Time to pay the piper
After discovering that Ichabod has been taking driving lessons behind her back, Abbie gets called in to work a missing child's case. During the search they once again encounter the rogue, Hawley, who is searching of a flute made out of bone. It is then that Ichabod learns that the monster they are facing is none other than the pied piper.
This show continues to excel with their two leads, unlike another show that airs before them. The chemistry between Abbie and Ichabod is impeccable and definitely the best thing about this show. And it is put on display after the first cold opening by having Ichabod recite an ominous speech that turns out to be nothing more than him talking about driving a car. It may seem like a comedic moment and will come in use later, but it was also an effective way to show that Ichabod is growing as a character. Probably not at the rate that Abbie wishes he would and Ichabod definitely does want to acclimate so quickly, but it really shows how far the two of them have come. But in true Sleepy Hollow fashion, there always has to be something going on in town. And this week is no different.
Here we get our first monster of the week episode. That monster being the legendary pied piper. In this one he was a mercenary who made a deal with the demon, Moloch, in order to grant him incredible fighting abilities. And as a bonus he cause use his musical skills to lull his enemies into a trance like state, making them easier to kill. Of course no man who makes a deal with a demon can live without some tragedy. That tragedy involves being killed by a man who hired him during the revolutionary war, in order to hide the fact that he may have been a sympathizer with British. That decision will cause the pied piper to turn into the monstrosity that he is today. And so he returns to haunt his murderer's descendants by claiming a child from each generation after reaching the age of 10. After all, the pied piper needs to change his flute every now and then. The Pied Piper is probably one of the most fascinating creatures to appear on the show, and has to be given that he is the monster of the week. It also helps that he is a martial artist who fights with a bo staff made of bones that is essentially a gigantic flute. He proves to be a formidable opponent and a highly entertaining one.
But really at the core of this episode is facing an almost unwinable situation involving the Lancasters, the family that is cursed to pay tribute to the Pied Piper. The missing girl's mother knows that if the Pied Piper does not get what he wants, then the current generation of children in town will suffer a painful death through a disease. If it weren't for Abbie and Ichabod, this situation would've been difficult for the Lancaster matriarch to handle as she would have no choice but to allow her child to be killed in order for all the other children in Sleepy Hollow to live. It is a situation that no one ever wants to be in, but luckily this show has heroes who will always try to find a way to beat the unbeatable odds. Well, most of the heroes that is.
We are once again introduced to Nick Hawley, who is really being pushed as this character who is going to be important later on. He is pretty much the foil to Ichabod. Both extremely intelligent and well versed with folklore. The difference being one wants to do the right thing while the other will only do so if it gets him what he wants. And what Nick wants is the Pied Piper's bone flute. I'll be honest in saying that I'd be more interested in Nick if he didn't dressed like Nathan Drake from the Uncharted games. I'm not joking, he's wearing the exact same clothes as Nathan Drake. So much so that it is almost distracting. However it does automatically tell you what kind of character he is, if you are aware of the iconic status of his mode of dress. But again, it is really obvious that the writers are pushing this character as a way to shake things up in the show. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this new addition, but hey, he might be useful. Unlike those other male side characters they've had in the previous season. Time will tell.
This has been a fairly entertaining episode, especially since it is the first monster of the week episode of the season. This show continues to excel with the craziness as well as the moments with heart. But it is definitely the craziness factor that has this show standing apart from everything else right now. Especially when there are moments like the one pictured here. Things are not going so well for Captain Irving, but in his vision of the future, he seems to be doing well. And it all ties in to that blood pact he unknowingly made with Henry, The Horseman of War. He apparently becomes an incredibly efficient killing machine under War's guidance. It is moments like this that really propels my interest in the show and will definitely have me tuning in for the next one.
SCORE: 8.5/10 - The standard "monster of the week" episode, but still good
STATUS: Continue to watch - It is Halloween after all!
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