

Later, Crane finds Abby outside and says that holding Katrina was a joy and yet, Moloch nearly rose to their world.  Crane wonders how long it will be before Abraham comes looking for Katrina, adding that Abraham will stop at nothing to get Katrina back.  Abby points out that they now know where Henry stands but Crane explains that when he touched Henry, Henry experienced a memory that Crane was not meant to see.  Crane says that inside Henry is still the lost scared boy.  Abby offers her fist for a pound and calls today a win.

Lightening flashes and hits a conductor buried in a glass jar as Henry watches.

Other than the fact that Ichabod loves Katrina, what actual value does she bring to the team?  Katrina supposedly stayed behind to spy and that resulted in a love note and no significant information.  Katrina has either outright lied or omitted information and only admitted to the truth after being found out.  She clearly is not in the least bit trust worthy.  I just had to give Katrina the "stink eye" as she talked about her shared secrets with Crane this week.  Katrina is nothing more than a victim in need of constant saving in one form or another and though we are told that she is a powerful witch, I have yet to see it.

Okay, this week Henry impregnated his mother with a demon.  It all feels slightly incestuous though no bodily fluids were exchanged.  That said, Katrina's constant refrain that Henry is a good boy honest, is so filled with self denial as to be laughable.  I am with Abby.  If your son turns out to be one of the freaking horsemen of the apocalypse you cannot get away with calling him a good boy who is misunderstood.  Henry is evil and denying it is not going to turn Katrina into mother of the year no matter how self sacrificing she pretends to be.

This week Crane finally showed up at the hospital again but unfortunately it wasn't to visit Frank.  Frank has essentially been dropped into a plot box now that he is no longer a useful tool. If I were Frank I would be hesitant to help either Ichabod or Abby seeing as how neither of them can be arsed to visit him unless they need something. These two have in fact become the very definition of fair weather friend. Which brings be to Reyes.  I like it better that she mistrusted Abby and Ichabod because now she might be turned into yet another servant for these two.

Finally, are we going somewhere with the meta plot this year?  It's episode seven and each week so far has been about some plan that Henry hatched which Abby and Crane have to work hard to foil.  Can we move somewhere already?  You can only sell the whole the British are demons for so long.