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PILOT REVIEW: Sleepy Hollow

SLEEPY HOLLOW












Starring: Tom Mison, Nicole Beharie, Orlando Jones, Katia Winter

Created by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Phillip Iscove, and Len Wiseman
Written by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Phillip Iscove, & Len Wiseman, Direct by Len Wiseman

Sleepy Hollow is a wild new drama that is very loosely based on the 1820 short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving. In this incarnation, Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison) dies during a 1790 battle at the hands of the Headless Horseman. Both reappear though in in 2013 in Sleepy Hollow and the Headless Horseman begins killing again. After initially being a suspect in the first shooting, Crane becomes a partner to young cop Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie) as they try to uncover the mystery and stop the murders. Rounding out the main cast is Abbie's skeptical superior, Captain Frank Irving (Orlando Jones) and Ichabod Crane's wife Katrina (Katia Winter), who was killed for being a witch. That's the simple version of a convoluted pilot that included re-imagined history, biblical and apocalyptic connections, witchcraft, and good old fashioned buddy cop moments. Crazy!

THE GOOD: Sleepy Hollow is a fun ride if you're willing to suspend disbelief in a big way. It's just everything rolled into one and the sheer wackiness of it makes it interesting to say the least. The show did a good job of creating the ambiance with the foggy streets, tree-lined sidewalks, and dark tone. I actually sort of liked the buddy cop elements they brought into it as well as the humor. Most times it seems odd on shows like this but I think this show knows not to take itself too seriously and the silly moments help to reinforce that. The performances were good for the most part with Tom Mison a standout in the lead role.

THE BAD: I just don't know about this one. It's just so far out in left field that it might be past the point of no return. Yet at the same time, it has a lot of cliches that a traditional thriller has - the mysterious figure matched up with the young authority, the traitor, the older guy who knows more than he lets on... these cliches get played out all the time and the wildness of the show goes too far in some areas but not far enough in being able to buck some of these tired plot points.

BOTTOM LINE: I wasn't hooked by the pilot but I also want to see a little bit more, especially after seeing the promos during the credits. It's like the writers tossed a hundred balls up in the air and they're going to see what they can catch. Right now the show is a mash-up of lots of things but I'm interested to see what it will become. I care enough at the moment to see what's going to happen. Will I feel the same way after episode two? We'll see.
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