Sleepy Hollow (S2) Review - Episode 4 - Go Where I Send Thee - "Ah! That's where the saying "Pay the Piper' comes from."

From cursed coins we move on to evil bone flutes...I'm not reviewing Friday the 13th the Series, am I? Still, a lot of good horror fun makes use of cursed and magical items.

This time around Sleepy Hollow has a new threat that I can't say for sure is tied to the great Moloch threat. They try to imply it may be connected, but...eh. Still, it may be a force willing to do his bidding.

It seems a child has wandered out into the forest outside Sleepy Hollow. Out of her palatial home, she walked out into the deep deep woods. But it isn't a simple case of sleep walking. The child is lured. Music to sooth the savage...kid?

Abbie comes into the case and comforts the family. The mom, Beth, is an old friend of Abbie. She was her case worker when she was a kid. It was her daughter's 10th birthday the day before. Now she doesn't think she'll see her again.

Abbie is eager to track her down. But Ichabod is distracted at the back of the house. He's looking in a window at a room set up in honor of the family's (Lancaster) history. Ichabod is annoyed as their ancestor was a man who avoided joining the cause until just before the war would end. He wouldn't risk is place in society.

"No! You are an outside Witness."

Abbie gets him out in the woods to try and track down the little girl. Abbie is eager to get him moving, as he is still not supposed to be around Abbie's work. And the clock is ticking on the little girl.

In the woods they find a trail,and then blood. Along the way Abbie spots a leg bone. But looking closely at it, it's a flute made of bone.

Ichabod understands it. It is similar to a design used since humanity's early days. The bone flute. He tries the flute out. (Yuck, The things you put in your mouth.)

Ichabod. Just go get a fresh bucket of chicken. Okay?

Abbie is strangely affected by it. She begins to wander towards the water.

Ichabod realizes this is no ordinary...bone flute. The flute put Abbie into a trance.

Their foe is a pied piper. There are stories of such people. One is tied to "the war". One lured a garrison of British troops out of a home, where he murdered them all.


Abbie and Ichabod decide the music acts to summon people to the Piper's lair. So Ichabod creates a short loop of the music for Abbie to listen to, and lead Ichabod to the Piper.

"Really? A fife music mix tape?"

It seems to work as they head deep into the woods. After awhile they think they've found the Piper. But it isn't him. It's Hawley!

"Oh, thank god! I thought you were Naughty Dog."

Seems he was out in the woods "on business". He crossed the Piper and lost a fight with him. The Piper was fast and devastating. Hawley was left bleeding and banged up. But he tells them that he saw the little girl.

They fix him up, and Ichabod notices he's got a lot of explosives on him. Why does he have that?

Hawley admits he's hunting for a bone flute. And he knew that the Piper would come as it was the daughter's 10th birthday. Seems that there is a curse on the Lancaster family.

Ichabod realizes it is tied to the Piper story. Revolutionary War Lancaster was pissed that the Redcoats were stationed in his house. He was even more pissed that they were eyeing his daughters. So he summoned the Piper, and agreed to pay him to kill the soldiers.

He was a man that had the skill to lure the soldiers out and put them off guard, then so fast and deadly that they would have no time to fight back or escape. Ichabod realizes that this means that the man must have sold his soul for these abilities.

And when

It's like they are daring me to make Assassins Creed references.

He did as he was asked. But when it was over, Lancaster then decided to skip out on payment, and murdered the Piper.

"Sorry. I'm not getting the message."

And now he returns every generation for their first 10 year old daughter. He uses the latest child to make a new bone flute.

Hawley will help them. But he wants the bone flute they found. Abbie shows him the flute and agrees. Ichabod is not happy with the idea, having little trust in Hawley.

But they work together to find the Piper's lair.

"I'm sure this is completely safe. ...Hawley, you go first."

Inside they find the girl chained up. Abbie works to free her.

Ichabod and Hawley have to try and hold back the Piper. He proves to be as fast as legend said. He shrugs off bullets and proves deft against Ichabod in a melee.

"...Where's Spider-Man?"

But they manage to get out, and Ichabod helps Hawley setup some C4 (?) to set off an explosion and they exit, temporarily trapping the Piper.

The Piper is a creepy creature. He definitely has some goblinesque qualities. It adds to his creepiness. But his rituals and looks have me flashing back to another horror creature. Jeeper Creepers' Creeper. The piper has a weird cool bone flute/sword. A hidden lair. He rises every generation. They are almost creepy cousins.

He makes for an interesting monster of the week concept.


