Sleepy Hollow - Spellcaster - Advance Preview: "Wanna See a Bad-Ass Katrina?"

2.15 - "Spellcaster"

Reviewed by Gavin Hetherington

In case you missed it, I'm temporarily taking over reviewing Sleepy Hollow this week until Romain can review the last three episodes of the season. Be sure to read my review of Kali Yuga that was posted yesterday. My review of Spellcaster will be posted on time on Tuesday.

Season Guide

Click on the episode title to be taken to that review of the episode. Advance previews will be linked in paranthesis after the episode titles. Some episodes did not get an advance preview. Episodes 1-13 were covered by Romain Ossust.

2.01 - "This Is War" (Advance Preview)
2.02 - "The Kindred" (Advance Preview)
2.03 - "Root of All Evil"
2.04 - "Go Where I Send Thee..." (Advance Preview)
2.05 - "The Weeping Lady"
2.06 - "And the Abyss Gazes Back"
2.07 - "Deliverance" (Advance Preview)
2.08 - "Heartless" (Advance Preview)
2.09 - "Mama" (Advance Preview)
2.10 - "Magnum Opus"
2.11 - "The Akeda" (Advance Preview)
2.12 - "Paradise Lost"
2.13 - "Pittura Infamante"
2.14 - "Kali Yuga"
2.15 - "Spellcaster" (Advance Preview)
2.16 - "What Lies Beneath"
2.17 - "Awakening" (Advance Preview)
2.18 - "Tempus Fugit" (Advance Preview)

'Spellcaster' Preview

The episode opens very interestingly in an auction house. It starts the episode really well actually and it's one of the best openings for the show so far this year. Promises a very spell-bound episode. When Abbie and Ichabod get a heads up about something magical going on after the attack in the auction house, they realise they need Katrina for this kind of case. This is definitely the episode we needed to see Katrina work her magic. The writers must have heard the folk who complained that Katrina hasn't done much this season. We finally find out what has become of Henry and where he has been. I'll not ruin it for anyone but he's been relatively quiet. Is he a changed man? Maybe, he's definitely acting differently. Friendlier, but still lethal. Hmmm.

Things do get more exciting when Katrina realises the person they're after is a Warlock all witches fear. We have ties to the Salem Witch Trials and the Warlock, Solomon, was a leader there. We get a flashback to those times and we see Katia Winter's natural hair colour I think judging by her Instagram photos. It's so weird seeing her without red hair but she looks positively gorgeous with both hair colours. I absolutely love anything to do with the Salem Witch Trials so I really enjoyed this episode and having a look at that Puritan life and how it all started in Sleepy Hollow-verse.

"There are witches among us!"

I'm reviewing the show Salem for SpoilerTV when the show returns on April 5th, so be sure to check those out! This was the perfect episode for me to preview so I thank Romain for giving me the chance to step up for this episode. I can't be the only one who absolutely loves anything to do with witches - Charmed, Eastwick, Witches of East End, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, etc. - so this is the perfect episode for my witchy obsession. If you love witches too, you'll love this episode.

Against Kent the first time, Katrina is the one who stands up against him over Abbie and Ichabod. She uses her magic and it's pretty powerful but still pretty tamed. Not her full potential just yet but enough. It is such a relief to see her actually do something with her magic and really be useful. Something happens with Katrina that will lead to some very interesting things in the future. I'm not sure I fully understand what happens but when the episode airs, we'll have to discuss it. However the show still is about Abbie and Ichabod so it's up to them to save the day. Don't worry folks, Katrina doesn't steal the spotlight from their partnership. I don't see anything romantic between Abbie and Ichabod and I hope nothing romantic ever will come from their friendship, I just absolutely love seeing their teamwork and chemistry.

The effects are actually very, very good in this episode. Since there's a lot of magic involved in this episode, I was worried they would come off looking fake but they're really well done in this episode. The confrontantion with Kent is very clever and a very great scene. It's not an easy take down which I think sometimes lets an episode down when the vistory is easy, so I think people will enjoy this aspect a lot.

There's still some time before the end of the episode when they take down Kent. In fact, it gets a lot more interesting with Katrina after he's gone! Guys, I cannot stress how much we needed this episode to get Katrina back to a place she was in in season one. Bad-ass. You know what, Katrina isn't the only one who is bad-ass. Irving is bad-ass too, and even Henry. As much as I love Jenny, it was great to get some more screentime with the others to really flesh them out in this episode and with Hawley gone too, as much as I liked him, this episode was (to me) one of the best episodes of this season. That might have to do with me being a lover of witches and the fact that I'm still a fan of Katrina, but I think even those who think Katrina has been useless or annoying this season will change their minds once seeing this episode.

This wasn't a filler episode. This is actually leading to bigger and better things in the final three episodes as we get more surprises and twists concerning the characters. I look forward to writing my full review of the episode when it airs and I hope everyone enjoys the episode as much as I did.

Teases

- Check something else off on our 'things we want to see Ichabod do in the twenty-first century' lists.
- We first see Katrina in this episode when she's playing with her magic. Writers have heard us!
- Henry finally returns after he disappeared after the mid-season finale.
- We do get quite a bit of explanation of magic in this episode, like how Katrina's comes from nature.
- In the flashbacks to Salem, Katia Winter is there... but she may or may not be Katrina.
- We get backstory on Katrina's family.
- There is no fighting between Abbie and Ichabod for a nice change from the past few episodes.
- Something happens with Katrina when she tries to stop Solomon that I'm expecting some great things in the future with her.
- Irving makes a couple of appearances but nothing that furthers the mystery surrounding his reawakening, instead cementing the idea that something is not right with him.
- Jenny does not make an appearance in this episode.
- Ichabod goes Rambo.
- Characters are back to being 100% fantastic. I really missed them.
- In my opinion, one of the best episodes this season.

Have any questions about the episode? Let me know in the comments and be sure to watch the episode of Sleepy Hollow when it aires on February 2nd on FOX at 9PM!

About the Author - Gavin Hetherington

Award-winning author of 'Abyssal Sanctuary: Remnants of the Damned'. Gavin joined SpoilerTV on August 9, 2014 and will be reviewing 2 Broke Girls, Mistresses, Orange is the New Black, Pretty Little Liars and Salem in the 2014-15 season. Gavin's favourite shows include Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, The Walking Dead, Once Upon a Time, Revenge, Scandal and much more. You can contact him at gavin@spoilertv.com.

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