Sleepy Hollow - I, Witness (Season Premiere) - Advance Preview: "Evil Has Returned to Sleepy Hollow"

3.01 - "I, WITNESS"

Directed by Peter Weller
Written by Albert Kim
Reviewed by Gavin Hetherington

3.01 - "I, Witness" (October 1, 2015) - Review / Advance Preview
3.02 - "Whispers in the Dark" (October 8, 2015) - Review
3.03 - "Blood and Fear" (October 15, 2015) - Review
3.04 - "The Sisters Mills" (October 22, 2015) - Review
3.05 - "Dead Men Tell No Tales" (October 29, 2015) - Review / Advance Preview
3.06 - "This Red Lady From Caribee" (November 5, 2015) - Review / Advance Preview
3.07 - "The Art of War" (November 12, 2015) - Review / Advance Preview

There's an evil witch in town and she's going to cause our heroes some trouble this season! Sleepy Hollow is back and, as a fandom, we can all pretty much agree that the second season was a bit of a mess. While I personally quite liked the second season, I could understand its flaws and I was very excited to hear the show will have a sort of reboot for season three. Having been blessed with a screener of the season three premiere, after watching it I didn't feel like it was a 'reboot' of sorts. There is a massive time jump that means we can skip the drama of the aftermath of season two's finale and jump straight into a new story. The time passed means time lost between Abbie and Ichabod as they weren't together for that period of time, and Ichabod returns to Sleepy Hollow in a pretty unconventional but a totally Crane way.

The story of the episode is that there's a very scary-looking demon running around town paralysing people with fear and killing them. Holler to the Charmed fans who will recognise the same theme with Barbas, except Sleepy Hollow delivers a very fearsome beast that actually scared me. With Ichabod and Abbie on the case like old times, they explore and realise what kind of monster they are facing and begin to think there's something more going on in the town. There is some excitement and fun to be had here, and it had that classic humour we have come to know and love. Jenny is back too and it was so nice to see a familiar face outside of Abbie and Ichabod. There's some great teamwork that goes on in this premiere that leads to some good fights. We also get some nifty flashbacks to Ichabod and his relationship with Betsy Ross. I like the actress of Betsy and she does a fine job with her small scenes - she needs more.

There is a lot more I would like to say about this premiere but I will have to wait for my full review to do that after this episode airs. This episode isn't perfect and it doesn't solve all of the problems this show has, but to me, it's a step in the right direction. I was expecting a bit more from the premiere and I felt a little underwhelmed by the end of it. The set-up is good for a new villain and it was just awesome to have these characters back on my screen in this great world of Sleepy Hollow. I won't rule this show out yet, even if people are already giving up due to the trajectory of the second season, but I think there's potential beyond the premiere. Quite possibly my least favourite premiere but still a good premiere nonetheless. This show could up its game in the episodes to come and I am excited by a storyline involving a tablet.

TEASES

- The Headless Horseman makes a brief appearance before something mysterious happens to him.
- A hefty time jump keeps us far separated from the events of season two.
- The team may need a new hub for their wicked plans.
- This premiere did feel a little like season one Sleepy Hollow, and the direction they're going in could cement that feeling further if they execute it right.
- Ichabod digs into his descendants.
- Abbie has a big job upgrade.
- Jenny explains what happened to Irving when she shows up.
- Pandora has a good introduction. It's pretty clear she's a big bad, but is she the only big bad? Hmm.

DIALOGUE TEASES

"We're a team." "Are we?"
"Perhaps I am truly adrift in this time."
"It said... The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."
"I have a new mission now."
"Welcome back to the Archives, Crane."
"Is there no regard for the past?"
"My partner... often in crime." (referring to Betsy Ross)

Have any questions about the third season premiere of Sleepy Hollow? What are you looking forward to seeing in the premiere? Let me know in the comments and be sure to watch the premiere on October 1st on FOX!

About the Author - Gavin Hetherington

Award-winning author of the 'Abyssal Sanctuary' series. Gavin joined SpoilerTV in August 2014 and reviews 2 Broke Girls, Devious Maids, The Flash, Mistresses, Pretty Little Liars, Salem, Scream Queens and Sleepy Hollow. Gavin will write previews for Devious Maids and Shadowhunters, and backs-up Empire, iZombie, Once Upon a Time, Reign, Scandal and Supergirl. You can contact him at gavin@spoilertv.com.

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