#Crystal and Edwin’s dynamic is especially important to me
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Every time I rewatch the DBDA pilot, I always almost cry during Edwin’s breakdown. Not just because Edwin is panicked and distraught, but also because of Crystal and Charles’ reactions to it. You have Charles who’s standing back, not wanting to intervene but also being pained by seeing Edwin struggle. Crystal being the one to reach out to him - Crystal who up until this point has been 5 seconds away from throwing hands with him - and tries to show him that she cares too. Charles telling him that Crystal’s case still isn’t solved - that she’s one of them. No one looked for them and no one’s looking for her. It’s just something in how she reaches for Edwin and takes his hand and shows him that they do want the same thing that just wrecks me. I love their dynamic and I love the whole montage that follows.
#the core threes dynamic is just amazing#Crystal and Edwin’s dynamic is especially important to me#love to see two haters hating#dead boy detectives#dbda#save dead boy detectives#edwin payne#charles rowland#crystal palace#Payneland#crystal palace surname von hoverkraft#revive dead boy detectives#dead boy detectives agency#eden thinks thoughts
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my thoughts on dead boy detectives after watching episode one
okay first of all i gotta say i love the vibe. two ghosty boys running around solving cases and helping trapped spirits move on? that's so fun i love them
tbh. i don't know whats going on btween these two if it's platonic romantic whatever and i don't think any distinction can be drawn that matters. maybe that's the aro in me but they are each other's most important person and who cares about the semantics!!!
charles trying to get edwin to learn self-defense is very sweet. however i will say girl how has this not happened sooner. you literally just got chased through london by a knife ghost and your next case involves fistfighting a possessed psychic Please learn to throw a punch minimum. i would say learning how to fall properly is more important but it's not like they can get more dead. so.
unless they go to the afterlife or something i guess? interesting stakes, especially with the lady from the end of the episode who's looking for them. also the scene hanging outside the window was very sweet, with edwin promising he won't let them get separated. at this point i think it could go either way whether that was to establish their dynamic or to foreshadow, so we'll have to wait and see if the promise holds, but either way very touching moment
crystal my girl crystal!!!! i love her so much holy shit she is so messy!!!! i love love love her getting angry about her shitty situation bc. yeah! that's scary as hell having amnesia bc ur literal demon ex stole your memories and she's got no one except the boys, one of whom very openly doesn't want her around. that's really rough and i Love that she blows up at them about it in a moment of extreme stress instead of being unnaturally chill about an objectively awful situation like many mystical characters (especially when they're women)
anyway i think crystal should get a knife and stabbing privileges. she'd for sure misuse them but i think it'd be funny
edwin is so real for the 70 years in hell thing. girl if i was in the torture dimension for SEVEN DECADES i'd be awful to everyone, it's actually impressive that he restrains himself to being a petty bitch. good for him tbh, i think he's earned the snark. don't get me wrong it's unhelpful and sometimes downright mean, but it's also funny so i'm letting it slide
the witch... esther i think? god what do i say about her. ok im first gonna start with this: she's fucking chilling, it's so scary watching her body the group with ease until charles basically hail-marys and possesses her AND EVEN THEN it's for less than a minute til she forces him out!! it feels like encountering the bbeg when your party is level five- you know you can't touch her and have to play the situation carefully so she doesn't just end you, and the win is getting away with a different objective (here saving the kid) while knowing she's gonna be actively hostile to you now. scary stuff!
