Hello, Boneheads...and Boneheadless? Thanks for checking out this extra-special review of the crossover event of Bones and Sleepy Hollow.
For those who favor only one show or the other, a quick explanation: FOX aired two crossover episodes on Thursday, October 29. The first part of the story took place on Bones (episode titled "The Resurrection in the Remains"), and part two continued in Sleepy Hollow (episode titled "Dead Men Tell No Tales"). This post will focus mainly on the Bones side of things.
As far as I know, this is a fairly new form of crossover between shows. But did FOX pull it off with aplomb? Let's find out together.
But before I get into the details of the crossover event, I want to make a disclaimer: I'm far more invested in Bones than I am in Sleepy Hollow. In preparation for this review, I consulted fellow SpoilerTV contributor Gavin Hetherington about the 5 most essential Sleepy Hollow episodes. Some of the observations I'll make in this article are based on a limited window of knowledge about the show, so if I get something wrong, I encourage you to speak up in the comments section! Unlike Temperance Brennan and Ichabod Crane, I am not at all bothered by being wrong. :)
RECAP
The mystery of the week involved the tragic tale of Sarah Lippmann, a medical student whose body was discovered under the floorboards of a church...next to an 18th-century coffin containing a headless corpse. Over the course of the episode, we learned that Lippmann dabbled in witchcraft, and discovered a method of resurrecting herself using the skull of the redcoat General Howe. Although she found the experience of resurrection enlightening and empowering, her religious boyfriend saw something different when he went to the other side; his anger ended up sending her beyond the point of resurrection.
Although Booth, Brennan, and the rest of the Jeffersonian team were focused on Lippmann's murder, Abbie Mills and Ichabod Crane arrived early on to take Howe's body back to Sleepy Hollow, where it was part of much larger intrigues than a solitary homicide.
Ichabod paired nicely with Brennan and the Jeffersonian team, while Abbie went into the field alongside Booth. Their combined efforts solved the case and eventually delivered Howe's body into the right hands...until part two, anyway.
DISCUSSION
At first, I found Ichabod's old-fashioned intensity quite jarring in the Bones setting. It might have had to do with his first line involving Planet Vulcan, or his squirrely over-arched brows as he tiptoed his way around his vast historical knowledge. By the end of the episode, though, he and Abbie had settled comfortably into the mix. I wonder if Brennan and Booth came off as equally intense when they appeared in the Sleepy Hollow episode - any SH fans want to weigh in on that?
Although the tone, writing style, and production design of Bones and Sleepy Hollow are extremely different, "The Resurrection in the Remains" touched on primary similarity between the shows: both are centered around partnerships of opposites. Early in the episode, Brennan points out the disparity between Ichabod and Abbie, and his reply is nothing short of perfection: "We are a partnership of opposites. Yet our affinity for one another bears the ripest of fruit."
This description applies beautifully to Brennan and Booth's relationship, as well; her being hyper-logical and him being more of an intuitive type. It made Brennan's suggestion that Ichabod explore a romantic/physical relationship with Abbie all the more hilarious - and for any Ichabbie shippers out there, extremely satisfying.
There was a throwaway moment in the middle of the episode when Hodgins fist-bumped Ichabod. For Bones-only fans, that moment probably didn't mean much, but it's a gesture that Abbie taught Ichabod and eventually used to prove himself in an episode involving impostors. Were there any other moments like this, where inside jokes from one show played out in the crossover event? I want to know all about them!
Finally, I want to address the question I posed at the beginning of this review: did FOX pull off this crossover with aplomb? I'll admit, the premise of Sleepy Hollow has always induced me to eye rolling rather than enthusiasm. And having watched a sampling of the episodes, I can now genuinely say that Sleepy Hollow was not the show for me. For that reason, I found the crossover event pretty flop-tastic, but I'll put it to you readers: Was the crossover event something you enjoyed? Did it encourage you to check out something new? Or were you a devotee of both shows all along?
As always, I encourage comments!
