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In this modern-day twist on Washington Irving's classic, Ichabod Crane is resurrected and pulled two and a half centuries through time to unravel a mystery that dates all the way back to the founding fathers. Revived alongside Ichabod is the infamous Headless Horseman who is on a murderous rampage in present-day Sleepy Hollow. Ichabod quickly realizes that stopping Headless is just the beginning, as the resurrected rider is but the first of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and only one of the many formidable foes that Ichabod must face to protect not only Sleepy Hollow, but the world.
You'd be forgiven for thinking that a show about Ichabod Crane waking up in the modern day sounds ridiculous. It definitely does. And yet it surprisingly makes for a fun, fast-paced new mystery thriller. As the fall's first new show premiere, it's impossible to say how it will measure up to the season's other offerings, but so far we're off to an unexpectedly good start.
Tom Mison stars as the time-displaced Ichabod. He's relatively unknown Stateside, but he does a fine job here as the protagonist whose fate is (of course) inextricably linked with that of the Headless Horseman. He's all suave purpose with his British accent and lanky hair, taking the news of a 250-year time gap in stride. The real star of the show, however, is Nicole Beharie ("The Good Wife", "42") as Lieutenant Abbie Mills. She's a tough-as-nails, occasionally sassy African-American cop -- which may sound like a tired cliché, but Beharie is so good she makes it feel fresh. Her character (who also has a backstory unexpectedly linked to Ichabod and the Horseman), is by far the most interesting part of the pilot, and her interactions with the seemingly crazy Ichabod are the most compelling scenes.
Of course, there's more here than a crazy British dude and a skeptical cop -- a lot more. The first hour is stuffed to the gills with world-building mythology, including demons, witchcraft, flashbacks, and plenty of decapitations. The best twist of the episode comes in the revelation of the identity of the Headless Horseman, which I won't spoil here (although I did provide a hint). It's a surprisingly clever twist that manages to make a stale ghost story feel new again.
The writers, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (who are also behind the revitalization of another dusty story: the new "Star Trek" franchise), have given themselves plenty of backstory, villains, and magic to work with. "Sleepy Hollow" may not be the best show on television, but it is a perfectly serviceable, exciting new show that fans of supernatural mythology will probably flock to in droves. As with all pilots, the question remains: can the writers maintain the momentum throughout an entire series? Or will the show quickly devolve into repetitive, wheel-spinning schlock? We'll see soon enough.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hFg9qS_u3w[/youtube]