idk if this is the popular opinion or not but i just don't find her hot 😭 like yeah she's serving incredible cunt, but her awful pta mom energy keeps that from being attractive. idk if it's the mommy issues but i would feel unsafe and constantly judged in her presence which is usually a dealbreaker for me finding people hot. sorry ma'am i deeply respect your vibe and the cunt you serve i would just avoid u like hell if u were real
the whole snake in a bone dimension in her cupboard is pretty cool though, and i love that her blowing smoke in people's faces isn't just a power play but a paralytic that's So clever
any other thoughts.... the girl with long hair is pretty, and that interaction with crystal has me wondering if the show got cancelled for lesbianism. i feel like maybe not? idk, if it was the start of a relationship that seems weirdly at odds with the tone of the rest of the show, so im leaning more towards crystal was picking up a weird psychic vibe from her that might be important later. who knows though!! i'll just have to find out haha
anyway i got sucked back into reading a novel but i should get caught up on that sometime today and then it's on to episode two, lol. very interested to find out what's up with the cat's vague ominous warning and what esther's gonna do when she finds out they rescued the kid she kidnapped
#pat.txt#pat watches dbd#idk if im gonna do this for every episode but here's a tag anyway#im having a good time! it's a fun show & i like the characters and their dynamics#they actually feel like friends which is always a treat#dead boy detectives
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Episode 6 Rewatch
Well the past impression didn't lie, ep 6 is pretty heart-wrenching.
The highlights:
Want to hug Crystal, Monty and Edwin one by one and altogether 😖
Crystal because of how desperate she sounded when saying "yes I'm nothing special so LEAVE ME ALONE" - I'm not sure if she meant it or not, but the will to admit anything, no matter how humiliating it is if it means relief, that her stalker would finally fuck off, - was enough to feel for her so much. Crystal is so cool and this was such a raw scene 😭
Also her safe place that will be with her i matter what, no matter any mistakes - you just CAN'T go wrong with it, it's THIS unconditional - and is at the same time has been within her all along still makes me tear up. I lack this - confidence, acceptance, just some inner grounds to stand on. Of course I create it by the power of will and mind, but gods I wish I could have smth like this. So that final understanding - it's been inside you all along - is what does it for me. I know this scene is supposed to show the power of Crystal's ancestry, that she always has her roots and they are good and strong, and this is very important. But I come from a different background and am not really attached to both my family lines, so to me this scene was about finding the inner grounds within oneself, self-acceptance and learning to be compassionate towards oneself unconditionally. No one will give it to you (in adult life there's no such thing as an unconditional love if the relationship is healthy), you have to do it yourself first and foremost. So it was very... therapeutic.
Akso I kinda envy Charles because he got to protect Crystal and kick that demon's ass. The scene was so well-built that I really wanted to do that myself. This doesn't happen often. You go Charles! <3
Now, Monty - because of what I was talking about in my previous rewatch post, mostly him coping with rejection (badly, which is normal for a teenager even if he's a magical one and especially when he's been a crow just a few days ago and all this feelings stuff is new), finding a new light when Edwin said he still cares a great deal, the quarrel (Edwin I know why you went into a defensive mode and don't judge you for that but I'm still JUDGING ON AVERAGE who's older between you two?!) and then just... spilling all the beans to Esther while KNOWING she won't take it well. Did he feel suicidal or something? 🥹
I also want to talk about this:

But that's a topic for another post and not just about DBD.
And, finally, Edwin. Save for his immature "you're still a crow" (again, completely understandable but I'm still judging) he's been coping like a king. Having a talk with Monty (also I guess it's a parallel with how he will feel in ep 7 after his confession to Charles 🥹), telling the Cat King off (MORE angry Edwin who doesn't hold back, pls, that was A SIGHT ❤️🔥 I generally like it A LOT how he's gradually unwinding as the series goes, letting out his emotions one by one - fear, anger, swearing - it's a very good and not that easy to learn thing), apologizing to Crystal (and their dynamic in general, pls I like it so much), and finally gathering his courage to talk to Charles and confess his feelings, not letting any of Charles' assumptions sway him from this decision. The last one is the most raw, I was just clenching my fists and tensing all over. I know how hard and terrifying it is to admit something to your partner, your best and closest friend, to the person you treasure the most in the world - something that may make you lose them. But also Edwin was absolutely right - once you recognize these feelings, it's nearly impossible to keep them in. I did so for months and they were eating me inside out, so I can't help admiring his courage. Yes this whole situation hits very close to home for me in more ways than one, why
Another highlight is Niko's reconciliation with Jenny. I really like the way it was handled because yes, Niko was wrong to meddle and she should learn to respect others' boundaries, no, Jenny wasn't obliged to have a talk with her. But Niko is a teenager who's not that great socially-wise (and autistic-coded), she's just learning how to navigate all this, and I understand her drive to help people, to do good very well. She made a mistake with a terrible aftermath and has to learn her lesson AND to take the responsibility. And Jenny CHOSE to give her this opportunity - probably because she recognized the situation as something similar that happened to her some time in the past, onky by the looks of it there was no one there for her, so she didn't want Niko to suffer the same. This plot line is beautiful no matter what side you look at it from. It's kind, and gods know we could all use as much kindness as possible now.
