Sleepy Hollow: Season 4 Finally Arrives!!!

Fox's “Sleepy Hollow” has been blessed with a fourth season (commencing Jan 6) and good, ol’ Tom Mison is back as our favorite, retooled version of Washington Irving’s legendary Ichabod Crane (now awarded a serendipitous post in Washington, DC).

As fans have learned, Nicole Beharie’s Abbie Mills has been replaced by Janina "True Blood" Gavankar’s Diana Thomas, who allegedly has more of a Dana Scully quality about her. Of course, I always thought Ichabod and Abbie had that Mulder/Scully thing going on anyway, if only based on the nature of their investigations. (To be  honest, I don’t understand why producers Len Wiseman and Chris Carter haven’t yet crossed over “Sleepy Hollow” and “X-Files”, but I guess the most obvious things sometimes go overlooked.)

Anyway, it seems likely that Diana and Ichabod will clash to some degree or another. This could either work or spoil the atmosphere based on the leads' chemistry. At least Lyndie Greenwood's Jenny Mills will return and perhaps if worse comes to worse, mollify the collisions.

The show’s main baddie is now billionaire Malcom Dreyfuss, portrayed by Jeremy "Ravenous" Davies, whose mysterious "bodyguard", Jobe, is played by Kamar de los Reyes. Dreyfuss will be a big-time catalyst for conjuring all things evil, and we can only assume this includes the Headless Horseman. The promised spellcasting also confirms a continued path for additional monsters, mayhem and their historical connections, which (let’s face it) is the series’ gist and novelty. (Also, rumor has it that John Noble will return as devilish Jeremy Crane/Henry Parrish, though to what frequency is yet to be revealed.)

Whether “Sleepy Hollow” will last beyond this season's 13-episode run is hazy, but the series' quality thus far has been impressive, making it possibly the best and most charismatic monster-of-the-week/fish-out-of-water program on the air. If the new formula goes per plan, it could very well bestow the series with even greater viewership. 

Sleepy Hollow Season 3 Strikes!!!

Just in time to get us nice and psyched for Halloween (albeit a month in advance), Ichabod Crane and Abbie Mills are back for Season 3 of Fox's "Sleepy Hollow".

I'm rather partial to this established monster-of-the-week show, for its atmospheric mix of horror, twisted history and parallel-universe overlaps. Tom Mison is a wonderful Ichabod (giving Washington Irving's classic character a contagious Dr. Who charm), and Abbie (Nicole Beharie) is a sturdy partner for him: no one else at this point would do. Too bad John Noble won't be returning as Henry, his misbehaving son, nor will Matt Barr, Orlando Jones, or Katia Winter this season (bummer). Oh, and no Headless Horseman, or so I've read--that does make me exceptionally woeful. 

Even so, I'm  anxious to watch and report on the new set of occurrences. Hey, as long as the arcane proceedings remain prominent (and why wouldn't they?), I'm  confident "Sleepy Hollow" will remain one of television's most mind-bending entries.

(Say, how 'bout figuring a Rip Van Winkle character into the show: a crossover of Irving's most famous leading men? Even a time-tripping Van Winkle series, in its own right, would be worth a daring whirl!)

Fox's Gotham Begins/Sleepy Hollow Returns

Fox's "Gotham" is, as most know, a Batman prequel, with Detective Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) in the lead, abetted by his questionable partner, Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue). Gordon is reminiscent of Gary Oldman's version in the "Dark Knight" trilogy: compassionate, tough and particularly intolerant of corruption: an admirable, television feature in light of what most cable television prescribes. Yep, no sympathy for the devil here, and yet the devils do certainly rear their insidious heads in this ambitious prelude.

The first episode features fledgling versions of Catwoman (Carmen Bicondova), the Riddler (Corey Michael Smith), Poison Ivy (Clare Foley) and the Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor), with a pre-Two-Face Harvey Dent and Hugo Strange on the possible horizon.

Tragic, young Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) is also in the mix (how could he not be?), and one can naturally presume that the seedy workings of Gotham (and Wayne's steely thirst for justice) will only perpetuate the ultimate Dark Knight's rise. Of course, faithful Alfred Pennyworth (Sean Pertwee) will also be a recurring character, thus solidifying the Wayne legend. 

"Gotham" looks promising, even if it's more a standard cop show when compared to what we've come to expect from Batman lore. Still, it seems more honest than most recent (and often overly praised) crime series, implying at least some form of Steve Ditko distinction between good and bad. It also has a cool, no-nonsense "Mob City" sensibility to it, further distinguishing it from its current counterpart let's-root-for-criminals mush. Indeed, so far, so good. Let's see, though, if it can at least exceed "Birds of Prey'"s brevity, though that seems more than likely...

On the heels of "Gotham", Fox's "Sleepy Hollow" triumphantly returns. As you may recall, I was quite smitten by Season 1's surreal, parallel-realm finale (see Jan '14). The Season 2 premiere admirably continues the concept, with a supernatural key that links to Purgatory. Indeed, as evidence by the season kick-off, and for a loose Washington Irving knock-off, the series remains a fine, modern equivalent to "Kolchak: the Night Stalker", with a distinct (albeit revised) historically patriotic context.

It's also sure nice to see Ichabod (Tom Mison) and Abby (Nicole Beharie) back in investigative swing, and now with John Noble's Sin Eater, ersatz Henry Parrish, revealed as--whoops, maybe I shouldn't spoil it for those not yet in the know. I'm only hoping we'll get some Clancy Brown cameos this season. Such would be most welcome.

As far as monsters go, it's obvious more will appear this season, with the Headless Horseman, of course, remaining in the recurring forefront and the power-hungry Moloch in the driver's seat. Also, the series' perpetually autumnal atmosphere is lovingly reinstated: a perfect place for the otherworldly creatures to infiltrate.

I'm sensing a strong chance for renewal well in advance of the season close. Without question, this one appears destined for longevity.