The Season Finale Leaves SLEEPY HOLLOW in a Good Place

Season 4, Episode 13 “Freedom”
Written by M.Raven Metzner
Directed by Russell Fine

After all the complaining I’ve been doing this season, I really enjoyed the season finale of Sleepy Hollow. What was really good about it is that it works if the show is renewed, but also leaves us in a good place if Sleepy Hollow gets cancelled, which seems more likely.

We open with Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison) dueling his son Henry (John Noble). Going back to a mano a mano conflict between Henry and Crane is the last thing I wanted to see. Dreyfuss (Jeremy Davies) is Henry’s second and Jenny (Lyndie Greenwood), not Diana (Janina Gavankar) or Molly (Seychelle Gabriel), is Crane’s. Crane doesn’t fire, of course, but Henry doesn’t hesitate and mortally wounds Crane. Crane fires back in return. It’s mutually assured destruction. Luckily it’s only a vision. In the vision, Henry declares that he has back what was taken from him, so Crane is sure that he is the horseman of war again.

Molly/Lara is still there. She doesn’t disappear because she has changed her own past. In fact, she confesses to her mom that the trip is one way. We also find out that Jobe was given the task of protecting her and she got to know him well. The horseman are on the move and they know they need to figure out how to kill an immortal. Molly suggests asking Jobe (Kamar de los Reyes).

She uses her last magic crystal to summon Jobe and ask him. She taunts him by telling him that in the future Dreyfuss sidelines him and she is his only friend. He tells them to go to Hell. They take this as a direction and do just that. Molly/Lara and Crane create a spell to take them to Hell from Crane’s apartment and then get interrupted by the cable guy (Anthony S. Goolsby). I’m not sure that there’s any purpose to the interruption, but it was funny.

In the meantime the horsemen capture the POTUS. She is shocked to captured by a headless guy.

The histerns and Jenny find a secret panel with a secret book that leads them back to the painting of former agents which has a map on the back that with a little defacement of public property, leads to a stash of weapons. How National Treasure is that? Unfortunately, the weapons are old, primitive and rusty. They aren’t impressive at all.

Hell is streamlined and modern. The two Witnesses confront Satan, who agrees that Dreyfuss is trying to rip him off, but on the other hand, apocalypses are good things. Crane offers to bargain with him. He comes back with the philosopher’s stone, which this time is conveniently small enough to carry around. If it’s close enough to Dreyfuss, it will render him mortal in its presence.

A side note: the show is very fond of the special effect of having fire under the skin. Half of the Devil’s face is like that. They used it with the horseman, and with the djinn virus. Everything’s burning!

The histerns, Diana and Jenny take on the horsemen with the old weapons because they have faith in them. Before they get there, Alex (Rachel Melvin), who is the only character who has looked at the ratings and assessed the possibility of renewal, grabs Jake (Jerry MacKinnon) and kisses him. And all’s right with the world.

They look really outmatched when facing the horseman, especially Alex, who is only armed with a machete and probably has no combat training at all. But the weapons start glowing and glowing blue is always a help.

Crane faces Henry, who is the horseman of war. Because of his own time in the armor, he can see and talk to Henry. Henry says he will always hate him and he likes rage, anyway. Crane speaks to him of freedom and while you don’t think that would help because Henry voluntarily gave himself over to servitude, he must have some bit of independence or patriotism left because he steps aside and lets his father pass.

For this I am eternally grateful. I am so weary of their conflict and Crane’s guilt over circumstances that he had no control over. The fact that they finally agree over one small thing — or large thing — is enough. Even a Henry made of spider spit and horseman’s blood will not stand in the way of freedom.

They make short work of Dreyfuss. They talk him to distraction and Crane gets close enough that he is temporarily mortal. Dreyfuss is shot and bleeds. To his horror, he keeps bleeding. Then Jobe turns on him. I thought he was going to tear him limb from limb, but they disappear in flame. The horsemen disappear and this saves our brave warriors.

Because the president has witnessed so much, she doesn’t need to be convinced about the supernatural. When told about the secret agency, she decides that it must report directly to her. Diana asks to be transferred to the vault. Crane has an objection, but it’s only to confess that he isn’t a citizen. The president has him raise his right hand and welcomes him to the country.

Molly/Lara decides that she isn’t ready to meet child Molly (Oona Yaffe) and decides to go walkabout. A little worrisome since she was raised in a different world, but I suppose it makes sense.

Because there are two Mollys, the elder Molly is the Witness. The mantle of Witness has been taken from the younger Molly. This is a huge relief to me. I was very uneasy with a child having that responsibility and being in danger with no choice about it. I realize that alternate history Molly/Lara did go through a lot, but that’s not my Molly. Crane says she has a choice when she grows up about whether she wants to fight evil or not.

Diana also has a choice. She feels she has found her calling and wants to protect the country from the supernatural.

Jenny calls and says there is a siren in a lake. No problem. Crane and Diana get there and it’s something huge and massive and they argue over what it is. It’s funny. Crane admits that he made a deal with the Devil and sold his soul. He shows her a pentagram in his skin. He’s not too worried about it. Maybe he shouldn’t be. The Winchesters always got out of it on Supernatural.  I hope he made a good bargain with lots of time and got more than just the means to render Dreyfuss mortal.

Here we are. Crane and company are now official, and he is a citizen! With a salary, I presume. Diana’s made her decision, Molly is off the hook, and thankfully, the other Witness is an adult. Not old enough for a romance with Crane, but an adult. Jenny can leave or stay as she wishes. Alex has declared her feelings for Jake, and they are both committed to the cause. Even in the past, Banneker and Washington have laid aside the differences between them over the sacrifice of Crane. Henry and Ichabod have agreed to disagree, and hopefully we will never see him again.

They have the little problem of Crane’s soul to work on, and a siren or kraken or remora or whatever to kill. If they are renewed, they are in a good spot to stay in D.C. in a show that is much the same. If not, the big bad is gone and issues have been resolved that we needed to see resolved. They have left it in a good place no matter what happens.