The forest elemental my dear <3
Also, what does PLV 4s mean?

P.S. During this episode I started noticing Charles positively staring at Edwin. The whole Monty's entrance sequence on the roof? Charles didn't take his eyes off Edwin, it was A LONG stare. Like. Sorry bro there was nothing straight about it, and I'm not even crazy about the ship in the first place because I've been on either side of their povs and both aren't great. So I'd say I have as little bias as possible in this case and it was still NOTHING STRAIGHT. Bro. Your bi awakening is obviously waiting for you in s2 if it happens.
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Sleepy Hollow Season 4 Review
Full series spoilers…
I loved Sleepy Hollow in Seasons 1 and 2: the chemistry between Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison), Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie), Jenny Mills (Lyndie Greenwood), and Captain Irving (Orlando Jones) was infectious, the twists on American history and Washington Irving’s original story were ingenious, and the supernatural plotlines were often fearlessly bonkers in the best way. They boasted some great villains, like the iconic and terrifying Headless Horseman (Neil Jackson, Jeremy Owens, Richard Centrone, Craig Branham), the architect of the apocalypse, Moloch (DJ Mifflin, Marti Matulis, Grant Spingdale, Austin Filson), Ichabod’s lost son Jeremy/Henry (John Noble), and Crane’s wife Katrina (Katia Winter). I enjoyed most of Season 3, even if the villains were ultimately underwhelming and Abbie’s death was really poorly done; the magic was still there. Season 4 opened with an uphill battle following Abbie’s death and a complete change of scenery as the series left Sleepy Hollow. I didn’t think the show could—or should—go on. Though the series definitely wasn’t the same, Season 4 largely proved me wrong: there was still life here.
Tom Mison still seemed game to play the time-lost Ichabod as he moved to Washington DC and continued trying to acclimate to the 21st century (while maintaining his Revolutionary style, of course). His reactions to the present were as good as always and I’ll miss him now that the show has been cancelled. I thought it was smart to put him in the capital of the nation he helped found and I loved that he finally got his American citizenship in the finale. That felt truly fitting; the perfect way to end his onscreen arc (though the adventure always continues!). Yes, it also ended with his soul bartered away to the Devil, but I loved the confidence Mison exuded in that closing scene: it was just another problem they’d solve, like the kraken. Carrying on in the face of impossible odds has always been a hallmark of the Witnesses (and the best heroes), and Crane exemplified that perfectly. Ichabod as a guardian/pseudo-stepfather to Molly created some fun moments (like his soccer “battle” speech!) and brought a new side to his character, which was a clever contrast to the tragedy of being robbed of the chance to raise Jeremy. It was great to see Mison and Noble play the next evolution of their father/son relationship, even if we only got to see initial baby steps of that this year. I would’ve liked to see that develop in a potential fifth season. Mison definitely lost an incredible scene partner with Berhie leaving, but Ichabod and Jenny had great chemistry too and their friendship carried the show for me this year.
If there had to be a new Witness, I wish Jenny were the chosen one; I remember the new Witness being said to be someone from Abbie’s bloodline anyway (though I missed it if that connection was ever explained this season). Having her sister’s destiny forced onto Jenny would’ve been a strong arc, particularly as this year found her bristling under the responsibility of staying in one place for so long; she’s always been a treasure hunter and clearly wanted to get back into the field. A Witness who didn’t accept the title, even though she was already in the fight, would be an interesting wrinkle (as would Jenny living up to Abbie’s legacy, if she went all-in with the mantle). Still, I liked her investment in making sure her sister’s legacy was carried on and I love that even with Agency 355’s introduction she still held her position as the show’s occult object expert (a weak point in Season 2 for me was that Matt Barr’s Hawley seemed to largely do Jenny’s job for her). While she didn’t have a sweeping arc of her own this year, Jenny worked well as a stabilizing influence for Crane in his new surroundings, Molly in her role as Witness, and for me as a viewer; she was a steady dose of classic Sleepy Hollow as it transitioned into something new. Greenwood was one of my favorite parts of the cast and always a delight onscreen. If FOX were interested, I’d definitely be down for a Jenny Mills: Supernatural Treasure Hunter spinoff starring Greenwood!
