Sleepy Hollow: Season 1, Episode 6 – “The Sin Eater”
Against all odds, this loony fantasy hodgepodge has become the broadcast networks’ biggest fall drama hit. Perhaps even more surprisingly, the show is quite entertaining and well-constructed despite its absurdities. Anchored by rock-solid chemistry between lead actors Nicole Beharie (Lieutenant Abbie Mills) and Tom Mison (Ichabod Crane), “Sleepy Hollow” admirably straddles the line between fantasy nonsense and character-based procedural with ease.
After a three-week hiatus, the episode explored aspects of Ichabod Crane’s back story that had only been hinted at in the past: his first encounters with his eventual bride Katrina, his first brush with the demon world and his biggest faux pas. This back story built to a tense sequence in which Crane sacrificed himself in order to ward off the oncoming Headless Horseman, until he was saved at the last minute by a mysterious, powerful Sin Eater (guest star John Noble).
Does any of this plot stand up to scrutiny? Probably not, but the show is having so much fun with its excess that it almost doesn’t matter. So far, Beharie and Mison’s chemistry is purely platonic, but hints of the romance have been creeping in. Either way, these two impressive actors distinguish this show from its lesser counterparts, providing a solid foundation around which to stuff tons of wackiness, including more conversations about the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, lots of mythological nuttiness and dream sequences.
In comparison to the rote formulas on display in this season’s other big drama hits (“The Blacklist,” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”), this show’s narrative experimentation is a welcome blast of fresh air. – Mark Lieberman
Elementary: Season 2, Episode 7 – “The Marchioness”
TV’s one and only consulting detective Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) meets his match when his brother Mycroft (Rhys Ifans) takes a trip from across the pond to Sherlock’s new home in New York.
The episode begins with the usually cryptic and uncommunicative Holmes opening up at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting. He describes his feeling that he might be less prone to drug addiction if he were living in a time with less distractions. However, upon seeing Mycroft at the meeting, Holmes angrily storms out of the room, thus setting the tone for the episode’s focus on the relationship between the two characters.
“The Marchioness” is one episode of “Elementary” for which personal elements are significantly more intriguing than the actual case that its protagonists follow. In addition to the dynamics of their relationship, Holmes’ growing suspicion of sexual relations between Mycroft and his partner Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) is both hilarious and interesting to watch. Moreover, Mycroft’s appearance on “The Marchioness” poses challenges to Holmes and Watson’s tight-knit and platonic relationship that were first seen in Mycroft’s appearance in the season opener.
With its examination of the relationships between Holmes, Mycroft and Watson, “The Marchioness” is a thoughtful and entertaining episode of “Elementary” worth watching.
-Kara Avancena
thescene@theeagleonline.com
