Sleepy Hollow Season 2 Episode 15 Review: Spellcaster
Henry A. Otero
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Now that's more like it! Can you believe Katrina finally proved she's a powerful witch on Sleepy Hollow Season 2 Episode 15? Yeah, it only took two seasons.
I loved that John Noble returned this week. True, they overused him in the first half of the season, but the fact he remains unredeemed rocked my world. I love me some evil Henry Parrish.
Plus, we also learned Irving's loyalties lie with Henry. There were tons of great twists building toward a dark season finale. Welcome back Sleepy Hollow!
Jonathan Schaech was fantastic as warlock Solomon Kent. From the moment he appeared on screen, the guy was an intimidating presence. I've got to say, he's one big bad I wish our witnesses would have had to face off against in the finale. It's a shame they keep killing off the cool characters.
I wasn't a huge fan of the Salem Season 1 TV series, but the witchcraft trials really worked for me here. It was brilliant that Kent was used as the catalyst for the insanity that took place in Salem.
Though Kent is a fictional character, the Grand Grimoire is real and believed to have been written after the 18th century with instructions to summon Lucifer himself. See what I'm getting at Sleepyheads? Do you think the first of the fallen will be making an appearance soon?
Ichabod: The Grand Grimoire has been much sought after in magic circles, but I'm afraid I'm no expert on the subject.
Abbie: Where is our specialist in that department?
I'll admit, when I heard that I groaned loudly. It meant Katrina would play an important part in this adventure, which I should have guessed since it's all about witches and dark magic. I guess I'm just that over the character; her name turns me off.
That said, watching Kat do her magic thing quickly won me over. Yes, many fans (myself included) have mocked Katrina as the lamest witch in history, so it was nice to hear her point out that purgatory zapped nearly all her skills, but she's growing stronger. It seems like the showrunners are listening and that works for me.
Watching her give into "the dark side" (had to get a Star Wars reference in) was the most excited I've ever felt about the character. As an evil witch, there's just so much more drama there. Besides, fans already hate her... why not love to hate her? Evil or dead is the only way Katrina will work.
His name is Solomon Kent. He's the warlock all witches fear. Moloch's death must have freed him from purgatory and now he is in our world. Wherever Solomon Kent goes, terror and death are sure to follow.
Katrina
The flashbacks to Salem 1692 with Kat's grandmother were integral to the story. In my Sleepy Hollow Season 2 Episode 13 review I mentioned how the Abigail Adams flashbacks felt forced. That certainly was not the case this week. I enjoyed everything about the flashbacks, including the fact Kat was our narrator. Surprisingly, I liked Katrina's involvement in "Spellcaster" very much.
I've always thought Katia Winter was a fine actress; the writing just hasn't done her any favors, unfortunately. Wasn't it disturbing to see Katrina's grandmother, Helena, hung as a witch? It never fails to give me a chill when I remember those atrocities happened in real life.
Abbie: So Solomon Kent is responsible for the Salem witch trials.
Katrina: A period of mass paranoia and persecution.
Abbie: It still haunts us. Every kid in America reads the crucible, a play about Salem.
In order for the episode not to finish in 20 minutes, the Grand Grimoire had to be missing a piece. This also gave us time for an interesting scene with Irving trying to convince Abbie he's trustworthy. Seems it worked, but now we know the truth. It's kind of a bummer Irving's a bad dude now, but it will make things interesting moving forward. Who knows, perhaps he'll turn on Henry as the Horseman of War turned on Moloch?
John Noble makes such a great villain, redeeming him felt like a cop-out and would have been a damn shame, don't you think? Speaking of villains, if Katrina joins Henry due to the darkness in her I'd be thrilled. The standoff between Kent and Kat was fun, and her eyes going white as she tapped into her "true self" was outstanding.
As a huge fan of Syfy's 12 Monkeys Season 1 (the best new show you should be watching), I thought the time-travel aspect of this story was a nice twist. The portal was a cool visual as well. Usually, they're bringing monsters back from the grave not attempting to go back in time to correct an event and alter the future. Further proof the writers can still manage to surprise us.
This installment gave me hope the season will finish strong and that the writers are back on track. It's been a very uneven season, but I think a great finale will guarantee fans become excited for a third season. The cast is so wonderful, it would be a shame if the series did not return.
What did you think of "Spellcaster"? Did you enjoy Katrina's involvement? How about Crane kicking the warlock's ass? Are you glad Henry is unredeemable and that Irving's on his side? You're up, hit the comments below and share your thoughts with me. Look for our Sleepy Hollow round table later this week.
There are just 3 episodes left. If you've missed an installment, remember you can watch Sleepy Hollow online here via TV Fanatic.
NOTE: Sleepy Hollow Season 2 Episode 16 is titled "What Lies Beneath" and airs on Monday, February 9.