Maybe it’s because the show nailed the character chemistry right out of the gate, but I’ve consistently had trouble accepting new cast members on this show, particularly if they’re playing roles the core four characters already held (though there were exceptions, like Zack Appelman’s Joe Corbin). I liked Agency 355’s Jake Mills (Jerry MacKinnon) and Alex Norwood (Rachel Melvin) best of the new additions; Mills as an Ichabod fanboy was fun and Alex’s “OK, the supernatural is real; makes sense” non-reaction to monsters made sense this far into the series (also given their job, even if they hadn’t encountered real proof yet). Plus, Alex’s aptitude for building arcane devices wasn’t a skill we’d seen before on the show, so it really felt like she offered something unique. They had good chemistry and their slow-burn romance was sweet, if a little well-trod. There was a problem were a few times—even if Alex discovered a map or an artifact—Wells would explain how it was used or what it led to. Why not just let her do it? I also couldn’t help feeling like we didn’t need another semi-skeptic/believer pair, especially with Ichabod/Diana (Janina Gavankar) replaying dynamics we’d already seen repeated last year to various extents with Sophie Foster (Jessica Camacho) and Daniel Reynolds (Lance Gross), and of course Abbie in the first season. This far in, did we really need three new set of eyes (four if you count Molly) on the supernatural, especially when Ichabod and Jenny could’ve served as the audience surrogates into the government’s Agency 355 and their way of doing things? Why not put Diana in 355 as well and make her, Wells, and Alex already knowledgeable about what’s really going on, and at least somewhat experienced at fighting it? Flip the setup so Crane and Jenny still bring new skills to the team, but they don’t have to retrain everyone and they’re the newbies to how the Agency deals with monsters. It already seemed like this scenario was set up in Season 3’s cliffhanger and I wonder if something changed in the development process. I also wondered why Crane had never come looking for 355 with Abbie; he clearly knew it existed in his time, so why didn’t he ever bother to see if it still did? I feel like looking for fellow soldiers in Washington’s secret army would’ve been one of the first things he did upon waking up. In any case, Agency 355 made me really wish we’d gotten an X-Files/Sleepy Hollow crossover instead of (or in addition to) the Bones one from last season.
I wasn’t a fan of how Season 3 rewrote Abbie’s Witness role to be something handed down over the centuries instead of it just being her and Crane as originally presented, mostly because it seemed to make Abbie’s look less essential/important than Crane instead of them being equals. Losing Abbie should’ve had much more of an impact beyond Crane having to protect a secret identity from the new characters early on: it should’ve weighed on him and hampered his fight against evil. A friend pointed out they also skipped over Ichabod dealing with killing Katrina (to move past an unpopular storyline?), and it felt like a similar thing happened here. I did, however, love the scene of Crane visiting Abbie’s grave and updating her on the world; I just wish we’d gotten more about what Abbie brought to the role that Molly maybe wasn’t or couldn’t yet. If I were running things, I wouldn’t have introduced a new Witness at all. Make losing a Witness a major win for the forces of evil; something they were never supposed to be able to pull off. Instead of making Abbie the latest in a long line of replaceable Witnesses, make her loss matter. Make a significant hole in the team that can't be filled by slotting in some other character as the (latest) Chosen One; not only do you honor Abbie’s sacrifice by crystalizing what made her special and important (both in terms of Abbie as a person and as a Witness), but you raise the stakes for everyone still standing.
