Sleepy Hollow

Anyone else catch the premier? I thought it was thoroughly mediocre. While the acting and production values were fine for television, the plot moved way too quickly. Crane adapted almost instantly to modern times without the culture shock and fear he should have felt and a whole season’s worth of reveals were crammed into one episode–far too many to matter or have any impact. I also found myself wondering to whom John Cho owed a favor, because why else was he in this? I’ll watch a while longer in hopes it improves, but I’m not optimistic.

I just watched it, and mediocre is a good word. It definitely moved too fast but I can’t tell yet whether this could end up being a good thing. While you’re right about Crane fitting in to modern times quickly, it also means we might miss hilarious old timey man bumbling around which doesn’t really fit the tone. I’ll be curious to see what the next few episodes look like because I can’t see them maintaining this pace and coherence at the same time.

Pretty much you nailed it. Kind of derivative of Burton’s Sleepy Hollow in a sideways manner, on top of it. Thought the diminutive sheriff (Nicole Beharie) was far too cute to be a sheriff (and probably far too diminutive to be a sheriff), but what the hell.

It was highly entertaining nonsense, and I’m glad they cut past a bunch of the completely predictable stuff and just hit the throttle in terms of setting up the overarching season plot. 15 minutes per episode of “Ichabod doesn’t understand computers. Ichabod doesn’t understand microwaves. Ichabod doesn’t understand HBO. Ichabod doesn’t understand dubstep” would be accurate, funny in a lazy predictable way, and a horrible waste of time. Plan to check in next week.

Except that it wouldn’t be a waste of time. If you’re going to include a time traveling warrior from the past in your series, showing the audience his reaction to what he finds in the present is critical to establishing his personality and providing verisimilitude. Otherwise, Crane might as well be Rookie Officer Crane, descendent of Ichabod and heir to the family quest.

On the one hand, “get on with it” has its virtues, but if you are going to kind of borrow other features from Washington Irving stories (Rip Van Winkle, Time Traveler!) you might as well use them. Otherwise, why bother? Maybe they just wanted to get the McGuffin wound up and running before they really explored the ramifications of being 250 years out of date. I certainly hope so.

But it’s clear they’re doing that. They’re just not overdoing it. The show is bonkers in half a dozen ways, but it’s not really a fish out of water comedy, and I appreciate that.

I don’t want it to be comedic, either. However, I want Crane to be amazed at/terrified of cars and their speed, not sit there and play with the power window button. I want him to marvel at electric lights (which he ignores), not just flashlights (which he doesn’t). And so on. They’re being highly inconsistent and picking the wrong changes to focus on.

It was fun. Didn’t take it that seriously and wasn’t expecting Shakespeare.

I liked it, I hope it does well. I thought the guy playing Crane did a great job.

Halfway in, this is some slackass writing. The acting’s not terrible for a 1st episode, but man this “plot”…

Props though on the casting choice for the first sheriff; it’s a pretty nice nod. I guess, unlike Ramirez, the horseman’s blade DID bite deeply enough ;)

Yeah, I really want to like this, just for the sheer dumb of it all. I’m so rooting for it…

…but in the last few weeks I’ve thought “How will they screw this up?” Of the dozens of ways that I envisioned them messing up this premise, I swear to Henry that in a million years “four horsemen of the Apocalypse” was so absurdly bad I’d have never dreamed that up.

It really seems like they’re afraid they won’t get picked up if they don’t pack every single damned thing into the first episode. I could accept a four horsemen theme if they EARNED it over half a season, instead of being BAM: horseman BAM!: resurrection BAM!!: immortal priest BAM!!!: horsemen of the apocalypse, bitches! BAM!!!: WITCHCRAFT, FUCKAS! BAM!!!: CONSPIRAAAACIIIIIESSSS YEEEEAAAAH!!!

and I still have 15 minutes to go…

BAM! Sexy Ghost!

This show is populated with remarkably credulous characters. I guess the writers really didn’t want any arcs about characters slowly coming to believe, instead it’s all “Well, horesemen of the apocalypse out murdering dudes huh? That’s a little out there…but two other people back that story so I guess we’re solid. Man, this is gonna be a weird press conference!”

BAM! THE DEVILLLLLLLLL

Hey, if they had the good taste to use Albrecht Durer illustrations, it can’t be all bad!

I recorded it. But it’s my understanding that a particular thing happened in the pilot that could hurt my interest in the show. So, I dunno.

One thing that’s weird: they can’t seem to decide whether the headless horseman is a horseman of the apocalypse (i.e. “he is death incarnate”), or just a herald who will call out the horsemen (i.e. the 4 evil trees).

Like I said in the OP, “a whole season’s worth of reveals were crammed into one episode–far too many to matter or have any impact.”

I enjoyed it enough to get a season pass. It’s absurd fun that doesn’t take itself too seriously. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of Supernatural in its tone and execution…at least from what little I’ve seen.

The main character has a way with droll humor, and the lead hottie isn’t cloying. The promise of a story arc dealing with numerous types of supernatural creeps has me interested in how they’ll pull it off, too.

I love Supernatural more than any other show currently airing, but I don’t think Sleepy Hollow compares well to it. While Supernatural certainly has humorous incidents and entire silly episodes, it treats its story arc with deadly earnestness and, perhaps most importantly, understands very well how to develop it over multiple seasons. The string of reveals that we got in Sleepy Hollow’s premier would have taken dozens of episodes to work out on Supernatural.