Outside and away, Hawley wants his payment, Abbie agrees, but snaps the bone flute in two. She won't let him have it intact. It's too dangerous.

"Cross me, and 'you know what' gets the same treatment."

At the Lancaster house they return the girl to the overwhelmed family. But the team note that Beth was more upset than happy.

Researching the curses affect on the family they determine that a girl has been taken in every generation, including Beth's older sister.

...Are we sure the doll isn't a good suspect.

But one generation was different. One time they found the girl. But after she came home all the other children in the home began to get sick and died within a day. So if the Piper isn't given his choice, the family will lose every other child they have.

They realize that Beth must have known the story of this curse. So she may well be looking at the deaths of her two sons.

They race back to the house, and find the emergency services are there, taking the sons out, both in deadly conditions. Beth is gone, along with the daughter.

Ichabod grabs a sword from the Lancaster exhibit in the house, and he and Abbie head out.

They find Beth and when she pulls a gun on them, they talk her down. She's terrified about what is happening. Abbie asks her to let them end the curse.

And then the Piper appears. Shooting him proves to not be much use. (It really seldom is. They need to get those special bullets from the dream state in the season premiere.) Ichabod parries the Piper, keeping him from acquiring the child. The Piper then runs and jumps down an old well. Ichabod follows.


Inside, Ichabod does okay, but the Piper has a nice trick. When he spins his bone flute/blade it emits a tone that is devastating. Ichabod's ears start bleeding. But he's able to get a stone, and strike the Piper's foot. Piper's got...pain receptors?

Ichabod then gets in a good blow and takes one of the Piper's arms. ...Is this about to go Monty Python on us? No! Because the Piper drops Ichabod again.

"I send my own regards."

But before he can take advantage, Abbie comes from behind and stabs his through with his own bone flute/sword.

A victory.


But Irving is not having any luck. 

Henry comes to visit Irving, always more work to be done. But Irving isn't having any of it. He knows he's trouble.

"Make a deal with the devil? You think I'm crazy?"

So Henry shrugs, and reminds him that he can just remove all of his requests on behalf of Irving. It means he will be staying in the hospital far longer. It will also mean the payments Henry got to be made to his family will end. No support. No money for his sick daughter.

And Irving knows he's screwed. A bible bursts into flames in his hands. How is that not both terrifying...and kind of awesome.

Wow. So when you touch an HG Well's book it just burst into flames?

Then he also has a weird dreams where he's walking through a devastated Sleepy Hollow. He's killing left and right, with War behind him watching.

I might almost think I accidentally changed channel, and am on TNT watching one of Jones' old 90's movies (Okay, he was doing more movies in the '00, but the 90's is funnier.). ...He can still pull it off nicely.

Orlando Jones! In a dark future, he is Hillman College's last best chance to
survive.

Henry gives him a clue to his true state. Once he signed those papers, with his own blood, he surrendered his soul.

Moloch saves. It's so he can swallow your soul later.

Henry's day is pretty good though. Irving is in his grasp. And he's the buyer of Hawley's bone flute discovery.

True. It is broken. But Henry pulls out a mortar and pestle. He takes some of the broken bone flute, and grinds it down.

Ah. Henry Parrish's world famous guacamole and chips. The secret is in the
sins.

He then taste the dust that remains. "It's perfect."

"MMM. That is nummy nummy."

For what?

FOR WHAT?!


NEXT TIME! A ghost story! Awkward history with the Cranes! And the ultimate Lizzie Bennet Diaries crossover ever!

_____

This is was a fun episode.

The Piper makes an interesting monster. Like I said, he does remind me slightly of the Creeper monster. But it still works in its own right. Heck I could easily imagine a movie about him. His look and effects around his powers proved to create a nice threatening sense.If we had seen much more of his face, it may have been too much. So keeping it largely hard to see


Hawley proves to have some value, but is still happy to trade in things no one should have. Maybe he's on a learning curve. But I do get the feeling that he's trying not to really take any side in any shadowy struggle.


No Jenny? Tsk.


Irving's life is sucking. Damn it. What is he going to have to do? And is he in the same position as Undead Andy in Season One...before he died?


Abbie continues to kick ass.


Ichabod continues to move into the 21st century.  He's still commenting on modern times, and reacting to the world. But it's not as interesting to me this season as it was last season. There is so much happening in the primary and personal stories.

But there are still moments where it's proving to be quite fun. Ichabod quickly masters cars. (I guess he's finally watching Abbie drive. Or he got an app for him phone.) And it was hilarious watching him experience noise cancelling tech.

And, Henry? WHAT'S PERFECT?!