However, this is the story they went with. As it played out, I thought making a kid the new Witness yielded a good, fresh dynamic between Crane and Molly (Oona Yaffe)—Mison and Yaffe had an easy, fun rapport—but her age and Diana’s protectiveness ultimately hampered how much she could contribute to the point where it seemed like we didn’t need a second Witness for most episodes. While Diana’s function on the team as the official law enforcement officer felt very similar to Abbie and Sophie’s (making it feel a little stale, as if they were keeping the character dynamic status quo), I liked the added wrinkle of giving her a kid to worry about, particularly as Molly was drawn further and further into the supernatural. I think Molly could’ve been special for some other reason without having to be a new Witness, but I have to admit scenes like her pulling Crane back to the real world from the Sicarius Spei were powerful. Gavankar and Yaffe felt like a real mother/daughter family unit and it felt like the writers were (successfully) going for a Sarah Connor Chronicles “I’ll fight the monsters so my kid won’t have to” thing, particularly given how the season played out. Introducing “Lara” (Seychelle Gabriel) as adult Molly was a surprising way to invert the Rip Van Winkle premise of the show with a Days of Future Past twist (and a fine full-circle connection to Ichabod’s initial time travel). I liked that Lara was so skilled at magic, but I wish her skills had paid off Ichabod and Jenny training her as a kid more directly, because having Lara eventually take the Witness mantle from Molly made all the attention paid to her feel a little pointless. I definitely wish they’d met.
I liked Benjamin Banneker (Edwin Hodge) recurring in the flashbacks and J Street was a neat idea. Banneker’s concern for everyone’s standing in the new country, not just white people’s, made for a smart reminder that as idealistic as the American values are, we were never perfect. He and Ichabod also had a well-developed friendship and I liked that Banneker’s concerns challenged Crane’s adoration of what the Revolution was building. Banneker’s presence was also a cool use of a Revolutionary figure I’d never heard of; I loved that—supernatural twists notwithstanding—you could learn new things about real history on this show. Uncle Sam (Rick Espaillat), Sacajawea (Dayana Rincon), Davey Crockett (Daniel Parvis), and Paul Jennings (Zae Jordan) were a cool Revolutionary-era Government team. I wasn’t expecting something like that at all, but it fit perfectly in with the tone of Sleepy Hollow: that they were some sort of early American supernatural Fantastic Four was exactly the kind of crazy idea the show excelled at. I would’ve liked to see more of their exploits.
Jeremy Davies’ business mogul Malcolm Dreyfuss was the season’s weakest link. He never came off as threatening or imposing in any way to me; he just seemed eccentric rather than evil. I’ve been increasingly bored with businessmen villains in superhero fare (there are other evils out there!), but more pressingly, the execution of Dreyfuss’ goals seemed so small-scale. He gains immortality, gathers his Horsemen, kidnaps the President…and then waits for the army to attack him, so he can display his power on TV? Why not attack them first? Waiting—seemingly so Team Witness could organize and mount a defense—felt contrived. It would’ve been much more dramatic if Ichabod and Co. were scrambling to catch up. I didn’t see the need to connect Malcolm’s immortality to Ichabod and Death’s first fight by adding the Philosopher’s Stone ritual either. However, it was clever that the Philosopher’s Stone made Headless weaker, allowing Crane to behead him and Headless’ part of the ritual required his return, so that’s cool. I just thought the tie to Ichabod’s death was unnecessary and a little confusing: until I read reviews of that episode, it seemed like another retcon had occurred and the Stone was what made Ichabod immortal for his sleep, not Katrina and her coven.
I initially thought Malcolm’s bodyguard Jobe was a little bland, but I liked the deeper implications that he was involuntarily tethered to this guy who’d cheated the Devil out of their bargain. I would’ve liked to see what Jobe was like when not stuck as an enforcer for Lucifer’s contracts or Malcolm’s errand boy. Is there something he could’ve done to undermine Malcolm and ensure the contract was fulfilled beyond assisting Team Witness? Did he want to? Did he have goals and aspirations of his own (perhaps ambitions to displace the Devil himself?)? I don’t think we saw enough of the Devil (Terrence Mann) to judge whether I liked this portrayal or not, but he didn’t really leave a menacing impact after villains like Moloch. I enjoyed the depiction of the entrance to the gates of Hell, but I was underwhelmed by the business office appearance of Hell itself once Ichabod and Lara got to the Devil. That’s probably intended as a connection to Malcolm, but it just came off as a metaphor that I’ve seen as far back as Angel at least; I would’ve liked a more distinctive feel to the Underworld that matched the show’s historical side. Perhaps depicting Hell as a distorted Continental Congress would’ve been more in line with the show’s roots; maybe Ichabod signing his soul away could be framed as him signing a twisted Declaration of Independence or something.
