TV Ate My Wardrobe

A good twist brings out my Macaulay Culkin Home Alone impression and the last 15 minutes of the Sleepy Hollow double bill was all hands on cheeks, mouth agape. Nicely played, Sleepy Hollow. This first season has raised the bar for fast paced storytelling with an emotional core; it can be both incredibly creepy and heartwarming. It’s safe to say that the old misty eyes were induced several times over this double bill. Ichabod’s costuming has been a big discussion point here at TV Ate My Wardrobe and after last week’s brief foray into modern attire; he finally found a solution to his clothing dilemma.

The second of the two episodes opened with what seemed to be a Katrina infused dream, nothing new here. Instead the scene subverted expectations and Ichabod was very much awake and in the real world, except the real world was masking as his old world with a re-enactment. Balancing the end of world doom with moments of brevity like this one is what makes this show such a fun watching experience and even though Ichabod can’t get his head around aspects of modernity, like why would you want to re-enact something as brutal as war, it provides a new clothing outlet for him. Yes the outfit Ichabod is wearing in Purgatory isn’t the same one we have seen him in throughout the year, but his new threads and they look a lot like his old ones.

Jenny makes a joke about getting rid of his “ratty coat” and this is not on Ichabod’s list of things to do “Please, and risk it be worn ironically by purveyors of artisanal marmalade who discovered it at the local thrift shop, I thank you no. For judge a man not by the wear of what he wears, but by the where and how he wears it.” Like most people Ichabod feels attachment to certain items of clothing, this is pretty much how I get every time I have to stop wearing a pair of hole ridden Cons and Ichabod has had that coat for two centuries. Bonds are formed.

Talking of bonds, the link between Abbie and Ichabod is strong and the strength of Sleepy Hollow lies in this relationship. Tom Mison and Nicole Beharie have this amazing ability to sell any of the bananas plot points; zombie George Washington? Sure! A trip to Purgatory? Why not! The banter and the more tender moments slightly diminish the joy of Crane getting Katrina out of purgatory – especially as she is quickly whisked away by the headless horseman – the hugs and declarations of loyalty between Ichabod and Abbie are a sure fire way to invoke all the feelings.

Now Abbie is trapped in a garish pink dollhouse, when Abbie and Jenny first discussed this place of sanction I imagined a traditional Victorian version. There’s actually something creepier about the one we get as it looks so out of place in the world between worlds and the bright color does little to comfort as it’s incredibly disorientating in this realm of darkness.

The big twist is that Henry Parish, the sin eater is actually both War and Jeremy Crane, son of Ichabod and Katrina. From the moment his hand healed of its own accord I figured there was something up with Henry, but in no way did I see this big reveal coming. John Noble is so good at portraying a sweet, put upon character (see Walter Bishop), I forgot that he can also play malevolent and bitter (see Walternate and Denethor). This is some huge child abandonment issues on show here, though on this occasion he should really cut his parents some slack.

Other finale highlights include reactions to emoticons, Ichabod realizing that flip phones are so last decade, Yolanda, fist bumps, Spy Daddy and zombie George Washington.

So Abbie’s stuck in a dollhouse, Katrina’s been taken, Ichabod’s been put in hole in the ground bound by roots and Jenny lies unconscious in her upturned truck. Oh and Irving is in jail. That’s not a good place for any of these characters to end the season. For us the audience we now have the agonizing wait until season 2 and until then you should check out this incredibly detailed conversation with costume designer Kristin Burke over at Go Fug Yourself, including a glimpse at the modern wardrobe that has been acquired for Ichabod even though he is unlikely to wear it ever.

Tags: "Bad Blood", "The Indispensible Man", costume design, Kristin Burke, Nicole Beharie, Sleepy Hollow, Tom Mison