Sleepy Hollow - S2E15 - Spellcaster

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Previously on Sleepy Hollow, ‘Kali Yuga’ 

The Sleepy Hollow auction house categorizes their new sale pieces, including a spell book from Queen Elizabeth’s sorcerer, John Dee, The Grand Grimoire. As the assistant locks it away, the lights flicker and a Pilgrim-garbed man (Johnathon Schaech) appears. He breaks the glass to grab the book and slashes his wrist, chanting as the spilled blood boils. The assistant and security guard fall dead.

Ichabod’s decided to dabble in house hunting, so Abbie translates the realtor speak (too small to live in, bathrooms older than him) while he points out the Modern Day Hucksterism of staged squeaky bananas and mini muffins.

Back at the car, Abbie produces the Pilgrim murder file, and Ichabod recognizes the stolen book, kicking off a trip to our favorite person. Katrina, who is levitating and re-coloring daisy petals, excuses her purgatory-induced weakness, but says that with the coming height of Perigean tide, her powers surging again. No corset! She believes the Grimoire was summoned to Sleepy Hollow by a Purgatory escapee, probably a warlock, as it was previously lost to the world for ages.

Archives. According to lab reports, the sorcerer’s blood contained traces of Jimson weed, like steroid doping before practicing blood magic. Ichabod explains that every witch uses different sources for their magic, Katrina’s being nature, and they must all be drawing on this heightened tide o’ power. The team reviews auction house security footage, and, thanks to pixel-enhancement courtesy of a “friend at Quantico” (Joey Corbin?), Katrina identifies the warlock as Solomon Kent, “the warlock all witches fear.” Indeed, the warlock attempts to use the book back in his lair, entering an Evil White Eye trance and drawing a dark fiery hand from the book. Apparently it was he who kicked off the Salem witch hysteria.

 

Flashback, 1692

Back in the past, Helena Von Tassel, Katrina’s grandmother, invites Kent to a “prayer meeting,” aka coven ritual. His infatuation with Sarah Osborne (Goody Osborne) proves to be the flashpoint, as his rebuffed attempt to kiss her in the empty church house turns into an accidental stabbing. To cover his ass, he scorches her face into a demonic shape, declaring to the crowd that witchcraft is afoot.

 Later Helena warns him against encouraging the spreading hysteria, then threatens to stop him herself. In response, he suspends her midair, strangling the blood out of her eyes and calling in the community to condemn her. She inexplicably recovers in time to be hanged with the other Salem accused, but Katrina’s mother escapes.

 

Archives

Back in modern day, Katrina reports that the coven’s surviving members finally caught up with Kent, using Root Magic to haul him down into Purgatory. Roots are like a Purgatory deposit box around here. She senses that the Grimoire isn’t yet whole so the entirety of the magic can’t be used. Abbie steps out to check on the next auction shipment, since they think the missing pages are probably in there, and Frank walks up from behind, throwing major Guilty Shade for the mistrust. But don’t worry, he’s not even mad. How nice for you, Soulless One. Abbie buys it a little.

Abbie says the next shipment is due in tonight, then tells Ichabod about Irving. Ichabod has a revelation that there’s a resurrection spell in the Grimoire, so maybe Kent wants to bring Sarah back. The main problem being, as we’ve all learned, that once the gates of the afterlife are open, they’re hard to shut. Heck knows we don’t need MORE undead folk out in Dem Woods.

That night, Team Witness sneaks into the shipment warehouse, whispering about the parallels between the two men out of time and the choices they’ve made. “Leftenant, do you have a vision of the life in store for us?” he asks. I hope it involves trees and kissing. Abbie says all she knows is, the life of a Witness doesn’t end at night. “I violently agree,” he says. Kinky. “We fight for something. For love, family, a life….” Shippers are gonna fanfic the hell out of this scene. Check this look:

They hear Kent tearing through the boxes, and he tosses them, but Katrina steps in and zaps him cold. He recognizes Helena’s features, taking credit for the license all witches have today, like he’s the Magical Power & Light utility department. Perhaps her powers betray her, he says, because she’s not following the right path, the dark path. YASSS. He slices his wrist, covering the floor in blood from which two demons arise.