Whether it was designed to get back to the glory days of the show or not, Dreyfuss’ plan to start the Christian apocalypse Moloch failed to accomplish certainly felt like they were trying to play their greatest hits instead of striking out into new territory. I understand the impulse to go back to what worked, but playing it safe was never what made this show great. Sure, we finally got to meet the Horsemen of Pestilence (Robbie A. Kay) and Famine (Kathleen Hogan), but they didn’t do anything of note beyond their introductory episodes. I liked Season 3’s apparent idea that each season could feature a different culture’s apocalypse as the Witnesses worked through their seven years of trials; as inhibited as the Hidden One was and underutilized and rushed as Pandora was last year, at least they were something new. That shows like Supernatural and Constantine lean so heavily into the Judeo-Christian religions for their adversaries and allies also served to make returning to those standards stand out less. And hey, the US was blatantly founded without a national religion, so continuing to explore what else the world has to offer would’ve tied in nicely with the American roots at the core of the show. Since it felt like we’d been through all this before, it didn’t spark my imagination like the show had done in the past.
The callbacks to the show’s glory days that did work, however, were the returns of Headless, the series’ best, most iconic villain, and Henry Parrish. Henry being something of a better man thanks to being reconstituted from Crane’s memories was a clever way to bring him back from the abyss, both literally and morally. I wish there’d been more time to explore his new status: his resurrection is wholly original and could’ve yielded the ultimate “I’m not what my father wants me to be/thinks I am” arc. I liked that their relationship took on new levels when Ichabod sacrificed himself and briefly became the Horseman of War; I hadn’t seen that coming at all! I do wish it had lasted for more than an episode to fully explore both Crane as War and any new understanding of Henry he gleamed from the experience (that they both ended up as the Horseman of War had a nice poetic flair to it, though). I also would’ve preferred Henry become War again in a ploy to save Ichabod instead of an attempt to get his power back; he seemed to go evil again a bit too easily, and becoming consumed by the evil of War in a bid to save his father would've been tragic. I’m glad Ichabod was able to convince Henry to withdraw from the final fight, so he’s still out there somewhere.
Most of the new monsters of the week worked well. The demon John Wilkes Booth (Alexander Ward, Adrian Bond) possessed himself with and used to kill Lincoln was a nice chance to explore America's secret occult history beyond the Revolution. The Sicarius Spei (Ward), with its dream torment, was possibly the best new monster of the season, combining a creepy monster with a unique problem with personal stakes for Ichabod and resulting in the eventual resurrection of Henry. Malcolm’s former partner Ansel (Bjorn Dupaty) gaining power through the demonic sigils burned into his body was intriguing. He seemed to do more with his power than Malcolm ever did and bending the supernatural torment inflicted on him to gain the power to fight back made for an interesting, desperate anti-hero. The Barghest (Ward again; the monster was from Little Red Riding Hood) was a good demon, even if it was predictable that it had taken the place of Molly’s dad Mitch Talbot (Bill Heck). Still, it allowed for a good, well-executed opportunity to explore Molly’s family life. Similarly, Mr. Stitch (Derek Mears) was a great villain who personally affected Molly. That episode was probably the best use of a kid as the Witness, with Molly having to save Ichabod and deactivate the Vault’s lockdown protocols by herself. I liked the Hunger Demon (Ward) and its connection to the Donner party; another nice look outside the Revolution.
Less impressive villains included the Sphinx (Marti Matulis), which seemed largely limited to being an arrow-shooting deterrent rather than its own force. I was disappointed they didn’t show the Sphinx’s riddle and just had it solved offscreen; this was a chance to test the heroes' intellects rather than their physical skills in a way few villains on the show could. I'm imagining a monstrous Riddler here, with Team Witness racing to solve its brain teasers before people die (or to access the piece of the Philosopher's Stone before they die, as the case may be). The Dyer sisters (Sara Sanderson, Courtney Lakin, Kelley Missal) and their infernal machine were cool, particularly as Washington allies who’d gone bad, but ultimately I wish they’d gotten to do more. Even if they weren’t going to have the presence of Katrina and her coven, I wish the show had explored the parallel between them and Ichabod as time-lost Washington agents. The Djinn (Fedor Steer) and his Pictagram pestilence was a neat way to update the supernatural via social media stars, but he was ultimately underwhelming when it came time for the final showdown. I did like the explanation for spontaneous combustion and the tie to history, though.
Thanks to the show’s new setting, when they did go back to Sleepy Hollow, it truly felt like an event (as did the focus on the memory of Abbie in that episode). At the same time, the new DC location worked well and felt appropriate given the Revolutionary history of the show. I enjoyed the added historical facts, such as the meaning of “Colombia” in D.C. However, while writing this it occurred to me that there could’ve been a much more effective use of the DC setting: why not set Ichabod against a government perverting what George Washington set in place or at least using methods to fight the supernatural that Crane would find unacceptable? What if a demon-involved government were using the supernatural to further their own goals? Instead of a single businessman aiming for immortality and world domination, what if it was a significant portion of the government? What if after all his fighting in the Revolution and in Sleepy Hollow, Crane found out the government had teamed up with different demons a long time ago? I’m reminded by Wikipedia that Ezra Mills hinted the government division he was connected to became split in its goals and the mystery men who kidnapped Ichabod at the end of Season 3 certainly seemed to be working for the government, so the seeds were already there. A corrupt government plot would’ve paid off Banneker’s fears about how idealistic the new American government really was too. More pressingly, it would’ve truly tested Ichabod’s desire to be an American and what that means nowadays compared to the ideals of his time. Has he outlived the American Dream? They could’ve taken a page from Captain America to ask if Ichabod is still fighting for the country he thought he was, whether “his” America could be improved upon at all, and where he and the country could go from here. This line of questioning would’ve been especially timely and important now, as Ichabod is an immigrant, not an American citizen. The other characters could all be tied in easily too. How would Jenny react to knowing the system that locked her up for speaking the truth about demons was deeply involved with the paranormal all along? What happens to her black market connections if she’s tied to a government agency that wants to control the supernatural? Diana, Wells, and Alex could’ve become the Black Widow/Sharon Carter/Sam Wilson to Ichabod’s Steve Rogers as they realized how corrupt their bosses were and joined him in rebelling against their leaders. Molly could’ve been earmarked by someone in the government to be used in one of their nefarious plots, putting her in much the same danger Malcolm did. What if the show were totally bold and had Ichabod instigate a new revolution to reestablish American values (and demon-free living)? Even without a full-on revolution, Ichabod vs. America would’ve been thematically perfect and the biggest hurtle the show could’ve thrown at him after losing Abbie. Perhaps this was the plan for Season 5, since this year ended with Ichabod working for the government and threads hinting at its corruption were still dangling. Signing up with a compromised government would parallel Ichabod literally selling his soul too. If that’s the case, I wish they hadn’t waited and it’s a shame we won’t get to see it.
Despite some plot choices I didn’t agree with over the years, I still loved Sleepy Hollow and I'm sorry to lose it. It was a fun, inventive show that never feared going totally crazy with supernatural twists on historical events. That's one of the lessons I'll take from it as a writer: absolutely nothing is too outlandish if you ground it in your characters and fully commit to it. The characters, particularly those core four originals, were great and the actors were perfectly cast. Importantly, the show also featured a diverse cast of actors. Like Captain America and the National Treasure movies, Sleepy Hollow’s use of American history—and Ichabod’s reverence for the founding American ideals—made me proud of what this country was founded to be. Irving’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of my all-time favorite stories, and this show was a great (if very lose) adaptation. I would’ve come back for a fifth season and wish we could’ve gotten more.
So long, Sleepy Hollow. It lost a step or two along the way, but when it was good, it was great.