Abbie blasts one with magical bullets, but Ichabod misses the other and they give chase, giving Kent time to reassemble the book. Katrina captures Kent in a swirling dust storm. “Curb thy foul stench, unholy minion,” Ichabod calls to the final demon as Abbie blasts it back to hell. “You really need to work on your trash talk,” Abbie jokes. Meanwhile Katrina preps an energy blast, but Kent deflects with the Grimoire. “Look into the darkness,” he Darth Vaders, “There you will find your true self.” As he turns to go, she summons her first Evil White Eye trance, but lets him escape, recovering before Ichabbie arrive. Abbie looks disgusted as usual, but Katrina claims she’s just no match for the book, because, lying Evil! Katrina liar.

The Cranes head back to Corbin’s Cabin. Katrina claims she’s expended from the battle, but the Wheels O’ Evil are turning. Totally oblivious, Ichabod swears that no magic in the world can protect Kent from his fists. And also luscious hair. Abbie meets Frank at the bar, and after trading quips about reality TV, he encourages her to keep fighting, no excuses.

 

Feeling pumped, Abbie goes back to the cabin and reminds Ichabod that they used to kick all kinds of ass without Katrina, so there’s no need to wait for her to recharge. Seeing as how there are no new zombies tromping the streets, they think they might have his intentions wrong and translate Kent’s incantation: “I am the traveler.” This reminds Abbie of Grace Dixon’s journal, which mentions time traveling spells. Suddenly the game just got more dangerous.

Weaponing up in the vault, Ichabod reads that Kent requires a pool of energy at an astrally significant time, which is conveniently at midnight tonight. They’ll have to generate their own natural magic with modern technology, Crane volunteers for Le Kicking of Ass, and, since they’re shorthanded due to Jenny’s search for the “orb of mystical awesomeness,” Frank arrives to help. Or “help,” depending on your side of the bet.

 

Dem Woods. Using the Grimoire, Kent opens a portal to Ye Olde Tymes, spotting his beloved Sarah, but a flash grenade pops and Ichabod takes a shot with the crossbow, missing. Frank, however, hits his ear with an atropine dart. Kent hisses that “their Spellcaster” understands him. Ichabod says he understands Kent just fine in that his magic is vulnerable to elemental interference. Kent realizes he’s standing in a puddle just before Abbie electrocutes him. Ichabod leaps in and punches the crap out of him while smack talking. Frank ducks out, so they leave the unconscious warlock alone to go after him. Because… I don’t know. Frank pops back out, grabbing the book, and breaks Kent’s neck with his boot, watching him disintegrate with a smile on his face. #CalledIt

When Abbie and Ichabod return to find Kent gone, Frank cheerfully reports, “This was a good win!” Slightly confused, the Witnesses smile and stroll back through Dem Woods, clueless that Frank has the Grimoire.

Corbin’s Cabin. Abbie tells Ichabod to put some ice on his unnecessary-marital-ring punchin’ hand. “You surprised me, Crane. All Rambo like that. Remind me never to lay a hand on Katrina,” she says. He replies that Kent’s story reminded him of how they’re all on a razor’s edge between right and wrong. Some more than others. Abbie offers to take him out for a beer, since Katrina just wants to be left alone “to rest.” They head out into the night, leaving Katrina to practice her Evil White Eyes of Dark Magic, freezing the daisy and exploding it into dust. She gasps, blood dripping from her nose. And daisies are the friendliest flower (TM You’ve Got Mail), so she’s turnt bad for sure.

 

HENRY’S BACK!

We first find Henry in a cheap roadside motel, holed up as he sulks about killing his Fatherrrrr. The motel owner, a sweet disabled lady, is understanding, and sends her son to fix his hot water. The teen admires his carvings and leaves one of his own figurines, bonding over their strong mothers. “Who needs a dad, right?” the kid quips. Later, some tweakers, picking on the mother and son, yell for him to come on down, Grandpa, and we all chuckle because he will bring the Grandpa Sweater of Whoop Ass like it’s never been brung, sons.

Sure enough, he surprises them some time after. “I know you’re all very busy destroying your lives day after wretched day,” Henry growls happily. He relates how he was drawn to the innocence of Apartment Woman and Son, but seeing as how he killed his own Fatherrrrr, he realizes that there are sheep and wolves in the world. And he, for one, is a wolf. His eyes turn dark as he kills them all, then walks away whistling.

Renewed, he goes out to Dem Woods, and who should be there but Frank effing Irving. NOOOOO. They shake hands. “The Witnesses trust me again,” Captain Traitorpants reports, handing over the Grimoire. Henry says Moloch is dead, and from now on, things are gonna start going his way for a damn change. The king of the apocalypse is dead. Long live the king.