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dead boy detectives agency episode two thoughts
why does the cat king serve so much cunt. girl who asked. AND THEN HE TRANSFORMS INTO AN EVEN CUNTIER OUTFIT. WHAT ARE U DOING HERE?? WHO ASKED????
girl why does edwin keep having homosexual flashbacks of the cat king. that's so funny. *gets flirted with by the cat king* hope this doesn't awaken something in me <- edwin rn
idk how i feel about him tbh. like on the one hand it really skeeves me out when someone flirts with a person, registers they're not interested, and keeps pushing anyway, but on the other hand i appreciate the cat king backing off & providing an alternate solution when edwin is clearly uncomfortable with being openly propositioned. he'll still hit on people who Do Not Want to be hit on but he does not coerce sex!! so. yknow. at least there's that?
NIKO MY BELOVED NIKO she's so funny and endearing. i love that she can see the guys now, it seems like she'll be sticking around/part of the gang which i'm very happy for!!! also it seems the pink lights were not in fact lesbianism. sad! oh well the episode was fun and the pixies were done so creatively plus they're funny
crystal putting herself at risk like that.... my girl. i do think what she said to charles about only saying it to trick the sprites wasn't necessarily Untrue in that she was saying it to them For that reason, but i also think it's something she's really feeling. that was too genuine and too quick to have been pulled from nowhere, especially with the context of her earlier conversation with niko. i don't think she really believes that she has nothing and no one, but i think she's afraid she has nothing and no one and that's what she pulled on for that trick.
i noticed something earlier in the episode that made me smile. so edwin was talking about detective work and getting a little smug and bitchy in a fun way, and charles was just watching him with this smile on his face- it made me very happy! they're friends and charles likes when edwin prattles on about something, instead of putting up with him or something stupid. idk i just like their dynamic and how real it feels that they care about each other
also it sure has been established that charles makes impulsive decisions without thinking the consequences through. im sure that's fine and will never come up again 👍
the magic shop was fun! love that this man establishes that he uses to be a walrus and now isn't anymore bc of Backstory and the boys simply cannot gaf. they have shit going on man they don't have time for the kind of backstory lore they probably hear all the time given they run in supernatural circles
esther... what can i say about esther. um she scares me 👍 the scene at the end where it's implied she's dismembering her crow? gross! like well done don't get me wrong the sound design made me deeply uncomfortable, but gross
also she is right that monty has a very cute face. i would not trust that man but he does have the face of a highschool freshman i would give directions to the library or encourage during rehearsal. absolutely diabolical to hinge your evil plan on a face that cute!
what else... i really like the dynamic between the four of them. i think niko is a nice addition to help balance things out so it's not all crystal & edwin sniping at each other while charles tries to mediate- which is fun don't get me wrong and i don't want the bickering to go away, but niko opens up a lot more possibilities and i look forward to seeing how her addition affects the group dynamic. or she stays a minor character they helped out and im wrong about the ending implying she joins the group LOL but we'll see! hope she stays an important character i love her, just maybe with fewer threats to her life please haha
as for a favorite character... it's so hard to pick everyone is delightful especially the main few, but if i Had to narrow it down... charles or niko? UGH but i love crystal and edwin too 😭 girl this is impossible they're all so compelling
i don't think there have been any characters i particularly dislike, actually. the little girl with the jellyfish was a bit off-putting for some reason (something about the way she talked? idk man she just threw me off a little no idea why) and the cat king is on thin fucking ice depending on how he deals with rejection (my aro ass Cannot take people acting like they're entitled to someone's affection. he backed down on the sex thing so he's fine for now but i have my goddamn eyes on him)
OH WAIT CRYSTAL'S DEMON EX. nevermind fuck crystal's demon ex all my homies hate crystal's demon ex. girl imagine getting so upset about being dumped that you Steal Your Ex's Memories. could Not be me that's such a pathetic attempt to stay relevant in her life 😭
ANYWAY im having a good time!! i really enjoy this show haha, im excited to see where it goes from here. charles not having an afterlife assignment bc he never crossed over is really interesting, i'd love to learn more about his & edwin's pasts and how they ended up detective-ing together
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